View from the Big Hills

Snowdrops

2012-02-11T02:48:00.000-08:00

Snowdrops

Do you know what I was, how I lived? You know
what despair is; then
winter should have meaning for you.

I did not expect to survive,
earth suppressing me. I didn't expect
to waken again, to feel
in damp earth my body
able to respond again, remembering
after so long how to open again
in the cold light
of earliest spring--

afraid, yes, but among you again
crying yes risk joy

in the raw wind of the new world.

Louise Gluck

The Secret Hymnody of Hermes

2011-09-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share one of my favourite sections of a dialogue from the Corpus Hermeticum. At times the Corpus is inpenetrable. At other times it blasts your consciousness with illumination and revelatory insight.

The extract I've chosen is section XIII, verses 17 to 29. Over the years I've found that this beautiful work more than repaid the time invested in contemplation and meditation. It can provide a portal or gateway to the deeper aspects of the Ogdoadic and broader Hermetic Traditions. In this part we hear Tat (Thoth) asking the Hermes to retell the hymn he heard by the Powers (dunamis), praising the Godhead, whilst he was in the Ogdoad.

In some ways this short passage is the ultimate culmination of the whole Corpus Hermeticum. Essentially it sums up the overarching theory of the Hermetic system generally while, at the same time, providing an intriguing glimpse at Hermetic praxis.

The focus of the dialogue in the wider Hymnody is on the experiences of regeneration or rebirth, which involve many things, including the replacement of twelve Tormentors within the Self by ten divine Powers, leading to the awakening gnosis of the Self and Godhead.

Aspects from this section of the Secret Hymnody, particularly those in verses 17 to 20, can be worked as a beautiful and inspiring litany for worship and devotion. You may wish to explore different verses and sections to see what works for you. Some of them can be performed twice each day, at the dawn and at the setting of the sun, as an alternative to the standard Egyptian or Vedic Usha versions many people are au fait with.

The extract provided below is based on a translation by an old colleague Vivian Godfrey (pen name Melita Denning) which is not, as far as I know, available in any printed publication. I hope you enjoy it.

“Let every substance of the world receive the sound of the hymn.
Earth, be open;
Let every bolt of the rain be open to me.
Trees, be still.
I am going to praise the Lord of creation,
Both the All and the One.
Heavens, be open,
And, winds, stand still.
Let the immortal circle of God receive my word.
For I am going to praise him who created all things,
The One who established the earth
And suspended heaven,
Who ordered the fresh water to go from the ocean
To the inhabited and uninhabited regions
For the sustenance and creation
Of all men,
The one who ordered fire to shine
On every activity
For gods and men alike.
Let us all in unison give the praise
To him who is high above the heavens,
The creator of all nature.
He is the Eye of the Intellect.
May he accept the praise of my powers.
Powers in me, praise the One and the All.
All you powers that are in me, sing in harmony with my will.
Holy knowledge,
Since I have been illumined by you,
While praising through you the intellectual light,
I rejoice with intellectual joy.
All powers, sing with me.
And you, self-control, sing with me.
My righteousness, praise the righteous through me.
My generosity, praise the All through me.
Truth, praise the Truth.
Good, praise the Good.
Life and Light, the praise goes from you to you.
I give thanks to you, Father, strength of the powers.
I give thanks to you, God, power of my forces.
Your Logos praises you through me.
Through me accept the All in speech,
A spoken sacrifice.
The powers in me cry these things aloud;
They praise the All;
They accomplish your will.
Your wish goes from you to you, the All.
Accept from all a spoken sacrifice,
The All which is in us.
Life, save!
Light, illumine!
God, inspire!
For it is your Logos which the Intellect shepherds.
Spirit-bearer,
Creator,
You are God.
Your man cries these things aloud through fire,
Through air,
Through earth,
Through water,
Through spirit,
Through your creatures.
From your Aion I found a blessing,
And, as I desire, by your wish I have come to be at rest.
By your will I saw.”

The Golden Ass – a fictional journey of regeneration

2011-09-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

In the second century AD, a Morrocan writer called Lucius Apuleius wrote a wondrous tale of mystery, magic and myth. “The Golden Ass,” written in Latin, tells the story of a likeable hero Lucius who journeys through the Greek region of ancient Thessaly, a land of intrigue and witchcraft to this day.

My first magical teacher some twenty five years ago strongly recommended all aspirants to the Mysteries to read this little book to get an allegorical sense of that great regeneration which lies at the heart of initiation into High Magic and the Hermetic Arts. I have to admit to not being disappointed by following through with her advice for it is a story I have often returned to for inspiration.

The pacey story follows the adventures of Lucius whose curiosity eventually leads him to being transformed into the form of an ass. In his new bestial form he finds himself incarcerated in a violent and lustful world of moral depravity, where he falls into the hands of brigands, sharing their fantastical exploits before eventually being transformed by the Goddess Isis into a new man.

The text is packed to the gills with entertaining and occasional gruesome stories populated with a motley theatre of fascinating characters. However, there are two key elements within the story which warrant note for the Ogdoadic practitioner. The first of these is a variant retelling of the romance between Cupid and Psyche, that great metaphor for the soul’s nurturing and education through divine love. The second of these is the message of redemption and regeneration at the tale’s finale when Isis transforms him back into a man and initiate. In this last piece of renewal Lucius decides to devote himself to the Mysteries of the Temple of Osiris where he is chosen to be a member of his Order of Shrine Bearers as well as a Temple Councillor.

There a many fine editions of this story available. I myself have two editions, one translated by Robert Graves and the other by William Adlington. The Graves’ version is my favourite, and to give you a taster and whet your appetite I will leave you with an excerpt from his interpretation of Lucius’s beautiful vision of the Goddess Isis:

“Her long thick hair fell in tapering ringlets on her lovely neck, and was crowned with an intricate chaplet in which was woven every kind of flower. Just above her brow shone a round disc, like a mirror, or like the bright face of the moon, which told me who she was. Vipers rising from the left-hand and right-hand partings of her hair supported this disc, with cars of corn bristling beside them. Her many-colored robe was of finest linen; part was glistening white, part crocus-yellow, part glowing red and along the entire hem a woven bordure of flowers and fruit clung swaying in the breeze. But what caught and held my eye more than anything else was the deep black luster of her mantle. She wore it slung across her body from the right hip to the left shoulder, where it was caught in a knot resembling the boss of a shield; but part of it hung in innumerable folds, the tasseled fringe quivering. It was embroidered with glittering stars on the hem and everywhere else, and in the middle beamed a full and fiery moon.

In her right hand she held a bronze rattle, of the sort used to frighten away the God of the Sirocco; its narrow rim was curved like a sword-kit and three little rods, which sang shrilly when she shook the handle, passed horizontally through it. A boat-shaped gold dish hung from her left hand, and along the upper surface of the handle writhed an asp witch pulled throat and head raised ready to strike. On her divine feet were slippers of palm leaves, the emblem of victory.

All the perfumes of Arabia floated into my nostrils as the Goddess deigned to address me: ‘You see me here, Lucius, in answer to your prayer. I am Nature, the universal Mother, mistress of all the elements, primordial child of time, sovereign of all things spiritual, queen of the dead, queen also of the immortals, the single manifestation of all gods and goddesses that are. My nod governs the shining heights of Heaven, the wholesome sea-breezes the lamentable silences of the world below. Though I am worshipped in many aspects, known by countless names, and propitiated with all manner of different rites, yet the whole round earth venerates me. The primeval Phrygians call me Pessinuntica, Mother of the gods; the Athenians, sprung from their own soil, call me Cecropian Artemis; for the islanders of Cyprus I am Paphian Aphrodite; for the archers of Crete I am Dictynna; for the trilingual Sicilians, Stygian Proserpine; and for the Eleusinians their ancient Mother of the Corn.

‘Some know me as Juno, some as Bellona of the Battles; others as Hecate, others again as Rhamnubia, but both races of Ethiopians, whose lands the morning sun first shines upon, and the Egyptians who excel in ancient learning and worship me with ceremonies proper to my godhead, call me by my true name, namely, Queen Isis. I have come in pity of your plight, I have come to favor and aid you. Weep no more, lament no longer; the hour of deliverance, shone over by my watchful light, is at hand.

‘Listen attentively to my orders.

‘The eternal laws of religion devote to my worship the day born from this night. Tomorrow my priests offer me the first-fruits of the new sailing season by dedicating a ship to me: for at this season the storms of winter lose their force, the leaping waves subside and the sea becomes navigable once more. You must wait for this sacred ceremony, with a mind that is neither anxious for the future nor clouded with profane thoughts; and I shall order the High Priest to carry a garland of roses in my procession, tied to the rattle which he carries in his right hand. Do not hesitate, push the crowd aside, join the procession with confidence in my grace. Then come close up to the High Priest as if you wished to kiss his hand, gently pluck the roses with your mouth and you will immediately slough off the hide of what has always been for me the most hateful beast in the universe.

‘Above all, have faith: do not think that my commands are hard to obey. For at this very moment, while I am speaking to you here, I am also giving complementary instructions to my sleeping High Priest; and tomorrow, at my commandment, the dense crowds of people will make way for you. I promise you that in the joy and laughter of the festival nobody will either view your ugly shape with abhorrence or dare to put a sinister interpretation on your sudden return to human shape. Only remember, and keep these words of mine locked tight in your heart, that from now onwards until the very last day of your life you are dedicated to my service. It is only right that you should devote your whole life to the Goddess who makes you a man again. Under my protection you will be happy and famous, and when at the destined end of your life you descend to the land of ghosts, there too in the subterrene hemisphere you shall have frequent occasion to adore me. From the Elysian fields you will see me as queen of the profound Stygian realm, shining through the darkness of Acheron with a light as kindly and tender as I show you now. Further, if you are found to deserve my divine protection by careful obedience to the ordinances of my religion and by perfect chastity, you will become aware that I, and I alone, have power to prolong your life beyond the limits appointed by destiny.’

With this, the vision of the invincible Goddess faded and dissolved.”

There are many more fictionalized glimpses in this great work which shed light on the experience of the initiate into the Mysteries two thousand years ago. I cannot recommend this fantastic piece of magical literature more strongly!

Gareth Knight News & Ideas: More about Melusine!

2011-09-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

Gareth Knight News & Ideas: More about Melusine!: Book Review: The Romance of the Faery Melusine by André Lebey [from Inner Light Journal] Translated by Gareth Knight ISBN 978-1-908011-32...

"Harvest time" and the gifted Kathleen Raine

2011-09-03T04:40:00.000-07:00

I only met Kathleen Raine once, shortly before she died. Even as an old person towards the latter stage of her life she carried a strong inner fire in her eyes. Beneath this wonderful old lady was an Initiate of Dion Fortune’s Society of the Inner Light. A great critic, poet and writer, she did much to illuminate our understanding and appreciation of the works and lives of such giants as William Blake and W.B. Yeats. She was truly passionate about and very much influenced by both these earlier poets. The influence of Plotinus and a deep vein of Neo-Platonism also ran through her work.

Born in London at the start of the 20th Century, where she grew up, as a young adult she drifted rather erratically from job to job. Through one of these later jobs she chanced upon a meeting with a relative of the great Indian mystic Rama Coomaraswamy Tambimuttu, who invited her to contribute her poetry to his new magazine, "Poetry London". Getting involved in that magazine, she very quickly developed a lifelong passion for all things Indian. In some respects she was bitten by the same bug as Gustav Holst and Willie Yeats.

By her late twenties she was producing some very good poetical work. In 1943 she published her first collection of poetry, "Stone and Flower", which was illustrated by the fantastic British artist and sculptor Barbara Hepworth. Three years later she released a further collection called "Living in Time," following this with "The Pythoness" in 1949.

She married twice, both experiences being particularly dull and unsatisfactory, leaving her to later describe the experiences as being, "as if I were living in someone else's dream.” Domestic bliss was clearly not going to be hers.

Her unhappiness in these relationships led to an affair with the writer Gavin Maxwell. Their affair greatly helped to inspire her work in “The Year One 1952”, which not surprisingly she released in the year 1952.

Kathleen often stayed with Gavin Maxwell on the magical island of Sandaig in the Scottish Islands. Their relationship ended in 1956 when Kathleen lost his pet otter, Mijbil, who was later to inspire his best-selling book beloved by many British Children, “Ring of Bright Water”. Later that year she published a book of poems called, “Collected Poems.”

In 1973 she began her autobiography which was finally published in 1977. Never one to rest one’s own laurels, three years later, in 1980, she founded her own magazine to help articulate her extensive and compelling world view. It was called “Temenos”. Since then it has grown into the Temenos Academy - www.temenosacademy.org

During her productive life Kathleen won several awards, including the Harriet Monroe Prize and the Queens Gold Medal for Poetry in 1992. In 2000, she was awarded the CBE - Commander of the British Empire. It wasn’t only the English who appreciated her work. She was won the Edna St. Vincent Millay Prize from the American Poetry Society, as well as being made Commandeur of L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

Finally, in July 2003, she passed over to the other side for a well deserved rest – in some respects a young 95!

While I love many of her poems much more than the following one, “Harvest” seems the most appropriate one to share at this time of the year on the Malvern Hills.

“Harvest” ~ Kathleen Raine

Day is the hero's shield,
Achilles' field,
The light days are the angels.
We the seed.

Against eternal light and gorgon's face
Day is the shield
And we the grass
Native to fields of iron, and skies of brass.

Fukushima: It's much worse than you think - Features - Al Jazeera English

2011-06-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

Fukushima: It's much worse than you think - Features - Al Jazeera English

Ella Young - a truly rare breed

2011-06-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

Ella Young was a rare breed indeed.

An Irishwomen, she was brought up in a Protestant family as a Presbyterian, later becoming an ardent Irish Nationalist, who helped hide ammunitions and weapons after witnessing the "terrible beauty" of 1916 the Easter Uprising.

Friends with many trail blazers in the Emerald Isle's rocky history - Maud Gonne, William Butler Yeats and George Russell (known to most as the poet and visionary "AE") - she collected a vast array of Celtic stories, legends and myths from country folk. We can be grateful for the treasure trove of material she collected and saved for perpetuity.

When the Treaty between England and Ireland was signed on 6th December 1922 creating the Irish Free State, she felt betrayed and hatched a plan to emigrate to the United States. She believed the conditions of the proposed Free State broke up and destroyed much of the magic of the Emerald Isle.

By 1925 Ella had come to the United States, bringing with her all the myths and legends she had collected. She wrote them down as stories and poems and began lecturing in town halls and universities.

Her American audiences were truly captivated by her fantastic knowledge but also by the magic and wild romance of her words. Becoming an important literary and spiritual figure in California, she influenced many people, including the photographer Ansel Adams, the poet Robinson Jeffers and composer Harry Partch.

She found her Celtic faith again in the sacred land of Point Lobos and in the solitude of her magical cottage garden in the dunes of Arroyo Grande.

Growing up in Ireland I was always fascinated by her semi-mythical figure and the tales she so colourfully told. I was delighted to find out today that Starlight Press in Cheltenham have just published a new collection of her work edited by the industrious John Matthews and Denise Sallee. If you are interested in all things Celtic you will be delighted with "AT THE GATES OF DAWN: A Collection of Writings by Ella Young". Check this spirited and gifted lady's work out!

"MY LADY OF DREAMS

One night the beauty of the stars,
Made magic for me white and still,
I climbed the road above the hill
The road no waking footstep mars.

I met my Lady in the wood
The black pine wood above the hill,
Dream-fair her beauty, white and still;
I knelt as one before the Rood.

White Dream that makes my life a war
Of wild desires and baffled will
Once more my soul with beauty fill
Rise through the darkness, O my Star."

Ella Young

Roberto Assagioli, Founding Father of Psychosynthesis

2011-05-29T03:02:00.000-07:00

"Let us feel and obey the urge aroused by the great need of healing the serious ills which at present are affecting humanity; let us realize the contribution we can make to the creation of a new civilization characterized by an harmonious integration and cooperation, pervaded by the spirit of synthesis." - Roberto Assagioli, Founding Father of Psychosynthesis.

Will Parfitt first introduced me to Psychosynthesis in the late 1980s when he came along to talk to my North Kent / Charlton House Green Circle group about his then relatively new book, "The Living Qabalah". I had just bought his even newer book with the unreplicable title, "Walking Through Walls."

"Walls" looked at a range of different systems and methodologies for overcoming those things which block us from reaching a greater potential. Star Trek, Psychosynthesis, Timothy Leary's "Circuits of Living" and Qabalah were some of the diverse range of topics covered. There were lots of practical exercises based on Psychosynthesis to try out plus ones from the other systems showcased. These exercises were the reverse of the usually glib exercises dished out at the time in the spew of New Age, Magic and self-help books of the Eighties.

After the talk we spoke for a while on what Psychosynthesis was about, how useful it was for a magician or someone interested in maximising human potential. We talked about how Regardie had always stated a strong belief that anyone getting involved in serious magical practice should enter into therapy...typically Jungian analysis being the example given. Having tried out some of the exercises from his new book for a couple of weeks and on talking to Will it became apparent that Psychosynthesis went far beyond were Jung left off. It was a meta system which provided a holistic system approach for the practitioner, enabling a very complete and deep level of integration and healing. Most importantly for me at the time was the efficacy and pace of change possible from practicising the techniques of Psychosynthesis.

Huge blast at Japan nuclear power plant

2011-03-12T01:58:00.000-08:00

A massive explosion has struck a Japanese nuclear power plant after Friday's devastating earthquake which measured 8.9.

A great pall of smoke was seen coming from the plant at Fukushima and several workers were injured. Japanese officials now believe one of the reactors is in meltdown after radioactive material was detected leaking outside it. The levels of radiation leaking are over 1000 times higher than those accepted as safe. News is believed to be censored at this stage.

When are we going to realise that nuclear energy is not safe and can never be safe? It can bring far reaching and devasting consequences to the planet, the wildlife and the people for generations. Human error, earth movements, terrorism. When are we going to realise and act on a personal and global basis on implementing alternative safer and cleaner forms of energy?

This is just too big to play with.

Instead of supporting nuclear energy as the only option to fight global warming surely we should all be demanding an urgent move towards the many safer energy saving options. Influential scientists like James Lovelock should be ashamed of themselves for continuing to support the proliferation of this highly dangerous and unpredictable approach to energy production.

This could make 3 Mile Island, Windscale and Chenobyl look like a vicar's tea party.........

Libya - Open Letter to Harriett Baldwin Member of Parliament

2011-03-12T01:51:00.000-08:00

Are you chasing your political representatives to do something about the escalating criminal slaughter and abuse of human rights in Libya? This is the text of a letter to my MP at the House of Commons sent earlier this week.

Harriett Baldwin MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

Dear Mrs Baldwin

I am writing to request your assistance in a peacekeeping and humanitarian matter.

You will know already that on the 3rd March the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court commenced an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed in Libya since 15 February 2011.

Information through the media and from Libyan and foreign nationals in the country through Twitter and Facebook suggests that forces loyal to President Muammar Qadhafi are attacking and killing civilians in Libya. This constitutes crimes against humanity and international action must be taken immediately to safeguard lives, human rights and further bloodshed. There must be no further inaction while people are slaughtered nor impunity for the leaders involved in the commission of these crimes against humanity.

As my representative in Parliament I would ask that you publically condemn the Libyan dictator's atrocities and demand urgent action from our government and the wider international community to safeguard the lives and human rights of many thousands of Libyan and foreign nationals. I believe to fail to do so would be criminal in itself and will needlessly result on much more blood being on the hands of the British government and its people.

Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to hearing confirmation that you have been able to support this request.

Yours sincerely.....

Thought for the New Year

2011-01-02T05:39:00.000-08:00

"Thus will you obtain the glory of the whole universe.
All obscurity will be clear to you.
This is the greatest force of all power
because it overcomes every suitable thing and
penetrates every solid thing."

- The Emerald Tablet of Hermes -

Empyrean Dawn

2010-12-03T16:13:00.000-08:00

I don't normally react deeply or positively to Methodist hymns.

As a child Methodists always came across as being even nicer than Anglicans. More a case of "cake and more cake" rather than Eddie Izzard's "cake or death."

However, recently, when I heard Irish songstress Joanne Hogg sing the first two verses of an Iona song, "Empyrean Dawn," my heart melted and my spirit soared:

"How wonderful this world
A fragment of a fiery sun
How lovely and how small
The smallest seed in secret grows
Thrusting upward and so soon
The bidding of the Light

The bud unfurls into a rose
The wings within the white cocoon
Are perfected for flight
The migrant bird in winter fled
Shall come again with spring
And build, in this same shady tree"

Beautiful imagery from a hymn by Methodist Frederick Pratt Green and put to fantastic music by Iona in their album "The Circling Hour."

Celtic F.

The Iowa State Fair 2010 - Green Eggs .......

2010-07-16T16:40:00.000-07:00

The Iowa State Fair approaches with a theme of Dr Suess characters being sculpted out of butter. Mmmm...hadn't thought of that one before really. As a Brit I just can't quite imagine this happening at the Three Counties Fair or any other country gathering in England. The novelty beckons from across the pond. I embrace the experience. Here I come....

"The Meaning"

2010-02-03T15:57:00.000-08:00

Margaret Lumley Brown was one of the finest trance medium’s of the 20th Century. However, for me her most important life experience was her training, service and work with Dion Fortune’s Society of the Inner Light. While I am fortunate enough to know people present and deceased who worked with her, I never met her and am often left with a feeling that she would have been a great person to have had round for a cup of tea and a slice of cake! Alas, I never had that chance. She corresponded with Arthur Conan Doyle and some other notable figures. Fortunately Gareth Knight has published some excerpts of her poetry, psychic experiences and “communications” in his book “Pythoness”. The “communications” have the strange depth and resonance that are typical of contacted work. It remains a long standing wish of mine that one day her work will be widely and publically available by book or the internet for seekers to enjoy and ponder. Following a short excerpt in “Pythoness” Gareth Knight has recently published the whole text of her wonderful “The Litany of the Sun” on his blog. It is a powerful Apollonian invocation, rich for meditation and visualization. Guaranteed to blast away the darkness! Please take a look at his blog. I thought I would return the favour by sharing her poem “The Meaning” She dedicated the piece “To those who only read poetry for a 'message' or a 'philosophy of Life.'"

THE MEANING

Seek for such things where they abound,
In dusty tomes, none here are found
Saving the meaning of the ground

Which holds the legend of the rose,
The silver lore of rains and snows,
Man's prologue and his drama's close!

The meaning of the lonely sod
Where some see but a space untrod
And others footprints of a god!

The meaning which strikes lovers dumb
When through the world's harsh waters come
The ravelled sails of Actium!

IRENE HAY (Margaret Lumley Brown).

A simple but profound pondering.....

2010-02-01T15:06:00.000-08:00

"You will find something more in woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters."

Bernard of Clairvaux - Epistle, French Abbot, Saint & Co-founder of the Knights' Templar Rule

"Let's Call the Whole Thing Off"

2010-01-24T07:08:00.000-08:00

Somebody recently asked me what was the correct way to pronounce a particular letter in classical greek. There was a difference of academic opinion on the letter in question.

My response was that I don't much get concerned about the correct pronunciation of classical greek, latin or hebrew. The intent and meaning behind it should really be the paramount focus and concern. If I had more time to spend on research I may hold a different view - but I don't!

In terms of esoteric working, it only becomes a real problem when there is such an extreme difference in pronunciation that other participants in your working don't recognise what you are intoning or saying. That's pretty rare.To make a illustrative comparison, a Geordie will still understand a Liverpudlian accent in 99% of cases and vice versa.

Somewhat surprisingly the discussion reminded me of my Gran. Let me elaborate. My sister and I went to different schools. She went to a state school while I went to private school. There was family havoc when we were both learning latin because we were both taught a number of different pronunciations to each other. As can be expected, on one occasion this caused a very loud and angry episode of sibling rivalry over whose was the correct one. Only when my 80-year old Gran stepped in singing the song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" did we get back to finishing our homework! Its still a favourite song of mine:

You say "either" and I say "either"
You say "neither" I say "neither"
"Either" "either", "neither" "neither"
Let's call the whole thing off
You say "potato," I say "patattah"
You say "tomato", I say "creole tomata"
Oh, let's call the whole thing off
Oh, if we call the whole thing off
Then we must part and oh
If we ever part, that would break my heart
So, I say "ursta" you say "oyster"
I'm not gonna stop eatin' urstas just cause you say oyster,
Oh, let's call the whole thing off
Oh, I say "pajamas", you say "pajamas"
Sugar, what's the problem?
Oh, for we know we need each other so
We'd better call the calling off off
So let's call it off, oh let's call it off
Oh, let's call it off, baby let's call it off
Sugar why don't we call it off,
I'm talking baby why call it off
Call it off¡
Let's call the whole thing off

(PS Its much more fun if you sing it loud with a partner of the opposite sex!)

Albion - Excerpts from William Blake’s poetic visions of Albion

2010-01-20T03:56:00.000-08:00

William Blake’s epic poem "Jerusalem" has within its complex array of symbolism some simple visions of “the best of Albion”, or, a glimpse of what Albion and those people dwelling within it may be capable of with applied will and dedication.

Blake's concept of Albion develops in depth and breadth as his own life experiences and understanding evolves. Albion appears to start off rather simply as the ancient name for the personified "land of Britain". This then develops towards Albion as a Titan or giant guardian of the British Isles and all who live within its realms. From there his vision progresses onwards. Albion is seen as a transforming living being symbolising the complexity and contradictions of Humanity … seen through the imperfect eyes of an English visionary, artist, poet and mystic.

Ultimately Blake's material provides the questing soul with much nourishment, inspiration and challenge.

His opus "Jerusalem" presents a mature vision of Albion from Blake’s later years.

Some of the most compelling lines of this vast work are captured and included below for you to ponder, contemplate or meditate on:

“I behold London ; a Human awful wonder of God!
He says, Return, Albion, return! I give myself for thee:
My Streets are my Ideas of Imagination.
Awake Albion, awake! and let us awake up together.

My Houses are Thoughts; my Inhabitants, Affections,
The children of my thoughts, walking within my blood-vessels…”

“Why stand we here trembling around,
Calling on God for help, and not ourselves,
in whom God dwells,
Stretching a hand to save the falling Man?”

“That Man subsists by Brotherhood and Universal Love.
Not for ourselves but for the Eternal family we live.
Man liveth not by Self alone……”

“They came up to Jerusalem: they walked before Albion.
In the Exchanges of London every Nation walk'd,
And London walk'd in every Nation, mutual in love & harmony.
Albion cover'd the whole Earth, England encompass'd the Nations,

Mutual each within other's bosom in Visions of Regeneration:
Jerusalem cover'd the Atlantic Mountains & the Erythrean,
From bright Japan & China to Hesperia, France & England.
Mount Zion lifted his head in every Nation under heaven:
And the Mount of Olives was beheld over the whole Earth.”

" All things Begin & End in Albion's Ancient Druid Rocky Shore."

“Saying, Albion! Our wars are wars of life, & wounds of love,
With intellectual spears, & long winged arrows of thought:
Mutual in one another's love and wrath all renewing
We live as One Man: for contracting our infinite senses
We behold multitude: or expanding, we behold as one.
As One Man all the Universal Family…”

“…To Create a World of Generation from the World of Death.”

“…Of Redemption & of awaking again into Eternity.”

“…I am the Resurrection & the Life.
I Die & pass the limits of possibility, as it appears
To individual perception. Luvah must be Created,
And Vala; for I cannot leave them in the gnawing Grave,
But will prepare a way for my banished-ones to return.
Come now with me into the villages, walk thro' all the cities :
Tho' thou art taken to prison & judgment, starved in the streets,
I will command the cloud to give thee food & the hard rock
To flow with milk & wine, tho' thou seest me not a season,
Even a long season, & a hard journey & a howling wilderness..”

2009 gives way to 2010....

2009-12-31T03:20:00.000-08:00

As 2009 draws to an end and 2010 begins, many of us may be inclined to think on matters such as Time and Change.

Below is a beautiful Hermetic text my old friend Tony Willis flagged up which seems more than apt for contemplation with this coming shift into a new year.

The Hierarchy of Creation

Atum creates the Cosmic Mind.
The Cosmic Mind creates the Cosmos.
The Cosmos creates Time.
Time creates Change.

The essence of Atum
is Primal Goodness.
The essence of the Cosmic Mind
is permanent sameness.
The essence of the Cosmos
is beautiful order.
The essence of Time
is movement.
The essence of Change
is Life.

Atum works
through Mind and Soul.
The Cosmic Mind works
through immortality and duration.
The Cosmos works
through turning and returning.
Time works
through increase and decrease.
Change works
through quality and quantity.

The Cosmic Mind is in Atum.
The Cosmos is in Eternity.
Time is in the Cosmos.
Change is in Time.
The Cosmic Mind
is permanently connected to Atum.
The Cosmos is made up of thoughts
in the Cosmic Mind.

The Cosmic Mind is an image of Atum.
The Cosmos is an image of the Cosmic Mind.
The sun is an image of the Cosmos.
The human being is an image of the sun.

From The Hermetica: The Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs by Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy (Penguin, 1999).

Blessings to each and everyone in the coming year!

Gustav Holst - Master of Magical Music & Song

2009-11-01T10:22:00.000-08:00

“The Heavenly Spheres make music for us,

The Holy Twelve dance with us,

All things join in the dance!

Ye who dance not, know not what we are knowing.”

Gustav Holst, in a letter to Clifford Bax.

Who can forget the first time they heard Holst’s stunning suite of music, The Planets? Whether it was as a child or adult, it is difficult to forget the immediate reaction to hearing the music, particularly the gargantuan “Mars.” Love it or hate it, it is magical, powerful and evocative music.

The energy of “Mars, the Bringer of War,” is represented by a frenetic and unremitting march in 5/4 time. The orchestration of the piece is stuffed full of brass instruments giving the music incredible raw force and sense of movement. Kettle drums boom as they are beaten with the hard–ended sticks. The strings are furiously struck with the wood of the bows, producing a harsh and almost sabre-rattling sound. The music grows in size, energy and volume until it reaches almost ear-drum rupturing level before coming to a powerful conclusion. I still get a real buzz of energy from listening to the piece after many years. What a contrast to the gentle “Venus, the Bringer of Peace” that follows “Mars” in the suite.

Many Hermetic magicians of the 20th and 21st century have integrated key sections of The Planets into their meditations and rituals to great effect. In terms of the Ogdoadic system, the music is particularly suited for meditation and inclusion in a number of the planetary workings of Planetary Magic and much First and Second Hall work. However, Holst has much more to offer those looking to add additional colour to their magical practice.

Where did this man find the inspiration for his music? Where did he come from and what were his interests and philosophy?

I first became more interested in the spiritual side of Gustav Holst’s work when my own job took me to the West Country of England and the spa town of Cheltenham. Unexpectedly, here was Holst’s birthplace. I was intrigued to find out a little more about this enigmatic man whose music I had grown up to.

His birthplace of Cheltenham is a small and strange English town with a number of esoteric characters linked to it over the past 120 years, including Florence Farr (Golden Dawn / Theosophy Society), WG Gray (Society of the Inner Light / Sangreal Foundation), Murray Hope (The Atlanteans et al), Jaz Coleman (occult philosopher, musician and Composer in Residence for the European Union), not to mention the esoteric publishers Helios Books (Gareth Knight). The town is also close to the powerful and ancient Rollright Stones, an abundance of old Knight’s Templar sites as well as Dr John Dee’s Upton-upon-Severn.

Holst’s birthplace is also blessed by being situated at the foot of the Cotswold scarp, underneath the gentle “Seven Springs,” source of the great river Thames, (known by the Roman’s as “The Isis”). At the heart of the town rests a truly magnificent water feature of Neptune riding his sea-horses up out of the waves. It seems apt that the magic of The Planets suite should be born from the cradle of this exceptional spa town.

Holst was born in 1874 and spent his early life growing up in Cheltenham. An oversensitive and unhappy child, he was plagued by eyesight problems, asthma and neuritis in his hands. As a child he detested practicing the violin, but relished the piano.

As he grew older, Holst failed his initial attempts to gain scholarships to the Royal College of Music and various other colleges in London. Undeterred, he gained his first professional engagement as an organist in 1893. Within a short space of time he also became organist and choirmaster of another local choral society in the heart of the Cotswolds. These experiences helped him to develop a solid comprehension of the workings of a choir. Choral music and the choral tradition in England would remain vitally important throughout the rest of his life.

In the autumn of 1895 Gustav met English composer musician and choral expert Ralph Vaughan Williams for the first time. It was the beginning of a lifelong friendship with a person who would do much to preserve the ancient folk songs and customs of England. It was also the beginning of their habit of playing compositions to each other and sharing ideas while still working on their scores. Sometimes they would walk along Chiswick Mall or the Thames with other college friends while discussing the poetry of Walt Whitman or the works of William Morris and Edward Carpenter. During this time Holst was also introduced to George Bernard Shaw, brief member of the Golden Dawn.

In 1899 Holst developed a voracious appetite for Sanskrit, Eastern Mysticism and, in particular, the principles of Hinduism. Of specific interest to him was the Rig Veda and the Baghavad Gita. The limited translations available at the time seemed lacking in substance, so he joined the School of Oriental Languages at the London Institute to learn the language and make his own poetic translations.

While there is no evidence to confirm that he was a formal member of the Theosophical Society, Holst was a certainly a close friend of people who were. It is evident from his body of work that he shared the same views. Notably, his stepmother had also been a member of the Society and regularly talked to him about its philosophy in his formative years. In London, Holst became friends with GRS Mead, Theosophist and translator of many important hermetic works including, Pistis Sophia, and Corpus Hermeticum. It is thought that Mead introduced him at this time to the well-known astrologer Alan Leo, who was also a Sanskrit scholar and a fellow member, along with Holst, of the Royal Asiatic Society. Mead and Leo became close friends.

Holst also became good friends with Clifford Bax, an “ardent Theosophist,” playwright, poet, novelist and critic who also shared a keen interest in astrology. Bax moved in circles that frequented him with W B Yeats, Crowley, Austin Osman Spare, Florence Farr, John Symonds and “Dame” Frieda Harris, the artist who gave life to Crowley’s magnificent tarot the Book of Thoth. As Holst’s astrological expertise grew he became renowned for regularly casting horoscopes for his friends and their families. From his interests and friendships at this time sprang the creativity that would become The Planets. Many other musical works would also be sparked into creation from his friendships and spiritual interests. One of the least well-known but perhaps most interesting works is his “Hymn of Jesus,” a profound Gnostic exploration of time and space. It is well worth further exploration.

One of the core elements of Ogdoadic daily practice is the Solar Adorations. At least two key versions have been practiced by the Tradition. One previously used was Egyptian-based; the other one is based on a poetic rendering of one of the great Vedic Hymns, Usha (translated as “The Dawn”). This is where practitioners of the Art Magic may be particularly interested in Holst’s work. Holst made the following interpretation of Usha, which is beautifully poetic. I suspect many Ogdoadic practitioners will both recognise and appreciate it:

Usha (Dawn)

Behold the Dawn, the fairest of all visions,

Day's glory now appears.

Arise! For the night hath fled!

Arise and greet the Dawn.

Welcome her! Unveiled she now appeareth,

All things greet her radiant smile.

Borne by wingèd horse and car

She steals across the sky.

Child of heav'n arrayed in shining garments,

Blushing maiden draw thou near:

Sovran lady of earth and sky,

We hail thee as our queen.

Heav'n's breath awakeneth creation,

The sky is all aflame,

Th'eastern Portals open wide.

The Sun draws nigh.

Greeting thee, the holy fire ascendeth,

Greeting thee, our hymns arise,

Greeting thee, the Sun appeareth,

Greeting thee, thy worshippers

Bow down and bless and adore.

This is a highly devotional interpretation of the Usha. There are a number of beautifully sung recordings of this and other Vedic Hymns attentively put to music by Holst. Perhaps Vac (Speech) is one other inspirational interpretation worth quoting. There are shades of Neith, Sophia, Leukothea and the Magna Mater in this piece:

Vac (Speech)

I, the queen of all,

First of those that mankind worship,

Worthy of all praise,

I proclaim aloud my wisdom.

Hearken unto me,

My word is true:

Unto God and Man

I bring blessing,

Pouring forth my wealth,

Making wise the man I cherish.

Through me each one lives,

Each one breathes and sees and hearkens.

All unite in me,

I alone sustain creation,

Compassing the earth

I reach t'ward heav'n.

In the water's depth

I have my dwelling,

On the summit of the universe

I bring forth the Father.

Beyond the earth and sky

I reign in my mystic grandeur.

A version of the above text but with pictures appears on the Astrum Sophia House of Thoth website.

If you’re interested in further explorations of Holst and related matters, I would strongly recommend the following sources:

Bax, Clifford (editor). Letters to Florence Farr - Bernard Shaw and W.B. Yeats. Shannon: Irish University Press, 1971.

Denning & Phillips. The Magical Philosophy. Book 1. Robe and Ring. (Appendix D, Page 166.) St Paul: Llewellyn, 1983

Head, Raymond. “Holst - Astrology and Modernism in 'The Planets’.” TEMPO (C.U.P), No. 187, December 1993.

Head, Raymond. “The Hymn of Jesus: Holst’s Gnostic Exploration of Time and Space.” TEMPO (C.U.P), July 1999.

Holst, Imogen. Great Composers: Holst. London: Faber and Faber, 1981

Lace, Ian. “A Biography of Gustav Holst.” http://www.gustavholst.info/biography 1995

Mitchell, Jon C. A Comprehensive Biography of Composer Gustav Holst with Correspondence and Diary Excerpts. Lewiston: Edwin Mellen Press, 2001.

Rubbra, Edmund. Gustav Holst. London: Lyre-Bird Press, 1947.

Short, Michael. Gustav Holst: The Man and His Music. Michael Short, Oxford University Press, 1990.

Vaughan Williams, Ralph and Holst, Gustav. Heirs and Rebels; letters written to each other and occasional writings on music. London: Oxford University Press, 1959.

Aston, Sue. “English composers How Mysticism and the Landscape influenced English Composers.”

Autumn warmth

2009-10-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

We woke up this morning to a perpetual drizzle of rain and increasing swirlings of mist. It looked like it would be one of those Sundays spent indoors enveloped by a suffocating fog. By lunchtime the sun had broken through, the rain had stopped ... "Mr Blue Sky" graced us with his presence. Family and dog decanted from the house and bounded up the Malvern Hills delighting in the warmth of the sunlight upon our faces. Three weeks after the Autumn Equinox and it could have been Summer but for the falling leaves and apples. However, the nights are drawing in and it will soon be the Winter Solstice followed by the long and dark journey of the Water Tide through to the Vernal Equinox. Enjoy the sunlight while it lasts! Soon be time to batten down the hatches!

2009-03-09T16:09:00.000-07:00

ONE EARTH HOUR – Global Switch Off To Switch On To Climate Change

Earth Hour - 28th March 2009 - Switch off to Switch on.

On the 28th of March, 2009 at 8:30 p.m., hundreds of millions of people in more than 500 cities and 75 countries around the world will come together once again to make an empassioned statement of concern about climate change by turning off all their domestic or office lights for an hour - for One Earth Hour. An event that symbolizes by working together, each of us can make a positive impact in the fight against climate change.

With every flick of a light-switch, a vote is cast for lasting action and solutions to the escalating climate crisis.

From melting glaciers to increasingly intense weather patterns, climate change is already impacting life on our planet. To alter the course of climate change, we must act now.

Earth Hour Expands its Reach in 2009

Cities around the world have already committed to Earth Hour 2009. International cities such as Beijing, Copenhagen, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Moscow and Paris will be joined in the States by Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Dallas, New York and San Francisco.

Organisations endorsing Earth Hour include 4-H, Astronomical League and the National Education Association. Celebrities pledging support include recording artists Alanis Morissette, Kathy Mattea, Wynonna Judd, KT Tunstall, Gavin DeGraw, Rise Against and Jo Dee Messina, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett and Janeane Garofalo.

More information is available at:

http://earthhour.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/aboutearthhour/

An Historic Event

Earth Hour was first celebrated two years ago in Sydney, Australia, when 2.2 million people and thousands of businesses turned out their lights for one hour. In March 2008, an estimated 36 million Americans joined the effort, with more than 400 cities and 50 million people participating worldwide.

Earth Hour captured the public’s imagination with lights going out at some of the world’s most iconic landmarks including the Coliseum in Rome and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and symbols such as Cola-Cola’s famous billboard in Times Square and the Google homepage.

One hour - Earth Hour. Turn off. Take action. Vote Earth. Vote Gaia.

Chalice Well Waters - Glastonbury

2009-03-07T11:46:00.000-08:00

Chalice Well at the foot of Glastonbury Tor is a peaceful and healing place. Many souls visit this beautiful garden every year. The water tastes of blood due to its exceptionally high iron content. This is one of my favourite photographs from this place which has been an inspiration to me over many many years.

Celtic Fire – the passionate soul

2009-02-21T03:48:00.000-08:00

Celtic Fire – the passionate soul
(my musings on elements of the Celtic Black Book of Carmarthen)

I am the Green Flame of Fire, blazing with passionate Love;

I am the shining spark of Light, illuminating the depths of eternal truth;

I am the rough and roaring sea, heaving with righteous indignation;

I am a peaceful and calm lake, comforting and stilling the troubled breast;

I am the wild storm, raging at human wrong-doings;

I am a gentle refreshing breeze, blowing hope into saddened human hearts;

I am dry dust choking cruel human ambition;

I am the damp and fertile earth, bearing generous gifts of Love and Grace.

Blessings

Celtic Fire

Daylight

2009-02-15T12:16:00.000-08:00

I took a day trip to the Rococo Gardens in Painswick in the Stroud Valleys. Surrounded by a carpet of budding snowdrops I walked past a statue of Pan. With Spring and the returning daylight on their way, I was very much struck by Rumi's short piece on daylight.

Rumi: Daylight

"If ten lamps are present in one place,
each differs in form from another;
yet you can't distinguish whose radiance is whose
when you focus on the light.

In the field of spirit there is no division;
no individuals exist.

Sweet is the oneness of the Friend with His friends.

Catch hold of spirit.

Help this headstrong self disintegrate;
that beneath it you may discover unity,
like a buried treasure."

*

In many ways, the promise of Spring is the promise of the Light returning....and that Light hath healing in its wings.......healing that brings Unity of Spirit.

Best wishes

Celtic Fire

The Blame Game and Immigration

2009-02-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

At best, I’m feeling physically sick from all the current tabloid media coverage about “banning immigration” or “locking up illegal workers”. At worst, I’m scared. Yes, that way round. The xenophobia ranting and ramblings are both unreasonable and irrational. Blaming immigration and “foreigners” misses the point. I’ve noticed some articles and blogs saying that people would be happier to pay higher rates for goods and services. This is a facile derogation of personal responsibility from those making those comments and for the part we all play in the world community we inhabit. There are still unfilled jobs on offer throughout Western Civilization because the people and governments of countries such as the US and the UK pursue a rate of economic growth that cannot be sustained by the work of people already living here. The demand for goods, the mass over consumption, has led to the nations of the West becoming hosting grounds of obesity in both children and adults. Until we change our fads and our policies, foreign workers (of a legal or illegal status) will continue to come to the wealthier nations. They will continue to come and take the all-too-available jobs that provide and fulfill our every need to maintain an existence not far removed from sleep walking in the dead of night. They will continue to come because their own economies have been exploited by the policies of wealthier countries – such as ours. Perhaps a longer term solution is to shift towards economic policies that are not dependent on inward migration, as this results in more overcrowding, with qualified workers being poached from economically poorer countries, and exploited labour in the “grey economy”? One suggestion is for debate and adoption of new worldviews, new paradigms of national economies and international economy. Economies that work within their finite environmental limits – including a stable population – with less growth overall, together with an international economy which does not force people to leave their homes in order to provide a decent living for themselves and their families. Which political parties and pressure groups are creatively truly grappling with this?

Best wishes

Celtic Fire

A walk on the staircase – introductory qabalistic aphorisms

2009-02-08T02:39:00.000-08:00

For MLJ – may you walk in the Light

1. I am Spirit made manifest on earth. My spirit resonates and reverberates with the Universal Spirit which breathes in and out. With its out-breath the universe is populated, with its in-breath the universe diminishes.
2. I am Wisdom on Earth. I have learned my wisdom through experience in Space and Time. Joy and pain have been my stalwarts. Others look to my successes and failures to gain inspiration.
3. I am Understanding on Earth. You will find me in the depths of the Darkness of Space or in the cavernous Hollows of the Earth. I comprehend all that has gone before and will occur in the future, by seeing the patterns and reading the runes, I understand thereof.
4. I am a Ruler on Earth. I rule with Mercy and gain respect from my dominion. To many I am the Great Giver – I am everything that is giving in life and you must be open to what is yours to take.
5. I am an Activist, Warrior and Protector on Earth. I invoke fear in the hearts of my enemy but act with ruthless compassion. To many I am the True Taker. To the Twice-born and those that see, my taking can reveal hidden gifts.
6. I am Homo Veritas on Earth. Actualised, I dance around a fulcrum point, swaying and swirling like a whirling dervish. I exemplify dynamic balance.
7. I am both Lover and Loved on Earth. I feel my way along the Path of Being. Fearless to show my true emotions, I give and receive love freely and unconditionally.
8. I am the Thinker on Earth. I can deduct and discern clearly, I can speak articulately and listen with patience and empathy.
9. I am both Dream and Dreamer on Earth. From my twilight realm comes Healing, Magic and Vision.
10. I am the Body on Earth; Force given fullest Form. I worship Spirit in this form and Spirit in its own way worships through this form.

* * *

11. I accumulate Knowledge on Earth, knowledge to inform those around me and myself to better ends. I carry people across huge chasms like a condor flying across the greatest abyss.

Celtic Fire

The BBC's decision on the DEC Gaza Appeal

2009-02-08T01:10:00.000-08:00

Last month I was dismayed to hear that the BBC had determined that the DEC appeal for humanitarian aid to Gaza was “political" and would not be aired. The Gaza crisis has left circa 100,000 people homeless. 1.3 million people are dependent on food aid and 1 million people don't have access to safe and adequate water supplies. Public health is at risk from the near collapse of Gaza's sewage system and at least 21 health clinics have been damaged. United Nations humanitarian aid has been bombed.

While the situation in Gaza is clearly driven by politics, the issue of aid is clearly humanitarian. These two things should not be confused. By refusing this advert I believe that the BBC has acted politically itself and directly discriminated against the people of Gaza in a wholly unacceptable manner.

I am a passionate supporter of the BBC and would willingly pay a much higher license fee to enable the BBC’s usually excellent and non-partisan approach to journalism and entertainment to continue.But......my formal complaints get meaningless responses repeatedly referring me back to Mark Thompson's statement on DEC which was what my complaint was about. When I wished to appeal I was told they were not applying their own complaints procedure to DEC Gaza related complaints.

As an organisation the BBC has enabled many previous appeals for other people in dire need of compassion and humanitarian aid. How is the appeal and the needs of the people of Gaza any different to the previously allowed appeals?

I would argue strongly that the BBC have no justifiable or logical reason for refusing to air the DEC Gaza humanitarian appeal. As a license payer, I've asked that they reconsider their decision and allow the humanitarian appeal to go ahead.

So far they are not listening. I will continue to hound them.

Best wishes

Celtic Fire