Getting up for the day cannot always be easy, he thought. After an unknown period of time he was awakening once again, in obvious ways and in ways he had missed for quite some time.
Long stretching of long bones, a big yawn, a ... well, a need to do something about a dry mouth, and a not-too-friendly breath. Dragon's breath, he thought, absently, banging into this pile, then that pile of books, some toppling. Opening the curtain--blinding! Closing them again to be just a chink, just a crack. In the armour of Smaug? he chuckled within. Now why am I thinking so much about dragons? Being a wizard had its pluses, and certainly many minuses, one of them occurring right now: sleeping for Goddess knows how long, then waking up to a largely unknown world, for getting back into the regular every day. How long had it been, he didn't know. Squishing and squiggling of somewhat clean water around, blinding again to be spittooning it out into the daylight of the tower window. Closing the curtain again, sitting down. Taking stock now of what had occurred, what had he known, what were the lessons to pass on before dying. Oh, yes, that cannot be fun: to die and sleep and awake again, a new world each time, but, if only for a short life time, it kept up the variety, with centuries in between. A wizard had its momentary glimpses of infinity, being one. What lessons can be learned from what I know? "Lesson One," he wrote in plumed and not-too-ancient ink, having sat down. On this vellum parchment--cracking of his hip and neck, slight adjustments from side to side--I will begin with myself, what I know for myself, lest I forget my identity after such a long sleep. "Way of the Wizard I am a wizard and have F.O.R.C.E.S at my disposal ... Friend of death Open to love Resilient, resonating, responsive With my staff I have/am Center of the universe Entry into mystery Strength in repose" The ink blotting a bit and making the bolded letters not as tidy as he would have liked. Well, should we go into each entry now, these FORCES at my disposal? he wondered, smirking and laughing a bit with this. Well, no. I think I shall await this for another day. Perhaps just a short nap, not too long, then I'll have some mid-morning or perhaps mid-afternoon breakfast. Yawning. Then falling gracefully to sleep, folded hands around the parchment, with face, unfortunately, centered firmly on the drying ink. Oh, to be a wizard. Copyright © 2021 Mark Newlon. All rights reserved. (Continued in Darkness and light.)
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This post completes the third of three on the topic of an untraceable memory of truth I find to be inside of all of us, as described by Vedanta and as supported by modern science as being possible to be passed down from generation to generation, since time immemorial, and one expression of this ultimate truth we are trying to remember can be called an archetype, those symbolic bits of wisdom, of stories and their characters, as expressed from the beginning of our existence as a human species, universally resonating with all of us, in varying degrees, beacons of knowledge along the way as we remember the ultimate truth, that we are both an expression of the universe and the very universe itself.
Both Vedanta and Carl Jung say we are going towards this larger sense of ourselves as the universe, described by both as the Self but conceived by Jung as more of a guiding ideal of wholeness. Part one and part two of these posts are linked here: A memory of truth (part one). A memory of truth (part two). If we are trying to remember, whether knowingly or not, that we are the universe itself, and some of our purest expressions as begun and passed down from our beginnings as a species are known as archetypes, and they contain wisdom for us to know and act upon to be whole and more truly ourselves, reclaiming our understanding of ourselves as the universe along the way, then how do we pull all of this together, make this work for us in the modern world, living our lives on this earth? Briefly, archetypes in a loose sense are to be found in any of the literature, movies, or dramas we can see today, whether made just yesterday or from times of long ago. When we become inspired by movies, literature, or any play we may be watching, experiencing any of the dramatic arts, or arts in general for that matter, we are potentially being touched by these universal themes, which have had meaning for us since the beginning of our species. Without being pedantic or teacherly in their ways, they can give us instruction, inspire us, each one of us on our own individual path. Certainly, there are specific ones which speak to us more than others. Whether they be about love, dramatic tragedies, or simple but meaningful subjects of escapism playing out before us, archetypes as contained in these expressions do not ever lose their meaning. Instead I believe, depending on who we are, and what times we are living in, some of these messages may be more relevant for different ones of us individually than others, even carrying more of a message for us as a culture, a continent, or as a global community as a whole, depending on who we are and what we may have been longing to hear collectively, what message we may have forgotten from long ago. Archetypes, a vast subject, I like to think of them as just symbols that touch each one of us deeply. Depending on who we are and our particular need at the time, they can provide just that bit of wisdom we are looking for, for guidance, for inspiration, for remembering who we are. (Not incidentally, dreams are a fervent ground for archetypes to emerge in, and perhaps using the term loosely again, with a related understanding, archetypes as the symbolism of dreams hold true to their sometimes obscure meanings, providing us with the current status of our psyche, an understanding of our deepest thoughts and our truest feelings.) When we talk about archetypes as guiding us to remember ourselves as whole, and nothing less than an expression of the universe, as the universe itself, we are talking about a pure expression of ourselves from when we first emerged on this earth, back to a time when we were less removed from the source of it all, when our expressions and understandings were closer to this nature, certainly closer than we have been. Nature, this is what I want to emphasize now, realizing this third and final post in the series may not capture all I want to say, but I want to finish with what is important to share and with what will perhaps do nicely as introductory words to further posts. When I relate that archetypes are a pure expression of our original nature as human beings, closer to that source we came from, that we are trying to recall as ourselves, as an act of healing, specific archetypes come to mind, as does the very nature of ourselves before and after a glimpse of that ultimate understanding, of ourselves as the very universe. Magick as a symbol, I have gravitated towards all my life, with its mystery, and of course its magic, the full potential it may hold, and the reality it may unveil--all of this, even more, carries a potent charge in the word "magick," and I have been glad to allow myself to use it here on this site, making it more available in my work. (For more on this, please feel free to click on the category Magic found on the side of this page or at the bottom of it if you are viewing the mobile device version of this blog.) Closely related to the idea of magick as an archetype or symbol follows a term which I may lose a few with here, but I had this chiefly in mind when I said archetypes are a pure expression of our original nature: Pagan. The history of this word comes from its Latin origins, described as meaning a division of land in the country and those who dwell there also, inferred as being "of the countryside" as well. Let me be clear in saying this comes to the forefront of my mind when I use the term "pagan," but I also embrace the truth of those practices which people today call Paganism, some expression of which people certainly followed in their original forms back when we first emerged on the earth. You have an honoring of mystery, of the unknown, you have a way of instructing through story and myth, if you will, in their practices; you have an honoring of the cycles of nature, of life and death, of the cycles of human life on this earth. What more can we claim both uniquely and fundamentally as a species than our own way of living which honors these cycles of life, of the earth itself and our own precious seasons, practices best described perhaps as those of the country, or pagan? I know there may be a lot to wade through to get to what I call the truth of Paganism, but I would simply point to overarching myths and stories that come up around it, which are found within it, for the archetypal contents they contain, which may speak to each one of us, including yourself, quite sincerely. Do stories as a child or dreams from then, for idyllic pastures or sun-drenched meadows, for woodland creatures or faery folk who are friendly, do these bring to mind any feelings or emotional bonds remembered, from when you were younger, perhaps touching deeply similar feelings in you now? I am speaking of wizards, and of witches, of magic, and of knights of round tables--these could easily be traded for genies and for desert plains, for sun-beaten sands and magic lanterns. Choose a memory of stories you treasured from when you were younger, of lands you wished you had seen or maybe have since, and these are the powerful contents of archetypes, with their stories and their characters. I feel strongly that ours of the West (being not opposed to those of distant lands either) hold the keys to unlocking how it feels to live and implement a life of how we perhaps first did, as a pure expression of ourselves more complete and whole, as we climb the stairs and peek in the tower, as we ascend aloft in our dreams of nightly flying, as we reach the end of our winding maze or staircase, and we find the center of a secret garden, a paradise awaiting us, with everything we could possibly imagine--and yet, it is unlike anything we have experienced before. It is our very Self. Ineffable, a Mystery. At least right now it is. When we touch on these moments, when we get a glimpse of our very Self, we are changed--time stops and does not exist for us; our sense of self becomes thinned and distant. But there is bliss. (For more on this, please see the post: Mysticism, sacrifice, and power.) I do think modern Paganism becomes rich in its guiding archetypal contents, as we try and remember and know the way, back to ourselves at the beginning of our universe: a pure expression of us from a land we had once forgotten. After this post I plan to share one more to complete this set of three, on the topic of the memory of truth I feel, and understand from Vedanta, as being within all of us. Please see the first post in this series for more on this, or please click here to see this post: A memory of truth (part one).
I ended last time with sharing how I felt as a human species there is an untraceable memory of truth within us, as shared by Vedanta and as implied as being possible from modern science's understanding of how memory can be passed from one generation to the next through one's genes or DNA, this truth being that we are nothing less than the universe itself, as an expression of it. Vedanta does prescribe methods for reaching this understanding, for bringing back to mind this recollection of our ultimate sense of Self, which ties in with Carl Jung's idea of what we are trying to do psychologically and wholly as humans, which I will reference again shortly. We are trying, whether consciously or not, to bring back our ultimate understanding, that we are not each of us a smaller sense of self but Self, another designation for that ultimate understanding, which could be given a name or label of any kind, whatever feels appropriate and designates the meaning for you. Vedanta prescribes four methods for reaching this understanding, really a combination, depending on your temperament and your sense of self. Without going into them here, I will relate how many major religions have these approaches within them. (Please feel free to see the local Vedanta Society's website for more information: Vedanta Society of Kansas City.) Carl Jung, the psychologist who pioneered many ideas of the psyche or mind which we still use today, put forth his theory of archetypes, variably defined or explained in his works as being templates for action or knowledge, wisdom we can make use of, or ignore at our own expense. He said they were universal symbols, of stories and their characters essentially, and they were instructive and resonated for us as a human species, being passed down from time immemorial. Because they are found within us, in our psyches, it does not become hard to link Jung's theories of archetypes, these universal symbols of stories and their characters, to the modern theory of passing down memories genetically from generation to generation. Conceivably, if you take time as a linear concept, and here is where I think Jung may not speak too much of this, the first creations, the first fruits of them, if you will, back whenever one may conceive of humans as first existing, closer to the dawn of creation, period, whenever or however close to that time period these first humans lived, these stories of theirs, their theories and principles, their artistic creations and expressions--I do believe Jung argued that this is when these universal symbols first developed and emerged, back at the dawn of humankind's creation, or whenever we first emerged from evolution--my theory is that due to the time period in which these stories and their characters emerged, with a universal sense of them stemming from then, this allows archetypes to be conceived of as being closer to a pure representation of and from that dawn of creation and its source, certainly a time period when the universe itself began. If you want to believe in archetypes and believe in them as another method or way to reach that memory of truth, of who we are as put forth by Vedanta, nothing less than an expression of and the very universe itself, then I think archetypes, if conceived of as being a purer expression of that source, with the accompanying strength of resonance for us that they have, by their very proximity to when humans first emerged, being closer to when the universe itself began, certainly closer than we are today, these archetypes, or universal symbols of stories and their characters, hold the key to unlocking the memory of who we are, where we came from, and where we are going. How could they not resonate within us at a deeper level, calling to mind a time when we first knew and walked and learned? How could they not hold deeper truths within them that may be buried beneath the thoughts of today, removed so far from when we were perhaps more ourselves and more natural, more closer to the source, in time and in our own pureness of creation? Jung designated our understanding of wholeness as "Self," perhaps knowingly borrowing from Vedanta in this case, his perceived goal towards which we are all going. If archetypes are a way to resonate with a deeper level of knowledge, of knowing, which can guide us with wisdom, provide us with instruction that we have always needed and known, then adding to this would be the needed understanding of how archetypes may arise within us or speak to us from outside of ourselves. Depending on who we are and where we are on our path in life, different symbols or depictions of archetypes may be needed for us to know. They all lead to that ultimate knowledge of understanding--by their very nature, they are closer to when we more purely knew what was known, back when we first emerged, closer to when time itself began, and the universe began to unfold. If I were to bring together all of my knowledge and understanding as a person and as someone who helps others in their healing, what may emerge may just be beginning to be glimpsed in this post.
No more than science can prove the existence or non-existence of any universal beginning to all things, neither can anyone ever hope to achieve this. I will trust when I share understandings I learned, dated from thousands of years ago, trust that what I have felt and resonated with as true from this knowledge, that this knowledge does speak the truth of what it shares, and trust it may resonate with you as it has for me. I know there has been talk of generationally passing down knowledge through one's genes and DNA. I think there is validity to this. Likewise, this knowledge of truth from thousands of years ago, from India, I believe as well. It helps lead to a conclusion I find to be a culmination of what I know. Vedanta as put forth by the Ramakrishna Order or the Vedanta Societies as they are known here in the West, this knowledge, dated to be thousands of years old, I believe with everything I know to be at the heart of any ultimate understanding, or understanding of beginnings or endings, even what meaning we are searching for as we walk this earth. Vedanta shares how we are really trying to remember who we are, and in the ultimate sense Vedanta says we are that which we are seeking, this meaning, this ultimate understanding--call it God or Goddess, the universe, any name or label or designation that could be thought of as appropriate--as Vedanta says: "Tat Tvam Asi." That thou art. When you add to this the understanding from Vedanta that we are all moving towards this recollection or understanding, and all that it implies, you may give a nod to modern science in the idea that we have as a species passed on a knowledge of this, this ultimate understanding, and it takes the right environment, grace, or circumstance (or happenstance), what have you, to help bring about this recollection. We have an untraceable memory of truth within us, and all healing, all things, derive from this truth, as we are trying to remember, as we are living our lives on this earth. As Halloween or Samhain approaches, I want to share my take on whether magick in the traditional sense has any kind of reality to speak of. I have my own definition of it, which may lean more towards a psychological understanding (click here to see this definition: Esoterica), but does magick, assumed throughout the remainder of this post to be of the traditional kind, does it have any reality in or bearing on the work I do? As one in a helping profession of healing, do I think magick ever really becomes involved when helping others?
I will share with you what I learned from two trusted sources as I answer. After reading one contemporary historian's account of his experiences witnessing groups of others performing magick over the course of three years, his conclusion being that the practice of magick does have an efficacy and a reality of success, assuming that there are certain conditions or circumstances when performing a magickal working which do lend themselves to it, I would say that, yes, I do believe magick can and does become involved when helping others. At least, I trust in the evidence above concluding that magick can work effectively, given the right circumstances. Carl Jung, when writing about his belief in synchronicities or meaningful coincidences, acausal events which happen simultaneously between a person and a phenomenon or a person and another person without seeming explanation, highlighted the need for a strong experience of emotion to exist for a synchronicity to occur. He cited one medieval scholar's belief in magick, in its similar requirement for an emotional component being present which lends itself to the magickal working. I believe in Jung's conclusions in his work on synchronicities, how they parallel the need for an emotional component to be present and felt for magickal workings to be effective. In other words, I believe magick can work and it does become involved when helping others. When a strong emotion is present and being felt, either by me or the person I am helping, the information provided and felt during that time can have a healing and lasting effect, make an impression, this being the intention of release or the pureness of it being felt, for whatever it is one may want to tell and never think about again, the experience of a heartfelt sense of being with someone during their emotional recollection of difficult or traumatic times, the inspired sharing of insight and information, shared with emotional strength, to convey the belief and meaning of what is being said to guide another on their path--any or all of these could be viewed from the above examples as being ripe for magick to occur, for magickal happenings to happen, where one, or both of us, feels a strength and clarity of emotion and intent, wanting and willing almost for what is said to be released or embraced, and it is believed in that moment, for what is said, to be how it is, to be how it is said, and that belief and togetherness, through emotion, help wield the workings of what could be called magick, whether the work ever formally arises or is talked about that way. Yes, I believe magick exists in helping others, and it is the emotional connection and experiences in and of those encounters which lay the groundwork for it to occur. Please ponder and enjoy as final thoughts the following from historian Ronald Hutton on his experiences observing magickal workings which actually work, in reference to his earlier account above: "The other consists of those workings in which the operators have a deep personal interest and invest powerful emotions. They are rarely undertaken if they appear to run against the natural course of events or to be based upon unreasonable expectations. They are employed most commonly, and avidly, if a natural process ought to have occurred but seems to be mysteriously blocked, or if the odds for a desirable and an undesirable outcome to a process seem to be evenly balanced. This pattern has been very clear in the five covens which I have observed steadily over lengthy periods, and the apparent success rate of that class of operation is very high indeed." From The Triumph of the Moon (p.396). OUP Oxford. Kindle Edition. I hope you enjoy a happy and safe Halloween coming up. I have come to this point in my practice after nine years, to reveal more of my knowledge and offer it as part of my vocation. Esoterica means that which deals with what is hidden, implied to be of interest or understood by only a smaller portion of people as opposed to the many or general whole. If I am to live my life by example, being myself, however I may be showing up, then the esoterica I know and understand and actively learn, in relation to what may be more common knowledge, will at some point be revealed in my practice, if it has a bearing on it and I want to share it. It does, and I do.
I have created a hidden menu for this purpose on the site, and I would like to share a little bit more about this perspective of esoterica here, understanding this may not speak to everyone. A shift in perspective of reality where mystery and symbols hold power and the key to providing answers and knowledge which can alter reality. I have defined magick this way, incidentally with a "k" to distinguish it from stage magic. I include all that may be found as helpful and esoteric for my practice under this definition or heading of magick. These esoteric understandings either lead to this shift in perspective or come as a result of it. Reality becomes altered. You become changed as a result of such knowledge. You approach closer to what I call truth. Whether through healing, to arrive at a better place of integration and wholeness, or through curiosity, to discover more about life and the universe, our drive to know truth takes many forms, and I feel this drive above all others, or within them, is the esoteric meaning of life. All I do and care to pass on and know comes from this drive, this place. Not all want to know as this or want to know so much of what may be considered hidden and difficult knowledge. The ego does not survive such knowledge, nor should it by definition. At least, there is less and less of this sense of "I" in this understanding. How could one shift a perspective of reality if one clings to ordinary notions, filtered through one's regular sense of self? Meditation helps shift our perspective. A belief in any meaning behind coincidence does as well. These are just two such examples of shifting our perspective. Healing comes from a return to wholeness, a clinical definition of which implies less and less of this sense of self one clings to and more of an identity of fluid perspective of simply experiencing in the moment. Because this destination and the hidden reality, drive of life arrive at the same place, I am opening a doorway to this knowledge, however much tentatively and obscured it is. We are there, are already going there, having already arrived. I will meet you there--however much you are wanting to go. May the mystery honor such intention. Peace, and be. May you know. The subject of this post, I find this to be so important for living, to not try, to not try as we might normally do, to be able to surrender to these moments, for it is in them we find renewal from the efforts we would normally expend, from whatever we have set out trying to do, to spend perhaps wasted energy on moments better spent in this mystery.
We are renewed and made whole in these moments. We may find answers we were not expecting or awaiting. We cannot carry on in life without this mystery or what it represents. Why not honor that which we do not know, or partially know, as if hidden in veils, rather than struggle with the shock of ignorance or cluelessness that continues and always surfaces as a part of life? Surrender, and honor this mystery. We may give it names, but the mystery remains, and so shall we, in more peace, in more alignment with our path as we give mystery its proper place and due. (In the spirit of mystery, I have simplified this site once again, hiding a few menu items, but keeping their references, or at least the elements of their spirit, in these posts.) I think wherever we are in life, we are on the right path, because it is ours. However, I do feel like more guidance can be given, more help can come our way. With this post and its accompanying link and resource, I am happy and perhaps more than a little excited to share this guiding help with you.
(Please feel free to skip four paragraphs down to get right to the information on the resource.) I have recently embraced the idea, understanding, concept, and reality of magick, whatever that may or may not mean to you. Along with the intricacies of the term itself comes its connection with the sacred feminine. I think of it as a way to actively be with and work with the all-embracing nature of the sacred feminine. There is a reverence and an active agency, both at play, when working with magick, to my understanding. Along with this comes the idea of divination, again, a surrendering to the mystery of the sacred feminine, but also an element of understanding or suggestion of wisdom for active implementation of the knowledge gained. Here is where the resource comes in which I am truly happy about. I have developed an online approximation of a divination tool. It pulls from a story archetype which I have been using to inform my practice since its beginning. The archetype can be arguably found in the stories of all cultures of all time periods, and you may call it a way of living which honors the sacred feminine and ourselves. Time and again I have seen how my own life follows this mapped out way of living, this pattern that author Kim Hudson identified in her own life and in the stories of cultures across time. When I work with anyone, this universal story, this timeless way to go about being truly happy and fulfilled in life, guides me in the background, for all I do, because it resonates in a way a universal piece of wisdom should. It seems to continue to speak to those who encounter it and take the time to investigate it. Without further explanation, please enjoy reading about and comparing your own life to this archetypal story, this guiding pattern which I feel helps us on the way to a fulfilling life. The Virgin's Promise: A Path for Life (Click on the words to divine the path.) [Update: I have come back from vacation since first posting this.] I wanted to share what you may have already come across before, but I am just about to head on vacation and want to share this here. Many of the lines and lyrics speak to me personally, and I hope they do for you. Thankful this is out there to share. Please enjoy . . . Music video by Katy Perry performing Daisies. (c) 2020 Capitol Records, LLC I am again bringing over sensibilities from another website I started, sharing the spirit of it here. This comes from a band I used to listen to when I was quite a bit younger. I will say this song, the title of the post, captures the opportunities presented to us in troubled times. I have mentioned doorways recently in posts, as places and opportunities for deeper discovery. I am posting the lyrics here before the song itself, which may not be to everyone's taste, of a heavier nature. But, I stand by the lyrics and am happy to share them here. Long Since Dark It's been long since dark Sitting here bathed in the moonshade Underneath a willow tree To stare above, the sky is burning The diamonds dance in nocturnal symphony What does it mean? How do I fit into the scheme? Why is there dark sky above, what does it veil? Is there a purpose to the point Beyond the norm we hail? Reflecting on my future to come Underneath the crescent moon Long since dark, and my thoughts are flowing And deeper still, beyond the cloak of unknown Relentless drone, why was I put here, left alone? Why do I hunger to know what will I gain? Is there true wisdom without end Or will I find just pain? How many times do we take for granted Simple things that make life sweet Enraptured by material longings We miss the point, we need to know, to see Beyond our being, and in the void lies the meaning Just as the dark sky above had spoke to me The answers came so clear, then vanished For a moment I was free I am free Songwriters: Warrel Dane / Lenny Rutledge Long Since Dark lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group -- Long Since Dark (Song) by Sanctuary Into the Mirror Black (Album) ℗ 1990 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment |
AuthorMark Newlon, feeling the embrace of the sacred feminine daily! Categories
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