Mysteria Misc. Maxima: March 30th, 2012

Mysteria Misc. Maxima is a weekly feature which brings together links on religion and esotericism from around the internet.

• Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter talks about the stickier issues in the Bible. (HuffPo)
• American Atheists stir the theological pot with confrontational advertising. (Guardian)
• Christopher A. Rollston dissects some of the inscriptions on that controversial Jesus tomb. (ASOR)
• America’s first government-recognized pagan chaplain on religious surveys. (The Wild Hunt)
• Medieval monks wrote bawdy zingers in the margins of their holy texts. (Lapham’s Quarterly via Boing Boing)
• Some Jews plan to be buried in Israel after their death. Here’s why. (CNN)
• What is the nature of reincarnation? (Talking about Ritual Magick)
• Does the Shroud of Turin suggest Christ was not resurrected? (Daily Mail)
• This ancestor ritual involves visiting grave-sites and cleaning the corpses to ensure good fortune. (Reuters)
• The Freemasons’ secret rituals and wacky handshakes. Or not. Because, you know, they’re secret. (Manchester Evening News via @genmercerlodge)
• What does the figure of Hypatia have to say about women’s participation in the ancient philosophical sphere? (History of the Ancient World)
• Defining the parameters of ancient magic. (History of the Ancient World)
• A conference on ancient Greek cult takes place in May. If you live in or around Denmark, you should book your registration. (PHDiva)
• Joseph Thiebes talks about the AC2012 campaign and how Thelema is relevant to the current political situation. (Mindcore)
• I am loving Madeline Miller’s “Myth of the Week” series. Here’s some background on Centaurs, the hell-raisers of the ancient world. (Madeline Miller)
• Using banishing rituals to prevent unintentional magick. (A Mage’s Blog)
• A new book peeks inside the controversial Solar Lodge. (LAShTAL)
• Finally, Christians who wants to re-enact the Song of Songs can finally shop for the, uh, accessories necessary to get their Sexy Solomon on without all the smutty ads at this Dutch adult store, which throws in some boudoir-friendly bible verses to get you in the mood. (LA Weekly)

Picture by William Blake.