neptunesdolphins | Entries tagged with modern

Since my first attempt at defining what magic was, my framework had changed. My first definition was that magic can be used to exploit the reality people find themselves in. A magician finds the crack in reality and changes it to their advantage.

Then my working definition of magic became defined by Kurt Seligmann in “The Mirror of Magic.” He wrote, “Magic operation is the application of the practical use of wisdom…acquired in contemplation of the inner self and of nature. Magic endeavors to explain every phenomenon in life, in nature, in the invisible… unity of the universe with its endless entirety.”

Pondering what magic is made me realize that there was a shift in perception after the Enlightenment. Reason and materialism became embedded in every day thought. Later the Protestant Reformation flattened and homogenized life. Richard Kieckhefer in “Magic in the Middle Ages” said that the shift in thinking of magic from being natural or demonic to separate from religion started in the 16th Century.

Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn in her essay, “Pastlessness” observed that the two modern movements that arose from the Industrial Revolution were Marxism and Positivism. Both was based on the theory that history evolves from a theological belief system to scientific empiricism and finally to economic materialism. The basis of belief of these two movements was human mastery and control of the Universe. Because of this, Lasch-Quinn wrote “everything is stripped of soul of inner and mysterious life.”

A product of the Victorian Age, Sir James Frazier defined magic as separate from religion. Since then, this metaphysical outline has bedeviled the study of European magic. Ronald Hutton in his essay, “Framework for the Study of European Magic,” relates the struggles to redefine magic and religion.

For me, I decided to give up the idea of human mastery of the world. Also, I let go of the theory of a rational universe. I am no longer sure if magic endeavors to explain every phenomenon in life as Seligmann says. Science does that, since it assumes the uniformity of the universe. In this, I am reminded of the science fiction writer, Arthur C. Clark’s Three Laws. His Third Law is “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” In modern times, magic and science seems to be equated in some people’s minds. Moreover, secularism has pushed the notion that the mysteries of magic is only a cloak for ignorance.

In order for magic to exist for me, I need the vision of an enchanted world. The Romans and other ancient people lived in a heterogenous Cosmos. Their spiritual ecology consisted of the interaction between Gods, Nature, Ancestors, Others (Lars), Humans, Plants, and Animals. Adopting this framework, I see that the Cosmos is full of mysteries as the various worlds intersect each other.

Magic enchants the Cosmos and gives meaning and purpose to life. I realized this when I was seeking to understand how I saw a “living pterosaur.” For me, this event was magic beyond the rational world. This entity should not exist but it does in all of its glory. For me, magic is more than manipulating reality, it is a metaphysical framework. Magic is the response to the wonder of the world. Magic is the way to change a person’s consciousness according to their will. Through magic, a person can intentionally change their lives.

In my practice of magic, I will consciously work within this spiritual ecology. If I want to change something, it means negotiation with various Divine entities. This could be “a gift for a gift” instead of me willing a change without their consent.

Works Used:

Davis, Owen, ed. “The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft & Magic.” Oxford University Press: Oxford. 2017.

Greer, John Michael, “The Occult Book.” Sterling: NY. 2017.

—, “The New Encyclopedia of the Occult.” Llewellyn: Woodbury (MN). 2003.

Hennessy, Kathryn, ed., “A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult.” Dorling Kindersley: New York. 2020.

Hutton, Ronald, “The Witch.” Yale University Press: New Haven. 2017.

—, “A Framework for the Study of European Magic.” Grey School of Wizardry Class Materials. Dell.Urgano, Ombra, “The Development of European Magic.”

Kieckhefer, Richard, “Magic in the Middle Ages.” Cambridge University Press: Cambridge (UK). 2014.

Lasch-Quinn, Elisabeth, “Pastlessness.” The Hedgehog Review, Vol 24, Number 2, Summer 2022, pages 66-76.

Moro, Pamela, “Witchcraft, Sorcery, and Magic.” International Library of Anthropology. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/9781118924396.wbiea1915.

Seligmann, Kurt, “The Mirror of Magic.” Inner Tradition: Rochester (VT). 1948.

F or the better part of the year, I have been having problems with my water heater. Many plumbers later, I discovered that the pilot light of the heater kept going out. To protect the flame from drafts, the last plumber fashioned a shield to stop the wind gusts from gutting it. (I live in an old building.)

Then I realized that the pilot light was Vesta, the Goddess of the Hearth. The Eternal Flame, Vesta gives the fire for cooking, heating and light. Therefore, the hearth is the sacred focus of the home. In Rome, Vesta is the Goddess of Hearth of Private Homes (and of Rome, itself).

Since the fire is the axis mundus, the hearth is the place to commune with the Ancestors. It is the place of welcoming for Them to be with the living family. In the singing of the fire, the voices of the Ancestors are heard. In my case, their voices are in firing of the furnace and in the flashing of the pilot light.

In the modern home, the kitchen stove is usually considered to be the hearth. The furnace and water heater are usually someplace else. (Mine are in a closet off the kitchen). But together, the three comprise the hearth. Without any of them, the home ceases to be. No heat makes the home unhabitable. No stove causes the family to eat elsewhere. No hot water is considered to be an emergency.

Later the water heating unit had to be cleaned out. As with a hearth, before laying a new fire, the ashes need to be swept clean. In Rome, during the Vestalia in June, the Vestal Virgins cleaned the sacred hearths and relit the fires. Therefore, for me, cleaning the water heating unit is the same.

In “Fasti,” Ovid wrote, “Vesta is the same as the Earth, both have the perennial fire. The Earth and the Sacred Fire are both symbolic of Home.” For me, Vesta is Home in the furnace, water heater, and stove.

Suggested Reading: Claude Lecouteux, “The Tradition of Household Spirits.”

Since myths are theology, a way to understanding them is to re-enact them. By taking different roles in a myth, a person can gain different perspectives and deeper understanding. Hidden aspects often become apparent. Meditating inside a myth can yield further insights.

For my meditation, I decided to rewrite the myth of the founding of Rome. After reflection, I choose to write a crime noir story. I realized that at their core, the Romans knew that they were criminals, who “made good.” Romans were realists about who they were. Their focus was on their destiny through war and guile.

Read the myth here: The Founding Myth of Rome

https://neptunesdolphins.wordpress.com/2019/02/13/the-founding-myth-of-rome/

—–

In the City of Alba Longa, the Numitor Crime Family ruled the criminal underworld. The head of the Family, Don Numitor was so powerful that he had a seat on the National Commission, which ruled the criminal underworld of the nation. The head of the Commission (the Boss of Bosses) was Don Maroni (Mars, the God of War). In addition, Don Maroni was interested in Rhea Silvia, Don Numitor’s daughter.

Meanwhile, Amulius seized control of the Family from his unsuspecting brother. After his coup, Amulius confined Numitor to his home, and forced his niece into a convent. To ensure that Rhea Silvia remained at the convent, Don Amulius bribed the Mother Superior.

After Don Maroni found out where Rhea Silvia was, he also bribed the Mother Superior to ensure that his visits were unimpeded. In a few months, Rhea Silva became pregnant. Therefore the Mother Superior asked Don Amulius to come and fetch his niece. After he arrives, she informs him that the father of his niece’s children is none other than Don Maroni. Not willing to offend the Boss of Bosses, Don Amulius imprisons her with her father in their house.

However, Don Amulius regarded her children to be a different matter. He would tell Don Maroni, that the two boys died at birth. Meanwhile, he ordered one of his men to “take care” of them. The goon dumped the twins into the Tiber River. They floated downstream until a stray dog paddled out and pulled them to land. Since she had lost her puppies, the mangy dog nursed the boys as her own. Then, a passing farmer heard their cries, rescued them, and took the babies to his farm. Faustulus and his wife, Acca Larentia, raised Romulus and Remus as their own sons.

Like many young men, Romulus and Remus longed to leave the farm and go into the city. During a trip to Alba Longa, Romulus and Remus got into trouble. Don Amulius’ men dragged them to the “Padrino,” Don Amulius, since Remus had killed their Capo (Crew Boss). However, Romulus escaped, and formed a gang of toughs to storm Don Amulius’ office to rescue his brother. In the melee that followed, he killed Don Amulius.

The Underboss of the Amulius Family recognized the two brothers as the children of Rhea Silva and Don Maroni. Because of this, he offered them the position of Don of the Family. But, Romulus decided that his grandfather be reinstated instead, and their mother freed. After reuniting with their mother, and learning who their father was, Romulus and Remus set out to start their own crime family, in another city.

Empowered by being the sons of Don Maroni, the two brothers gathered an impressive group of criminals. As they searched for a suitable city, Romulus and Remus fought with each other. Arriving at a likely town, their arguing became more intense about who would be boss of the new crime family. After Romulus claimed that he received a sign from their father, he decided that this small town is the place to start their Family. Moreover, he announced that he would be the Don. Chagrined at being ignored by his brother, Remus taunted him for being so stupid to set up “business” in such a small town. Enraged, Romulus killed him. After ruing the murder of his brother, Romulus gave Remus a magnificent funeral. Then, he became Don Romulus, the head of the Rome Family, his new crime organization.

Current Mood: mischievous
Current Location: reading crime noir novels

enesis, Zen and Quantum Physics: A Fresh Look at the Theology and Science of Creation,” Jeff A. Benner and Michael Calpino, 2011. Virtualbookworm.com Publishing

Benner and Calpino desired to present their version of Genesis as it was originally written. To do this, hey used a computer to translate the pictographs of ancient Hebrew. Based on their conception of the culture of the ancient Hebrews, the two authors then determined how accurate their translation was. (Note 1)

According to the authors, since the Hebrews were nomads, they received divine revelation from God regularly. Benner and Calpino explained that the experiential aspects of the nomadic culture allowed for this. In contrast, modern people received their world view (and theology) from the Greek and Romans. (Note 2) The settled lifestyle of these urban peoples prevented modern people from fully understanding Genesis. Moreover, the authors stressed that in most translations that the text usually reflects the current theology. Therefore, what people read in translation is not what the nomadic Hebrews meant.

In their appendix, the authors explain why only nomads receive regular visions and encounters of God. (The inverse is that urban people do not know the Gods. (Note 3)) They write that “the nomadic lifestyle is key to the success as a person of God.” Benner and Calpino conclude that the lifestyle creates the spiritual and world view of the people. (Note 4)

Benner and Calpino write that nomadism “is a lifestyle that develops godly character and puts us in touch with that which is beyond us.” The authors cite the following elements of this lifestyle that creates such spirituality. 1. Nomads are removed from the dominant cultures of their time. 2. Nomads need to be self-reliant. 3. Nomads are always immigrant and outsiders. 4. Nomads are pastoral. 5. Nomads demonstrate strong decisive leadership. 6. Among nomads, the overriding legal responsibility is hospitality.

Reading deeper, I found the authors contradicting themselves. They write, “in fact, while the outward expressions of the religious traditions of the world may be very different, the mystical subsets of each bear striking similarities in both theology and practice… the truly striking thing is that these ‘mystical’ practices gave rise to similarities in theology that are difficult to explain given the divergent history and geography of the traditions from which they have risen… and irregardless of the forms and rituals of religion, there is singular ‘method’ of making that connection. It is the journey that results in that connection that will reveal the truth about the world, God, and ourselves.”

Edward Butler in his essay, “The Polemic Against Polytheism,” expresses what I found troubling in Benner and Calpino’s book. He writes, “translating the most important concepts in a civilization’s philosophical tradition into another, alien set of terms can never be regarded as a simple, nor a transparent process. This is all the more true when a clash of civilizations, and a veritable war of religions, has been in progress for centuries.” Further, he writes, “The idea of a so-called ‘natural theology,’ a primordial monotheistic revelation granted to all peoples was crucial in this effort.” He is referring to the sense of monotheism being the natural order of things. “The notion of a pure and original monotheism, an idea state of spirituality which existed naturally in the distant past and would be reestablished through human action in the future, was and remains perhaps the single most powerful tool of the colonial project.”

I think Butler has stated what I thought of this book. The authors have colonialized the Hebrew past as being monotheistic instead of polytheistic. They assume a mythic past of “ a pure and original monotheism.”

The subtitle “a fresh look at the theology and science of creation” gives the authors’ actual world-view. Benner and Calpino are modern people with modern monotheistic ideas. They fail to understand the actual polytheism of the ancient Hebrews. As modern people often do, Benner and Calpino assume that the ancients really think the same as they do.

The two authors do make one important point. The theology should not come from the lifestyle or culture. The theology should come from the myths themselves. The myths lead people into deeper connection with the Gods.

Notes:

Note 1. Benner and Calpino referred to what they did as “mechanical translation.” In his article, “About the Mechanical Translation,” Benner explained “each word would be translated faithful according to its original linguistic and cultural perspective.”

Note 2. What the authors are alluding to is “written” versus “oral” cultures. Written cultures allow for abstractions, while oral cultures reference ideas through the speaker and listener.

Note 3. As a Roman Polytheist, I disagree with the authors’ assertion about urban peoples. Romans experienced the Gods, daily in various ways. Also, I believe that the authors’ own version of monotheism prevents them from understanding polytheistic thinking.

Note 4. Benner and Calpino both live settled lives. However, Benner writes in his various essays how a settled person can have a “migratory journey on God’s road.”

Further reading:

John Michael Greer, “The UFO Chronicles.”

Diana Walsh Pasulka, “American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology.”

Paul Wallis, “Escaping from Eden.” And “The Scars of Eden.”

Current Mood: amused
Current Location: outside watching squirrels

I n “Maps of Meanings (1999),” Peterson misreads the Enuma Elish. This particular myth describes how Marduk, the principal God of Babylon, becomes the head of the Gods of Mesopotamia. Peterson regards it as the creation myth for Mesopotamia. It is not since the Sumerians had their own creation stories. The Babylonians took all these older myths, combined them, and added their Gods to rule the rest. In the Enuma Elish, Marduk of Fifty Names slays Tiamat, the Mother of All Life. He does so after gaining the leadership of the other Gods of the region.

On the surface, the Enuma Elish fits Peterson’s perceptions of how to overcome chaos, which he regards as feminine. Marduk (male) restores order by defeating Tiamat (female) who created chaos in trying to defeat Him. Tiamat is the Great Mother (unexplored territory), while her Consort Apsu is the Great Father (explored territory). (Note 1) In the myth, the noise from the humans keeps Apsu from sleeping, so He decided to be rid of them. However, Enki, who created the humans, kills Apsu, thereby enraging Tiamat, who seeks revenge. With her many monsters, She defeats the various Gods until Marduk comes up with a plan. Marduk, the Divine Son (the Knower) is the Hero who creates order out of chaos. (Note 2.)

Peterson interpreted this Babylonian creation myth to support his ideas about Darwinism – the survival of the fittest. He claimed that the myth sanctioned his ideas of men (Note 3.) overcoming their instincts. Furthermore, the myth proved that his view of “consciousness” being male, while the “irrational” is female is the correct one. Peterson shoehorned the Enuma Elish into his narrow perspective that archetypes are the “eternal categories” of imagination. Like many people, he takes things out of context, and cherry picks the rest. In his mind, this myth presents cosmic truths that lines up with his politics.

Notes:

Note 1. The Great Mother is also, chaos, which is feminine, the Great Father is order and masculine. The Divine Son replaces the Great Mother’s discord with clarity. These are Peterson’s own concepts in reading myths. He bases his ideas on Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell. He agrees with their theory of the monomyth -All myths are variations of a single story.

Note 2. This is Peterson’s reading of the Enuma Elish.

Note 3. Peterson’s focus is on immature males, and turning them into mature men.

Current Mood: annoyed
Current Location: laying bricks

One example of how modern people misunderstand myths is Dr. Jordan Peterson, psychologist and lifestyle guru. Unconsciously, he sees myths in terms of Western industrial culture, which is awash in monotheistic thought. That is myths are universal in themes or archetypes. (Note 1.) For Peterson, that means every culture has “The Great Mother (the unknown),” “The Great Father (the known),” and “The Divine Son (the knower).” (Note 2.)

Peterson, in his book, “Maps of Meaning (1999),” lays out this metaphysics. To Peterson, every myth is a map of meaning which guides people on how to act. Each story builds on what has been learned before. Therefore, religious beliefs are codified and refined over time.

According to Peterson, myths are the intermediaries between what and knowing how. They help people to move from unconscious actions to conscious understanding. The mythic imagination asks three questions: “what is,” “what should be,” and “how should we therefore act.” Answers to these questions form the basis of morality as well as philosophy.

However, the universality of myths is based on longstanding Christian thought. (Note 3.) Immersed in monotheistic cultures, many people assume that everyone shares the same beliefs such as one Supreme God. (All other Gods are really aspects of this One God.) Also, in every culture, the Mythic Redeemer saves his people from sin.

However, the Chinese do not have a tradition of the Heroic Son. Meanwhile, Roman mythology differs from the Greek, although people are taught that Roman Gods are Greek Gods with Latin names. The Romans have the two-headed God Janus, who guards thresholds. Instead of creation myths, they speak of the founding of the City of Rome.

As do other Christians, Peterson believes that myths (i.e. religion) are the source of morality. This is not the case. The Roman based their Public and Private Virtues on promoting good relations between the community, the Gods, and the family. Confucius stressed family and social harmony. The Greek Sallustius in his treatise (“On the Gods and the World”) said that virtue and vice depend on the Soul. He explained “When we are good, we are joined to the Gods by our likeness to Them, and when bad, we are separated from them by our unlikeness.”

Peterson does realize that modern people have no use for mythology, which is why he wrote “Maps of Meaning.” He laments “We have lost the mythic universe of the pre-experimental mind or have at least ceased to further its development. That loss has left our increased technological power more dangerously at the mercy of our still unconscious systems of valuation.”

Notes:

Note 1. Peterson relies on Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell for his concepts about myths. Campbell built on Jung’s archetypes and the Great Unconscious. He believed that myths tell of “the oneness of all things and that all things are truly one.” Both promoted the idea of the Monomyth – there is one great story with cultural variations.

Note 2. These terms are from Campbell’s “The Hero’s Journey.” The Hero receives the call to leave the Known and travels through the Unknown. He returns as the Knower.

Note 3. I know several Evangelical Christians who are trying to map Norse myths with the Bible. Other Christians are claiming that the myths of Mesopotamia and the Bible are exactly the same, instead of simply overlapping.

Current Mood: aggravated
Current Location: watching the rain

I am planning to write a series of posts over the year on myths and how modern people regard them.

In the 4th Century, Sallustius wrote one of the oldest known treatises on the Gods – called “On the Gods and the World.” According to Sallustius, myths were divine since they represent the Gods (Themselves) and their activities. He wrote “That myths are divine can be seen from those who have used them… But Why the myths are divine is the duty of philosophy to inquire.”

Sallustius asserts that the meaning of myths may not be apparent to everyone. Although the Gods do give commonsense to everyone, not all use it. “To teach the whole truth about the Gods to all produces contempt in the foolish and the lack of zeal in the good.” He explains that hiding the truth compels people to ponder it. Therefore, myths have revealed (clear) and unrevealed (hidden) aspects of the Gods. Sallustius does assure everyone that “the soul may immediately feel that words are veils to the truth which is a mystery.”

In his treatise, Sallustius divided myths into five categories. Theological myths speculate on the essences of the Gods. (These myths interest only philosophers.) Psychic ones discuss the Soul, while physical myths tell of the activities of the Gods in the world. (Both psychic and physical myths are for poets.) Material myths concern the archetypes of the Gods such as Apollo as the Sun (however the Gods are never archetypes). Mixed myths, the most common, aim at unifying the humans with the Cosmos and the Gods.

In contrast, people raised in industrial societies of the modern age have different ideas. They have many problematic assumptions of myths in general. For example, traditional myths today are regarded as stories to entertain. In contrast, history, which supposes what did happen, is the truth. Actually, history is selective in remembering certain events and deliberately forgetting others. In the minds of modern people, myths and histories have become fused to create a particular vision of reality. One example of this is the myth of progress, which is regarded by many people to be fact.

Moreover, time and memory are regarded differently. The Ancient Greeks viewed time as a block – past is future and future is past. Therefore, divination is prescience since it dips into the time stream. Modern people, in contrast, see time as an upward arrow – past is past, and future is future. Oral tradition is faulty, whereas the written word is true. The Greeks believed that the written word was suspect since the writer could change the myth. For them, oral tradition what was faithful to the truth.

—

Read a version here: https://hermetic.com/texts/on_the_gods-1

Current Mood: surprised
Current Location: listening to cicadas

Lilith is a difficult Goddess to understand. What is known about Her comes from dubious Jewish lore. She emerged fully formed as the Mother of Demons in Medieval Times, and then She received a makeover in modern times. The Goddess Religions want to see Lilith in a positive light as the first proto-feminist. Now this Goddess has bizarrely contradictory attributes, which confuses me.

“The Alpha-Beta of Ben Sira” (Pseudo-Ben Sira, 9th Century) is the problematic source for Lilith. According to it, Lilith was Adam’s first wife. In the first creation (Note 1), Yahweh created male and female, at the same time, from the earth. As the equal of Adam, Lilith refused to be dominated by him. Fleeing her husband, she “pronounced the Ineffable Name (of Yahweh) and flew away into the air.” Lilith went to the Red Sea, the dwelling place of demons.

Adam complained to Yahweh about Lilith abandoning him. The God sent three angels to convince her to come back. Since Lilith knew the hidden name of Yahweh, He could not compel her to return. When the three angels threatened to kill her demon children, Lilith countered with preying on newborns. After that, Yahweh, the angels and Lilith came to an odd pact. She could continue to kill babies unless they wore an amulet with the names of the three angels. However, Lilith had to endure with death of a hundred of her own children each day. (This was to explain why newborns die unexpectedly.)

“The Zohar,” compiled by Moses de Leon (1250-1305) (Note 2), called Lilith “a temptress of innocent men, breeder of evil spirits and carrier of disease.” As the Queen of the Demons, She was the succubus who attacked men in their sleep. Because Lilith drove men’s lust, the Shekhinah (the Female Part of Yahweh) went into exile.

In “A Treatise on the Left Emanation” by Rabbi Isaac ben Jacob ha-Kohen (the 13th century), Lilith is paired with Samael (Satan). Writing about evil, Rabbi Isaac said that Samael and Lilith were twins, created by Yahweh. Samael, regarded as The Angel of Death, became the “Great Demon,” and Lilith his partner in evil.

The Goddess Religions have reclaimed Lilith as the first pro-feminist. The Dark Goddess Lilith is their Patroness of Witches. She teaches women to embrace their sexuality and live according to their own rules. Some see Lilith representing “the power, politics and psychology of sex.” To stand up to the patriarchy, She sacrifices her children daily.

Polytheist theologians discuss whether the Gods can be differentiated or do their aspects refer to one being? For example, Anubis of Egypt, in the early dynasties, can be regarded to be a different God than Anubis of Cleopatra’s time. However, Anubis could also be the same God with more attributes.

According to Raven Kaldera, a shaman of Northern-Tradition Paganism, Gods have “horizontal” and “vertical” aspects. (Note 3) “Vertical” aspects range from a personal experience to a diffuse unknowable presence. “Horizontal” aspects entail the attributes of the Gods such as Jupiter being both the God of Thunder and the God of Government.

I have unanswered questions about Lilith. Are there more than one Goddess? Is Lilith of the Middle Ages the same Goddess of the Goddess Religions? Could She be considered a “pop culture” God because the Goddess Religions rewrote the lore?

From what I can discern, Lilith is the Dark Aspect of the Divine Feminine in Jewish Monotheism. She is a counterpart to the Shekhinah. My theory is that once Monotheism defined that the Divine be only a single male Deity, the feminine aspects went underground. They have come out sideways as Lilith and the Shekhinah. (Note 4). The Goddess Religions which worship only the Divine Feminine has elevated Lilith to be an aspect of the Goddess.

Notes:

1. Genesis details two creations. It is believed that the lore tries to reconcile the two, with Eve being Adam’s second wife. Made from his rib, she is subordinate to him.

2. “The Zohar” is a fundamental work of Kabbalism (Jewish mysticism).

3. Kaldera, Raven, “Dealing with Deities.” Hubbardston (MA): Asphodel Press. 2012.

4. The Dark Aspect of the Divine Masculine came out as Samael (Satan).

Current Mood: determined
Current Location: on earth

Many ancient myths are viewed through the lens of modern sensibilities. Because most people regard myths as a tool of social instruction, they consider the old myths to be outdated. Greek myths are deconstructed to show how Hera was deposed by Zeus or Proserpina by Hades. Then, these myths are rewritten with the female Gods restored to their “rightful places.” (The underlying religious philosophy of an old myth is usually ignored or misinterpreted.)

I put “rightful places” in scare quotes since the people revising the Greek myths believe that the Patriarchy overthrew the Matriarchy. For example, the Jewish myth of Lilith, they say, is really about enforcing the Patriarchy at the expense of women. This myth supposedly shows the stages of the disempowerment of women by men. The Goddess was defeated when Lilith choose to become a demon instead of returning to Adam. The Goddess followers seek to redress those wrongs. In their retelling of this myth, Lilith reclaims her power. Now not only is the former Matriarchy reasserted, but the existing Patriarchy is overthrown.

Because Western culture is monophasic, the concept of a myth creating a new reality is alien to many. Monophasic perception regards reality to be only waking thought. Furthermore, rational thought demands that everything has to make sense. “Trust the science” is the motto of monophasic cultures.

Meanwhile in polyphasic cultures, people access new perceptions through dreams, imagination, meditation, and trance. Because these forms act as portals to other worlds and dimensions, they fill in the gaps of the waking experience. In polyphasic cultures, “Dreamtime” can be world building.

Myths can be considered world building as well, for they connect directly with the sacred. In a myth, the creation between the conscious and the unconscious takes on a new creative energy. This becomes a new cosmos. However, the temporal relationship between the mythic and human worlds is complex. Mythic time runs differently than does human time and can fracture human reality. In fact, a person can move in and out of various realities without knowing it.

Therefore, the modern revisions of myths do create new worlds. By doing so, they have changed the axis mundi of the original myths, and reordered previously held perceptions. The axes are flipped with the vertical now the human world and the horizontal the Goddess (or Gods). This reorientation of sacred space requires further consideration, since it changes the values attached to different spaces. (Such as what are mountains now in the mythic landscape?) Moreover, the relations between the macro and microcosmos has shifted.

Current Mood: restless
Current Location: dancing on the net of Indra

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More Thoughts on European Magic
Vesta in the Modern Home
RETELLING OF THE MYTH OF ROMULUS AND REMUS FOR MODERN PEOPLE
MODERNS AND MYTHS: “GENESIS, ZEN AND QUANTUM PHYSICS”
MODERNS AND MYTHOLOGY: THE UFO GODS
MYTHOLOGY AND MODERNS: PAUL WALLIS AND “ESCAPING FROM EDEN”
MYTHS AND MODERNITY: JORDAN PETERSON AND THE ENUMA ELISH
MODERNITY AND MYTHS: JORDAN PETERSON AND “MAPS OF MEANING”
MODERNITY AND MYTHS: INTRODUCTION
Lilith: The Goddess of Demons
REVISING MYTHS: BEGINNING THOUGHTS

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More Thoughts on European Magic

Vesta in the Modern Home

RETELLING OF THE MYTH OF ROMULUS AND REMUS FOR MODERN PEOPLE

MODERNS AND MYTHS: “GENESIS, ZEN AND QUANTUM PHYSICS”

MODERNS AND MYTHOLOGY: THE UFO GODS

MYTHOLOGY AND MODERNS: PAUL WALLIS AND “ESCAPING FROM EDEN”

MYTHS AND MODERNITY: JORDAN PETERSON AND THE ENUMA ELISH

MODERNITY AND MYTHS: JORDAN PETERSON AND “MAPS OF MEANING”

MODERNITY AND MYTHS: INTRODUCTION

Lilith: The Goddess of Demons

REVISING MYTHS: BEGINNING THOUGHTS

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