Consumer Vagaries

So I spent the day floating through the Common Fantasy. That vague place where the consumer and that which is consumed reflect one another until one is not sure which is the original and which is the reflection.  As I perused the beginnings of the great consumer orgasm more commonly known as Christ Mass, I was struck by the overwhelming presence of the Fantastic. Vampires, witches, angels, fairies, elves, and superheroes, all at the toy store. Also wandering across the television screen and through adult books, and at the Mass consumer outlets, the fantastic was everywhere in full bloom. All of this was both comforting and discomforting at the same time. Fantastic sure, but not organic, co-opted and packaged for sale by the great Whore Babalon herself, American Consumerism. Now I am not so shallow or naive enough to believe this is an all top down type situation. If we (the collective We, not necessarily you and I) do not buy these plastic distractions then the Cash Hoarders would not sell them. Here are some examples of the sorts of things I saw today:

 

And This:

This is just the tip of the iceberg, ABC network alone boasts Once Upon a Time, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, Marvels Agents of Shield, there is a remake of the Munsters starring Eddie Izzard as Grandpa and who could forget Walking Dead. Add to this ongoing discussions of Illuminati imagery in Pop culture, and artisinal spirituality for hipsters, and the Year of the Witch is indeed shaping up to be  a very weird one indeed.

 Some of this is not new, but the accelerated crush of consumerism at this time of year coupled with strange currents of the Fantatsic seem to hint at a  boredom with the status quo that mere repetitions of Holiday banality will not cure. Problem is that instead of taking the time to encounter the truly Fantastic either in the Outer or Inner Wilderness, most humans are somnambulistic enough to consume crap in a desperate attempt to fill the void. So here we are once again at the crossroads between experience and ersatz representations of the the strange to convince the Zombtatstic masses that they are not really walking dead. I prefer a sincere Catholic, Hell I prefer a rabid Baptist for that matter to a blind agnostic so called intellectual. It is all about the passion. 

True Magick, true Sorcery HAPPENS in the doing. There is no product, book, or guru who can do it for you, the hard work is all yours; own it. One of the best articles on how its done is this one I read by Jason Louv. Do yourself a favor and read it. He intended for those in their twenties but as one in my forties I felt I knew people my age who could benefit from it. There are no shortcuts, it is a lonely road and ultimately its your road alone. By the way I bought the Mermaid and Witch Zelfs, my altar needs some whimsy.

Hillbilly Hoodoo and Other Magical Meanderings

There are many currents crossing and composting in my psycho-spiritual world currently. Many fine readings over at the Autonomous Individuals Network. This is what one branch of TOPY has evolved into, which has become reborn  under Genesis P-Orridge's care into the One True Topi Tribe. Ultraculture also has much fine cerebral stimulants for the discerning psychonaut. I am glad to see that Chaos is alive and thriving.

In a more traditional vein I offer up the following, ConjureMan Ali's book on St Cyprian. This saint is probably the absolute best of the Mighty Dead to work with in American Hoodoo. If you want some really deep Pomba Gira, Santeria, Palo style education, check out Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold's blog The Starry Cave. 

If you want all out freaky check out Labanna Babalon; you'll thank me in the morning.

Or this wonderfully surreal bit from MGMT:

The world is spinning out of control and beautiful visions are filling my dreamspace. My shamanic starship is set to full tilt and I don't plan on touching down anytime soon. I will soon be be presenting a lengthy and scholarly post about the benefits of being a Solitary Witch in the Occidental Esoteric Tradition, wherein i will profess my undying love of all things from the Crispy Fringe. Stay tuned my dear lovelies, IT just keeps getting weirder and wilder. Pax, Amor, Lux.

Season of the Hunt

The Nights are cooler and the leaves are turning and falling to the ground, the season has changed. In this time of the year many turn to thoughts of the holidays with all the attendant ritual that their traditions require. There is another ritual enacted at this time of the year that seems to get ignored or vilified far too often, I speak of The Hunt. The Hunt and the Huntsman are such an integral part of humanity and it's myths, that one need not hunt for very long to find tales of The Hunt. A simple Google search will render much useful information, but I want to talk of the hunt from a ritual perspective and explain the profound power and responsibility of being a huntsman. Come into the woods with me.

Look at the image above, do you feel like getting lost there? Probably not, it would not take long for something to take notice of you, something that could eat you. One of the first thing the Hunter knows is that everything is Hunter and Hunted. The real challenge would be finding woods like these, not many left in the world. These are old growth forests, primeval and untamed, now a days mostly isolated and clinging to survival . Enter the Huntsman, a common theme in huntsman myths, is the idea of the huntsman being the barrier between order and chaos, the Forest and civilization. He was understood to be a guardian figure who both protected civilization from the beasts in the woods, but also protected the forest from the ravages of civilization. There is a sacred trust which must be fulfilled by the huntsman, One may take what one needs to survive from the land, but one must return something to the land. Protecting the land from wanton destruction was and still should be viewed as a sacred act.The reason is simple, our home is disappearing.

 

 This map from the USDA Forestry Service pretty much sums up how bad the situation has become. The Hunt is a sacred bond that ties the Hunter to the land and if the Hunter does not protect the land, there will be no Hunt. No rites of passage in the woods on a late Autumn afternoon. As the wild world slips away, something vital and important fades inside of humanity. Fight for the forests, fight for the Hunt, fight for our future. As long as there is wildness in me I will fight for the forest and all who live there, if you want to help follow the links below. You cannot become one with the Primeval Earth if there are no vestiges of it left. Do your sacred duty answer the Call of the Wild.

http://www.oldgrowthforest.net/

http://www.fseee.org/index.php/stay-informed/projects/1002599

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Hunt

http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/huntsman.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hunting_deities

Autumn Reading List

My Reading List for Fall:

1. The Triumph of The Moon by Ronald Hutton
2. Magic Mushrooms in Religion and Alchemy by Clark Heinrich
3. The Gift by Echo Bodine
4. The Heathens by William Howells
5. Sadhus and Shamans by Swati Chopra

 What are you reading? Why? Are there any books you read over and over again? Please share your books, and book related stories in the comments. Happy Reading!

Obligatory Seasonal Greeting

Mabon Mabon Mabon. There you go. my obligatory Mabon post. Actually as cool as the equinox is, and despite my having Crymu ancestry, I don't use the term Mabon. I am a solitary witch, and not of the Wiccan variety, too churchy for me. I do respect those who choose that path, it  is their path to choose. I follow a crooked path that disappears completely into the wilderness. My seasons and reasons are mine all alone. So make merry however you do, but do not feel offended if I do not observe your holidays the same way you do.

TTITD

Obsessions and Shadows

When I began my elemental workings, I started by making Hekate one of my patron deities. My reason for doing this has much to do with the direction my path is currently on versus where I have been in the past. For most of my years I have  considered myself a witch but stuck primarily to Wicca and Neo-Pagan pathways. On my birthday this year, my 45th, I made the decision to follow a more traditional path and thus the relationship with Hekate began. Mostly this was due to the fact she is a goddess of witchcraft and crossroads so it seemed a natural fit. Hekate, is also the goddess of the Underworld and shadows, thus we come to this reason behind this post. In order to move forward in my work I must be open about so of my less desirable tendencies. Admission is the first step to healing. Without further ado, welcome to my nightmare.

I have problems accepting praise. I hear all the criticism but ignore the attendant praise. This has a tendency to make Eeyore look jovial in comparison to myself. I know we are our own worst critics , but trust me when I say  I am the master of self sabotage. Two failed marriages being the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

I am an overgrown man-child with mommy issues. There are so many improper imprints and complexes that I cannot go into them all nor do I want to in this form. There is reason I bring it up, and it is  important that I confess this ugliness, because I must heal from it.I have a horrendous habit of being cruel and abusive to women, especially the ones closest to me. I am currently doing some deep shadow work to overcome my darker impulses and their manifestations. There are two tools I find most helpful, Somatic Experiencing, and Parenthood. Somatic Experiencing, or SE, is a form of bodywork that is particularly useful for healing from trauma. I won't go into my reasons for doing this but I will say that for me it works.

I confess this now because I can no further in my work without learning not to be bastard. The first step was therapy, the second was this confession, the third is changing my relationships. Some very wonderful people have helped me along the way and I look forward to their continued support. Hekate has made me aware of my deficiencies in my relationship to the divine feminine and it all begins with my relationship to femininity. Both outside of and inside of me, yes when I treat femininity in all its forms poorly, I diminish myself because I am also treating my inner feminine poorly. Respect for the other is respect for the self. I can not stress that enough, in fact it bears repeating, respect for the other is  respect for the self. Let it sink in, everyone of us needs to remember this and be reminded until WE all get it. I'll work on mine you work on yours.
One shadow to chase away, money. I must change my relationship with money. I say I hate it too much and it stays away. I don't want more than I need, but I deserve to be comfortable. Life is hard and everyone I know is struggling. I believe if we all start talking about the distribution of wealth in the world we will all benefit. Which is the most revolutionary Magick I can Imagine happening.

 This leads to a topic I read about this week in a blog post titled, "Can Witchcraft Be Revolutionary?", you can read it here. My revolutionary magick would be full disclosure of all the finances in the world, personal, private,corporate, governmental, churches,and bank holdings. Everyone exposed, maybe we could find out some things, for instance, how much money exists in the world? Why is it distributed so unevenly? What is it backed by? How relevant is it? Why are there laws designed to protect the hoarders of wealth?
It is my will and desire to see the world begin to be more honest about resource allocation and distribution. It is wish that I have persuaded others by my example feeble as it may be, to take the chance and share your shadows. Hekate Sotiera goddess savior, liminal Anatolian triple- goddess, continue to show me the benefit of strength through vulnerability, joy from wisdom, and beauty everywhere.
So Shadows and Obsessions has been a bit heavy on the shadow and not so the Obsessions, well that is about to change. My actual obsessions are probably to numerous to discuss here, but then again I am sometimes dramatic. Double edged sword that it is. My obsessions in order, Art, Tiki Culture, Comics,and Clothes.

I enjoy all art, but mostly Lowbrow Art; Hot Rods, Carnival Art, Tiki Art, Pigors, Roth, and anything that Burns. I also enjoy spiritual art, by Masters like Grey, Johfra, and Susan Seddon-Boulet, you'll thank for that last one. When it comes to Tiki Art I am completely bowled over by Heather Watts, and Shag.
My obsession with Tiki carries over into a love of rum based cocktails, Tiki Mugs, and Tiki Bars. I even own a few Mugs and have collected my own in the wild at a Tiki Bar in Las Vegas. Enough about that, I have considered starting a Tiki blog.
Comics, well I should probably just talk about that in another post. I will mention a few favorites, Silver Surfer, HATE!, and of course Weirdo, by Crumb. Too many more to mention will discuss in future, possibly also a blog of its own.
My biggest shame, clothes. I love shoes, I love costumes, I love clothes. This is my inner gay man, we all have one, mine loves clothes. I am addicted to buying shoes, tshirts, suit jackets, sweaters, and sorts of costume accessories. I call them that because there is no other name for an antlered helm,  face paint, skirts, tutus, masks, and every kind of hat from Sombrero to Fez. Shoes, you can never have enough, I want this whole collection. My problem is that all of my obsessions is that are based on consumptive practices and lack substantive self narrative.
Just as I work to free myself of self sabotage and abusive behaviors, so too I turn from my obsessions. I find value in teaching my son how to build things, encouraging my daughter to sing her own song, and teaching them both that experience is more important than possessions.We play chess together and music, my son encourages me to make my own Art, and my daughter shows me how to make costumes from paper bags, and feathers. I am learning a new language, and soon will make my own shoes.
Contemplation of and interaction with Hekate has lead me examine my shadows and obsessions more closely. This careful study has shown me a path to self transformation through confrontation of my darker tendencies. There is definitely more to come, but I welcome the challenge.