View the world through my eyes.
05 April, 2007
Mithras Saves IRC channel
About a year ago, a friend of mine and I created an IRC channel so that we would have a place to screw around on our beloved IRC. Unfortunately, it died. I have resurrected it as a little playground again at irc.sorcery.net port 9000 #MithrasSaves. I can't promise that I'll be there all the time, but I'll stop in whenever I'm around.
18 March, 2007
Essential Techniques of Mysticism
Ater a lot of waffling, I'm finally working on my second book. I have the whole thing outlined, and the introduction written. It shouldn't take me terribly long to write the book itself, considering the fact that I've already used most of the techniques in the book extensively. The few ideas which I have not used much yet will give me something to do in my free time anyway. Hopefully the book is of at least equal quality to my previous one, and will be picked up by Megalithica Books/Immanion Press.
The book is tentatively entitled Essential Techniques of Mysticism; the subject should be obvious from the title.
The book is tentatively entitled Essential Techniques of Mysticism; the subject should be obvious from the title.
"The Four Powers"
I will try to keep autographed copies of my first book, The Four Powers: Magical Practice for Beginners of All Ages, available on my Amazon sellers account. Buying an autographed copy from me is cheaper than buying a non-autographed one from Amazon! Alternatively, Americans may buy non-autographed copies from my good friends Lupa and Taylor Ellwood at The Green Wolf, while Europeans may buy them straight from Megalithica Books/Immanion Press.
17 March, 2007
Links of Interest
I don't exactly scour the Internet for occult and spiritual websites, but when I get it in my head to research a subject I usually try to find several websites of interest on the subject. Here are a few favorites:
Federation of Damanhur: The website of a fascinating spiritual community seeking to form a peaceful sovereigh nation founded on the principles of meditation and cooperationg. Information includes sustainable development and ecology.
A Bardon Companion: A fantastic collection of information on the magic of Franz Bardon, Hermetics, and Kabbalah.
Democracy Now!: A completely non-corporate, advertising free one hour news program by the journalists Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. At the website, you can subscribe to their podcast, download clips and expanded segments, and read transcripts.
Bob Frissell: Rebirther, Flower of Life facilitator, spiritual teacher, and author of Nothing in This Books Is True, But It's Exactly How Things Are and Something in This Book Is True... (published by Frog, Ltd.).
Drunvalo Melchizedek: Spiritual teacher and New Age (in the good sense) visionary.
The Spirit of Ma'at: Drunvalo Melchizedek's e-zine.
The Simple Living Network: An electronic newsletter on the subject of voluntary simplicity. Includes networking resources.
The Arcadian Society: A loose global network of individuals dedicated to worldwide reform.
Rick Strassman, M.D.: The author of DMT: The Spirit Molecule.
Federation of Damanhur: The website of a fascinating spiritual community seeking to form a peaceful sovereigh nation founded on the principles of meditation and cooperationg. Information includes sustainable development and ecology.
A Bardon Companion: A fantastic collection of information on the magic of Franz Bardon, Hermetics, and Kabbalah.
Democracy Now!: A completely non-corporate, advertising free one hour news program by the journalists Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. At the website, you can subscribe to their podcast, download clips and expanded segments, and read transcripts.
Bob Frissell: Rebirther, Flower of Life facilitator, spiritual teacher, and author of Nothing in This Books Is True, But It's Exactly How Things Are and Something in This Book Is True... (published by Frog, Ltd.).
Drunvalo Melchizedek: Spiritual teacher and New Age (in the good sense) visionary.
The Spirit of Ma'at: Drunvalo Melchizedek's e-zine.
The Simple Living Network: An electronic newsletter on the subject of voluntary simplicity. Includes networking resources.
The Arcadian Society: A loose global network of individuals dedicated to worldwide reform.
Rick Strassman, M.D.: The author of DMT: The Spirit Molecule.
16 March, 2007
The Race Fallacy
I am always quite surprised to find just how many otherwise sensible people fall for the fallacy of race. Most "white supremacy" groups define themselves as being of the "white race" without ever realizing just how misguided their very identity could be.
If a person identifies as "black", what does that mean? Most people would define "black" as being of primarily African descent. Ok, that's fine, but think about it for a moment. If you go to Africa and ask somebody, "Are you an African?" most of them would give you a funny look at best. They would more likely identify with their tribe and/or clan or, in the more modernized areas, their region or country. That goes similarly for "white". A white person is generally thought of as being of primarily European descent. But where in Europe? Europe isn't the biggest continent, but it's still a pretty broad category. I, for example, am mostly of German descent. Even in Germany, however, you can find differentiations between 'High' and 'Low' German, North and South Germany, etc. Most "white" Europeans find the American obsession with race to be somewhat ridiculous for this reason.
Another problem with the racial theory is that there's no such thing as a "pure-bred" anything. Nobody is 100% white, let alone 100% German or Italian; nobody is 100% black, or Mandarin, or anything else. If you go back even a few generations, the chances are quite high that you'll find somebody outside of your own racial identification in your family. The farther back you go, the greater the chances until you get to the point where all "races" return to an undifferentiated small mass of early humanity. A friend of mine with a primarily Cicelian family likes to joke about his Moorish ancestors.
What is particularly interesting is that the idea of race is pretty recent, dating from only the 19th century. Even then it was used to justify all manner of unethical behavior. (See From Dawn to Decadence and Race: A Study in Superstition both by Jacques Barzun for more.)
There are primarily two forms of racial superstition: racism and racialism. Racism is the most commonly known, wherein an individual or subculture feels themselves to be in some way superior to those of other races. Racialism, on the other hand, is the source of 'racial separatism'. In racialism, those of differing racial origins are generally considered to be 'equal but different'. A black athlete, for example, may be thought to have more fast-twitch muscle fibers which is why he can sprint faster than a white athlete. Similarly, Jews are thought to be genetically predisposed to dealing well with money matters. The list goes on.
Racialism has one addition argument against it: there is simply no evidence for it. While it is true that some people from some areas of the world are more genetically predisposed to certain traits, diseases, and so forth, they are still all equally human. What's more, most of the traits thought to be 'racial' in origin are actually cultural and have little to no genetic foundation. As an example, Africans are very likely to be more athletic than middle-class American whites simply because their lifestyle necessitates it. Likewise, Chinese children tend to do well in school because the Chinese culture puts much greater emphasis on academic achievement than ours in the USA.
I'm sure that nothing I can say will convince racists and racialists to change their minds, but I need to get it out somewhere. Maybe some fence sitter who was raised in a racialist environment but who has been unable to fear and hate Latinos might stumble upon this blog entry and find that he has good reason for his doubts.
If a person identifies as "black", what does that mean? Most people would define "black" as being of primarily African descent. Ok, that's fine, but think about it for a moment. If you go to Africa and ask somebody, "Are you an African?" most of them would give you a funny look at best. They would more likely identify with their tribe and/or clan or, in the more modernized areas, their region or country. That goes similarly for "white". A white person is generally thought of as being of primarily European descent. But where in Europe? Europe isn't the biggest continent, but it's still a pretty broad category. I, for example, am mostly of German descent. Even in Germany, however, you can find differentiations between 'High' and 'Low' German, North and South Germany, etc. Most "white" Europeans find the American obsession with race to be somewhat ridiculous for this reason.
Another problem with the racial theory is that there's no such thing as a "pure-bred" anything. Nobody is 100% white, let alone 100% German or Italian; nobody is 100% black, or Mandarin, or anything else. If you go back even a few generations, the chances are quite high that you'll find somebody outside of your own racial identification in your family. The farther back you go, the greater the chances until you get to the point where all "races" return to an undifferentiated small mass of early humanity. A friend of mine with a primarily Cicelian family likes to joke about his Moorish ancestors.
What is particularly interesting is that the idea of race is pretty recent, dating from only the 19th century. Even then it was used to justify all manner of unethical behavior. (See From Dawn to Decadence and Race: A Study in Superstition both by Jacques Barzun for more.)
There are primarily two forms of racial superstition: racism and racialism. Racism is the most commonly known, wherein an individual or subculture feels themselves to be in some way superior to those of other races. Racialism, on the other hand, is the source of 'racial separatism'. In racialism, those of differing racial origins are generally considered to be 'equal but different'. A black athlete, for example, may be thought to have more fast-twitch muscle fibers which is why he can sprint faster than a white athlete. Similarly, Jews are thought to be genetically predisposed to dealing well with money matters. The list goes on.
Racialism has one addition argument against it: there is simply no evidence for it. While it is true that some people from some areas of the world are more genetically predisposed to certain traits, diseases, and so forth, they are still all equally human. What's more, most of the traits thought to be 'racial' in origin are actually cultural and have little to no genetic foundation. As an example, Africans are very likely to be more athletic than middle-class American whites simply because their lifestyle necessitates it. Likewise, Chinese children tend to do well in school because the Chinese culture puts much greater emphasis on academic achievement than ours in the USA.
I'm sure that nothing I can say will convince racists and racialists to change their minds, but I need to get it out somewhere. Maybe some fence sitter who was raised in a racialist environment but who has been unable to fear and hate Latinos might stumble upon this blog entry and find that he has good reason for his doubts.
Toward a Hermetic Liturgical Calendar
I was reading some articles on http://www.whyislam.org/ and came upon some information about the Muslim prayer schedule and the annual fast month. For anybody stumbling upon this who does not know me, let me provide a bit of background before I continue.
I'm a first degree Alexandrian Witch, and I very much love the poetic myth cycle of the Solar and Lunar Mysteries. I am first and foremost, however, a Hermetic. Hermetics and British Traditional Witchcraft are not mutually exclusive by any means, least of all in the more liberal lines of Alexandrian Witchcraft. Hermetics, however, does not possess anything in the way of an organized liturgy, holidays, fast days, and so on. While the cycle of Witchcraft is lovely and powerful, it is not complete, in my opinion.
Wicca includes holidays and myth cycles. Hermetics involves voluntary fasting and doing good works. Roman and Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and other modern religions involve both. Now, Hermetics is not a religion and does not require the slavish rituals of many religions. Each individual Hermetic is left to find his (yes, I use 'his' rather than 'hir' or 'his/her'; it's simply less awkward) own way, and that is how it should be, but there is something to be said for the discipline of a fasting and prayer schedule.
All that said, I propose that each individual, regardless of their chosen spirituality, develop just such a schedule. If your religion or mystical system includes a myth cycle, use that as your foundation. If not, invent one which is relevant to you. I will begin work tonight on just such a project for myself. Spring seems like a perfect time to begin such a cycle. I will include my work here as I go, and request suggestions and comments from those interested.
I'm a first degree Alexandrian Witch, and I very much love the poetic myth cycle of the Solar and Lunar Mysteries. I am first and foremost, however, a Hermetic. Hermetics and British Traditional Witchcraft are not mutually exclusive by any means, least of all in the more liberal lines of Alexandrian Witchcraft. Hermetics, however, does not possess anything in the way of an organized liturgy, holidays, fast days, and so on. While the cycle of Witchcraft is lovely and powerful, it is not complete, in my opinion.
Wicca includes holidays and myth cycles. Hermetics involves voluntary fasting and doing good works. Roman and Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and other modern religions involve both. Now, Hermetics is not a religion and does not require the slavish rituals of many religions. Each individual Hermetic is left to find his (yes, I use 'his' rather than 'hir' or 'his/her'; it's simply less awkward) own way, and that is how it should be, but there is something to be said for the discipline of a fasting and prayer schedule.
All that said, I propose that each individual, regardless of their chosen spirituality, develop just such a schedule. If your religion or mystical system includes a myth cycle, use that as your foundation. If not, invent one which is relevant to you. I will begin work tonight on just such a project for myself. Spring seems like a perfect time to begin such a cycle. I will include my work here as I go, and request suggestions and comments from those interested.
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