Why Does Ganesha Have an Elephant Head?
Posted on 11. Dec, 2021 by Paul Sochaczewski in Ganesha and Collecting
Like all superheroes, Ganesha has a memorable origin myth, and the story of Ganesha’s creation, and the reason he has an elephant head, is one of Hinduism’s great tales. Like many Hindu myths there are multiple variations, but here’s my favorite, which is also the most commonly cited. It shows Ganesha as an embodiment of the Lord of Beginnings – he is created intact, then rent asunder, and ultimately made whole, but in a modified form.
Read MoreRead eight short new articles about collecting and Ganesha
Posted on 10. Dec, 2021 by Paul Sochaczewski in News and Events
1. Why Do We Collect?
2. Rodent Power
3. How Religious Marketing Geniuses Created the Most Popular God in the Hindu Pantheon
4. How Ganesha Helped Me Find Hanuman’s Mountain
5. Why Do Hindu Gods Rely on Nature Symbolism?
6. Why Does Ganesha Have an Elephant Head?
7. Chubby, with an Insatiable Sweet-Tooth
8. Ganesha and Santa Claus
Chubby, with an Insatiable Sweet-Tooth
Posted on 06. Dec, 2021 by Paul Sochaczewski in Ganesha and Collecting
If Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung had wanted just one Hindu god to study for symbolic complexity, it would have been Ganesha.
For a start, Ganesha has 74 different attributes, or physical symbols, that artists can feature.
And then there is Ganesha’s belly.
Read MoreGanesha and Santa Claus
Posted on 05. Dec, 2021 by Paul Sochaczewski in Ganesha and Collecting
Some people (well, me, primarily) have compared the generous Hindu elephant-headed god Ganesha to the similarly kind-hearted Santa Claus. They are remarkably similar, and anthropological taxonomists (a couple of my friends who took Anthro 101 at university) consider the two personalities to be at least first cousins, and possibly twin brothers, separated at birth. We await DNA analysis.
Here’s the evidence.
Read MoreSearching for Ganesha bestseller award, media coverage
Posted on 17. Nov, 2021 by Paul Sochaczewski in News and Events
During the first week of sales, Searching for Ganesha has become #1 Amazon international bestseller. It has also received a rating of 9.5 out of 10 from the BookLife Prize. The book is generating encouraging media attention. Some initial activities: “Why Do We Collect?” in News-Decoder. “My Personal Search for Ganesha” in Antiques Trade Gazette. Presentations […]
Read More“Are You Strong Enough to Go Through with This?”
Posted on 17. Nov, 2021 by Paul Sochaczewski in Curious Travel
This true personal journey is one of dozens of true stories published in: Curious Encounters of the Human Kind – Borneo and Dead, But Still Kicking “ARE YOU STRONG ENOUGH TO GO THROUGH WITH THIS?” Encounters with female vampire ghosts in a city built on a ghost story. PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan The […]
Read More“Lost” Indonesia Jews Recruited to Fulfil Biblical Prophecy
Posted on 16. Nov, 2021 by Paul Sochaczewski in Curious Travel
“Lost” Indonesian Jews Recruited to Fulfil Biblical Prophecy Small clan taken to Israel to hasten Second Coming. KISAR ISLAND, Maluku Islands, Indonesia This is a story of serendipity and remarkable zeal born of one woman’s lifetime religious quest. It is a tale of unasked for fame for simple people, and of journeys they […]
Read MoreNew articles – female vampire ghosts and “lost” Jews of Indonesia
Posted on 17. Nov, 2021 by Paul Sochaczewski in News and Events
I have posted two true stories of personal journeys in Indonesia that you might have missed. “Lost Indonesia Jews Recruited to Fulfil Biblical Prophecy” A tale of unasked for fame for simple people, and of journeys they had never imagined. “Are You Strong Enough to Go Through with This?” My encounter with a female vampire […]
Read MoreSearching for Ganesha
Posted on 21. Oct, 2021 by Paul Sochaczewski in Books
Searching for Ganesha Collecting Images of the Sweet-Loving, Elephant-Headed Hindu Deity Everybody Admires Publishing details ISBN: Paperback: 978-2-940573-37-0 ISBN: eBook: 978-2-940573-38-7 248 pages More than 200 full-color, museum-quality photos of Ganesha objects in Paul’s collection Prices: Paperback: $34.95 eBook: $9.99 A sample selection of pages from the book Description Across […]
Read MoreA Renoir in the Attic
Posted on 25. Aug, 2021 by Paul Sochaczewski in Alfred Russel Wallace and his assistant Ali
Alfred Russel Wallace makes starting discoveries in Singapore, and how biodiversity can be found in everyone’s backyard. Centerfold article in the July/August 2021 magazine Passage, published by Friends of the Museums Singapore.
Read MorePresentation to Friends of the Museums – Singapore, March 1, 2021
Posted on 05. Mar, 2021 by Paul Sochaczewski in News and Events
Paul gave a presentation to Friends of the Museums – Singapore, on March 1, 2021, on EarthLove, the history of the nature conservation movement, consumer responsibility regarding palm oil, the plight of people and orangutans, and tips for writing your personal story.
Is nature conservation a form of Green Colonialism?
Posted on 29. Jan, 2021 by Paul Sochaczewski in Environment, Environment EarthLove
Is nature conservation a form of Green Colonialism? In a world rich in uncertainties and conflicting values, surely nature conservation is a universally accepted, politically correct goal that people worldwide agree on? Well, not really. Nature conservation is regularly accused of being a neo-colonial escapade. It’s called “green colonialism.” A 2018 article in Foreign Policy […]
Read MoreECOCIDE – Should killing nature be an international crime?
Posted on 29. Jan, 2021 by Paul Sochaczewski in Environment, Environment EarthLove
Ecocide – Should Killing Nature be an International Crime? Should killing nature be an international crime? A recent BBC article notes: “From the Pope to Greta Thunberg, there are growing calls for the crime of “ecocide” to be recognised in international criminal law. But could such a law ever work?” Courts in numerous jurisdictions have […]
Read MoreEarthLove: Chronicles of the Rainforest War
Posted on 18. Oct, 2020 by Paul Sochaczewski in Books
EarthLove Chronicles of the Rainforest War ISBN: 978-2-940573-35-6 Description There is a war to save the rainforests of Borneo. EarthLove chronicles the history of the global conservation movement and exposes battles pitting ego and greed versus noble intentions. Who has the power to stop the rape of the tropical rainforests? Rich, athletic, virile Senator Rod […]
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