Sasquatch Jones

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Further Revelations from the Eastern Portal

AIR: To Know, Inspiration, and Wisdom

Thoughts on the Environment, Magick, and the Immediacy of Experience

This post is a bit long and is broken into different sections. The first will deal with new knowledge of my surrounding countryside and the effect of erroneous environmental policies upon that land. The second topic is my ongoing work with rituals of an elemental nature, which at this time is air. The final area covered is access to new knowledge that has helped me to incorporate the previous two and develop a plan for future workings.

Water Water Everywhere Not a Drop Potable

Despite the widespread use of the practice, and the risks hydraulic fracturing poses to human health and safe drinking water supplies, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") does not regulate the injection of fracturing fluids under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The oil and gas industry is the only industry in America that is allowed by EPA to inject known hazardous materials -- unchecked -- directly into or adjacent to underground drinking water supplies.
- See more at: http://www.earthworksaction.org/issues/detail/inadequate_regulation_of_hydraulic_fracturing#.UfsYo23AES4

The oil and gas industry is the only industry in America that is allowed by EPA to inject known hazardous materials -- unchecked -- directly into or adjacent to underground drinking water supplies. - See more at: http://www.earthworksaction.org/issues/detail/inadequate_regulation_of_hydraulic_fracturing#.UfsYo23AES4

The oil and gas industry is the only industry allowed by the EPA to inject hazardous chemicals directly into the water supply. In 2005, at the urging of Vice President Dick Cheney, Congress created the so-called "Halliburton loophole" to clean water protections in federal law to prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from regulating this process, despite serious concerns that were raised about the chemicals used in the process and its demonstrated spoiling and contamination of drinking water. In 2001, Cheney's "energy task force" had touted the benefits of hydrofracking, while redacting references to human health hazards associated with hydrofracking. Halliburton, which was previously led by Cheney, reportedly earns $1.5 billion a year from its energy operations, which rely substantially on its hydrofracking business.

About two weeks ago while watching a Daily Show episode about the show down at the Texas Capitol, my wife and I saw an interview with director of Gasland. Curious about the movie we found it on the internet and watched it. Realizing that Texas is one of the largest petroleum producing states (Alaska produces more) we did some more research on the internet and found this:

http://a.tiles.mapbox.com/v3/texastribune.map-sit023yd,texastribune.texas-disposal-well-hex/6/14/26.png

This is a map of disposal wells for hydraulic fracturing, I live near the dark spot northeast of San Antonio. These wells are used to dispose of the toxic soup of chemicals used to fracture the rocks during the extraction process. Compare that map with this map of the major aquifers of Texas.

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/geo/pics/Major.gif

Take note of the red band, that is the Carrizo - Wilcox Aquifer where my local water comes from. The same area the disposal wells are located. We decided that we should change our water filters and that is when the real horror began.

The filter on the right is brand new, the filter on the left is the old one. Normally these filters last six months and are light gray when I change them. This one is five months old, stinks and is dark brown. We also saved water from the filter housing which has brown particulate matter in it. We will be sending this off for analysis.
Do the research, this is happening everywhere, your water may not be safe.

Connections with the Spirits of Air

On a happier note, my elemental working have been progressing nicely. I have developed a relationship with an air elemental who has presented herself to me. This is an illustration I made of her.

Beautiful isn't she? Since our contact many birds have been presenting themselves to me and communicating. Owls, crows, vultures, hawks and roadrunners have crossed my path many times in the past few weeks, including three owls in one place at the same time during the day. These weekly workings and daily meditations have opened paths of knowledge lead to deeper understandings of herb-lore, native spirits, and atavistic cthonic currents. These currents have shed light on the origins of Tubal Cain, Germanic lore, root-work, Camino Ambre, and the need to construct a new wand. As a practitioner of Traditional Craft and one who walks a crooked path, I can honestly say these last few months have been some of the most amazing in my many years of practice. Many praises to Hekate and Herne,and much thanks to those who give me inspiration, John Halcyon, T Thorn Coyle,Sarah Anne Lawless, and Robert Artisson .

Increasing Knowledge and the Ethics of Responsibility

When one becomes aware of situations that are dangerous to self and community an obligation to reveal this truth is imperative. To do less than this is not only negligent but irresponsible. When that same individual is a practitioner of nature based spiritual systems this becomes a moral imperative. So now I share information with others via the internet, in person, and join campaigns to make petroleum companies better stewards of the planet they exploit for profit. We are all indigenous spirits of Spaceship Earth and as such we must take care of our home as an extension of our spirituality. Now the earnest work begins, rituals of healing, public workings to draw attention, and dissemination of knowledge. I must engage others and show them why they should care. I plan to use Humor, Magick, and Knowledge to combat my enemy.

This is spiritual warfare on the material plane, clean air, clean water, and clean food are the birthright of every human alive. This about more than my local environs, this is being a voice for my animal allies and plant family, my sustainers, my healers. The aether that flows through us all gives the strength to change our world , but it must be tempered with the knowledge of limits, the passion to do right, the empathic urge to care for nature and the practical skill to responsibly work with nature to ensure the survival of all living things. Everything depends upon it.

Final Thoughts

Take a few moments every day to meditate upon the current condition of our planet, and how you would like to see it improve. Construct rituals of environmental healing, sacred compost piles, volunteer recycle bins at your bus stop, encourage people to test their water. Create sigils that contain links to websites about hydraulic fracturing. Perform theatrical rituals in public to exorcise the demons from the water. These are some the of ideas I have developed, feel free to create your own. We must use everything at our disposal to ensure our mutual existence. Have good cheer and keep up the Great Work.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

LOVE, Racism, And Media Manipulation

I'm not sure where to start really, but I will say that the situation is not as hopeless as it seems. Let me say a few things about Trayvon Martin, I hope to offer a perspective that few others have. T Thorn Coyle in her article, Confronting Racism is Spiritual Work, makes a great argument for considering this incident from a spiritual perspective. Her argument is not that we should turn this over to the Divine in hopes of a solution from on high, but rather we should solve the problem of racism as a matter of respect for the Creator. God Herself is watching to see how we handle this and many others matters on this planet. You see the way we treat creation is a reflection of our spiritual values. The reason so many people in modern society have disdain for the institutions of faith is that so many of them have violated the position of trust with which they have been vested. When people of Good Faith, regardless of tradition, begin to work together for the good of all, there will be no problem that cannot be healed by them.

Let me get back to the Trayvon Martin tragedy for a moment, why is this important? On one level it matters because of the subtext of race and suspicion in America, for instance many Americans of European Heritage (I refuse to use "white" as it is an artifice) have just learned about "the talk". As a punk rock son of of a baby boomer, I was given a similar talk in my teen years, although mine was a lot more about my choices and how they would be perceived rather than about how I would be perceived because of my skin color. The more disturbing aspect of this story, in my opinion, is the way the media chose to manipulate all of us with this tragedy. One of the main reasons it made the national headlines was because it involved racial tension, and nothing distracts people from the facts more than emotion. Reread that sentence. Yes I really believe that the national media in this country emotionally manipulates all of us away from the truth and exploits the weak spots in our national character. We as a nation keeping avoiding "the talk" about racial justice, inequality, and the nature of love.

Love? Yes, that thorny four letter word that Visionaries like Jesus, John Lennon, Mother Jones, and Ira Sendler use so eloquently. The reason that I bring up love is that I believe it is the only thing that will cure this illness. I'm talking about love as a real world skill that must be practiced in order to realize its full expression. If one does not practice what Erich Fromm calls "an act of will", one loses a sense of connectivity to others and fails to find fulfillment. The most successful way to develop trust and strengthen ties with others is communication. Only love can open one up to have the soul searching conversation this illness demands. It must start with people of European descent. We must give up the vestiges of privilege that the artifice of "whiteness" conveys. We must love our fellow humans enough to stop the injustices committed by the cultural imperialism of ages long past. We must accept that we can affect change only within ourselves and that there are many voices in this conversation. We must take responsibility for our wrongs, either by listening or educating. We must be willing to stand with our brothers and sisters against injustice. Love will guide us all towards these goals. Love can no longer be a platitude we give lip service in the houses of the holy, it must become a rally point for action.

This is why the media will continue to highlight these cases and ignore gun violence in general. When speaking of teen deaths alone the numbers are far too high, but when you start looking at all gun related deaths it is simply tragic. Why is it that every media outlet in the country was all over the Martin/Zimmerman case but only the Huffington Post has carried the story of Temar Boggs on a national level? Because of our susceptibility. Yes, that's right, as long as we continue to let the media manipulate us through our fears, prejudices, and lack of compassion, they will continue to do so.I have seen internet memes that ask what if Mr. Zimmerman offered Mr. Martin a ride home that night, would the outcome have been different? I don't know, but if Mr. Zimmerman had just once broke down and cried over the fact that he killed another human being, regardless of race and age, maybe we would be having a very different conversation.

I believe, and this only my opinion, that the utter lack of compassion shown by Mr. Zimmerman is why so many can not accept the verdict. The jury did what they believed to be right under Florida law, which is the real miscarriage of justice. The Stand Your Ground Law (SYGL) is not about love or compassion. It is sad that our society has gotten to a place where we are legally sanctioning murder, and members of our nation applaud it. This is on American soil and has nothing to do with drones. We as a society have begun to say that life is so insignificant that if you feel sufficiently threatened by someone you can kill them.That was Marissa Alexanders mistake, she did not kill her husband, so the state of Florida punished her for respecting life. Yes it is that simple, and no I am not being dramatic. The facts are there.

Back to love. Here we are in a nation that claims to build its laws and ethics on a Christian foundation. I am not strictly christian nor am I anti christian, many great things, such as the abolitionist movement, for example, were accomplished by christians throughout time, as were horrors. So I maintain a fairly neutral stance on christianity. That being said, one of the basic tenets of the christian faith is respect for life, right there in Exodus 20:13 "Thou shall not Kill". Then Jesus commanded his followers to love one another as they loved themselves. So why do we as a nation have laws sanctioning murder? Fear of love. Love erases boundaries, class distinctions, and bonds us together as humans. With love we get to actually appreciate one another as individuals rather than a race, an age, a social class, or any division our minds can devise. There is no longer a need for hierarchy based on artifice. Will some lose their privilege? I guess, if you call coercion reinforced by violence a privilege. That is what racism is, the erroneous belief that by accident of birth one has the right to devalue another life and to build institutions of power to reinforce this so called right.

In the spirit of George Carlin, I will call this what it is: HORSE SHIT. Most of the time I do not condone vulgarity when trying to make a reasoned argument, especially about love, but sometimes the truth can not be expressed in any other way.When we are brave enough to love in a manner that allows us to be vulnerable, to be empathetic, open to other perspectives, perhaps we will heal not only our wounds but others wounds as well. When we can honestly in perfect love and perfect trust enter into each others houses, with a willingness to help and to learn, then we will grow the flower of love. Goddess bless you all.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Opening the Gates of Air

New Moon Air Working

At the last new moon, I began my series of elemental workings by performing a short Air ritual. This ritual was designed simply as a beginning, a gate opener if you will. I won't go into all the details as they are unnecessary for understanding my undertaking. Suffice to say that a triple flame was involved which opened a rainbow gate, and the flashing of said flame aided in imprinting my sigil. Later that night I was awakened by a dream wherein I was shown all my faults and how to work on them, deep shadow magick. So the work begins. A series of Hypnagogic dreams follows over the next few days. One involves going down into Kiva and being told by the Elders to use my gifts more wisely to be a Spirit Guide. In one dream Grandmother Root tells me that I belong to her and as one of hers she will teach me the plant ways through the spirit.

The strangest dream came last night, one day before my next working. Thoth, Egyptian God of Scribes and Magick, and beloved of Crowley (this is important for reasons that I will explain shortly) appears to me in a desert in the East. He shows me my natal chart, and begins to explain that the preponderance of my planets being in Gemini, my birth sign, makes me naturally inclined to the magickal arts. Thoth then goes goes on to explain that my birth-date, May 29th, is the Day of Quicksilver, which further reinforces this current. He admonishes me to stop denying myself and urges me to drink from a fountain that I had not previously noticed. After slaking my now overwhelming thirst I see a tapestry hanging between two palms, Thoth urges me to approach and enter. The tapestry has a symbol on it which I now know is the symbol of Shamash, the Sumerian Sun God. This where the Crowley connection becomes important. I go behind the veil where I meet the High Priestess, seated upon a throne that resembles a winged lion. She tells me that to unlock the portal for the next level of my work I must begin performing Resh. This startles me a little, as I am not now nor have ever been an aspirant to the OTO. Like most pagans and magickians of the twentieth century, I have read Crowley's works, probably more than most who have not joined the Temple, but I remain firmly secure in my solitary practice. In my dream I ask why a God and Goddess of the Moon would be leading me to solar adoration. The answer was that they knew I would trust these forms. Upon hearing this I awoke. Unable to return to sleep immediately I decide to check my Facebook news feed, where I found this article by T. Thorn Coyle. I was floored.

Now I am doing Resh, and preparing for my next working Tuesday night on the first quarter moon. I am excited and nervous about what the future holds, but I began this work to gain a deeper insight, and so I shall see it through to the end. I do not know what the sign of my grade is, nor do I have a superior that has taught me any adoration, but I can meditate and I can assume god forms. Where this is leading, I am not sure, but I have confidence in my endeavours. As always I will keep you informed as to my progress. Keep up the Great Work. Blessed Be!

Monday, July 8, 2013

Death Be Not Proud

In the article, Death and Dignity – A Case of Individualized Decision Making, by Dr. Timothy E. Quill, the author asserts that the issues surrounding physician assisted suicide are complicated and should be considered in the context of giving terminally ill patients the most dignity possible during the final months of their lives so that they may die with the least amount of suffering possible.

Currently the laws of all states except Oregon forbid physician assisted suicide, or euthanasia, as it is technically known. The moral and ethical considerations of this topic, are very complex and highly personal, but should be addressed by society as a whole. Many physicians secretly assist their terminal patients with their requests for barbiturates and pain killers to ease the terror and pain of dying. The Hemlock Society argues for the legalization of euthanasia to free it from the stigmatization that secrecy lends. Many terminal patients who choose this route face death alone, or with ill equipped family members. Doctors are faced with many difficult decisions when they choose to help either directly or indirectly, the loss of medical licenses, expulsion from their profession, and even criminal charges are chief amongst them. All of these aspects of euthanasia also bring to the forefront the essential question; do we as individual deserve to decide how and when we die, and what does the answer to that question say about our society?

Euthanasia is very difficult subject to have hard and clear opinions about, most people believe in compassion and ease of suffering, but how does one define dignity or justify suicide? In our current legal environment, many people are suffering needlessly and alone through death, when they could be tenderly cared for and treated with dignity. In the following statement, “Suffering can be lessened to some extent, but in no way eliminated or made benign, by the careful intervention of a competent, caring physician, given current social constraints.” the author reveals his belief that terminally ill patients do indeed deserve a dignified death. Quill goes on to say, “Prolonged dying can occasionally be peaceful, but more often the role of the physician and the family is limited to lessening but not eliminating severe suffering.” Here I believe that he arguing for the use of barbiturates and pain killers administered in a compassionate way to lessen the pain and terror of death. This article also supports the idea that in the current atmosphere of hostile jurisprudence many people are cut off from their family and friends and left to make these hard decisions alone, this is clearly evidenced in the following passage:

“I wonder whether Diane struggled in that last hour, and whether the Hemlock Society’s way of death by suicide is the most benign. I wonder why Diane, who gave so much to so many of us, had to be alone for the last hour of her life.”

The conclusion seems to be that such a death, while self directed may be less than fully dignified.

I for one fully support the right of terminal patients to choose euthanasia, as a viable alternative to prolonged suffering. If our society can learn to face death honestly and without fear, perhaps we will begin to value life as more precious gift. Perhaps a death free from terror and pain could lead us to consider the deeper questions death brings. Questions such as, what is dignity, and who deserves it, why do we fear the inevitable and what is really on the other side, if anything at all. When we begin to treat the dying with dignity and value the importance of lessening suffering for terminally ill patients, then and perhaps only then we will begin to treat the living with dignity and value the lessening of suffering for all individuals. As novel as it may seem I honestly believe that we can have a society based on compassion and that dignity for the dying can lead us there.

Society must confront these difficult decisions and codify them into law. Ignoring this subject will lead to more secret death, more individuals needlessly suffering alone. Dignity is something we all deserve in life and in death, whether by natural causes or assisted in physician sanctioned fully legal dying centers. The time has come for humanity to grow up and fearlessly face that fate that awaits us all. I hope that others will join me and Dr. Quill in support of compassionate euthanasia.

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Hekatean Dynamics

The Goddess Hekate, the goddess of crossroads, key bearer and torch bearer with hounds baying at her feet. Mistress of the shadow realms, Goddess of witch craft, and psycho-pomp, fairly impressive resume, wouldn't you say? There are other aspects as well, triple formed goddess of Earth, Sea. and Sky. The Creatrix of Light,The Light in the Darkness. In Greece she was known by many titles, Apotropaia (that turns away/protects)^[1],Chthonia (of the earth/underworld)[2],Enodia (on the way)^[3], Klêidouchos (holding the keys)^[4], Kourotrophos (nurse of children)^[4], Phosphoros (bringing or giving light)^[4], Propolos (who serves/attends)^[4], Propulaia/Propylaia (before the gate)^[5], Soteira (savior)^[6], Trimorphe (three-formed)[4], Triodia/Trioditis (who frequents crossroads)[4], and many others which have probably been forgotten to time. Some believe her to be of Thracian origin while others , such as William Berg believe she may have originated among the Carians of Anatolia. According to Berg Her name was even given to children, "Since children are not called after spooks, it is safe to assume that Carian theophoric names involving hekat- refer to a major deity free from the dark and unsavoury ties to the underworld and to witchcraft associated with the Hecate of classical Athens."^[7]

^{Although Hekate has many aspects, and a rich and varied history, I would like primarily to discuss my personal relationship with her as Hekate Kleiduchos. Since I made a pact with Hekate, the details of which I cannot divulge, many things have happened all at once. First to come to my attention was this project, The Hekatean Prayer Book,}^{which aligns perfectly with where I am at in life and where I want to go. Then I get a call from a colleague, that opens a door to do some more of the kind of work I want to do. At this point I am not making money, but doors are opening and connections are being made, which what one would expect working with a key bearer. I continue to be amazed by how magickal my life has been in general, but especially lately. It's not just the business opportunities either, everywhere in every aspect the synchronicities are overwhelming. Hekate her self keeps popping up everywhere (true to the law of contagion) even for people who do not consider themselves devotees. I continue to get to know this energy that has been calling me since I first took an oath beneath the oaks on a full moon, some 30 years ago, in many ways both subtle and not so subtle. The crossroads have always been a mark of my magick and my art, as well as keys and torches, but until I acknowledged Hekate as progenitor of all this, everything was flat. Now through my personal relationship with her there is an intimacy and immediacy to my work that allows me to feel the flow. My work and my magick are one and the same, and they have become as natural as breathing.}

^{Due to my increased understanding and confidence with magick in general and Hekatean magick specifically, I have decided to undertake a series of elemental workings. I will chronicle my efforts and results here as a testimonial and a scientific record. The difference between screwing around and science is writing it down, at least according to a certain social media meme attributed to that guy from Myth Busters. So I will try to be as scientific as possible about a subject most esoteric. So stay tuned to the chronicles of the Hairy Wortcunner from Texas, it will be exciting y'all.}

^1.^{Alberta Mildred Franklin, The Lupercalia, Columbia University, 1921, p. 68.}
^2.^{Jon D. Mikalson, Athenian Popular Religion, UNC Press, 1987, p. 76.}
^3.^{Sarah Iles Johnston, Restless Dead: Encounters Between the Living and the Dead in Ancient Greece, University of California Press, 1999, pp. 208-209.}
^4.^{Liddell-Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon.}
^5.^{Sarah Iles Johnston, Restless Dead: Encounters Between the Living and the Dead in Ancient Greece, University of California Press, 1999, p. 207.}
^6.^{Sarah Iles Johnston, Hekate Soteira, Scholars Press, 1990.}
^7.^{Berg 1974, p. 129.}

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Out of the Broom Closet

This will not be a shock to most of my close friends, and I suspect most of my family already knows, but I have never made a formal declaration. I am a Witch. There now I feel much better about myself and the world around me. I have been on a deep spiritual path, for last couple of years, and one of the tenets of my faith is to maintain integrity. As long as I did not openly own that fact that I consider myself a Witch, I started to feel as if I was living a lie. My reasons are many, but ultimately they were all rationalizations. Well the (black) cat is out of the bag now and I will have to live with the consequences of this declaration, whatever they may be.

So, before this discussion goes much further let me address a few things; I am a Witch not a Wiccan. I am a Neo-Pagan in the truest since of those words in that I borrow from many different traditions. Chief amongst these are Christianity, Buddhism, Hoodoo, Heathenism, and Hedgewitchery; which is an indigenous European form of Shamanism. Now I know that some of this may confuse some of you, especially the Christian part, but I will do my best to explain it all to you.

First, let's discuss the difference between religion and spiritual practice. A spiritual practice is any set of actions one undertakes to bring oneself closer to the Divine, whereas religion is a set of belief about how to approach the divine and what manifestation the divine will take. To state another way spiritual practice is self directed action, and religion is a program to align oneself with a particular reality tunnel. In my ongoing pursuit of the divine I have found the self directed path to be the most palatable for me. If you know me you already know how obstinate I can be about doing it my way (cue Frank.) However I also find the thrill of discovery to be a major impetus for my chosen path; that being said I also know Christians and Buddhists who experience the same joy. How can this be, you may ask, well lets dive into that shall we?

Let me use myself as an example, not very scientific I know, but then again this not a theological paper. Witchcraft or as I prefer to call it Witchery is a label I attach to my set of spiritual practices. My spiritual practices however are designed to lead me to that numinous state of union with the ineffable divine known variously as, gnosis, ecstasy, or mysticism. But William, why not just choose one of those names instead? Why label yourself at all? Why label yourself a Witch? In the words of Ayn Rand, for the very reason it frightens you.Seriously though, I shall explain and hopefully you will understand.

Historically, no I am not going to start a long discussion of the history of witchcraft that is a an article for another day. Now where was I , oh yes, historically the term witch has been applied to many types of oppressed peoples. In days not so long ago the easiest way to cast out your enemy, was to trump up charges of witchcraft. This was usually not hard if the person was odd in any sort of way; too intelligent, able to cure illness with herbs, had prophetic visions, or was born with a physical deformity. The outcasts, the queer, the freaks and geeks of their day. I consider myself one who is not as others, but strangely enough there are others like me. This the real reason I choose the label of Witch, to align myself with others who use similar techniques in their spiritual practices. a community of support is important no matter what you do. What are these spiritual practices, you may ask. Briefly I will do my best to describe them.

Let me start by saying that if you really interested in the totality of spiritual practices email me at sasquatchjones@ymail.com or friend me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/tao.jones.716 . If you are a practitioner we can discuss techniques, if you are a mystic of a different tradition, i.e. Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Sufism, Hinduism, etc,, we can discuss similarities and differences in our paths, and if you are interested in starting on your own self directed path tell me why I should be your guru. That last part was a bit of a joke, if you want me to be your guru I will give a reading list, a swift kick in the rear and send you on the path of brainwashing yourself into thinking on your own. If you want to Convert me to your way of thinking don't bother I'm a hard top ( non-convertible.) So let me lay out my basic tenets for you; Be Here Now, Maintain Integrity, Go with the Flow, Pronoia, Stay on the Path on LOVE. Nature is my temple, Hedgewitchery is my technique, and LOVE is my religion. May you not stray from your path, keep up the Great Work. I Love You. Namaste.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

For The Love of HIPSTERS

"OH GAWD!!! This place used to be cool before the hipsters took over"

If I only had a nickel for every time I've heard that. Still I wonder what's really behind this distrust, the silent loathing of the Hipster. Is it a fear of cultural commercialization? Is it the intrusion upon a place of solace and comfort? Is it the faceless swarming icky masses? YES a resounding yes.Only not in the way you might think. Let's look at each of the above concerns in depth.

Cultural Commodities
On the surface the fear of having ones culture commercialized and turned into just another commodity seems valid enough, but what if what one considers culture is not culture at all? Often when I question people about this their responses tend to be about the places they eat, and drink, or rent videos, perhaps even music they like. None of that is culture. Sure a cuisine can be part of your culture especially if it based on your heritage, but a restaurant does not qualify. A bar may be the focal point of a subculture, but if it can't survive a new influx of people, or even the closing of said establishment then it wasn't much of a subculture in the first place. As for music, the one universal language of the arts (math being science), most bands I know need to make money in order to survive. If you love them do not begrudge the fans willing to put money in their pockets. Basically this not the fear of your culture being commercialized, but the sudden awakening to the fact that what you think of as culture is commercial commodities.

Solace and Comfort
Ah, yes the quiet peaceful repose one finds in a public coffeehouse, or taco joint. Wait, what? Seriously, if your soul feeding stations can only be found in public spaces and now you feel slighted because they have become over run by Hipsters, please read the next sentence very carefully. Get out. Literally go outside, to a park, a garden, your backyard. Find solace in truly quiet spaces, your soul will thank you for it. Even better, get some dirt on you, your immune system needs it and connectivity to the Earth might make you a better person. Enough preaching, let's examine this fear more closely. It seems to me that what's really going on here is elitism. As long as you can slowly introduce your friends and family to this gem of grooviness you found on Eastside, you can be the purveyor of cool. I'm sure the proprietors won't mind, after all they know that eventually your friends will do the same. Guess what happens next? The place is over run by those despicable Hipster and you know whose to blame? YOU. More on that later.

The Faceless Masses
The most amazing thing about Hipsters is their mythological nature. Everyone talks about them, but I can not find one to save my life. This term is used mainly to identify the dreaded "other". I personally can not tolerate labels that are used to divide and conquer no matter how innocent they may sound. This is a slippery slope that leads to ugliness on many levels.(Subject for another post.) I feel this may be an attempt to resist the anonymity of the herd, but instead attacks the fundamental structure of our society. Like it or lump it, we live in a capitalist society. Every day you vote more for the world you want with your dollars, than with any lever you pull in the voting booth. So if the masses are suddenly showing up to buy that single origin grass fed bar be qued brisket flavored with nothing but salt, pepper and water mist, rejoice. You see the Hipsters have with their dollars just cast votes for quality food instead of over processed, drive thru fare. If this infringes on your ability to get what you want, do something to provide more of it to the world, this is how change happens.

So let's review. The mythological hipster, is actually an engine of change helping to direct society towards better things. By confronting our fear of the other, we begin to be more honest with ourselves and others. Awakening to our own consumerist tendencies perhaps we will begin to foster true cultural touchstones like family and tradition. Accepting our role in society increases our responsibility to that society and places upon us an onus of trust to nurture and mature said society. Coming to terms with your inner Hipster will help you grow as a person, a community member and an agent of change. Goddess Bless the Hipsters.

Also if you all Lovely, Beautiful, and Sexy Hipsters could check out these places and cast a few economic votes they would be forever grateful:
http://franklinbarbecue.com/
https://www.facebook.com/wetwhistle
http://www.saltandtime.com/
http://www.jaymaymusic.com/
http://www.redkap.com/
http://drublood.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/freshly-made-bed/