Looking for a new look…
Been experimenting with some new themes - does my bum look big in this?
June 16 2006 in General Stuff | Read More | Comments [7]
Magic[k]
Yes, it’s the long-promised switch to the Magical Paradigm! As mentioned a while back - apologies for delay, been living - the focus of this blog is going to change somewhat to concentrate more on design, Barça, foodism and general ‘occult’ stuff. But before we wade into these murky waters it is probably best to clear away any misconceptions and outline what exactly is meant by ‘magic’ or even ‘magic[k]’.
In doing this it should be noted that I am describing a specific tradition which I will not name (for reason that may become apparent in future posts) but which we can, for convenience, term ‘The Tradition’ or perhaps more correctly ‘The Method’ though neither of these terms are the actual name.
The first thing to note is perhaps to state what Magic (in general) is not. Firstly, the idea of a kind of Dennis Wheatley coven of Satanists has no validity - that is not to say that such things do not exist (as some people do actually believe in this) But rather that it does not work - it is, in general, impossible to achieve significant Magical results by this method. Likewise with traditions such as Wicca and Paganism, ‘Magic’ (as defined in terms of the tradition under discussion) is a different discipline as it is more akin to an actual religion rather than a method to achieve specific results by magical means.
June 14 2006 in Fortean | Read More | Comments [1]
Da Vinci Code
I bet you all thought I’d gone for good eh? Well, bad luck - it was just a server outage on the host’s end.
So I’ve been noticing this Da Vinci Code mania (difficult not to but with the ‘Sleep Alert’ gone to eleven some people might manage it) and it strikes me it has a strong connection (at root level) with Edward Campell’s (see below) theories of ‘the Hidden Guardians’.
But fear not - I am not about to discuss the brawling obscenity that is both book and film slavering mindlessly under the title given above: no, I am just hacked off to the nth degree with having to hear unmitigated nonsense about this irrelevancy at every turn so I thought I would do some posts about the real mystery of Rennes le Chateau.
Only this isn’t it (maybe tomorrow) because it got me thinking of something else - or continuing thinking about the ‘abandoning esotericism’ theme - and yes, I cantie it in!
It strikes me that such things as the DVC and the earlier Holy Blood, Holy Grail have a mass appeal because they touch on a truth: that there may be a group of people who are ‘behind the scenes’ and who have - for want of a better word - wisdom. Of course, in popular myth these ‘secret people’ may be good or bad (or, as Campbell points out in relation to John Fowles’ The Magus, neutral) but the point is that they have access to a different type of knowledge.
This idea is implicit in Gurdjieff too - not only with the Sarmoun Society but in the concept of the Cathedral Builders (and even megalith builders) of Europe. The idea being that the great works of art of the past (again the tie in with Da Vinci) such as the great gothic Cathedrals, the pyramids and other architectural monuments may be the products of a ‘school’. The subtext of course is that a genuine school would be capable of creating ‘objective art’ and works of such mastery that they are renowned through subsequent history.
I have always believed this - and it was one of the key factors (ie most attractive) that drew me to esoteric studies in the first place. And here’s the tie-in: that’s what we all yearn for - the magic, the ‘more-ness’ than everyday life. All us ‘seekers’ look for it (it is of course on one level the ‘Grail quest’ itself) and judging by the response to the original Baignent/Leigh books and now, Brown’s, a lot of other people do too.
But - and here is the great disappointment - it really isn’t like that. You are never going to find that group that is capable (or even tries) to work towards some modern equivalent of the Gothic Cathedrals. Never going to be part of that experimental Pythagorean school. Never going to see a ‘Rennaissance’ of great art works in the traditions of the masters.
That’s all fair enough in a way and there are obviously reason for it that I will never be able to comprehend. But it’s the paltry coin that we are palmed-off with as a substitute that seems to be the slap in the face.
Perhaps. as Campell implies in his book, one can only work when ‘the Solar Wind blows’ - and perhaps we are now in a period of stasis because the wind is still. That may well be true - Shah stopped his groups apparently a long while ago and this may be significant in this regard. What I am wondering about is all the rest of these groups which show all the signs of being ‘far from satisfactory’.
I’ve fulminated enough on this issue now though. Time to move on. Austin Osman Spare anyone?
May 23 2006 in Esoteric Christianity | Read More | Comments [5]
Edward Campbell Passes
A considerate reader has brought my attention to the sad news that the writer, magician and Circus pioneer Edward Campell passed away last month.
Campell had a long and fascinating life and was of a type of character that we will not be seeing much longer. He will perhaps be best known to readers by his pseudonym Ernest Scott under which he wrote The People of the Secret
May 23 2006 in Sufism/Islam | Read More | Comments [3]
Campeons!
May 17 2006 in Barcelona | Read More | Comments [3]
Esotericism Addendum
In part 2 of this diatribe I meant to talk about something vaguely different but seemed to go off on a bit of a rant. I’ll try again.
I was inspired by Terry’s comment on the original ‘abandoning’ post where he talked about the reputed curious make-up of the Shah groups and why this might be. It got me thinking because I have had several experiences that touch on this. I’ll share one aspect.
Many years ago I wrote to Shah several times and to the Sufi Trust also. This was over a period of years and In addition to the usual ‘no replies’ which I fulminated against previously I also got a phone call and one response which I believe was from Shah though it was signed by the rather witty pseudonym ‘Guy Adamson’.
May 17 2006 in Esoteric Christianity | Read More | Comments [2]
Why I Am Abandoning Esotericism (pt2)
If you read Classical Sufi stories - which I still hold to be repositories of ‘wisdom’ - then you often find a situation like this: Seeker X goes to Teacher Y and says something like this ‘can I sign up/have instant enlightenment/be accepted as a disciple/etc etc’.
Teacher Y generally does not accept the seeker in this manner as this is probably not a fruitful approach but he does something else: he gives the seeker what he actually needs at that point in time for his development.
This, being a prescribed thing suitable for the individual, is not a formulaic response and hence is different for different seekers but generally Teacher Y might say “sorry, you are not suitable because XXX” or perhaps “there is something else you need to do first and this is what it is.....” or even “do xxxxxx” or maybe just a resounding “no”.
What he doesn’t do is just ignore the questioner completely. Yet this is exactly what many of the current crop of ‘groups’ actually do. The amount of people I know who say “I wrote to Shah and received no reply - it is a test”. “no answer is an answrer”, “They are preparing the materials” or something is unfeasibly large, It has happened to me also to receive no reply to letters written to several ‘teachers’, Shah included.
But in terms of Shah, I do not in any way hold this as a criticism or include him with the people I am implicitly criticizing. Why? Quite simply because he addresses this very issue many times in his books and offers the reasons for why he does not respond in many cases. Regardless of whether one agrees with these reasons, the fact is he is explaining what he is doing and why and acting in accordance with his statements. Absolutely no problem with that. I and other ‘letter writers’ should have paid those passages more attention and tried to apply what we’d learnt.
May 17 2006 in Esoteric Christianity | Read More | Comments [5]
Tonight’s The Night!
Destiny calls for Barça and I have a real feeling it will be a classic. Hopefully we will win but if not then I don’t mind so much if it’s Arsenal. As opposed to, say, Chelsea.
I love these occasions - unbelievably (but this is just my own opinion) they bring people a little closer to reality. Walking round the city today there is a buzz of ‘realness’ - as opposed to the usual sleep - and people are friendlier, chattier, more open. It really is an incredible feeling around town today. If we win there won’t be much sleep tonight - we are on a main street and the cars hooting horns and fireworks go on all evening. Can’t wait!
Attentive readers may wonder why I occasionally divert into football mania rather than more ‘weighty’ topics and the answer is simple: Barcelona are the Zen masters of the football world. Watching them can verge on a mystical experience imo. It really is the beautiful game played the way it should be - as opposed to, say, Chelsea, which would stand in this metaphor for ‘the world’ which opposes the ‘magical realm’.
And this metaphor does not just hold good on the field: Ronaldhino is perhaps the most humble player I have seen (and one of the best), he is never arrogant in celebration or in interviews. Recently a Brazilian newspaper wanted to do an article and photo on the ‘Barcelona Brazilians’ but he refused saying that there ‘are no Brazilians - we are a team’. Amazing for a footballer I think.
I’ll leave the last word to Frank Rijkaard:
“Everything starts with being humble and we know we have to go for them from the first minute. All I want is that my players show how they can play, nothing more.”
May 17 2006 in Barcelona | Read More | Comments [0]
Why I am abandoning ‘Esotericism’ (pt 1)
Well here is the start of my promised series of rants though I’m not sure how long I can belabour the point. Still, give it a go eh? First though, some caveats:
I am writing this for myself - to draw a line under some things as it were and tie up some loose ends and thought processes. I do not intend to convince anyone of anything, argue against anyone or any teaching or get into any brawling.
Further, this decision is the direct result of studying esotericism for a long time. We are all (more or less) the product of our experiences and in my case these have revolved around the sort of spirituality regular readers will be familiar with me wittering on about. So it’s a paradox: I am rejecting it because it has developed my understanding to the stage where I realize this is the thing to do at this point. Now for the justifications - or the first one anyway:
May 10 2006 in Esoteric Christianity | Read More | Comments [21]
More Andalucia
May 08 2006 in Travelogue | Read More | Comments [1]
Andalucia
Andalucia Easter 06
May 08 2006 in Travelogue | Read More | Comments [0]
Barça: Campions (again)!
Let’s talk about something REALLY important - Barcelona have won La Liga for the second successive year! Just the Champions League to come now. Yesterday we went to the party/parade - 1 million people in the street to greet the team. In a city of 3 million!
More pics at my flickr.
May 08 2006 in Barcelona | Read More | Comments [3]
Filler Post #2
From the ‘Kasidah’ by Sir Richard F. Burton (1821-1890)
Friends of my youth, a last adieu!
haply some day we meet again;
Yet ne’er the self-same men shall meet;
the years shall make us other men:
The light of morn has grown to noon,
has paled with eve, and now farewell!
Go, vanish from my Life as dies
the tinkling of the Camel’s bell.
May 05 2006 in General Stuff | Read More | Comments [0]
Filler Post #1
Poem of Bankei (Zen master: 1622-1693)
Ideas of what’s good and what’s bad
Are all due to this self of yours
In winter, a bonfire spells delight
But when summertime arrives
What a nuisance it becomes!
And the breezes you loved in summer
Even before the autumn’s gone
Already have become a bother
Throwing your whole life away
Sacrificed to the thirst for gold
But when you saw your life was through
All your money was no use
You think that good means hating what is bad
What’s bad is the hating mind itself
Notions of what one should do
Never existed from the start
Fighting about what’s right, what’s wrong
That’s the doing of the “I”
These days I’m not bothering about
Getting enlightenment all the time
And the result is I wake up in the morning feeling fine!
Praying for salvation in the world to come
Praying for your own selfish ends
Is only piling on more and more
Self-centeredness and arrogance
Die—then live
Day and night within the world
Once you’ve done this, then you can
Hold the world right in your hand!
People have no enemies
None at all right from the start
You create them all yourself
Fighting over right and wrong
May 04 2006 in General Stuff | Read More | Comments [0]
I’m back: Be Afraid…..
Hola...been away (if anyone’s noticed) firstly traveling in a vain attempt to broaden my mind and then (horror) I succumbed to an orgiastic bout of binge-thinking.
I’m ok now, did the program at a secret celeb clinic and I’ve got a whole new life! Which means things are going to change: basically I want to change direction of this blog to reflect my own inner change. Obviously these two things will need explaining so I will give a brief taster here and then over-egg it completely in a series of posts entitled Why I have finally abandoned ‘esotericism’ or something vaguely similar.
May 04 2006 in General Stuff | Read More | Comments [7]
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