The Reason for the Season

On this occasion there's alot of stories going around making claims of where this and that Xmas trad came from. However, it seems alot got lost in translation over the course of migration from Europe to North America. As a resident European ethnically raised on these long-standing trads, allow me to put things back into perspective for those of you far removed. On the Neolithic side, the Winter Solstice was seen as the marriage of the sun lord with the earth mother in the underworld and rebirth. The Celts celebrated their special occasions at sacred wells and springs where birches were planted to honour the wights and dryads. Garlands of sprigs and herbs according to the season were the usual decoration, in this case holly and mistletoe. These were burned afterwards to make a sacred fire at the closure of the ceremony. The berries represent blood and semen. The Germans used garlands of pine and spruce, especially for their antiseptic properties. These were also used for smudging households and stalls over the days of the wild hunt. This was conducted over a period of 12 days before and after yule, whereas yule comprised 4 or 5 days making a total of one lunar month. This was an intensive period of festivity for a perfectly good reason, namely to keep from going stir crazy in your lodgings over the long dark nights. In more modern tradition, this period is celebrated between the 6th of December and the 6th of January. The 6th of December is Nicholas Day. In old tradition it was when Wotan/Odin in the guise of a hobo traveler visited the households. Those who took him in and treated him well were rewarded with gifts in their footware when he left secretly into the night. Those who did not treat him well ran the risk of being snatched away by the riders of the wild hunt. The 6th of January was originally Holla's Day, where Holla drives the demons of the wild hunt back into her underworld abode. In the Forealpine regions of Europe, this parade of demons is known as the Perchten. Then the Norns came around to the households to do their census and make predictions for the new year, leaving their mark above the door upon leaving. The modern trad has an entourage of children with star lanterns, called Star Singers who come to collect for charity, whereas the mark is usually the blessing of the local priest. I remember my mother always burnt a sprig of evergreen on Nicholas Day and was very superstitious about the way we conducted our affairs over this period, assuming it would affect the new year. This is typical of old German beliefs about the spinners of fate.

http://www.medievalists.net/2015/12/12/surviving-winter-in-the-middle-ages/

Renaissance Occult and the roots of Modern Esoterica

Despite all efforts of the Vatican to inhibit any scientific efforts, with travel and trade expanding beyond Europe into the New World and Asia, enterprising young minds yearned a broader scope of the world and life in general. Hence such pioneers as Leonardo Da Vinci, humanist Giovanni Pico della Mirandola and astronomer Nikolaus Kopernikus were much inspired to incredible ideas, often way ahead of their time. One mustn't forget however, that a formal education in those days were property and product of monastic institutions. Thus its scholars were raised on the idea of existence and destiny as being of godly design. That meant that any attempt to experiment with that design stood a good chance of prosecution for heresy. For this reason Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa seldom settled down in one place for very long. Were it not for the discrete interests of the Hapsburgs and the Medicis in his works, these manuscripts would have long since disappeared. Nonetheless, while Rome had its hands full with the Protestant rebellion, alchemists and esoterics of the period did aspire to identify “divine creation” with a whole medley of goetic formulas derived from ancient Middle-Eastern tradition. Having read some of Agrippa's works from De occulta philosophia libri tres, there is no question in my mind that this is not only forms the basis of Western Hermetic Mysticism, but Wicca as well. The only difference is that Wicca tries to amalgamate it with folk cunning craft which Hermeticism, being elitaire, prefers to avoid.

http://www.hermetics.org/pdf/magic/Agrippa1.pdf
http://www.hermetics.org/pdf/magic/Agrippa2.pdf
http://www.hermetics.org/pdf/magic/Agrippa3.pdf

Being an abstract minded animist, that whole Pythagorean school of theosophy just gives me constipation, especially its mathematical dogmas that seriously fall short of the real dynamics of causality. They just can't come to terms with that simple law of relativity that Nature multiplies through division. In essence I'm talking about the infinitesimal here, that very fractal symmetry in which all things have their own algorithmic part in the whole spacetime continuum, albeit DNA, molecular lattice symmetry or quantum matrix. So if you're looking for the sublime in a multiverse where Nature abhors absolutes, bear in mind the old proverb “that which rests, rusts”; and don't give me any guff about vindictive hairy thunderers or karma if I don't commit myself to the ritual self infliction of reciting whole volumes of Ancient Babylonian hocum. I do not have that god-fearing persecution complex they got so bent on for that man in god's image nonsense, they had to proliferate the whole planet for some perverse sense of security in numbers. The irony is that Homo Sapiens Sapiens is really just another kind of simian, with much the same sexual displays and harem building hierarchy as the rest under all that artifice.

WTF Do You Take Me For?

Okay, now I'm sick to death of being dragged into groups whose itinerary couldn't be more far removed from anything that would even remotely interest me. Let me make it clear that I had no religious up-bringing whatsoever, nor did being excluded from such practices compel some urge to belong. On the contrary, my circumstances were far too extraordinary for any of their institutions to be in any way practical. Thus, naturally I was never christened, baptized or subjected to any other form religious initiation: Hence I do not possess the superstitious views or god-fearing persecution complexes that usually come with those territories. Therefore I do not share their enthusiasm for the alleged “forbidden arts” or whatever other taboos of whatever their moral/amoral pathos. Having spent much of my formative years either in the wilds or traveling all over the North Atlantic, my spiritual scope is purely of an animist character, seeing nature for what it really is, as well as the human journey through these realms. That means wicca, hermeticism or any other quasi-Levantine hocum means sod-all to me other than a bunch of misogynistic fantasy for the sexually repressed. A throw-back to 15th century apocalyptic humbug. Nothing more, nothing less. You don't like my opinion? Too bad for you, because in continental Europe I still have the freedom to be critical..so fold your PC positivity NLP five ways, stick it where no light shines and stop trying to shepherd me into this bullshit. FFS I am a German, proselytizing religion is totally prohibited in this country and Scientology were not the first ones to get deported. As for NLP, it got banned from Psychiatry here for being dangerously counter-productive (if not brainwashing)...but try to tell these globalization fucktards that. They think their America is the centre of the cosmos. It would never occur to them that us Europeans are only getting ever more estranged by their unworldly attitudes. Another lost cause is their idea of paganism. They abuse our cultural folklore like its some alternate universe for Creationism, say nothing of their stigma about ancient aliens in that brainless mix. I'm sorry but that rhetoric "but science can't explain everything" just doesn't cut it with me, especially when their idea of it seems to come from a bad 50s sci fi. They seriously need to get a proper education, learn a few languages and get out in the world before they even think of trying to mess with the rest of us.

An Anatomy of the Age of Delusion

Having spent my formative years travelling and exploring the liminal, I was a stranger to religion. My parents, like most WW2 survivors, were pretty messed up. Although it's clear that they were each raised in their own strict environment of ethics, any values it might have had were clearly damaged by the horrors they experienced. Just the same, my aspirations didn't have a hope in hell for all the contention and criticism. In fact, it seems most of my generation in Europe, had much the same opposition to deal with. It's like the war never ended, but simply took on ever more subliminal forms of persecution, expecting us to conform to an industrial complex that caused the whole problem in the first place. “You have no idea what it's like” was the usual diminutive, denying any pending problems that did not fit their war-addled definitions of a worst case scenario. Some called it the “Generation Gap”, but the fact is they were just too demoralized to ever get over it. PTSD was unheard of in those days. No surprise that we took the only course of action under such miserable circumstances, namely revolt. Hence the so-called 60s “counter-culture” brought on by the Beatles and other young artists.

However, I was not so much a Beatles fan, rather, living so close to Holland at the time, I had the underground music scene completely at my disposal. Whatever was too unorthodox for the popular media was more my element- but it was not as if I was looking for role models, rather, exploring the great experiment called life. All that mind numbing double-morality being preached at us by our peers, simply lost all meaning in the face of mutually assured destruction...and despite all delineations between that perpetual us and them, the enemy of our enemy was not necessarily our friend. Unfortunately, my family's stateless legacy had me stuck in the cold war grey zone. Hence, my spiritual journey was not in quest of nirvana, rather, the long hard road to civil liberty without someone breathing down my neck. In that regard I was never a believer in divine intervention. Yet the more I tried to distance myself, the more I became a person of interest, especially for my ability to read between the lies. Of course I didn't buy into all that new age jive, albeit the paranormal, esoteric or ancient aliens for that matter. It only creeped me out to see how many fell folly to that euphoria of mystique. A new secret weapon of mass mind control by the wanton puppet masters of the no-zone. They wanted in so badly they virtually landed into their own foul trap and it was without fear or remorse I gleefully burned all those bridges behind me. What were they expecting from a hedonistic infidel like me anyway?  

Spider Cat

(best sung to the tune of "Spiderman")

Our flat overlooks a large courtyard where the connecting building houses a repair shop for the local transport to Barcelona. Our neighbour there is a wonderful man, very skilled at his trade and always helpful. Next to him, on the other side, is a Chiropractor and his psychologist wife who like to spend weekends at seminars in Switzerland. They have their house decked out with the odd herbal pots, Tibetan prayer flags and a greenpeace banner. I could go on about all the rest of my colourful neighbourhood in this quiet little corner of the village, but that is not the point of this story.

My brother has this cat he rescued as a kitten, abandoned in a tree in the local wildlife reserve. This cat is a total headcase with the daring of a barnstormer. He has a notoriety for opening doors, even so much as turning keys to unlock them. Failing this, he clings onto the handle while using his hind legs to brute force the damn thing open. The bugger is not only cunning but strong as a human as well.

A big canvassed lorry sat parked about a meter alongside our balcony, when this blighter decided to use it as a trampoline to get to the lot below. I was heading out to do my usual chores, when I spot this critter rolling around in the grass, chortling. Of course I end up having to crawl under the wheel frame of a container flatbed to grab him, and after some struggle managed to get him back into the flat.

Realizing how the bugger must have pulled off this stunt, Susan closed the balcony door, also fearing our other three cats might get encouraged by his antics. Later that afternoon, we decided to let them out on the balcony under supervision. Susan was slow getting there before I had to run to the bathroom and of course when nobody was looking he did it again. Again I had to chase the bugger across the lot. Our mechanic neighbour came out, curious about the mayhem. He looked at me rather stunned when I explained just what this cat is capable of. That proved itself later when the bugger escaped again, this time forcing the roof window of my study that I hadn't properly shut. The man rang our doorbell to announce that the bugger was now in his workshop having a right good time playing high speed dodgem in every impossible place to reach. I was dead asleep at the time so Susan had the arduous task of counter-intercepting at the other end of the building. After two failed attempts, the cat ended the chase by letting himself back into the stairwell to our flat. This confounded our neighbour so much, that he saw good reason to move the lorry to the back of the garage, well out of sight of this maniacle feline.

So you wanna be my friend?

 

There are just some folk who think friendship gives them special rights to your every intimate being, as if they should be the centre of your universe. Just another number or convenience to meet their popularity quota, as if you should share their inane need to amass some immaculate following of sheeple. They feed you this claptrap about being like-minded as if you're supposed to identify with whatever their cause, and failing this, no address or account is safe from them trying to get in your face at every turn. A clear case of telling, not asking where you're really coming from or what you really think. Theirs is a world of “you're either for us or against us”, no “none of the above”. Oh how conveniently they call it “close-minded” and “negativity” as if healthy skepticism should be a crime. Yeah, just keep coming onto me with all this sock puppetry, telling me how much I have been their guiding light. Really? I don't think so, not if they're a bunch of new age metal heads who think foreign religion or occult is going to cure their obvious Christian persecution complex. I'm an upstanding member of the Church of Euthanasia, so if you really wanna save the planet, sharpen up that old Katana and remove that rather large wart from between your ears. No, you're not getting any money from me for it. This is my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Too bad so sad.

Dropping the Gauntlet

I address this to two individuals and their following who have obviously been trying their damnedest to get in my face. I will not give any names but I am sure you know who you are. First of all, don't try to imply you know me when we don't even speak the same language. Thus trying to appeal to my ego will get you nowhere. Any admiration I do earn is through creative ability, meticulous work and above all, accountability and it's not like those of us who've been around in the world can't tell the difference. Aside from that, I have enough of my own pride and self-respect that I don't need a great hoard of sheeple to prove what to who, so go find yourself another sucker to flog your identity crisis on.

Secondly, it should be clear by now that I do not identify with your attention-seeking want to dictate your trend. Emotional blackmail through false flattery and politics of exclusion while trying to shame the objectors behind their backs (to what you mistaken for their peers) has only succeeded in proving what complete sheeple seeking narcissistic morons you really are. Here in continental Europe, we have quite different distinctions between public and private so save your breath. We are not afraid to be critical of things, because it is our democratic right to differ. So bugger off with your brain-washed god-fearing patronizing positivity NLP, “Global Village” and all the rest of that polemic. No, yours is not the way of the world. Nobody's is, so get over it.