The Apocalypse of Quantum Delights

“Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland 

I find it odd how the accepted meaning of the word apocalypse went from having a root in revelatory knowledge to one of eschatological tones. That in and of itself is a revelation. Revelation can be destructive especially when they uproot deeply held beliefs, some do not survive the journey. It helps to have some form of mythic structure in place, makes navigation a little easier. Sometimes the shifts are easier like a series of small quakes instead of one huge one and subsequent aftershocks. I am currently experiencing a small scale apocalypse, but one that is opening doors of wonderment.

A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

I don't have to tell you how bad things are, that's what the daily news is for; you know, the regularly scheduled programming. That's not even the full story and it's pretty grim. In between the collapsing economies and the extreme environment, there are bright shining stars, beckoning us out there into the great beyond. NASA announcing in May about there certainty of finding signs of alien life within a decade, remember President Kennedy said the same thing about going to the moon and it happened right on time. There is probably much more to this story than we are being told, as evidenced in this quote from Chief NASA Scientist, Ellen Stofan :

"We know where to look. We know how to look," she said. "In most cases, we have the technology, and we're on a path to implementing it. And so I think we're definitely on the road."

NASA knows where to look? Sounds very MIB to me, but I tend to be suspicious. Either way exciting news.It will literally change the way that humanity  views itself and its place in the universe. This sparked a renewed interest in UFOs and other high weirdness, so when Gordon started a discussion of Space Shamanry, my interest was immediately piqued.

INVOLUNTARY SHIFTS

Having been primed and open to suggestion, it does not surprise me that the next course of events unfolded as it did . It all started with a simple article about Octopuses. Basically geneticists have decided that octopuses might as well be aliens given how weird their DNA is. That dovetails nicely with several pet theories of mine.

Shortly after reading the aforementioned article about alien octopuses, I stumbled onto Gordon's list of films for Space Shamans. In the beginning I went through the list and ticked off all that I had already seen and then I compiled a list of what was left. On that list was Europa Report, I had not seen it. So I made a date with myself to watch Europa Report late at night alone. Remember the mention of Europa in the article about NASA expecting to find alien life? Yeah, it gets weirder, more synchronous. The movie is slow, but highly believable, so I stayed interested. I won't reveal everything for those that have not seen it, but I will give you a hint, tentacles.

Gobsmacked would be an understatement, this was revelation, apocalypse. Something shifted in a major way. If we are going to explore space we need to develop a mythology to guide us. Read Gordon's blog, watch the films, add to the conversation.

RETURN TO TERRA FIRMA

In days past, I would get overly excited after receiving a revelation like this, now a days my approach is much different. After a session of ritual that seems to open doors or a sudden revelation as the result of noticing the omens where they occur, I like to ground and restore myself. There are many methods for doing this, Aidan describes a particularly beautiful and rich ritual that belies its simplicity.There is power here learn to use it.

If Aidan's ritual does not appeal to you, I strongly recommend T Thorn Coyle's book Crafting A Daily Practice. This book has been very beneficial to me, daily ritual practice helps to keep me grounded and has increased my powers of concentration. Doing this practice of grounding lets me review my notes and develop an informed opinion of the mechanisms at play. This  apocalypse has lead to the discovery that two different fields of personal research may in fact only be one field. This has deep reaching implications.

Now the Mutant Mage Dirt Sorceror is left to contemplate Space Shamanry. I feel compelled to release sigils via rockets, and to study the connections between Crop circles and Magical circles. Like the Tabula Rasa of the surrealist manifests at Burning Man so to must our Sorcerous visions populate space. Perhaps we could begin now with Space Shaman Fertility Rituals. I think I will stick with the rockets.

Profane Truths and Sacred Lies

We live in interesting times, times where everything seems to be in upheaval. A readjustment, like an earthquake or tsunami, old structures fall, new structures fall and unexpected structures persevere against all odds. This is not the Truth, but it is a truth. Not all that is true is universally so, everything varies by region. Sometimes in order to "remain true" we will prop up falsehoods rather than face a truth that could possibly shatter our world. And so we have co-created a culture where truth is shunned in favor of comfortable lies.

PROFANE TRUTHS

pro·fane -/prəˈfān/ adjective

1.  relating or devoted to that which is not sacred or biblical; secular rather than religious.             "a talk that tackled topics both sacred and profane" 

The profane is what you encounter everyday and as the definition says it relates to non sacred things the secular. I have never fully understood this concept, except as it relates to the world of Religious Bigotry. Whether gushing forth from the church of Rome or the tent revival fanaticism found in evangelical suburban mega churches with multi-million dollar entertainment budgets, the message is the same, you are a subject. Don't worry little lamb the shepherd knows each of you by name. Yes, because you are valuable in a commodities driven culture. I have always believed the everyday was sacred because it only happens once: forever.

Some everyday truths we need to face and take responsibility for include the environment, racial justice and economic disparity. The problem with each of these problems is that even though they are global in scope, the answers are more localized. There are some aspects of the solutions that are global, such as, all people must make this a priority or else nothing will change very quickly.

One everyday truth we can no longer ignore is that the Earths environment is in bad shape. I do not want to start a debate about this, if you have been paying attention for the last 45 years or so, then you already know. If not, please read anything relating to climate change, except for the deniers. They don't care about truth they just want attention. DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS. ( Unless you practice ancient Scandinavian rituals to control such things.) If you are a climate denier, first I want to know why you read my blog, please tell me in the comments section. Secondly, if you really believe this is all some sort of weird conspiracy, please go to Kirbati, and tell them not to worry it's all just a lie. 

The sad truth is that it is already too late, we must develop new strategies for survival. I'm not say go all out prepper crazy, but knowing how to be self sustaining and practicing those skills is helpful. Better yet form a community of people that know how to handle tough situations collectively and hang with them. the advantage of a tribe is that everyone gets a chance to develop their strengths and contribute a more developed skill set to the group. In my opinion we need Apocalypse Witchcraft, a blend of technology and magic; Linux code and and medieval grimoires, Modern Folk Magic. I believe that if we dedicate more time to understanding the local ecology and figure out how to live in accord with its rhythms; this will be of more benefit than the Noah' ark syndrome currently gripping environmentalism.

Most of this desire to restore nature to some pristine state that supposedly existed at some point in the past, is a romanticism that has no founding in reality. To usher in this new age I would like to share Gordon White's Totem of the Apocalypse. I would also propose that all invasive species become the new totem spirits of the twenty first century. Europeans being the most pervasive of all, we don't just move in, we completely rearrange your culture. Far worse than fire ants, or molluscs. We live in a mercurial age where flux is the rule of the day.

Problems with the environment go hand in hand with racial injustice, both locally and globally. The poorest nations are literally living off of our garbage and scraps. The poorest and often the darkest members of the so called western economies often are forced to live near very poor and even dangerous environmental conditions. Racial justice is about so much more than making sure the cops treat everyone equally, which they don't #blacklivesmatter. Racial justice is environmental and ecological justice. The two cannot be parted. Want to make a difference? Volunteer. Find a cause you believe in and volunteer. Even if all you do is give up a Thanksgiving meal so you help feed the homeless, do it.

Economic disparity will not be solved without major changes to our current system . Generally we are given two choices, let a few have great amounts of wealth, a few more moderate in come and the masses will live in a state of hardship or poverty; or impose some authoritarian system to regulate an equal distribution of resources. The answer lies some where in between, a democratization of money. This can happen simply by refusing to buy the Megalocorp's products and supporting local economies instead. Creating intentional communities can help also. Many people are excited by Uber and Lyft, meanwhile teenagers have free carpool circles with friends through the use of cellphones. Thanks to technology, we can create virtual communities. We should also learn lessons from other nations that do not dominate the world's economies. When you are not expected to be a part of the game you tend think beyond the rules.

SACRED LIES

sa·cred- /sākrəd/adjective

1. connected with God (or the gods) or dedicated to a religious purpose and so deserving veneration."sacred rites"

There are many sacred lies that go unquestioned, they become accepted as truth. Lies that permeate our very culture and separate us from the full experience of life. The government knows what is going on at any moment in the day. Religion and science are opposed to one another. God is good. Imagination is not real. Most of these lies have to be viewed from different angles than those intended by their creators. In fact the majority of these do not work if you question them or examine them critically. Much like an alien autopsy, or a planned parenthood organ harvesting video these shoddily put together cultural edifices, are easily exposed for the facades they truly are.

These types of lies are crumbling daily, and monolithic culture seems to be on the defensive. As a consequence of this apparent breakdown, people are agitated, edgy, suspicious. Imagine what that does to ones ability to reason or think critically. Feeling threatened by the surrounding environment is one of our most primal instincts, and for good reason. In your brain is your amygdala, a small almond shaped organ that amongst other things controls your flight or fight response. This is triggered by threats, like those in the news every night. The news that is broadcast by the same corporations that are running the commercials, producing the stuff you don't need, and taking control of governments.

Corporatism, is also an easily spotted lie, the hard ones are the ones people tell themselves. I am powerless, I am only one person, the situation is hopeless. Bull poopie. History is filled with examples of driven individuals who made a difference. It all starts with stopping. Stop participating in the lie. Stop being a silent witness. Stop.

ANECDOTAL ANTIDOTES

As I lay in a bath of green tea, peppermint, and damiana, after sharing some tea with Ganapati, I became possessed by strange thoughts. I have been participating in Jason Miller's Strategic Sorcery course for half a year now, and it has lead to some great insights about my personal practice and my approach to magic. I am a Mutant Mage, one part Dirt Sorcerer, one part Mystic Christian, and one part Psychonaut. I use science, sorcery, media, pop culture and elbow grease to make my life one giant three dimensional art collage punctuated by periodic rituals of construction.

I believe this is the root of liberation, self directed spirituality. Your relationship to reality, know matter what name you give it or how complex or simple it may be, is a personal journey. It is important to share and get input from others. Find people who challenge without criticism as well as support with love and enthusiasm. These individuals will keep you grounded and help you reach your greatest heights, and depths. It is a crooked path, this path of self directed spirituality, one where you will learn that Herne Christos, is Luciferius Mercurius' hermetic twin. Yes a crooked path indeed.

One must face one'sp angels as well as one's demons. Both are terrifying, and both have much to teach. You are full of monsters, and saints too. This is not dichotomy as it is understood in the Occidental mythologies, but the spectrum that typifies the Oriental ideal of the undifferentiated whole. I exercise my daemons and my kakodaemons too. Revelations come from below as often!n as from above. This is my personal apocalypse, built upon a lifetime journey to discover this place, and to discern for myself what is profane truth, and what masquerades as a sacred lie.