Phoenix from the wasteland

Never had there been such a furore in The Kingdom. A representative of the inter-dimensional federation was due to descend to our time slice and space. As the kings chief conduit I was charged with greeting him and giving him a tour of our realm.
A flash of light and after a moments blindness he stood before me in the embodimentation crucible. At first he glowed and appeared to be made of plasma. After a few seconds his skin coalesced into a shining metallic material that shimmered with many colours.
Firstly, I took him to our grand universities. Each one stood tall and distinct. All triumphs of engineering convoluted complexity. I introduced him to our finest thinkers and waited patiently while he discoursed with them. I saw many a scholar grinning in the rapture of inspiration.
Secondly, I took him to the central temple. The complex that the temple was built in was spread across most of the capital city and the temple itself was the tallest of all the buildings. The maintenance of it's grandeur took up a significant portion of the kingdoms economy. Underneath the kilometre wide dome of the altar of altars he met the supreme priest.
Finally, I took him to my kings humble palace. How could the emissary fail to be impressed by our respect for the divine and our love of learning. He stood before the king. The king, pale and slim, climbed down from his thrown and bowed low before him.
"I commend you for your kingdoms excellent progress in connecting with the higher dimensions. Unfortunately I am here to inform you of a complaint that has been lodged against you by the council of the fifth dimension." said the emissary.
"I assure you that we have observed every rite and festival we have divined. We have balanced respect for tradition with mystic revelation. Our professors have brought fundamental theories of the universe to light. We respect the communications of the higher dimensions in all their forms."
"It is true that your kingdom is extremely receptive to the spirit but you have limited it's avenues of expression."
"What nobler expression could there be other than through art, religion and learning?"
"On my tour I noticed that you have no buildings dedicated to sport or the military. Why is this?"
"We have evolved to a level of society whereby these are not needed and are considered barbaric."
"I see. I also noticed a very low level of farming and general material infrastructure."
"We seek to maintain as little impact on our environment as possible."
"And your population becomes weaker and more frail with every year. In a few generations all fight will have been bred out of them."
"And we will live in peace and harmony.."
"Until you are attacked and conquered.."
"We have never been attacked."
"Why do you think that is?"
".."
"Have you not noticed that you've enjoyed unnaturally good weather?"
".."
"You see, you have been under the protection of the higher dimensions. Your learning is valuable. However, events in the multi-verse have rendered the cost of your protection too high. There are grave threats to the creative balance that we must address. Apply your energy to stabilise yourselves materially. We're going to have to let some bad weather come your way. You will be attacked, you will be tested. You must be ready."
And with that he left. Just vanished with a faint swoosh as the air moved into his now vacant space.
After his visit everything changed.

I'm halfway through a book called Pronoia by Rob Brezsny. It's a wonderful book that I will be reviewing in depth when I finish it. He is most famous for his internationally syndicated horoscope column "Free Will Astrology".

It's a horoscope like no other. With out fail it challenges my boundaries and inspires me. It is never mundane but raises me up in a fun way. It's a celebration of life and creativity. Whether you believe in Astrology or not - read it to get a glimpse of the thoughts of a man with a great world view. I would love to be able to write with such verve. He writes what I think - better.

Read This weeks horoscopes

Or his website

Credit to Mr Sueref for sending me the link to this..

Patrick Harpur's previous book The Philosopher's Secret Fire a History of the Imagination changed my life. I was studying Philosophy at university and was stuck fast in a rigid literal rationalist perspective. It opened my eyes to metaphor and myth. By showing me the mythic nature of the scientific world view it was if somebody had pulled the rug from beneath my feet. It provided me with the intellectual tools I needed to initiate a dialogue with my soul. Many of my friends have reported the same experience on reading the book.

I was eagerly awaiting his recently republished book Mercurius: The Marriage of Heaven and Earth and it did not disappoint. The story is about two people separated by time but united by place and subject. The subject is alchemy and this book is the best exposition of the subject I have read. One character literally sets up an alchemical laboratory and carries out the physical process. The other finds his notes in the future and analyses them from a comparative mythological and psychological perspective. As the processes of alchemy are described they are mirrored in the events in the book and the psychological growth of the characters. What is incredible is that Harpur manages to achieve this whilst still telling an enjoyable story full of mystery, suspense and believable characters.

One of the fascinating aspects of reading this book was the way in which the ideas within it relate to the way in which the text can be interpreted. As the characters gain a greater understanding of alchemy I gained a better understanding as to how to interpret the book. The process of reading the book became an alchemical process in itself. I actually felt transformed after reading it. As each of the stages of alchemy unfolded in book I would notice the same processes unfolding in my own life and mind. This self-reflective nature of the book makes me sure that on every re-read I will find hidden subtleties in myself and the book.

Lately, since Jung, it has been the vogue to interpret alchemy as solely psychological process. However the whole point of alchemy is to understand the united nature of the inner and the outer. The physical processes of alchemy are intimately related to the inner processes of the practitioner. I think that this understanding has almost been forgotten. It’s truth is currently being hinted at by the developments of quantum physics. This book makes a noble attempt at expressing this difficult reality.

If you want to learn about alchemy then buy this book. But be careful. It might awaken the sometimes challenging, maybe even dangerous, initiatory process of alchemy within and without you.

Click here for Mercurius on Amazon

A Serious young man found the conflicts of modern 21st Century America confusing. He went to many people seeking a way of resolving within himself the discords that troubled him, but he remained troubled.

One night in a coffee house, a self-ordained Zen Master said to him, "Go to the dilapidated mansion you will find at this address which I have written down for you. Do not speak to those who live there; you must remain silent until the moon rises tomorrow night. Go to the large room on the right of the main hallway, sit in the lotus position on top of the rubble in the northeast corner, face the corner, and meditate."

He did as the Zen Master instructed. His meditation was frequently interrupted by worries. He worried whether or not the rest of the plumbing fixtures would fall from the second floow bathroom to join the pipes and other trash he was sitting on. He worried how would he know when the moon rose on the next night. He worried about what the people who walked through the room said about him.

His worrying and meditation were disturbed when, as if in a test of faith, sewage fell from the second floor onto him. At that time two people walked into the room. The first asked the second who the man sitting there was. The second replied "Some say he is a holy man, Others say he is a shithead."

Hearing this, the man was enlightened.