Bellona ønsker å bruke solenergi til å desalinere havvann og dyrke grønn biomasse i Sahara:

- Vi vil bygge slike anlegg i Sahara på størrelse med hele Østlandet. Vi ser for oss stort potensial både i Australia og deler av USA.

Tanken er god, ideen om å gjøre ørken grønn er gammel, teknologien er én av de tingene som kan gjøre det mulig. To tanker i den forbindelse:

1. Sahara har vært grønn før, nærmere bestemt for ca fire tusen år siden. Sahara har faktisk svingt mellom ørken og fuktig slettelandskap (og myr og urskog) med ujevne mellomrom de siste tretti tusen årene. Siste gang Sahara ble ørken skjedde det ekstremt fort (i geologisk perspektiv) – over en periode på ikke mer enn tre hundre år. Dette knyttes til variasjoner i Jordens akse. Denne variasjonen foregår hele tiden og er gradvis. Men over tid kan denne variasjonen “demme opp” store endringer i klima, som så plutselig utløses av tilsynelatende små endringer i værmønstrene. Dette er interessant ikke minst i forbindelse med klimaspørsmålene (se Odd Busmundruds grundige gjennomgang av problemstillingen her på Dyade-bloggen). Ikke minst er Sahara en påminnelse om at vi ikke har noen anelse om hva som skjer når biosfærens kretsløp først begynner å røre på seg.

2. På grunn av den ekstreme varmen i Sahara vil fordampningen av ferskvann uansett etterlate seg saltrester som på sikt gjør jordsmonnet ubrukelig – uansett hvor rent vannet er. Det finnes alltid saltrester i fordampet vann. Så fantasien om en menneskapt grønn ørken er i utgangspunktet en fantasi: Det skrinne (og stort sett ikke-eksisterende) jordsmonnet i Sahara tåler svært lite jordbruk før det ødelegges.

Den australske forskeren og skribenten Tim Flannery mener klimakrisen kan takles dersom menneskeheten nå mobiliserer på samme måte som den gjorde da Jorden sto overfor trusselen fra fascismen i stor skala. Skal vi bruke stemningen før København-konferansen som målestokk, er det et stykke igjen til denne mobiliseringen, Bellonas grønne ørken til tross.

Mer om Sahara i årets siste Dyadenummer, som er i handelen akkurat i tide til å rekke juletreet.

Bellona-leder Fredrik Hauge forteller om et fantastisk spennende prosjekt i dagens VG. Det handler om å gjøre områder som er ørken om til fruktbart område slik at befolkningen kan skaffe vann, man kan plante trær osv til å binde CO2, og ikke minst kan man utvinne ren biodiesel som ikke konkurerer ut matjord.

Dette er et prosjekt det burde vært spennende å investere i, men det er ikke det for norske investorer som aldri vil vite hva regjeringen kommer til å gjøre med rammebetingelsene til en grønn industri i startgropa.

Det mest tragiske med avgiften som Stoltenberg tvang på lillesøstrene i regjering er at man skremmer vekk næringslivet. For å lykkes i klimakampen må man bruke næringslivet og markedsmekanismene for miljøet, ikke miljøet mot næringslivet som regjeringen nå gjør.

Prosjekter som kan redde kloden, skape arbeidsplasser og økonomiske verdier er gull verdt for Norge. Vi må bevege oss fra å være en ledende oljenasjon til å bli en nasjon som er ledende på alternative energieformer. Da er vi avhengige av at vi bruker av vår enorme formue for å fremme gode tiltak. Næringslivet og innvestorer må ha langsiktige avtaler og støtteordninger.

København neste.

Konflikten rundt biodieselavgiften har vært mye i offentligheten i det siste. Ap har tydeligvis fått SV og Sp til å gå på tvers av egne standpunkter, bare for å presse igjennom biodieselavgiften.

Biodiesel er en diesel som framstilles av naturlige råvarer. I Norge produseres biodiesel stort sett av lakseolje, fiskeavfall, frityrolje og raps. Regjeringa har foreslått i statsbudsjettet å halvere avgiftsfritaket neste år og fjerne det helt fra 2011.

Jeg må si meg enig med Dagbladet-kommentator Marie Simonsen når hun skriver: “Slaget om biodieselavgiften etterlater i hvert fall inntrykk av at motstanderne vil noe i miljø- og klimapolitikken. Ett sted må man jo begynne, men dette er babyskritt i forhold til hvilke sjumilssteg som skal til. (…) Opprøret mot biodieselavgiften er et uvanlig politisk drama. Men det er et lite slag i den store krigen.”

Dette er sant. Men den biodieselavgiften som Ap presser på for å innføre kommer til å sinke arbeidet for å legge om produksjon, forbruk og transport i en mer grønn retning. Et eksempel finner vi på Romerike. I Romerikes Blad, onsdag 25. november, kunne jeg lese følgende: “Avgift på biodiesel, som Stortinget trolig vedtar i morgen”, vil koste fylkeskommunene mye og kan føre til redusert tilbud for kollektivtreisende. (…) SVs samferdselspolitiske talsmann i Akershus, Erlend Helle, sier at regjeringens håndtering av denne saken har vært klønete. – Når man ønsker økt innblanding av biodiesel til fem prosent, vil det bidra til økt avsetning på biodiesel og forhåpentlig sikre arbeidsplasser i en voksende industri på alternativ energi. Men det er like fullt uforsteålig å innføre avgift på alternativ energi som bidrar til lavere CO2-utslipp, og som skaper arbeidsplasser, sier han. (…) i Uniol, Norges eneste biodieselfabrikk, møtes fredag for å vurdere signalene fra regjeringen. – Jeg vil ikke forskuttere styrets og investorene avgjørelese. Men min foreløpige vurdering er at dette ikke er nok til å trekke permitteringsvarselet til de ansatte, sier Uniols styreleder Øystein Haslum til NTB.”

Miljøbevegelsen er ikke fornøyd. Natur og Ungdoms Reidar Strisland sier følgende til Dagbladet: “Vi er fryktelig skuffet. Dette er ikke noen seier for noen verdens ting. Det har hele tida vært klart at omsetnignspåbudet skulle økes til fem prosent. Dette er mer et dårlig forsøk på å sminke på den dårlige politikken med avgift på biodrivstoff”.

Stoltenberg har dratt fram argumentet “skepsis mot mat på tanken”, som er et argument som er legitimt i forhold til mange typer biodiesel. Men Bellonas Frederic Hauge har påpekt at den foreslåtte biodieselavgiften vil ha motsatt effekt av det Stoltenberg sier at han vil oppnå. Hauge har sagt følgende: “Ved at innblandingspåbudet øker overlates det til Shell og Esso og selv kjøpe inn biodrivstoffet, da vil de selvfølgelig kjøpe inn det billigste, og med den nye avgiften kommer de ikke til å kjøpe innovative produkter basert på avfall, frityrolje og lignende”. I følge Bellona vil dette føre til at førstegenerasjons biodiesel basert på raps og liknende vil utkonkurrere annengenerasjons biodiesel produsert av biomasse som ikke kan brukes til mat.

Stoltenberg blir beskyldt for å tulle med tallene i biodieselavgiftsdebatten. Her er et utdrag fra Dagbladet, 25. november: “Statsministeren hevdet i går at fortsatt avgiftsfritak for biodiesel vil kunne koste så mye som 16 milliarder kroner i året i tapte skatteinntekter. (…)- Det tallet Jens bruker, 16 milliarder, er helt på jordet, sier direktør i biodieselfirmaet Uniol, Jon A. Duus, til Dagbladet. – Det er helt usannsynlig at hele bilparken skal over på biodiesel. Dette grenser mot det uredelige, sier leder i miljøstiftelsen Zero, Einar Håndlykken. (…) – 16 milliarder er misvisende. Det er et ledd i en propagandakrig der Jens forsøker å komme på offensiven. Han tegner et skremmebilde. Det er verken realistisk eller ønskelig at hele den norske bilparken skal over på biodiesel. (…) Vi skal også ha elbiler og hydrogenbiler, sier Håndlykken.”

Store deler av fagbevegelsen er imot biodieselavgiften. LO-lederen Roar Flåthen skreiv følgende i en epost til Dagsavisen: “Det er flere gode argumenter for å ikke innføre en biodieselavgift enn for å gjøre det. LO har hele tiden vært motstandere av en slik avgift nå, og det har vi sagt klart fra om». Lederen av LO-forbundet Industri Energi, Leif Sande, har også gått ut imot biodieselavgiften. Lederen av Fagforbundet, Jan Davidsen, har sagt følgende om biodiesel: “Det er noe vi trenger mer av. Da er det et godt prinsipp å drive fødselshjelp med avgiftsfritak. Det vil være fornuftig om regjeringen bidrar til å fremme og videreutvikle biodiesel gjennom et avgiftsfritak.”

De fire opposisjonspartiene på Stortinget (FrP, Høyre, KrF og Venstre) har gjort det klart at de kommer til å gjøre det de kan for å hindre innføring av avgift på biodiesel. Jeg håper virkelig at et stort nok antall av stortingsrepresentanter fra regjeringspartiene trosser Ap-ledelsen, og sørger for at avgiften på biodiesel ikke blir innført. Men jeg tror dessverre ikke at det er sannsynlig.

Lenker:

Stemmer for alt – unntatt biodiesel: http://www.siste.no/Innenriks/politikk/article4724968.ece 

Jens misforstår om biodiesel:  http://www.bellona.no/nyheter/nyheter_2009/Jens_misforstar

Skuffende fra Stoltenberg: http://www.zero.no/transport/bio/skuffende-fra-stoltenberg/ 

Stortingsgruppene ikke spurt om biodieselavgift: http://www.ukeavisenledelse.no/samfunn/20091121/stortingsgruppene-ikke-spurt-om-biodieselavgift/

Kritiserer Ap for biodiesel-avgift: http://www.frifagbevegelse.no/anb-nyheter/article4706309.ece 

- Regjeringen er “totalt upålitelig”: http://www.dagsavisen.no/innenriks/article453884.ece?showLast=true&status=showall 

Miljøbevegelsen raser mot regjeringen: http://www.nu.no/saker/samferdsel/vei/art-091118miljobevegelsen_raser_mot_regjeringen.html

Et par timer lørdag kveld var jeg i Storsalen på Samfundet i Trondheim på samfundsmøte. Disse møtene varierer både i tema og interesse (min interesse, altså). Men som en som generelt føler behov for å holde meg halvoppdatert på overflaten av klimaspørsmål, hadde jeg relativt høye forventninger til et møte hvor jeg antok klimaspørsål generelt, og møtet i København spesielt, skulle diskuteres. Særlig da jeg så på gjestelisten; Bjørn Utgård fra Bellona, Aldo Sirotic fra den amerikanse ambassaden, Alfred Grannas fra den tyske ambassaden, Harald Francke Lund fra Miljødepartementet, og sist men ikke minst Mr. Gao Zifa fra den kinesiske ambassaden. Litt artig at kun kineseren blir titulert med Mr., uten at jeg vet hva det skal bety.

Uansett. Det startet lovende, med en fancy forelesning av Mr. Bellona om hvor jævlig dårlig vår kjære Tellus ligger an. Han brukte fremvisningsverktøy jeg ikke har sett maken til, det han snakket om var like interessant som verktøyet han brukte for å si det. Det likte jeg. Etter det var det ambassademennene og Francke Lund sin tur. Og de fremsto som sjenerte studenter som skulle holde fremlegg for en større kollokviegruppe. Gubbene hadde gjort leksene sine, men fremførelsen var ren opplesning. Mr. China løftet ikke blikket sitt en eneste gang da det var hans tur. Ingenting var oppsiktsvekkende ved det de sa, i hvert fall ikke som jeg fikk med meg. Deretter fikk publikum anledning til å stille spørsmål. Mange av dem var gode og vanskelige, men de ble svart på på et usedvanlig politisk, unnvikende, og dørgende kjedelig vis. For å si det på en annen måte; de ble egentlig ikke svart på. Det som kom frem av interesse var tyskerens optimisme med å ikke avfeie forhandlinger før de har begynt (møtet i København har jo ennå ikke funnet sted), i motsetning til amerikanerens og nordmannens pessimisme. Mr. China hadde no strong feelings one way or the other, uten at det var noe sjokk. Møtets lyspunkt var Bjørn Utgård, og mot slutten Eivind Rindals ymse kommentarer.

For å ro meg litt tilbake til saken her, så er det Mr. China som er nøkkelen. Sånn som jeg ser det, var det kanskje størst potensiell debatt mellom han og Mr. USA. Men Mr. China var så kneblet, og amerikaneren så tafatt at det ikke ble noe ut av det. Ved to anledninger svarte kineseren “I’m not in a position to answer that question.”. Svarte han på vegne av seg selv, fordi han ikke har lov til å si noe mer enn det som står på A4-arket foran seg? Svarte han på vegne av sitt land som ikke vil ta en ansvarsrolle ift internasjonale klimaspørsmål? Jeg ser på Mr. Gao Zifa, og ser en kuet ambassadør, en nikkedukke. Så ser jeg til høyre for han en litt sjenert amerikaner, og tenker at han også er en nikkedukke. Og så tenker jeg at det ikke er så rart at det ikke ble så mye til debatt.

Indigo, Tennyson, Barnaby, Ashby, Rowan, Arlo, Benson, Beckett, Dashiell, Dante, Emmett, Emilio, Gabriel, Gulliver, Hugo, Harvey, Leo, Oakley, Orlando, Pablo, Preston, Perrin, Quinlan, Raphael, Romeo, Remy, Rupert, River, Rafferty, Rutherford, Samson, Sommer, Steven, Troy, Tristan.

Bellona, Bedelia, Decla, Eloisa, Evangelina, Freya, Ferelith, Genevieve, Greta, Ginella, Hazel, Hyacinth, Honora, Isabella, Isadora, Junia, Luciana, Lucelia, Leora, Maddalena, Noella, Ophelia, Ottilie, Polly, Pearl, Primrose, Rosabel, Romilly, Raphaella, Rosamund, Seraphina, Sofiel, Simone, Tallulah, Valentina, Viola.

Phoenix is the sweatiest city in America.

“Stranger In Moscow.”

Sydney and the light rail.

Augmented reality in London.

The ghost in the field, and RFID chips.

What will happen when London is flooded?

“Berlin” in Paris.

Interracial couple denied marriage license in Louisiana.

Soft robots and DARPA.

Moscow’s mayor promises a winter without snow.

Paris Syndrome and Jerusalem Syndrome.

San Francisco and the 1906 earthquake.

Rebuilding New Orleans.

from here.

“City Of Blinding Lights.”

A possible glimpse at our future space cities.

America’s most expensive cities and most impoverished cities.

FOX promises to air all 13 of the already ordered Dollhouse season two episodes.

Speaking of which, Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard’s The Cabin In The Woods being held back a year to be switched over to 3D.

“Magnetricity” observed for the first time.

A map of your future mega-cities and megaopolises.

“When the lights go down in the city…”

Sensing the immaterial-material city.

Cities underground and cities tsunami-resistant.

City Of Shadows.

The ruins of Chernobyl, over 20 years later.

“Cities In Dust.”

GTA IV: Inherent Vice City.

“Silver City” and “Sad, Sad City.”

Why all cities are haunted.

The mind of a city (and how our brains are similar).

The cityscapes of François Schuiten.

Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem.

The city is a battlesuit for surviving the future.

Phantom City: See the city that could’ve been.

“…when we reach the city.”

“I have come to wound the autumnal city.”

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

“I’ll take the coral reefs as my metaphor. Though hardly so beautiful. If the essence of life is information carried in DNA, then society and civilization are just colossal memory systems and a metropolis like this one, simply a sprawling external memory….”

-a quote from Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence, a movie that I was watching the other day and just first stirred the pot on several thoughts I had locked up. Thoughts about human beings and boxes we live in.

Warren Ellis had created a comic book character years ago called Jack Hawksmoor, the “king of cities.” Jack was a normal human who had been abducted by city-empathic aliens from the future and repeatedly operated on and “upgraded” to have city-specific powers for use with fighting some unknown future threat that was coming.

Jack Hawksmoor, the King Of Cities.

Hawksmoor, who’s name was inspired by both Spring Heeled Jack and Nicholas Hawksmoor, couldn’t survive for very long outside of an urban environment, but when he was in any city, he had powers specific to that city, including things like superhuman strength and agility, but also psychometry and the ability to control and alter architecture and infrastructure. I don’t think the character was ever utlized by successive writers to his full potential, but I do remember in one story where Hawksmoor had to fight a powerful villain, he made sure that the fight took place in Mexico City, the larged city in the world, to maximize his abilities.

Quarantined in utopia.

“There’s no one to know. There’s nothing to do. The city’s been down since you’ve been gone.”

Climate change and warfare.

“Black And White Town.”

Scientists create “sexual tsunami.”

12 sexist vintage ads.

What’s left of the Roman city of Dougga.

Futurism vs. Science Fiction.

Futuristic steampunk urban recycling.

The little town that Los Angeles killed.

Speaking of which: Future Los Angeles.

Future Chicago.

Future New York.

The saddest blow job story ever.

“History Of A Boring Town.”

Russell Brand not capable of monogamy.

10 most amazing ghost towns, including Prypiat.

“Everything In It’s Right Place.”

Scientists develop “brain to brain communication.”

As time progresses, the future will literally devour the past: WW2-era statue with added cell tower.

“Last Stop: This Town.”

O paganismo cultua há anos o Mistério da Grande Mãe e seus muitos nomes que surgiu entre os homens quando estes ainda tentavam compreender a si mesmo…

Voltando no tempo e espaço, nos deparamos com uma civilização ainda por descobrir-se, não apenas no que se refere a si mesmo, como a tudo mais que existia a sua volta. Os povos primitivos não demoraram para identificar na Terra o aspecto feminino, já que é na mulher que se encontra um dos aspectos naturais da Terra: o poder de dar a vida.

Assim sendo, a Terra seria representada pelo “grande útero” – o lugar onde tudo é gerado. Não demorou-se para que a figura de uma mulher fosse reverenciada como a Grande Mãe de tudo e de todos – Gaia foi um dos muitos nomes que ela recebeu…

Com o passar dos tempos, diferentes tribos deram a figura mística feminina diversos nomes – outros simbolismos como a Lua para o qual eles atribuíam o fator da continuidade da vida. Sim, eles acreditavam que as mulheres engravidavam através do poder da Grande Deusa manifestada a partir do grande astro luminoso, que na Fase Cheia estava mais próxima da Terra, exercendo forte influência sobre os animais, plantas, mares e sobre o próprio ser humano.

O culto a Grande Deusa remonta a Era de Touro (4304 a 2154 a.C.) que é atribuída à antiga cultura egípcia, que tinha a vaca como Deusa da Fertilidade e a pecuária como principal cultura. Os astrólogos dizem que essa foi a era em que a cultura egípcia se desenvolveu e foi o centro da civilização.Com o final da Era de Touro, o domínio egípcio cessou e deu lugar a Carneiro, o signo que passou a dominar. Os astrólogos dizem que foi Israel que dominou essa era, devido ao sacrifício do cordeiro, o ritual mais marcante da religião de Israel, além da ovinocultura (criação de ovelhas), sua principal cultura. 

Foi na Era de Touro que o respeito ao feminino e o culto aos mistérios da procriação foram difundidos. Nas culturas primitivas a mulher era tida como a única fonte da vida, tanto que os lugares onde ocorriam os partos eram considerados sagrados e foram justamente nestes lugares que surgiram diversos templos de veneração à Deusa.

Com o avanço da agricultura, a importância do solo passou a ser primordial e a Grande Mãe Terra (a Deusa) se tornou o centro de culto das tribos primitivas. As mulheres eram consideradas responsáveis pela fartura das colheitas, pois eram elas que conheciam os mistérios da criação. Existem várias estatuetas femininas como as Vênus de Willendorf, de Menton e Lespugne, representando a sacralidade feminina e os poderes mágicos e religiosos atribuídos à Deusa na época do Paleolítico e Neolítico.
Ela esteve presente em todas as partes do mundo sob diversos nomes e aspectos: Kali na Índia, Ishtar na Mesopotâmia, Pallas na Grécia, Sekhmet no Egito, Bellona em Roma e assim sucessivamente. As Grandes Deusas da Antiguidade exerciam o domínio tanto sobre o amor como sobre a guerra.

O símbolo da Grande Deusa é o caldeirão, que representa o mundo que ela criou e carrega em seu ventre. Este objeto é associado à Deusa porque a criação se parece com o que se pode realizar no interior do mesmo. O mundo é uma maravilhosa obra alquímica que a Deusa criou e comanda através das manobras e poções realizadas em seu caldeirão, o lugar onde nasce a vida. Ela é considerada a energia Geradora do Universo, é associada aos poderes noturnos, a Lua, a intuição, ao lado inconsciente, à tudo aquilo que deve ser desvendado, daí o mito da eterna Isis com o véu que jamais deve ser desvelado. A Lua jamais morre, mas muda de fase de tempos em tempos. Ela representa os mistérios da eternidade e mutação. Por isso a Deusa é chamada de a “Deusa Tríplice” pois também muda de fase, assim como a Lua, e se mostra aos homens em três diferentes formas como: a Virgem, a Mãe, a Anciã.

O aspecto Jovem da Deusa recebe o nome de Rhianon – está associada à adivinhação, aos rios mágicos, à clarividência e aos encantamentos. Seus rituais e invocações são realizados na Lua Crescente. Sua cor é o branco e por isso recebe o título de Albedo (Senhora da Alvorada). Rhianon é a caçadora, segura em suas mãos a trompa de vaca ou touro em forma de meia lua. É a deusa da fartura e é ela a quem devemos reverenciar quando queremos garantir êxito no trabalho. Seus poderes são os da compaixão, sabedoria e compreensão. 

O aspecto de Mãe recebe o nome de Brigith, a antiga Deusa Celta do fogo. Ela esta associada a fertilidade, sexualidade e ao parto. Seus rituais e invocações são realizados na Lua Cheia. Sua cor é o vermelho e por isso recebe o título de Rubedo (Senhora do entardecer). Brigith é a mãe que o possui no ventre o poder de dar luz a uma nova vida. É a rainha da colheita, a mãe do milho e derrama sua abundância por toda a terra. Segura em suas mãos um recipiente com labaredas de fogo, o qual tem o poder de realizar os desejos daqueles que a cultuam. É a Deusa do amor e seus poderes são os da paixão, agilidade e rapidez. 

O aspecto de Anciã recebe o nome de Ceridwen, a Grande Deusa Mãe que conhece todos os segredos do Universo. Ela está relacionada ao renascimento e a ligação com os outros mundo. Seus rituais de invocação são realizados na Lua Minguante, que é o seu símbolo. Sua cor é o negro e por isso recebe o título de Nigredo (Senhora da noite). Ceridwen é a mãe que conserva todos os poderes da sabedoria e conhecimento. É ao mesmo tempo Deusa parteira e dos mortos, pois o poder que leva as almas para a morte e o mesmo que traz a vida. Do seu ventre parte toda a vida e da vida provém a morte. Segura em suas mãos um caldeirão e das misturas feitas em seu interior ela comanda a sincronicidade de todo o Universo e intervém nos assuntos humanos para auxiliar seus seguidores. Devido ao aspecto de velha é esta a personificação que representa o conhecimento de todos os mistérios que só a experiência pode proporcionar. É a Deusa da sabedoria do bem e do mal. Ela é a Deusa da paz e do caos. Da harmonia e da desarmonia. Ceridwen já passou pela jovialidade de Rhianon, pela maturidade e entusiasmo de Brigith.Acumulou toda a experiência, que só o tempo pode proporcionar, e distribui a sabedoria por todo o mundo.

Boa semana a todos
Lunna

Stamattina abbiamo scavalcato la montagna di Bellona partendo dal lato di Fontanapila, ma non avevamo capito che ci trovavamo molto vicini, quasi a due passi dal monastero abbandonato di Bellona…

La prossima volta saliremo fin su la vetta e conquisteremo il monte e il monastero! Naturalmente con le nostre bici!

Die hard!

The Napoleonic Wars encompassed theaters of operations throughout the world. The main theaters shifted over time but some theaters were destined to remain strategic backwaters. The Adriatic was one of those.

The Venetian Republic had ceased to exist when it was overrun by the troops of Revolutionary France in 1797. Ceded to Austria under the treaty that ended the War of the First Coalition, Venice was an Austrian province until 1805. When the Treaty of Pressburg was signed, in the aftermath of disastrous defeats at the hands of the French at Ulm and Austerlitz and the collapse of the Third Coalition, Venice was stripped from Austrian control and became part of Napoleon’s short lived Kingdom of Italy.

While the Adriatic was of little strategic import to the British it was an important source of naval stores for France and so raiding commerce in the Adriatic became a priority for the British Navy.

The French and Venetians had a fairly large naval force, on paper anyway, and endeavored to fortify many of the islands in the Adriatic so small convoys could move from one covered location to another and remain safe from British raiders.

From the British point of view this was an economy of force operation. A small number of British frigates were detailed to suppress trade in the Adriatic and one of the leading lights of this effort was Captain William Hoste.

Hoste had first been sent into the Adriatic in 1808 in HMS Amphion (32) and had wrecked havoc there, taking or burning over 200 enemy prizes. Success begets success and Hoste was sent back into the Adriatic again and again and was rewarded with command of a small squadron: HMS Active (38), HMS Cerberus (32), and HMS Volage (22). We should note here that three British frigates are the 18-pounders of the latter part of the Napoleonic Wars and despite their ratings Amphion actually carried 42 guns, Active 48, and Cerberus 38.

The area of conflict centered on the island of Lissa, today the Croatian island of Vis. Lissa was the forward operating base used by Hoste and it was a hotbed of British privateers. As such it was a target for the Franco-Venetian forces, based across the Adriatic in Ancona, Italy, trying to secure commerce in the area.

Increasingly the skirmishing between the sides took on a personal air. On October 6, 1810 the French squadron of Commodore, later Rear Admiral, Bernard Dubourdieu encountered the Amphion and Active patrolling off Ancona. Hoste decided that the five frigates and two brigs of Dubourdieu presented odds too high for even the British navy to attempt to overcome and retreated to Lissa to pick up the remainder of his squadron. Once he’d made the rendezvous he sailed to meet Doubourdieu. However, Dourboudieu took the opportunity to evade Hoste’s squadron, raid Lissa, take three of Hoste’s prizes and burn five privateers. To add insult to injury he sent a letter which was printed in Le Moniteur which insinuated that Hoste had an equal squadron but was afraid to fight.

Hoste took up the challenge and promptly bottled up Dobourdieu in Ancona. There matters might have remained until a gale in mid-October drove Volage into the side of Amphion and necessitated both returning to Malta for substantial repairs.

Hoste in Amphion and Volage arrived back at Lissa on March 7, 1811, and Dubourdieu sailed from Ancona on March 11 with a squadron consisting of the large French frigates Favorite (44) and flying Dubourdieu’s broad pennant, Flore (44), Danaë (44) and a Ventian contingent consisting of Corona (44), Bellona (32), Carolina (32), Principessa Augusta (18), Mercure (16), Principessa di Bologna (10), Ladola (2), and Eugenie (6). Dubourdieu also carried about 400 troops for the purpose of taking and establishing a garrison on Lissa.

The record is somewhat unclear but it seems that word had reached Hoste that the French were coming because the night of 12-13 March found Hoste’s squadron tacking back and forth off Port St. George, Lissa. Around 3am Active, the most upwind of Hoste’s ships spotted the Franco-Venetian flotilla. Her captain, Captain James Alexander Gordon, fired two guns and hoisted a blue light to signify a strange fleet to windward. When the sun rose Hoste could see the fleet arrayed against him.

Situation at dawn on March 13, 1811. The British squadron under Admiral William Hoste discovers the French squagron to windward.

Hoste formed his ships into one division with Amphion leading followed by Active, Volage, and Cerberus, set all possible sail, and began tacking upwind to engage the French.

By around 6am the Franco-Venetian squadron had sorted itself into two divisions, a starboard, and in this case weather, division consisting of Favorite, Flore, Bellona, and Principessa Augusta, and a larboard or leeward division composed of Danaë, Corona, Carolina, and a gaggle of small craft.

It seems that Dubourdieu intended to break the British line in two places which would have resulted in the piecemeal destruction of the British squadron. He was stymied by the close interval kept by the British ships, with bowsprits overhanging the transom of the ship in front, which offered no opportunity to break the line. Shortly before opening fire, Hoste hoisted the signal “Remember Nelson.”

Situation at about 9am, March 12, 1811. The French squadron in two divisions bears down on Hoste's squadron attempting to break his line.

^{Scanned from the Naval History of Great Britain by William James}

As the Dubourdieu bore down on the British, his force was heavily engaged by Hoste’s ships. Favorite, unable to break the line, attempted to board Amphion but her decks were swept by grapeshot killing or mortally wounding Dubourdieu. The two Franco-Venetian divisions converged on Hoste, until the three major combatants in Dubourdieu’s leeward division, Danaë, Corona, and Carolina, laid alongside Volage and Cerberus and began exchanging broadsides in what was a manifestly unequal match up.

Favorite attempted to wear ship to come around in front of Amphion, followed by the rest of the ships in her division, and then engage her from leeward. This would place the British squadron between the two Franco-Venetian divisions.

About 9:40am, just as Favorite was beginning her maneuver, Hoste signaled for his squadron to wear ship together which would have the effect of reversing course and allowing him to concentrate all four of his ships on the Franco-Venetian leeward division and temporarily removing the windward division from the picture. Few things go exactly as planned. Favorite had lost most of her officers in the ill-conceived attempt to board Amphion and went out of control while attempting to wear and ended up on the rocks just off Lissa. Cerberus has her rudder shot away while turning and fell out of line.

Situation at about 9:40am, March 13, 1811. The French flagship Favorite has lost its officers and beached itself. Hoste orders his squdron to wear ship in order to destroy the Franco-Venetian leeward division. Cerberus has her rudder shot away in the turn and falls off to leeward.

^{Scanned from Battles of the British Navy by William James}

As Amphion wore ship, Flore, which was undamaged, surged ahead, raked her stern and then laid along her leeward side. At the same time Bellona wore ship and came along Amphion’s windward side. Now Amphion a 32-gun frigate was engaging a 44 and a 32.

Cerberus being out of the line now caused the leading ship in the British column to be the Volage sloop. Danaë wore ship, followed by Corona and Carolina, to cut ahead of Active and concentrate their fires on Volage. Corona and Carolina concentrated on the disable Cerberus leaving Volage — rated at 22 guns but carrying 22 32-pound carronades, 4 18-pound carronades, and two long 6 bow chasers — to slug it out with the 44 gun Danaë. Danaë retreated out of range [ed note, max range of the 32-pound carronade was about 720 yards, that of the long 18-pounder on Danaë was about 1200 yards] and proceeded to engage with her 18 pounder main battery. Volage responded by overcharging the carronades with powder to increase the range. The result was the eventual dismounting of all of her larboard carronades because of the increased recoil and having to fight Danaë with a brass 6-pounder bowchaser.

Situation at about 10:30am, March 13, 1811. Amphion is heavily engaged by Flore and Bellona. Cerberus and Volage are in danger of being overwhelmed by Corona, Danaë, and Carolina as Active comes to their assitance.

^{Scanned from Battles of the British Navy by William James}

Corona closed with Cerberus and engaged in yet another unequal contest between a 44 and a 32. Caroline peppered Cerberus from a distance but was reluctant to actually engage in the slugfest.

Active evaluated the situation and decided that Cerberus and Volage needed her assistance more than did Amphion and started beating upwind to come to their assistance. As Active approached the battle, Danaë, Corona, and Caroline broke off combat and fled to the east.

Meanwhile, Hoste had succeeded in drawing ahead of Flore and crossed her bows at half-pistol shot, about 12-13 yards, reduced sail and laid along her starboard bow which she pummeled for about ten minutes before Flore struck her colors. So badly shot up was Amphion’s rigging and boats that Hoste was unable to send a boarding party to Flore. Instead he devoted his full attention to Bellona. He positioned himself off the weather bow of Bellona and forced her to strike.

It was not shortly after noon and Hoste hoisted the signal General Chase.

Amphion, Cerberus, and Volage were unable to pursue because of battle damage. Active set out after Corona and forced her to strike around 3pm after a spirited engagement. In the meantime, Flore had reneged on her surrender. She hoisted her flag and fled. Favorite was set afire by her crew and blew up around 4pm.

Situation at about noon, March 13, 1811. Amphion has forced Flore to and Bellona to strike. Hoste signals

Amphion lost 15 killed and 47 wounded of 251 men aboard, among the latter Captain Hoste wounded in the arm. The damage to her masts left them all on the verge of toppling. Active, which through no fault of her own was largely unengaged, lost 5 killed and 24 wounded out of 300 men. Cerberus, which was short handed from prize crews only had 160 men of the 250 she was allotted, lost 13 dead and 41 wounded. Though her masts and rigging were in good shape her hull was beaten to a shambles. Volage, who had duked it out with a 44, lost 13 killed and 33 wounded out of a complement of 175. Her masts and rigging were much damaged.

Even as the British fleet licked its wounds the outcome of the battle was very nearly nullified on the ground. Some 200 sailors and embarked soldiers from Favorite made their way ashore and marched on Port St. George with the intention of capturing it. This would have left Hoste with a very hollow victory and a great deal of embarrassment. Two midshipmen put together a scratch force of British military personnel and local citizens and went to meet this threat. The persuaded the Venetian commander that the return of the British fleet would bring overwhelming force to bear on his small detachment and he could expect better terms by surrendering to them. He did so.

Hoste sent a heated series of letters to the French naval commander impugning the integrity of the commander of the Flore and demanding the return of Flore to him as a lawful prize. Not unsurprisingly, the French declined to accommodate him.

This was a turning point in the Adriatic. From this point forward British power wasn’t seriously challenged. The remnants of the French fleet were laid up in Ragusa (or Dubrovnik, if you will) for repairs. Critical supplies for the refit were dispatched from France aboard the 16-gun brig Simplon. As Simplon worked its way around the Adriatic coast it ran afoul of Belle Poule (38), Captain James Brisbane, and Alceste (38), Captain Murray Maxwell. They drove her close up under the coastal battery at Parenzo (Poreč. Croatia) and unable to destroy her directly, the two frigates landed on St. Nicholas island at the mouth of the harbor, set up an assortment of artillery, and battered the brig to wreckage. The French were unable to repair their fleet and quietly evacuated the Adriatic. Another minor challenge arose on November 29, 1811 but it was quickly quashed. In the end, the failure to control the Adriatic effectively negated any value of Napoleon’s Italian conquests.

• Gender: Feminine
• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: “war.”
• (bell-LONE-uh)

I dag (26/5) ble det arrangert en “Elbilparade for norske arbeidsplasser”. En rekke elbiler ble stilt opp på Youngstorget, for så å deretter kjære til Næringsdepartementet. Jeg kom til Youngstorget i det bilene kjørte ut fra Youngstorget. Elbilene kom tilbake etter at kravet om oppretting av et statlig Garantiinstitutt for elbilindustrien (GIEL) hadde blitt overlevert. Deretter ble det holdt appeller ved Rune Gerhardsen (Olslo Ap), Erling Folkvord (Rødt Oslo) og en fra Bellona. Appellene ble holdt foran et gult banner fra Greenpeace med påskriften ‘Ikke knus Think!”

Jeg er tilhenger av å nasjonalisere hele elbilindustrien. Et statlig garantiinstitutt er åpenbart et skritt i riktig retning. Flertallspartiene vil få store forklaringsproblemer, både i debatten rundt miljø og i debatten rundt arbeidsplasser og arbeidsledighet, dersom de ikke får på plass et statlig garantiinstitutt for elbilindustrien før Stortinget tar sommerferie.

Elbilproduksjonen og forskning på bedre elbiler er en framtidsretta industri. Og den er trua av mektige krefter. Den tradisjonelle bilindustrien og oljeselskapene har lagt ned mye innsats i å kjempe imot utviklinga av bedre elbiler.
Dersom du er interessert i å vite mer om dette, sjekk denne lenken:
http://www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com/

Yeniliklerin habercisi bellona ile 4 mevsim bir yatakta

Bellona ThermeCool vücut ısısını korumaya yardımcıÇok kanallı yüzeye sahip elyaflar mükemmel nem transferi sağlamaktadır. İçi boş elyaflar, kumaştaki çok yüksek ısı değerlerini azaltarak kullanıcıyı ideal ısı değerleri içerisinde tutmaya yardımcı olmak amacıyla termal yalıtım özelliğine sahiptir.

Sıcağa ve soğuğa meydan okuyan yep yeni bir teknoloji: ThermeCool

Yatakta yeni teknolojilerin habercisi Bellona, Viscolex Sünger, Aloevera ve Teflon’dan sonra, şimdi de TheroCool kumaşla donattığı Ultra Ortopedik ThermoActive ve ThermoLife yataklarını sunuyor. Dört mevsim, gece boyu terleme ve üşüme çatışmasını bitirmeye yardımcı olan yataklar, herkesi ideal vücut ısısında buluşturuyor.

ThermeCool teknolojisi ile tanışın:
Bedenimizin doğal termo-regülasyon işlevini üstlenen, yani vücut ısısını dengeleme fonksiyonuna sahip Thermo°Cool™, akıllı bir kumaş teknolojisidir. Kullanıcının ihtiyacına bağlı olarak, sıcak havada buharlaşma ya da soğuk havada ısı yalıtımı fonksiyonlarını yerine getirmektedir. Serinletme ve ısıtma özelliklerini bir arada sunmaktadır.

Herkes için eşit şartlar:

İnsandan insana, mevsimden mevsime, günden güne hatta an be an değişebilir vücut ısısı. Aynı evde bile iki uçta gezinebilir… Taa ki ThermoCool teknolojili yataklara girene kadar. Mevsim ne olursa olsun, üşüyenle terleyeni tatlı bir sürprizle karşılar, vücudun ideal ısısını korumaya yardımcı olur.

ThermoCool yastık ve yorgan

ThermoCool özelliği sayesinde, alez yıkandıktan sonra diğer kumaşlara oranla daha hızlı kurur.                                                     diğer bellona mobilya modelleri

Som første skribent i Dagbladets nysatsing Agenda, tar Fredrik Hauge (Bellona) for seg hvordan verden bekjempet ozonskadelige gasser på 80-tallet. For oss er akkurat gamle nok til å huske at bekymringene rundt nedslitt ozonlag, men ikke var helt med på det politiske håndverket, er dette en interessent historieleksjon. For den eldre garde bør kanskje dette være en påminning.

Siden Dagbladets nyvinning merkelig nok ikke har lagt ut artikkelen på nett, kan jeg veldig kort fortelle at den handler om hvordan enkelte land, blant annet Norge, jobbet for et forbud mot ikke-ozonskadelige gasser i sprayflasker og kjøleskap. Montreal-avtalen fra 1987 førte til at det tok hele tre måneder fra verdens største produsent av slike gasser, DuPont, fant nye alternativer. Noe sier meg at DuPont ikke var særlig begeistret for avtalen i starten…

Det er godt å høre om at vi klarer å rydde opp i miljøproblemene våre, i hvertfall de på 80-tallet. Men jeg må si jeg blir bekymret når ikke dagens miljøproblemer blir tatt på alvor. Eller retterer sagt at trusselen om miljøkatastrofe. I dagens postmoderne samfunn er det som kjent ingen som har monopol på sannheten. Noe vi merker i miljødebatten. En hver som ønsker å bremse utviklingen for bedre miljø, finner helt klart en eller annen kvasiforsker som mener det hele bare er tull.

Men tørr vi å satse fremtiden på fremtidige generasjoner på at det bare er tull? At vi ikke kan gjøre noe fra eller til? At det bare er en naturlig utvikling? Personlig er det ikke en risiko jeg ønsker å ta. Om det skulle være slik at jeg sitter i stolen min i en alder av 127 år, og ser utover et livløst landskap. Et dødt hav, med vannstand til 358 meter over dagens. Ekstrem ørken eller isøde. Ja, da skal jeg i hvertfall kunne si: Vi gjorde vårt beste, det var ikke oss. Bedre det enn å sitte i uvitenhet å håpe at det hele ikke var menneskeskapt.

Så var det dette med forbud. SV ønsker forbud mot bensindrevne biler innen noen år. Med en gang kaster kritikerne seg over forslaget (selv om KrF har et lignende et). Forslaget blir latterliggjort, ikke så uvanlig det. Men hvorfor ikke? Kristin Halvorsen har selv sagt at dette er noe som må være et samarbeidsprosjekt mellom flere land for å få til. Ikke så ulikt Montreal-avtalen? Ser helt klart at det ikke er like enkelt å bytte ut en stor bilpark som det er å bytte ut noen sprayflasker og kjøleskap. Men som Fredrik Hauge sier i den nevne artikkelen sin, CO2-utslippene kan gjøre havet livløst på 40 år. Da kan vi selvsagt velge å tro det eller ikke. Men det er en ganske stor innsats å rulle terning for, verdens matkammer..

Tre måneder tok det å finne alternativer til ozonvennlige gasser. Hvor mange måneder trenger bilindustrien? Nøden lærer naken kvinne å spinne. Gi oss noen forbud, så skal vi nok se at vi klarer å komme opp med alterativer.

It’s the ultimate princess name, having been worn by royals in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Denmark, France, and Scotland.  It’s also a versatile literary choice used by authors from Shakespeare to Jane Austen to Emily Bronte (and more recently, by Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series).  But if its top-10 status has you looking further afield, you’ve come to the right place.

If you’re all about the “-bella” or “-ella” ending, consider a few of these options:

• Arabella — Though it sounds Italian, Arabella actually originated as a Scottish variant of Annabel.  Arabella Fermor was the aristocratic young lady for whom Alexander Pope wrote his mock-heroic poem “The Rape of the Lock.”  A fictional Arabella is the humorously idealistic heroine of Charlotte Lennox’s 18th-century novel The Female Quixote.
• Annabel/Annabelle/Annabella — Another name with royal and literary ties;  Annabella was the daughter of James I of Scotland.  (Incidentally, Annabella of Scotland named her only child Isabella.)  A beautiful but despicable Annabella appears in Anne Bronte’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.
• Mirabel/Mirabelle/Mirabella — Latin for “wonderful”; popular during the Middle Ages
• Maribel/Maribelle/Maribella/Mariella — All elaborations of Maria
• Rosabel/Rosabelle/Rosabella — Mean “beautiful rose”
• Gabrielle/Gabriella — French and Spanish feminizations of Gabriel, meaning “strong man of God”; be aware that Gabriella is currently a top-40 pick, so it might not be the best choice if you want something different.
• Adela – Another royal name, worn most notably by a daughter of William the conqueror.
  
• Giselle/Gisela/Gisella — A name fit for princesses and peasants.  Two medieval royals to wear this name were Giselle of Bavaria, a queen of Hungary, and Gisela, daughter of Charles III.  The name is probably more familiar to us a the simple peasant girl who falls in love with a disguised count in the Adolphe Adam’s 19th-century tragic ballet, Giselle.
• Graciela/Graziella — Spanish and Italian names meaning “grace.”
• Christabel — A highly literary choice, due to its use as the title character in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 19th-century poem.
• Jezebel — A biblical bad girl with a gorgeous name; still, I can’t help but feel that it’s not the ideal choice for a daughter.  The biblical Jezebel brought idol worship into Israel and murdered numerous Jewish priests; she was eventually killed and eaten by dogs.  In popular culture, the word Jezebel has become synonymous with a promiscuous woman, though this is not supported by the Bible text.
• Amabel – A medieval name meaning “lovable”; later reinterpreted as Annabel or Annabelle
• Bluebell — A flower name chosen by Geri Halliwell (a.k.a. Ginger Spice) for her daughter; perhaps better suited to the middle name slot.

If you’d like a less expected way to get to the nickname “Bella”, try:

• Belinda — A 17th-century coinage, possibly meaning “beautiful dragon” or “beautiful and tender.”  Alexander Pope chose this name for the heroine of “The Rape of the Lock.”  The fictional Belinda is modeled after the real Arabella.  Though the name sounds dated to some, it is beginning to get some notice on baby naming message boards, and I think it could be due for a revival.
• Bellisant – An obscure medieval French name, appearing in the romance titled Valentine and Orson. I assume it should be pronounced bell-ih-SAHNT in French, though I suppose it could be Anglicized to BELL-ih-sint.
• Belicia — A Mexican elaboration of Isabel or Elizabeth, thus meaning “my God is an oath” or “dedicated to God”; properly pronounced bay-LEE-see-uh in Spanish
• Belladonna — The ultimate femme fatale name.  While it literally means “beautiful woman” in Italian, it is another name for the highly toxic deadly nightshade plant.
• Bellamy — A Welsh surname, associated with American country music singers The Bellamy Brothers and 18th-century pirate Samuel Bellamy.
• Bellatrix — Means “female warrior.”  Bellatrix is a star in the constellation Orion and a character in the Harry Potter books.
• Belina — While it’s the name of two European villages (one in Poland and one in Slovakia), it makes me think most of champagne cocktails (mmm… peach bellinis!) and Dorothy’s chicken in Return to Oz (though her name was spelled Billina).
• Bellona — The Roman goddess of war; her name is perhaps too similar to a common lunch meat to make this a suitable choice for a modern child.
• Belour — An Afghan name meaning “crystal.”

If it’s the “Izzy” potential that draws you, you might want to try:

• Isabeau — Isabelle and Isabeau were both medieval French forms of Elizabeth.  While Isabelle caught on and spread throughout most of Europe (not unlike the bubonic plague), the historical record leaves us very few Isabeaus.  The most notable is 14th-century Isabeau of Bavaria, Queen Consort of France and wife of Charles VI.
• Isidora/Isadora — Means “gift of Isis.”  Spelled Isidora, the name was worn by a 6th century Egyptian saint and is currently very popular in Chile.  Spelled Isadora, it makes us think of Isadora Duncan, the mother of Modern Dance.
• Isolde — Tristan’s beautiful love in Arthurian legend.  If Tristan has made such a comeback, then why not Isolde?  (While the pronunciation might not be as intuitive, most pronounce it ih-SOLD-uh or ih-ZOLD-uh.  I’ve also heard it pronounced ih-SOOLT.)
• Isannah — Probably an 18th-century combination of Isabella and Hannah or Susannah.  Paul Revere used it for one of his daughters, and it was picked up on by Esther Forbes for her historical novel Johnny Tremain. (I pronounce the name as eye-ZAN-uh, though it’s obscure enough you’d be free to pronounce it as you wish.)
• Isaura — A Latin name meaning “from Isauria” used occasionally in Spanish-speaking countries; pronounced ee-SAUW-ruh.

If you’re drawn to the name’s rhythm or overall feel, you might also like:

• Anastasia — If you’re looking for something with a European royalty vibe, consider Anastasia.  It has the same rhythm as Isabella, and Anastasia was the daughter of Czar Nicholas II.  The 1997 animated film adds to the little-girl princessy appeal.
• Evelina – If you’re drawn to Isabella’s romantic literary feel, consider Evelina.  It has the same rhythm, and virtuous Evelina (pronounced ev-uh-LIE-nuh) was the title character in Frances Burney’s 18th century novel.  The name probably means “desired.”
• Camilla/Camila — Camilla, like Isabella, sounds both thoroughly Victorian and thoroughly Latina.  If you’re looking for something with similar cross-cultural appeal that will sound classic in both English and Spanish, Camilla’s a much less used option.  The double-l spelling is more common in English; choose the single-l spelling to honor Spanish heritage.
• Magdalena – The Spanish, Scandinavian, and Eastern European version of Magdalene/Madeline/Madeleine.  It’s a great choice if you’re looking for a saint’s name, as Mary Magdalene was a biblical follower of Christ.
• Mariana – Those who remember the virtuous Shakespearean Isabella (from Measure for Measure) will likely also remember sweet Mariana.  She was abandoned by her betrothed for lack of a dowry, and her plight inspired Alfred Lord Tennyson’s 1830 poem “Mariana of the Moated Grange.”  Her name has the same frilly rhythm as Isabella, but it’s much less popular.

I’d love to hear which (if any) of these Isabella substitutes appeal most to you (or appeal the least), and please feel free to suggest others I haven’t listed.

After Sedna moved into Taurus, not only was the anti-war movement gaining a lot of momentum with public figures like Muhammad Ali refusing to fight in the Vietnam war, medical research was getting a lot of attention and extra funding from governments. For sure. The shift in society changed from war-like societies to people being more interested in healing and the Earth.

Bellona is usually shown in a plumed helmet and armor, armed with sword and spear and carrying a shield; sometimes She carries a torch with a blood-red flame. She is described as loud and active, barking orders or war-cries, Her weapons clanging as She runs. She is credited with inspiring violence, starting wars, and goading soldiers into battle; Virgil described Her as carrying a bloodstained scourge or whip. She was believed to make wars and battles go well for those who invoked Her. Her name comes from the Latin for war, bellum, and Her original feast day was June the 3rd.  From The Obscure Goddess Online by Thalia Took.

Perhaps the rightful “owner” of Sedna? check my other posts. On a more personal note, I named my daughter Belladonna. I didn’t know it, but the flower I named my daughter was named after Bellona. While in labour, knowledge came to me from Mars that I was half-way through labour. That would have put my daughter’s birth date at 10pm June the third. I ignored this advise, went to hospital, had an epidural and my daughter was born on the 4th of June. This is significant, as I have now since her birth discovered that Bellona’s day of worship and celebration was the 3rd of June before being moved to the 24th of March. Interesting, I think.

True to their nature, ask the Gods and Goddesses a question, the answer will come. Last night I was wondering about the nature of Bellona. It seems she is as a protector. Her bloodlust she infuses soldiers in battle is in order to protect. She herself is not destructive, however, in early history before the Earth was created, there was a war among the Divine Beings. She was an accomplished warrior in her own right, and she fights side by side with Mars. As I have said in previous posts, she is his healer, and it would seem his protector in battle. It is very true that she does inspire a vigor and enthusiasm for war, but it is more of a survival tool for soldiers in battle and about to enter. This was far more of a concern when comabt was hand-to-hand, but in any battle a soldier is in it is an energy necessary for survival. While resesarching the positions, I came across some very interesting facts. When an offensive was launched while Sedna was in retrograde, the battle was generally lost by the aggressor. When Hitler was timing his offensives in World War II, he timed everything as precisely as he could astrologically to ensure success. However, Sedna wasn’t discovered at that time. He began World War II pretty much single-handedly, and ultimately lost. This was significant, as not only was Sedna retrograded, but it also formed major aspects to other planets and the Moon. There is much more pointing to the fact that I have uncovered in my research, but it seems even when in direct motion without forming aspects to the other planets and objects, her power is no-where near as intense. Other aspects than conjunctions seem very, very relevant, thus drawing me to the conclusion that Sedna is a planet. More about that in another post. So far in my research, I am still up to war, and I believe that is an apt place to begin, as Sedna has occupied Aries for much of the century, and indeed it is war that has largely shaped our society and plays such a large part of the history. However, I am just getting to the other aspects of her, and I am especially interested in her healing nature. Out of combat, I believe she incites frenzy and ecstasy, not just in battle, but in dancing etc. I am beginning to think that astrologically Sedna is indeed Bellona, and perhaps the ruler of Taurus. As a Taurus, this is a subject pretty personal to me, and I’m not sure I like letting go of Venus as my planetary and Goddessly ruler. However, it’s beginning to look like I have to accept some changes. Or maybe not. Bellona could throw up qualities completely out of synch with Taurus, but for now it’s seeming that she is completely at home in Taurus. Another reason I’m not sure about Sedna being the true and correct name is that the planet has moved into Taurus, yet the oceans are unhealthier and more depleted than ever, and there was no wave that sunk any whaling ship. Still, whaling continues and there is no way anyone can truthfully argue that it is a necessity in order not to starve or to protect the species. Seals are still clubbed to death, and polar bear numbers are still critically low. While not Arctic, but Antarctic, penguins are in dire straits. We are cautioned not to eat more than 3 meals of fish a week for fear of contamination and pollution, even if we avoid species of fish not known for their mercury content in the meat. In many parts of the world, fish stocks are either depleted, extinct or endangered. I have the feeling that in Taurus, if Sedna was truly home of Sedna, she would have found the power to rise up, protect herself if humans won’t and would naturally find the power to heal the oceans far more strongly than we are seeing.

I’ve done a little more research since last post, and yes, I was right. Bellona is in fact a healing goddess – as well as fighting alongside Mars, she was his personal healer, she was his nurse. No two ways about it. In Aries, Bellona would bring bloodshed like never before in history, and that did happen while Sedna occupied Aries. In addition to this, as Sedna moved into Taurus, it seems her powers did shift within the world almost immediately. Not only is the sign Taurus representitive of healing, Bellona is a healer herself. It has been mentioned that Bellona is possibly a Goddess of Sabine origin, however, that makes NO sense. Virgil clearly states the Sabines were repulsed by the blood-letting of the Etruscans in their rites. And the spilling of blood is an integral part of worshipping Bellona. Another fact I discovered, is that the Greek version of Bellona was considered a daughter of the Titans, making her one of the strongest, most ancient and powerful Goddesses of all. This makes perfect sense. While fighting at Mars’s side, as she was his healer she had to be able to look after herself in battle, or Mars would be in big trouble. See, Eris is a Greek name for Bellona, according to one source, however this seems unlikely. If Eris, Goddess of Discord was an apt name for the planet, we should be experiencing discord and bloodshed like never witnessed before in human history, since the time of the Ice Age. This cannot be so. As violent as the world is, we are in a period of the most peaceful time the world has ever seen. Yet Eris is still in Aries. This tells me that the body of Sedna is quite possibly associated very strongly with war, while Eris is not. No, Eris represents something quite different. But that is a whole other post.