Hallucination Engines

At this point I am fairly certain that most people who read my blog have seen the Google Deep Dream images. Those trippy reinterpretations of reality that seem to be covered with eyeballs no matter what else is going on. If you are not familiar with this, do an internet search for the words"deep dream google", then come back and finish this article. I feel this opens many doors for the attentive and proactive Mutant Mage. There are several aspects that I personally find intriguing, recursive feedback loops, mechanical neural networks, and projective imagery. The crossover between technology (the study of craft) and magic (the craft of creating) is not only natural but wholly interdependent. This has given rise to what I have come to think of as Modern Folk Magic. I will outline exactly what I think distinguishes Modern Folk Magic from other paths in another essay. For now I want to discuss what technology can teach us about magic.

TECHNOMANCY  

Technomancy, quite simply is the use of technology for magical divination. I have come to use the term to describe a wide variety of magic that uses technology, such as, audio/visual cut up divinations, or recordings of mantra recitations, to magic that imitates technology like Gordon White's Robo Fish. Many Mutant Mages including Phil Hine, use Byron Gysin's cut up method, which was popularized by William S. Burroughs. All of these methods share a commonality in that they work under the premise of universe as information, by altering the information you alter the reality represented by that information. This is just a modern revision of magical theory stated in accordance with modern parlance.

My approach is simply that Folk Magic springs from the environment surrounding it, and is informed by the dominant paradigm. We are surrounded by technology and it should be part of our magic as well. Hoo doo root doctors used horseshoes, keys, locks, etc. because that was what they had. I am quite sure that the first person to use a hurricane lamp for conjure was frowned upon by the community at large, then again maybe not so much. The quest for "purity" and the resultant de facto Orthodoxy that springs from it is a modern affliction for our whole culture, not magical circles alone. It is what feeds most Ism's and I suspect it is born out of fear and special snowflake syndrome. As science expands our knowledge of the world around us, we the mutant mages should learn to use it to our advantage. This leads us back to Deep Dream.

STUCK IN A LOOP

The process Deep dream uses to produce images is basically a large recursive loop. The machine is fed millions of images of an object in order to "learn " what the object "is". From Popular Science article, These Are What the Google Artificial Intelligence’s Dreams Look Like, by Dave Gregshorn:

Google’s artificial neural networks (ANNs) are stacked layers of artificial neurons (run on computers) used to process Google Images. To understand how computers dream, we first need to understand how they learn. In basic terms, Google's programmers teach an ANN what a fork is by showing it millions of pictures of forks, and designating that each one is what a fork looks like. Each of network's 10-30 layers extracts progressively more complex information from the picture, from edges to shapes to finally the idea of a fork. Eventually, the neural network understands a fork has a handle and two to four tines, and if there are any errors, the team corrects what the computer is misreading and tries again.

Interestingly enough the AI did not find a "perfect Platonic form of the object" even after being fed millions of images of the same object, an example of this:

This showed that even when shown millions of photos, the computer couldn’t come up with a perfect Platonic form of an object. For instance, when asked to create a dumbbell, the computer depicted long, stringy arm-things stretching from the dumbbell shapes. Arms were often found in pictures of dumbbells, so the computer thought that sometimes dumbbells had arms.

This should immediately point to new ways to think about the assumptions we make when interpreting data. Even when we have  millions of data points we can get it wrong, perhaps the spirits we work with are like the technicians trying to correct the machines errors, and we are the machine. How do we break free of this? Perhaps we should imitate Deep Dream and replicate the image over and over again until its absurdity becomes clear. Perhaps the reason your prosperity spell isn't working is because you don't have a fundamental understanding of finances. If we are putting arms on dumb bells we have not fully understood what a dumb bell is.

YOUR BRAIN IS A MACHINE

Much like Deep Dream is trying to interpret layers of data with millions of images, and failing to find a quintessential essence to the objects, so too the human brain and especially the collective dream. Perhaps we need to see that dumb bells have arms, to develop a more fluid view of Universe. The collective dream is nothing more than an attempt by monolithic cultural structures to codify experience into a manageable commodity. Universe is the ultimate open source platform, our brains are lazy and project learned patterns onto the canvas of life. We fall into patterns, perform rituals, follow scripts, practice daily; none of which is bad as long as we don't let it cloud our vision. 

Rote and repetition are great tools for memorization, but a bad way to conduct a relationship with the divine. Daily practice is important, but it must be performed with sincerity, simple repetition will not suffice. In a world ruled by clock and dollar, it is easy to slip into a routine that can turn into a rut. There is hope, if Google can teach a machine to dream, imagine what you could do with your brain. There are programs that have been running for many millennia that need to be dismantled and reassembled. Folk Catholicism is far more vibrant than the Church in Rome, and probably better for the soul. Most of Europe runs on Democracy 2.0, the United States is still running the beta version, we need an upgrade. Unlike social revolutions of the past, which were collective and dismissive of the past, we must build upon the past but in a manner that advances the individual as much as the mass if not more.

Upgrade your brain and your magic. Quantum theory has much to support the aspiring Mutant Mage. AI can teach us much about how our brains process information about the environment around us, and thus lead us to greater understanding. Magic seems to work best as a hedged bet, if your working is able to bring about two separate but equally beneficial outcomes, you will be surprised with a third alternative that you never conceived. It will be better than what you thought you wanted. Rote and repetition work to our advantage when we want to create new patterns. When we create two or more new patterns in reality, the overlaps create new possibilities. We can anticipate some of the overlaps, but it is the unintended consequences that will always teach us the greatest lessons.

SLEEPER AWAKE

Why did Google develop an AI to produce trippy images? Truth is it didn't, Deep Dream is a side effect. The project that the engineers were working on was called "Deep Stereo". It is an imaging recognition system that would be able to take two to five images of a space and based on its library of images make a 3D rendering filling in empty spaces. In other words, they were creating a machine that could take incomplete data and transform it into an accurate 3D model based simply on what the machine has been taught should fill the gaps. Sound familiar? One day someone got the idea to ask the machine to make renderings based on what it had learned. Thus they were presented with the following:

The Google team realized that the same process used to discern images could be used to generate images as well. The logic holds: if you know what a fork looks like, you can ostensibly draw a fork.

 

Unintended consequence that lead to new discoveries. Look at all the fun people are having with this accident. Always record ALL results from your workings, further review may reveal something you had missed. The great thing about these images for me on a personal level is that they illustrate better than anything else my impression of the divine. Textures, lighting, vague impressions combined with distinct details, yes, this is an apt metaphor for life itself. Looking at the above images makes me realize that I have not noticed things that a machine considered intrinsic. The hartebeest for instance, is the grassland and the community of the herd. Look closely, every one of the renderings includes the surrounding environment, one does not exist without the other. Think about that, a hallucination engine is able to see the fluid, dynamic, non dualistic nature of Universe. 

Deep Dream teaches that unintended consequences lead to new discoveries. It shows the world through the eyes of an intelligence that views objects in a relational rather than isolated way. This machine, this hallucination engine, by following rigid programs after being fed millions of data points has come to have a fluid view of its world. There is deep wisdom there, and hope. Revisit your failed workings and find the gold buried there, nothing is as static as it seems. Perhaps, instead of showing the world what we believe it wants to see we can learn to show the world our Deep Dreams.

This is a great lecture from 1976, that has many techniques and ideas that still need further research.

Reflections on the Occurrence of an Annual Cyclical Solar Event

Today is the solstice that occurs in June. What that means depends on what hemisphere you live on. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere today is the day with the longest amount of daylight during this solar cycle. For the southies, shortest. As I write this I am relaxing in the tub at 10:35 a.m. local time.

Noon local time, coffee and breakfast tacos are secured. Hearty debate about the merits of turtles versus tortoises. Followed by a discussion about the TMNT. I love my kids.

12:24 p.m. I have a pipe. Now I contemplate the  mysteries. Most obvious to my mind is the solar aspect of today. Immediately I think of Helios, with whom I have only begun working. Always felt solar archetypes were too masculine for me. Well I was wrong about Helios, he has interesting friends. For instance he associated with Saturn, Hermes, and Hekate. This is a dynamic I plan to explore more over the next year or so.

1:05p.m. The coffee has whiskey in it now. The kids are playing in the lawn sprinkler. Storm clouds are rolling in from the east. The last thing we need is more rain. The ground is so wet that every new round of showers brings flooding. Nothing like Memorial Day but one tires of the news.

Back to the Sol Father discussion but first an apology. I have neglected my blog for a while, but it is because I have been very busy, in the actual world. I have been blessed with many projects and responsibilities, overwhelming at times but manageable none the less. I am going to experiment with weekly posts on Sunday evenings. Yes it will be Sasquatch's Sunday Evening Post.

My daughter interrupts to let me know that the children are doing a rain dance, just for practice.

Last night I had the strangest dreams. Possibly due to the flying ointment I liberally applied to my person. I was given instructions for my Hermes/Helios Mutation Ritual. This will begin a major campaign to align several different works into one master work. The end result will be a presentation of Post Millennial Folk Magic.

This will be based on my own experiences and some of others I know perhaps an anthology will be in the works. My personal path includes Hoodoo Folk Magic that I learned growing up in East Texas and has been expanded by the works of Hyatt and Yronwode, amongst others. I have also picked up some Santeria along the way. Almost like the protestant and catholic traditions they sprang from the regions where these traditions are practiced are divided geographically and culturally. In  addition to these I use chaos magic techniques in the manner of Genesis P-Orridge, and William S. Burroughs.

2:36 p.m. Time for another pipe. The methods of which I speak mainly consist of using technology along the lines of folk magic. Photographs altered to reflect desired outcome, videomancy, cut up audio divination and ritual reinforcement techniques, and collage sigils to activate dormant psychic abilities all fall into what I consider Post-Millennial Folk Magic. The practitioner of such arts also has a penchant for tradition and uses it as a guidepost for technique. So along this path you will meet Hoodoo Hepcats, Wily Witches, Sexy Sorcerers, and Mutant Mages, these are my people. Not content to pursue theurgy alone, these Rebel Saints challenge convention and produce tangible magic. It matters not one iota if they are working with botanicals, metals, alchemical preparations, or internal combustion, they are all magicians of the highest order.

3:34 p.m. Time for a nap. Good day so far, excellent time to recharge the batteries this evenings festivities.

4:27 p.m. Nap time over. Final reflections before I make my preparations for this evening. There is no dress rehearsal, we only get one shot, make it count. Those of us who engage in the Sacred Arts must be wary of critics that claim a wrongness to our methods. Authenticity always shines above rote repetition. Esoteric wisdom has always been misinterpreted by the exoteric school, stay strong and love with all your soul. In this time and place we all borrow from one another, there is no pure path, only profane truths. We are all Mutant Mages in the end, each of us developing new ways of looking at old traditions and creating new wisdoms for future study. Do not be content to simply repeat what has been done, step off of the path, go into the woods...

 At some point we must all confront the reality that we were only "practicing" magic and now we must make some magic. It is a hard transition for some, and others still never find their own voice. There is only one way to make magic happen, you must go out and do what is necessary, to paraphrase Robert Cochrane. This is always true whether you cook bread or make hot-rods.The magic is in the Doing. Hope your day went well and that you enjoyed whatever activities you engaged in to mark the occasion. Lechyd!

Waking Dragons

Wild Iris Sasquatch Jones 2015

Get comfy, no I mean it, this a long ride, but we will stop occasionally...

Postcards From Naraka

Bursting Forth Sasquatch Jones 2015

It has been a while since I last did this, so be patient and I will be as gracious a host as I can. Those who have been reading my posts for a while will know that I have been engaged in a year long Earth Working, by which I mean that I am engaged in many workings that are all related to the elemental aspects of Earth. Like many of my kin, I first learned about the Witchcraft Revival through Buckland's Big Blue Book (4B), then explored other avenues. This has resulted in my associating winter with earth as many Wiccans do. Even though I passed by Wicca nearly twenty years ago, the imprint is strong. Over the years I have always turned inward during winter and devoted this time to intense study. This winter is no different, except that the depths I have reached far outpace anything I have done before, that and I may have awakened a dragon. More on that later.

This winters studies have been aided by many sources and I would like to share a few with you. I will start with books, because I always do. Pod-casts have been very instrumental to my studies this winter, I will tell you about my favorites. Blogs of course are always on the menu, but there a re a few notable articles that I will invite you to read. Finally I want to share some music and recommend a movie. Then I will tell you all about the Dragon.

Ocultas Libros

I have read so many books as of late that I decided to only review the titles I have finished. I am only going to give the title, the author and a brief impression of what I liked and/or disliked. I am not a book reviewer, but I do love to share knowledge, so perhaps this will give you some inspiration.

The Magical and Ritual Use of Herbs, by Richard Alan Miller- If you walk the Poison Path as I do, this little book is very handy. Written like a field guide with identification, history, chemistry, preparation, etc., this is about as stripped down as a technical manual. In fact that is exactly what it is, a Technical Magical Field Guide. I strongly endorse this book. Thanks to Sarah Anne Lawless for recommending this one.

Plant Spirit Shamanism, by Ross Heaven and Howard G.Charing- Both Ross Heaven and Howard G. Charing have a considerable body of work between them (which I highly recommend if you work plant spirits), so I was happy to find this book co-authored by these two, with a foreword by Pablo Amaringo as a bonus. I love this book. First each author shares from the traditions they are most familiar with, which allows one to find points of intersection between differing traditions, hinting at that old Ur-sorcery beneath all things. Then just to ice the cake they introduce herbs from the Western Traditions that correspond not by chemistry but by energy, by Spirit. If you work with plant spirits reading this book can inform your work.

Pharmako Gnosis: Plant Teachers and the Poison Path, by Dale Pendell- What everyone else says about this book is true, put it into your library today. Unless you already own it.

The Sorcerer's Secrets, by Jason Miller- This book impressed me so much I signed up for the Strategic Sorcery course, this will be my first foray into Formal Magical Training. The results so far, just from reading the book, are noticeable. This tome will improve your work regardless of your path.

Mandala Sasquatch Jones 2015

The Vision and the Voice

I am just going to recommend three pod casts series I have enjoyed over the last few weeks. The first is HedgeFolk Tales, by Sarah Anne Lawless. Great lore and interpretation from a wonderfully witchy perspective. Next is the Crooked Path Pod-cast by the late Peter Paddon. There is a wealth of information here that is passed in the Old Way, as oral tradition, truly a treasure. Finally, Lamplighter Blues, with Dean and Doctor Hob. I love Doctor Hob's voice, and his depth of knowledge is wonderful. If you are interested in HooDoo or Conjure, check this out.

Intermission

Words of Inspiration

I am a reader, hands down my favorite mental activity. I read blogs because I love the way they are like an ongoing conversation between several people. I love watching the way certain ideas will get amplified and contemplated by different minds, absolutely beautiful. Upon Westminster Bridge, by Gordon White over at Rune Soup offers up a meditation upon this very subject. Since I brought up Rune Soup be sure to check out the following two installments, Teaching Birds How to Fly and The Other Avian Flu.

Tres Senoras Sasquatch Jones 2015

Can Witchcraft be civilized? I find that Nicolaj de Mattos Frisvold addresses the question rather nicely over at the Starry Cave.This dovetails nicely with my Year of Knives foci. These are the posts that have me thinking, for something that inspires in a different way, try Sailor on the Seas of Fate, The Orphans Almanac, or Rue and Hyssop.

The Devil's Own

When I was growing up in the late seventies and early eighties, in East Texas, many Baptist preachers were still turning coin preaching about the evils of Rock-n-Roll and Hollywood. Needless to say, but I was a lost cause. I have always loved secular music, but a few pagan musicians have helped me appreciate the value of spiritual music. Wendy Rule's Black Snake, is amazing, her voice is sultry and this album highlights that. Infernal Proteus is for the Krautnerden (Herb Nerds) amongst us, not always the greatest music in my opinion but I like it.

On Netflix, Daniel Radcliffe stars in Horns, totally entertaining murder mystery with a twist. Pop some corn and enjoy your evening.

Intermezzo

Here There Be Dragons

I have been treading the mill for some time now to depths I have never been. Something compels me onward ever downward, the pressure on my ears is painful and the heat is almost unbearable. Then darkness and silence envelopes me. Something is here, alive. Massive, its energy hits me like a wall. It smells of copper and soot, but mostly of serpent. It is aware...of me.

Symbiotes Sasquatch Jones 2015

"Hoomaan, dare you to disturb me?", it hisses.

"I beg your pardon, I meant no offense", I reply.

"How do you come to be here?", questions the thing in the depths.

"Exploring" say I.

"What are you looking for?" it asks.

"Knowledge", my response.

It laughs. IT. LAUGHS.

"You will gain so much more", it assures me.

"Thank you." 

I awaken beneath my tree, cold,wet and achy, the weather has turned. Time to go back inside. I never  had a visual, but I know this was a dragon. Wrapped around the base of my skull the whole time. 

The Roots

As the world turns towards spring for the Northern Hemisphere and autumn for the Southern Hemisphere, I begin to rise from fallow slumber and join the coming chorus of life bursting forth. Upwards I ascend with knowledge plumbed from the depths, this dirt is fertile. The dandelions are blooming, I have work to do.

Lots'o'luck Sasquatch Jones 2015

It's Your Thing

I AM THE OAK-Sasquatch Jones 2015

Taking time to reflect has proven most beneficial to my over all outlook. It seems ironic saying that after a back to back memorial and funeral weekend, but still true all the same. How I got here, and the treasures I found along the way to be subject of this tale, so get comfy and let me be your guide. In the most proverbial of ways I will  start at the beginning, of sorts.

The Year of Knives

"Do what you want to do, don't talk about what you don't want." - Misty Dawn, New Years Weekend-2015 This sage advice was dispensed by my wonderful partner and muse during a Hedge-crossing session on New Years weekend. It was during this journey that I began to think of 2015 as the Year of Knives. In recent years I have developed a habit of adopting names for the year, it helps me to focus my energy in certain ways, give a direction to my path. 2013 was the Year of Witches, by way of Thad McCracken, this helped me to rekindle embers that had lain dormant for far too long. 2014 was the Year of Ghosts thanks to Gordon at Rune Soup.Little did I realize that when I adopted these monikers the power they would have over my perceptions, just read back through my past posts,the evidence is all there.

KEYS TO THE GATE-Sasquatch Jones 2015

This year however, I have named, The Year of Knives, by this act I have already begun cutting away. The knife is a beautiful thing, useful, sexy and dangerous most of all, a knife cuts. Cuts away fat, cuts through butter, cuts up celery and sailors. Useful but possibly dangerous, like magick. In order for me to execute my plans I must cut away the unnecessary, cut through the cords that bind. I must be careful not to cut to close or I may end up drawing blood, possibly my own. Thus the Year of Knives is about transitions, such as leather becoming a boot, first you must cut out your pattern. There is an inherent warning here, knives draw blood, knives make permanent changes. There are rules to using knives.

The most important rule seems to be; Stay Sharp. A dull knife is a dangerous knife, if you want a cut that's deep and true, only a sharp knife will do. Secondly, one must be patient when using a knife. I have seen this sentiment expressed in the following manners. Measure twice cut once, take the time to make sure you cutting away the right amount. You can always cut away more but you cannot cut back more, proceed methodically and with intention. Lastly treat a knife with respect and the knife will express respect for you. Take care of your knife and it will serve you well. With my knife I carve out my world.

Living the Dream

I have been busy, but in the best of possible ways, doing what I want to do. This seemed to be the theme of this weekend also; two different people, two different lives, one central idea unites them. Both my mentor, Wes Nations aka Johnny Vagabond, and my wife's cousin dared to live their own lives despite what others might think. Both were warm and engaging people, who made friends with everyone they met, they were open, sharing, and inspiring. These two very different people shared the one thing I believe, is the secret to a good life; they dared to manifest their bliss.

At Wes's memorial and Brian's funeral, people talked about how awesome it was that these individuals got to live the lives they wanted. Again and again, always with a hint of sadness, not so much for the departed, but rather an admission that the speaker was not living the life they wanted. Having recently journeyed into the Otherworld and receiving instruction via dream-work, and ritual, I went into this weekend with more mental clarity than would have been possible in the past. My senses sharpened (thanks to Jason Miller and his book), I saw the connections between people, and the interconnectedness that united them all. Two men who dared to live their own lives became beacons to others, not because they set out to be inspirations, but because they were true to themselves. They were not living the "dream", they were living.

Manifesting Liberation

No more excuses, no more procrastinations. The time is now and it always has been and always will be. Sharpen your knives and make your cuts. Live out loud, yes this is a call to arms, an active initiation. The world will always try to stop you and crush you, surround yourself with the lights that inspire. Always be open to giving and receiving blessings, this magic will consistently exceed expectations. Know your allies on this side and in the Otherworld, maintain your relations. Focus your energy into your own endeavors, wishful thinking never manifests, action does.

My year has begun with a prolonged period of reflection punctuated by direct action and manifestation. Work with my spirit allies is yielding tremendous results with very clear messages and instructions. The work progresses and returns dividends on what is invested. By cutting away until I reveal only what I want, I have become more efficacious in my operations. Saint Cyprian and Santisima Muerte continue to bless me, as do Hekate, Mercury Cthonos, the Horned One, Owl Woman, Mother Bear, and the Ancestors. Most surprisingly of all is the influence of Dandelion, never under estimate that which is underfoot.

I have t-shirt designs to finalize and render. A website is in the works and seeds are being planted and tended. The upcoming year promises much and I welcome it with an open heart and a clear vision. The take away from my time of contemplation and reflection upon life can be summed up by the statements of my wife, as printed above and the following statements which came to me while driving home late last night. Seize the moment, seize the day and build relationships along the way.

The very last thing I want leave you with comes from Briana Saussy:

HONOR YOUR MAGIC AND IT WILL HONOR YOU.

Omen Day #5

First of all I must thank Briana Saussy for introducing me to the idea of Omen Days. Read the linked article for a full description. Basically the twelve days of christmas correspond to the months of the year and one should pay attention to any omens that may appear. My personal journey has yielded interesting results so far, mostly I am just jotting down notes of what sticks out most. Later I will go back and figure out what it all means. Days 3 and 4, for instance, seemed anti-climatic to my mind, but I made notes anyway, you never know what will appear useful later, a bit of twine, a scrap of cloth, you never know.Today, day 5, is completely different.

Last night before bed, I went to St. Cyprian with fy ngweddi, my prayer, that he and I could work together on my roots, sometimes. My dreams, I believe, answer that question. My lovely wife has a terrible cough that kept her up most of the night. The last time I looked at the clock was 3 something, afterwards I dreamt of Wales. Her rivers, hills, railways, and the mostly rocky coast. I have never been, but I long for the journey. I must see Glamorgan before I die, and St. Govan. I will not feel truly fulfilled until I have tea at Tu Hwnt I’r Bont Tearoom in Llanrwst. All of which are plenty to dream about in and of themselves, but my dream was not of these places, it was about people.

The people in my dream were speaking Cymraeg, and I understood them. Not theirs words so much but the message was clear and I understood them. Still trying to suss out who the people were exactly, whether they were amalgams from my studied histories, or actual ancestors. I may never know, but the message from St Cyprian seems clear enough. In addition to my Cymru ancestry, I have always been fascinated with the number five.

Everything works in fives for me, took me a while to figure that out, three works for most, but not me. Well in a pinch, I can make three elements come together, but usually only if the situation is urgent. For long term workings and persuasions, five works best. My fascination with five may stem from being born in May, or that my most vivid childhood memory is my fifth birthday. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps, whatever spurred it, it has always been. I am not surprised that Omen Day #5 would yield delicious fruit, perhaps a pilgrimage to Wales is in my future. Maybe I will discover the name of a forgotten ancestor who dabbled in the arts. 

The next year seems to be full of promise, but caution is the greater part of valor. I feel the coming year to be a Year of Knives, useful indispensable tools that must be handled properly. There is potency and promise, tempered with caution and experience. I can see many poised on the brink of personal greatness, now is the time. We must cut away the unnecessary, prune for greater results sever the ties that bind, and carve out our place. A Year of Knives.

Seeds of Possibility

Black Moon 23, Copyright 2013, Sasquatch Jones

Seeds. Genesis in a capsule. A seed contains everything to grow, bloom, and produce progeny. From humble beginnings, eh? Let it come to pass that this article will contains seeds with such power. That is my goal here to plant seeds, ideas, or memes, into as many fertile souls as I can. This is a working given to me, to set free into the world, whose full manifestation is beyond my imagination. Much in the same way as one cannot see a tree no matter how hard one stares at an acorn. But first let me tell you a story.

A Story of the Earth

Pom ov Possumbility, Copyright2014, Sasquatch Jones

I have been in the Earth. Deep into the Earth, die Unterwelt, at the roots of it all. I have been given gifts, seeds to share. Between meditations on death, Geist Arbeit, heart chakra openings, and a growing community of support, I have been blessed with a amazing gift. I present the Pomegranate of Possibility, infinitely filled with juicy kernels of wisdom, each containing a seed full of infinite possibility. From the fertile soil, which is the flesh of the Goddess herself, comes a gift from the Underworld, but be forewarned, once you eat of this fruit, you will never be the same.

I am tapping into roots. The first thing  to emerge from a seed  is the root. The roots provide sustenance to the emerging plant, that is how life begins, our roots sustain us. Working roots, whether vegetable or ancestral, always gives  sustenance to new work. I venerate the dead, as the song says, pray for the dead and the dead will pray for you. Some of them are personal, others are Elevated Ancestors, but all of them inform my work and provide me with sustenance, as all friends and allies do. As we pass through this Season of Earth, remember your roots, draw upon their strength.

Feast Upon Possibility

While tapping into my roots, I began remembering stories my Grandmother told me, and something started to stand out. When my Grandmother was a girl, most of the businesses in her hometown were owned by people who lived in her hometown. Think about it. A community supporting each other. That is what we are all seeking is it not? Most of us give far too much of our earnings to Corporations, large faceless and invested with far too much power. We have the power to change that and we are, every time you give your money to independent business people and artisans you are voting for a better world. Did I lose you?

Queen of the Crossroads, Copyright 2013, Sasquatch Jones

Consider for a moment our consumer culture as it goes through its Annual Orgy of Excess. Every dollar spent at a major retailer, gives more power to the lobbies that the owners of those companies give donations. So your dollars end up exerting influence in the true political system. When you buy from Independent Business People you subvert this system. I am not naive enough to believe that this is all it takes to save the world, but it could be the beginning of an alternative economy. You never know what will grow from a seed, but if you plant enough, you will always bear fruit. So vote for a better world by supporting superior craftsmanship, independence, and the reality you wish to manifest.

Share the Love

If you don't know where to start check out some of my favorites from around the way.

HOUSE OF ORPHEUS
LONE STAR BOTANICALS
WOLF & GOAT
NATURAL MAGICK SHOP
TVEIR HRAFNAR
THREE CATS AND A BROOM
CAULDRON CRAFT ODDITIES

Underneath the Snow a Seed Grows

Every seed is also a Snowflake. You might be planting beans or okra, but how each seed manifests will depend upon the experiences it has. No two are the same. Again I am planting seeds and waiting for manifestation. The fruits of past plantings are harvested, and being enjoyed. Others are only beginning to bear fruit. Return to the Pomegranate of Possibility as often as you need, its inspiration is infinite. Plant your seeds, and dig into your roots, good things await you.

Heathen Brujo, Copyright 2013, Sasquatch Jones

Letting Go

Most of the people I know have had to let go of something dear to them this year. Deaths, divorces, and downsizing, whether by choice, illness or just time, have claimed much happiness and left a void in their wake. It is against this backdrop that I have decided to let go, more. Time is precious and the pursuit of stuff is a poor way to spend it, I want more LIFE and less stuff.

This not just a reaction to the losses I and many others have experienced , but rather an exploration of loss and surrender. For one to surrender to the forces around them and give up control is the essence of sacrifice as initiation. The Fool, and The Hanged Man; a leap of faith, a willing sacrifice, an initiation into a different state of being. Notice that I did not say "higher" state of being, such things are greatly overrated, enlightenment is not what most Americans think enlightenment is. I am looking to change my relationship to loss, suffering, and material possession, to reawaken my knowledge of the transitory, numinous nature of existence.

In my last post I made reference to Rhyd Wildermuth's post on Alchemical Capitalism, that article and this post by John Beckett, about the Commodification of Humanity, started mental workings. Then I read Decolonizing Ourselves So We Can Help Others, and remembered Paper Mage which I also recommended in my last post,and enter an Air of Inspiration from the East. Harvest and sacrifice are the same thing. Without sacrifice there is no harvest, and without a harvest there is no sacrifice. That being said, keep in mind that the harvest will never be what you expect. Taking my raw material to the cauldron of inspiration and applying flame something distinct begins to distill.

A small amount of passion goes a long way, and from that initial idea a plan has coalesced, it is time to Let Go. I will be releasing my hold on several material items from now until the Feast of the Ancestors, October 31st. This is sacrifice, ritual, reverence, and initiation all rolled into one. I am seeking to change my relationship to stuff, to embrace Immediacy, to see impermanence as it is; more stuff. So I will be giving away, sticks, stones, roots, bones, shells and feathers. A few books, and perhaps some hand drawn art here and there, will also find Their  way into the mix. I need to lighten my load for the next phase of my work. Water flows in and water flows out, stuff is the same, I'm not wholesale against it, I just need let it flow down the stream again.

Now the fun, interactive part; a veritable Carnival of Delights. Are you brave enough to accept gifts? Dare you receive something for nothing? Is not, Receiver of Generosity, one of your holy names? Can you surrender and accept what fate deals? Did you say yes to one or more of these questions? Then I have a proposition for you. If you said yes to all these questions, seek therapy, just kidding, go take a hike, you deserve a break. Now if you are willing, Friend me on facebook, or just send me a PM with your address and the note "I'm in." Or leave me a comment here. I will contact you with three questions, and then mail you a package based on your answers. Don't worry nothing ominous, just simple things, such as, animal, vegetable, mineral, or fungal. That sort of thing. I just love that Fungi is its own kingdom, now.

Awaiting your responses and then into the realm of Earth, where I manifest that which I have called forth. Letting go is the only way to appreciate what you have. LOVE.

Stonehenge Sabre Toothed Salmon Spectacle Trigger Spell

As the Man burned I opened the roads and sabre toothed salmon swam through my dreams. Stonehenge was a festival site, just like Black Rock City and Glastonbury. Rewilding my soulscape has lead me to declare a Savage Sorcery, that is both open and inaccessible. The Voice in the Brambles echoes the ethos of gifting and permissions. Grover has become part of my tribe and refutation of the state as natural is invading the Neocons. Fatbergs are blocking up Cloaca Maxima, yes even this Goddess is affected by our modern diet of fat and cholesterol. My tastes have turned Dionysian and planetary.Of course the fabled Dark Lord himself would slake my thirst.

Strange thoughts swirl through my head like four tusked elephants, and the first echoes of ancestors are calling to me. I awake and awake, never remembering sleep. Like a groundhog's day of buddhahood. I long for true rest and want Half Earth now. The God of Harmony and the God of Disruption always arrive together. All forms become inverted and my brain explodes with creativity too fast to capture. Media devices help me to record some of it , but most is irrevocably lost.

The Thing in the Desert is over now,but its effects will be felt for a very long time. Every year I am renewed as the Man burns and fall into the dust. like so many pilgrims to and from Stonehenge so the Exodus has begun. I will return someday and probably proceed to the Great Pacific Northwest. There I will lie down and dream again of sabre toothed salmon.