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The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
Send a MessageWhat is magic?Before spells, charms, talismans, and grimoires, there was a more fundamental question: what is the power that makes magic possible?In this episode of The Hidden Passage, we explore magical power as it appears across cultures, religions, folklore traditions, and esoteric systems throughout history. From the mana of Melanesia, to the orenda of the Huron, the heka of ancient Egypt, the dori of Amazonian shamans, and the qi of Daoist philosophy, we uncover a recurring vision of reality—one in which the world is alive, participatory, and permeated by hidden forces.Drawing on mythology, anthropology, religious studies, folklore, and historical accounts of magical practice, we examine:• The sacred origins of magical power• Mana, orenda, heka, qi, and other concepts of spiritual force• Sacred sites, magical objects, and the principle of contagion• Shamanic initiation and spirit-bestowed power• The evil eye and innate human potency• Asceticism, yoga, and the cultivation of mystical abilities• Magical causality and participation in the cosmos• The relationship between magicians, spirits, and the divine• Why magical traditions emerge across cultures worldwideFar from being irrational superstition, magical worldviews propose a radically different understanding of reality—one in which human beings participate directly in the deeper forces that shape existence.This episode serves as the foundation for a new series exploring the history, philosophy, and practice of magic.
In Pacific Waves today: Criminologist says complex solution required for Pacific drug crisis; New water and sanitation project in Melanesia; PNG warned to prepare for adverse El Nino impacts. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
This week I am talking to Dr Gregory Shushan about his book 'Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions'. Near-death experiences are known around the world and throughout human history. They are sometimes reported by individuals who have revived from a period of clinical death or near-death and they typically feature sensations of leaving the body, entering and emerging from darkness, meeting deceased friends and relatives, encountering beings of light, judgment of one's earthly life, feelings of oneness, and reaching barriers, only to return to the body. Those who have NDEs almost invariably understand them as having profound spiritual or religious significance. In this book, Gregory Shushan explores the relationships between near-death experiences, shamanism, and beliefs about the afterlife in traditional indigenous societies in Africa, North America, and Oceania. Drawing on historical accounts of the earliest encounters with explorers, missionaries, and ethnologists, this study addresses questions such as: Do ideas about the afterlife commonly originate in NDEs? What role does culture play in how people experience and interpret NDEs? How can we account for cross-cultural similarities and differences between afterlife beliefs? Though NDEs are universal, Shushan shows that how they are actually experienced and interpreted varies by region and culture. As the historical documents reveal, in North America, they were commonly valorized, and attempts were made to replicate them through shamanic rituals. In Africa, however, they were largely considered aberrational events with links to possession or sorcery. In Oceania, Micronesia corresponded more to the African model, while Australia had a greater focus on afterlife journey shamanism. Polynesia and Melanesia showed an almost casual acceptance of the phenomenon as reflected in numerous myths, legends, and historical accounts. This study examines the continuum of similarities and differences between NDEs, shamanism, and afterlife beliefs in dozens of cultures throughout these regions. In the process, it makes a valuable contribution to our knowledge about the origins of afterlife beliefs around the world and the significance of related experiences in human history. Gregory Shushan explores the relationship between NDEs and beliefs about the afterlife in traditional indigenous societies. Bio He was Grawemeyer Award-nominated for his book Conceptions of the Afterlife in Early Civilizations. He is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Religious Experience Research Centre, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and was previously Perrott-Warrick Researcher at University of Oxford's Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion; and Scholar-in Residence at the Centro Incontri Umani (The Cross Cultural Centre), Ascona, Switzerland. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0197685439 https://www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/https://www.patreon.com/ourparanormalafterlifeMy book 'Verified Near Death Experiences' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXKRGDFP Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
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The latest news from Melanesia.
NEW SHOW! The Tangeta Whenua ("People of the Land") Crew II is a show dedicated to Asia-Pasfika surfing, politics and culture, featuring community leaders from across the region (Melanesia, Polynesia, Indonesia, and Australia). For our first ever episode, we are joined by Hawaiian pro surfer and scientist, Dr Cliff Kapono, who was recently the feature of this Vice documentary, The Smartest Surfer In The World. If you would like to listen to the original Tangeta Whenua Crew, you can listen on-demand via the Koori Radio 93.7 website, or, live every Saturday from 2-4pm. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The latest news from Melanesia.
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Listener suggestions are rated on the Yachtski Scale, with songs by Dionne Warwick, Miki Matsubara, and Lionel Richie.
In this episode, we explore the fascinating history of Kanakaloka, Hawaiʻi's island-style Santa Claus, and uncover how Christmas gift-giving traditions spread across Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. From Santa arriving by outrigger canoe to church deacons acting as Father Christmas, we trace how Pacific Island cultures adapted a global holiday to fit ancient systems of reciprocity, community, and seasonal celebration.We dive deep into the Makahiki festival and the god Lono, examine why no indigenous Pacific Santa existed, and compare Hawaiian Kanakaloka with figures like Hana Kōkō in New Zealand, communal gift-giving in Samoa and Tonga, and unique Micronesian and Melanesian traditions—including parachute gift drops and cargo-era folklore.Contact:emailwebsiteSpecial thanks to:The Christmas Song/Heaven/Slow 3/4 Song by Peter Evans, Tom Blancarte, and Brandon Seabrook - CC by 3.0Santa Claws is Coming by Ergo Phizmiz - CC by 3.0holiday by Dee Yan-Key - CC by 3.0
The latest news from Melanesia.
The latest news from Melanesia.
Evening Prayer for Saturday, September 20, 2025 (Ember Day [Autumn Saturday]; Eve of the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, or the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity [Proper 20]; John Coleridge Patteson, Bishop of Melanesia and His Companions, Martyrs, 1871).Psalm and Scripture readings (60-day Psalter):Psalm 55Haggai 2Matthew 15:1-28Click here to access the text for the Daily Office at DailyOffice2019.com.Click here to support The Daily Office Podcast with a one-time gift or a recurring donation.
Morning Prayer for Saturday, September 20, 2025 (Ember Day [Autumn Saturday]; Proper 19; John Coleridge Patteson, Bishop of Melanesia and His Companions, Martyrs, 1871).Psalm and Scripture readings (60-day Psalter):Psalms 52-541 Kings 11:1-14, 23-33, 41-43Hebrews 10:1-18Click here to access the text for the Daily Office at DailyOffice2019.com.Click here to support The Daily Office Podcast with a one-time gift or a recurring donation.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION BATTLES THE PRC FOR OCEANIA. 4/4: Voyagers: The Settlement of the Pacific by Nicholas Thomas (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Voyagers-Settlement-Pacific-Nicholas-Thomas/dp/1541619838/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3TWNZZ00KO4TU&keywords=NICHOLAS+CLARK+VOYAGERS&qid=1674136652&sprefix=nicholas+clark+voyagers%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-1 The islands of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia stretch across a huge expanse of ocean and encompass a multitude of different peoples. Starting with Captain James Cook, the earliest European explorers to visit the Pacific were astounded and perplexed to find populations thriving thousands of miles from continents. Who were these people? From where did they come? And how were they able to reach islands dispersed over such vast tracts of ocean? In Voyagers, the distinguished anthropologist Nicholas Thomas charts the course of the seaborne migrations that populated the islands between Asia and the Americas from late prehistory onward. Drawing on the latest research, including insights gained from genetics, linguistics, and archaeology, Thomas provides a dazzling account of these long-distance migrations, the seagoing technologies that enabled them, and the societies they left in their wake. 1873 NEW CALEDONIA
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION BATTLES THE PRC FOR OCEANIA. 3/4: Voyagers: The Settlement of the Pacific by Nicholas Thomas (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Voyagers-Settlement-Pacific-Nicholas-Thomas/dp/1541619838/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3TWNZZ00KO4TU&keywords=NICHOLAS+CLARK+VOYAGERS&qid=1674136652&sprefix=nicholas+clark+voyagers%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-1 The islands of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia stretch across a huge expanse of ocean and encompass a multitude of different peoples. Starting with Captain James Cook, the earliest European explorers to visit the Pacific were astounded and perplexed to find populations thriving thousands of miles from continents. Who were these people? From where did they come? And how were they able to reach islands dispersed over such vast tracts of ocean? In Voyagers, the distinguished anthropologist Nicholas Thomas charts the course of the seaborne migrations that populated the islands between Asia and the Americas from late prehistory onward. Drawing on the latest research, including insights gained from genetics, linguistics, and archaeology, Thomas provides a dazzling account of these long-distance migrations, the seagoing technologies that enabled them, and the societies they left in their wake. NOVEMBER 1900 GUAM TYPHOON
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION BATTLES THE PRC FOR OCEANIA. 1/4: Voyagers: The Settlement of the Pacific by Nicholas Thomas (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Voyagers-Settlement-Pacific-Nicholas-Thomas/dp/1541619838/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3TWNZZ00KO4TU&keywords=NICHOLAS+CLARK+VOYAGERS&qid=1674136652&sprefix=nicholas+clark+voyagers%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-1 The islands of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia stretch across a huge expanse of ocean and encompass a multitude of different peoples. Starting with Captain James Cook, the earliest European explorers to visit the Pacific were astounded and perplexed to find populations thriving thousands of miles from continents. Who were these people? From where did they come? And how were they able to reach islands dispersed over such vast tracts of ocean? In Voyagers, the distinguished anthropologist Nicholas Thomas charts the course of the seaborne migrations that populated the islands between Asia and the Americas from late prehistory onward. Drawing on the latest research, including insights gained from genetics, linguistics, and archaeology, Thomas provides a dazzling account of these long-distance migrations, the seagoing technologies that enabled them, and the societies they left in their wake. 1852 FIJI
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION BATTLES THE PRC FOR OCEANIA. 2/4: Voyagers: The Settlement of the Pacific by Nicholas Thomas (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Voyagers-Settlement-Pacific-Nicholas-Thomas/dp/1541619838/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3TWNZZ00KO4TU&keywords=NICHOLAS+CLARK+VOYAGERS&qid=1674136652&sprefix=nicholas+clark+voyagers%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-1 The islands of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia stretch across a huge expanse of ocean and encompass a multitude of different peoples. Starting with Captain James Cook, the earliest European explorers to visit the Pacific were astounded and perplexed to find populations thriving thousands of miles from continents. Who were these people? From where did they come? And how were they able to reach islands dispersed over such vast tracts of ocean? In Voyagers, the distinguished anthropologist Nicholas Thomas charts the course of the seaborne migrations that populated the islands between Asia and the Americas from late prehistory onward. Drawing on the latest research, including insights gained from genetics, linguistics, and archaeology, Thomas provides a dazzling account of these long-distance migrations, the seagoing technologies that enabled them, and the societies they left in their wake. 1930 HONOLULU