Steppenwolf

Steppenwolf

Steppenwolf - Born to Be Wild: Mark Sardella

(1) A Canadian rock band popular in the 1960s to early 1970s, credited with being the very first heavy metal band because the single, “Born to be Wild,” included in its lyrics the phrase “heavy metal thunder.”

Other hits include “Magic Carpet Ride,” which describes a sort of psychedelic mysticism, and a slow moving song called “The Pusher” that seems to condone marijuana use but condemns heavier addictive drugs, such as heroine. In this song addicts are said to be “walkin round with tombstones in their eyes.”

The band still tours and has sold some 25 million records worldwide. Steppenwolf’s music has been used in approximately 50 motion pictures.

Steppenwolf: @BB

(2) Steppenwolf is also an introspective novel by Hermann Hesse that explores the Jungian idea of the shadow, and to which the rock band most likely owes its name.

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Fallen Angels

El Ángel Caído (Ricardo Bellver): Luis García

Fallen Angels

A fallen angel denotes something gone wrong, either with a person or, more traditionally, with a purely spiritual being who freely chooses to reject and therefore oppose God’s will.

Myths and stories about fallen angels are quite common.

In Paradise Lost John Milton (1608 – 1674) writes about legions of angels following Satan in rebellion against God. Massive wars break out. St. Michael leads the Lord’s Angels, who face ingenious contraptions built by Satan and his fallen army. But the final victory is reserved for Christ and St. Michael stands aside as Jesus defeats the evil army.

In apocalyptic Jewish literature, God exalts human beings above the angels and instructs Satan to serve mankind. Satan and his motley crew of followers refuse and are cast out of heaven, rebellious and revengeful.

Some say the powerful “Sons of Man” mentioned in the Old Testament are Fallen Angels. Others believe that aliens are really fallen angels.

In Islam the personification of evil is Shaytan. In the Koran God commands Iblis to bow down before Adam and serve mankind but through his pride Iblis refuses. God allows Iblis to tempt mankind until Judgement Day, at which time he will be cast into hell.

In Islamic thought Iblis is often seen as the master jinn, the head of demons allowed to torment humanity.

To this coolguymuslim adds:

There is no such thing as a fallen angel in Islam. No doubt, in Islam, Iblis a.k.a. Satan is a jinn and he is most evil. However at the same time, he never is nor was an angel. Angels in Islam do not have free will and they cannot disobey God. In terms of Iblis, he used to be a rightous slave of God so much so that he was elevated to the level of angels before he refused to bow down, however, he was never an angel. Jinn, on the other hand, do possess free will and there are good and evil jinn just as there are good and evil humans.

fallen angel: Bùi Linh Ngân

In Hinduism the asuras are described as benevolent spiritual beings in the Vedas but devolve in subsequent Hindu scripture to become demons.

In the fictional Star Wars movies fallen Jedi – such as Darth Vader – could be seen as a rough parallel to the idea of fallen angels, mostly because both good and “dark side” Jedi possess paranormal powers and mental abilities.

» Aurobindo (Sri)

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Spiritual Attack

Spiritual Warfare: Chris and Laura

Spiritual Attack

The idea of spiritual attack is found in most religious and spiritual traditions where ridding oneself of negative behavior and attitudes is important to one’s sense of well being and salvation.

Spiritual attack is also found in traditions sharing the belief that evil may cause misfortune, distress and physical or psychological illness.

In Roman Catholicism, for instance, we find a lengthy exorcism prayer aimed to “repulse the attacks and deceits of the devil.” A shorter prayer to St. Michael illustrates this well:

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into Hell Satan and all the evil spirits that wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Most religions and religious persons probably interpret the idea of spiritual attack through their own cultural filters, arriving at beliefs that are just as man-made as actual.

And some people go to great lengths to convince us that we’d do well to purchase certain beads or charms to ward off evil.

But the overall idea of spiritual attack remains important, especially when viewed scientifically instead of dogmatically. It’s important because it presents an alternative to the reductive notion, forwarded by the likes of Richard Dawkins (The Selfish Gene, 1976; The God Delusion, 2006), that living beings are nothing more than a bag of electrically charged chemicals.

By way of analogy, just because ancient astronomers got a lot of things wrong while viewing the night skies, those errors didn’t dissuade others from developing better observational techniques and making progress in categorizing and explaining various astronomical phenomena. And so it is, one could say, with observing and understanding the spiritual realm. For those able to feel, “discern” (a popular Christian buzzword) or perhaps see its reality, there’s likely much room left for improvement in terms of reducing the personal interpretive biases that can arise from prefabricated religious beliefs, worldviews, etc.

» Obsession, Occam’s Razor, Possession, Shaman, Shamanism, Spirit

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Sirens

The Siren originally uploaded by Gail Bailleaux Kuker

Sirens

In Greek mythology, the Sirens are depicted as part-woman, part-bird creatures who lure sailors to their doom through their haunting song.

Numerous ancient writers mention them, each a bit differently.

According to Homer, Odysseus heeded Circe’s warning and avoided the Sirens’ dangerous call by plugging his crew’s ears with beeswax. And he ordered his shipmates to bind him to the ships’s mast so he, himself, wouldn’t be entranced.

In later variants of the myth, the Sirens drown themselves after failing to destroy Odysseus and his crew.

Sirens also have been depicted in Greek myth as mermaids.

The ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, depicted them in the myth of Er toward the end of the Republic as makers of the music of the spheres.

In early Christian times actual belief in the Sirens was discouraged but they were still used as symbols of evil, temptation and womanly seduction. » Odyssey (The), Hero

On the Web:

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Sin

Seven Sins by Hartwig HKD

Sin

(1) Ancient Mesopotamian moon god, also called Nanna. His cult was most prominent at the Sumerian cities of Ur and Harran. Bestowing light in the dark, Sin maintained justice through the night hours.

(2) In Catholic theology, sin is a transgression against the law of God, where one chooses to enact one’s personal will in conflict with God’s.

Catholicism breaks the idea of sin up into several categories, the most important being original sin, venial sin and mortal sin.

The general concept of sin is widespread but treated differently among world religions–e.g. transgressing God’s decrees (Judaism, Islam), acting against the cosmic order or Will of Heaven (Taoism), or harmful action arising from ignorance (Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism).

Contemporary thinking people believing in God and the importance of acting ethically are faced with a dizzying array of prescriptions on how to do the right thing and not sin. When all is said and done, it seems the most sensible approach to living right and avoiding sin is to follow one’s own lived experience and reflections upon it.

Many, however, seem unable to act as mature adults and prefer to allow some perceived authority, distant or near, to guide them on how to best live the life God gave them.

This arguably schoolboy and schoolgirl approach to ethics may afford psychological comfort (through a ready-made personal identity and sense of community) for those unable or unwilling to embrace the degree of freedom and responsibility involved in making up one’s own mind. But in the long run it seems immature and, indeed, unworthy of our potential as human beings created by and forever journeying toward God.

» Adam, Calvinism, Contemplation, Donatism, Eden, Fasting, Felix culpa, Jainism, Jesus Christ, Madonna, Milton (John), Virgin Mary

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Shadow

The Black Sun by Matias Loyola

Shadow

In the psychology of C. G. Jung, the shadow is the unconscious, evil side of human nature.

The shadow is said to be one of the first aspects of the unconscious psyche encountered in Jungian analysis.

Apparently its positive side is expressed through creativity and humor. According to this view, representation of the shadow’s dark tendencies in non-violent, socially acceptable channels (e.g. art, music or controlled ‘acting out’) facilitates mastering them.

Otherwise, Jung says the shadow could conceivably control the ego.

If merely repressed, Jung further says the shadow might find a way through the cracks of the psyche and momentarily express itself in a disturbing manner.

This might account for the cruel actions toward children by Sister Francesca at the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa.

Another version of the shadow comes as a comic strip, pop culture figure, “Only the shadow knows…” And more recently, the Canadian science fiction TV program, Lexx, features ‘His Divine Shadow’ as the archdeacon of darkness.

At Earthpages.org:

• Throwing Light on the Shadow: C. G. Jung’s Answer to Evil

» Archetype, Darth Vader, Demons, Dracula, Hesse (Hermann), Kafka (Franz), Self, Steppenwolf, Trickster, Vampires, Witch, Yoni

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Theodicy

Showdown Between Good and Evil by Markus Aaron Brechbiel

Theodicy

A theological term describing attempts to understand God’s absolute goodness and power with the reality of evil in the world.

In Christian theology evil is often seen as a necessary component of God’s plan of salvation. Here one accepts as an article of faith that God permits evil for some greater good, beyond the comprehension of mere mortals (see Isaiah 55:8-9).

One school of thought, begun by Irenaeus and popularized by John Hick, argues that evil is permitted but not caused by God.

Why, one might ask, would a good and all-powerful God permit evil?

For the Irenaean school the answer lies with the idea of ’soul making.’ A soul freely choosing to abstain from evil is of greater value than one that automatically avoids evil like a robot. The free soul apparently better glorifies God than a sinless automaton.

Although evil may ravage, test and torment good souls living on earth, the true goal of our finite, earthly life is to be made worthy of eternal heavenly life.

According to this viewpoint, evil acts as a crucible. Souls not succumbing to but resisting evil are purified and strengthened towards the good. Evil, then, is necessary. It acts as a kind of ‘hammer’ that pounds out the soul’s impurities.

St. Thomas Aquinas, in keeping with the final winnowing of the Apocalypse (Luke 3:17, Matthew 3:12), writes that

God permits some evils lest the good things should be obstructed.

Another argument, influenced by Plato’s idea of the Forms, is forwarded by St. Augustine. Augustine sees evil as a privatio boni–the absence of good. Augustine says that, because God is good, evil must be where God is not present. God doesn’t create evil. It’s a choice.

Needless to say not everyone is happy with this conclusion. Some, usually religious believers, see it as self-evident while others, often atheists, say it’s philosophically unsatisfying.

» Fatalism, Felix culpa, Hick (John), Providence

On the Web:

• A humorous video presenting the Irenaean theodicy:

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Zombie

zombies on the orange line by James Calder

Zombie

The living dead, sometimes called the ‘undead.’

The idea apparently originates from Haitian voodoo legends.

While zombies are found in B-movies, rock videos, the horror genre, folklore and urban legend, their definition seems to closely relate to belief.

Turrell Wylie notes, for instance, that some believe “a zombie is a corpse which has been brought into a state of animation through supernatural power by a necromancer” (Turrell Wylie, “Ro-Langs: The Tibetan Zombie” in History of Religions, Vol. 4, No. 1, (Summer, 1964: 69-80), The University of Chicago Press, p. 69).

Another understanding is that a person’s soul is magically stolen by a master of the dark arts, making the victim seem dead. The buried body is later exhumed by the soul-thief, becoming a spiritual slave to the evil master.

According to folklorist Alison Jones, the fact that Haitian law prohibits burying and exhuming live persons has lead some to believe that evil voodoo priests use poison to induce a coma in their victims (Alison Jones Larousse Dictionary of World Folklore, New York: Larousse, 1996, p. 468). Thus a variant of the previous magical belief combines the occult and the pharmacological, suggesting that, after exhuming a poisoned comatose victim, a wicked voodoo priest further subdues his victim with psychedelic drugs, who is then used for slavery.

An even more grisly variant of the zombie legend alleges that a victim’s flesh is sold by a sorcerer for human consumption, this being easily discernible because human flesh decomposes faster than animal meat. In such cases the victim’s soul may wander the lands in the hope of witnessing or bringing about retribution.

Stuart Gordon says the term zombie originates from the African Congo word zumbi, which means ‘enslaved spirit.’ Gordon adds that souls bound by a wicked master cannot discern good from evil (Stuart Gordon, The Encyclopedia of Myths and Legends, London: Headline, 1993, pp. 760-761).

Philosophers are interested in the idea of zombies from a purely hypothetical standpoint. E. J. Lowe asks what a being would be like who looks and acts like a human while lacking “the light of consciousness” and, moreover, whether such a being could exist at all (Oxford Companion to Philosophy, 2nd Edition, ed. Ted Honderich, Oxford: 2005, p. 970).

As Lowe puts it:

It may be difficult to determine whether zombies really are possible, but the issue undoubtedly has far-reaching implications for the metaphysics of mind (ibid.).

On the Web:

• Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video epitomizes the zombie myth as expressed in popular culture » http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtyJbIOZjS8

» Borg, Jackson (Michael)

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Venial Sin

where to sin in sf

Originally uploaded by chotda

Venial Sin According to Catholic teaching, this is an offence against the Laws of God not grave enough to cause a complete loss of sanctifying grace.

It is seen as an illness of the soul rather than its death.

Because the soul committing a venial sin falls short of perfection but is still united with God and capable of charity, it does not receive eternal damnation, as we find with the unforgiven mortal sin.

Instead, venial sins merit temporary punishments which purify the soul so as to prepare it for everlasting life in heaven.

The excellent – if old – Catholic Encyclopedia (1912) outlines some scriptural references held by some to support the classification of venial vs. mortal sin.

The distinction between mortal and venial sin is set forth in Scripture. From St. John (1 John 5:16-17) it is clear there are some sins “unto death” and some sins not “unto death”, i.e. mortal and venial. The classic text for the distinction of mortal and venial sin is that of St. Paul (1 Corinthians 3:8-15), where he explains in detail the distinction between mortal and venial sin.

Source: O’Neil, A.C. (1912). Sin. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved October 11, 2008 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14004b.htm

» Mortal sin, Original sin, Sin

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Vampires

Day Fourteen: I heart vampires

Originally uploaded by MargauxV

Vampires

Legends about vampires or vampire-like beings have flourished throughout world folklore, to include the regions of India, China and Greece.

The current incarnation of the vampire is usually traced back to Eastern European myths and superstitions that inspired several vampire novels, the most enduring being Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897).

In the eighteenth-century, Eastern European reports of vampirism ran high, taking two sometimes related forms of

1. Physical vampirism – robbing another person’s vitality by drinking their blood.
2. Spiritual vampirism – psychic possession of another person’s free-will and theft of their vitality.

Traditionally, vampires are said to reside in or around graveyards, having a strong aversion to daylight. They rise only at night to freely select their victims.

Repelled by the cross, these agents of darkness are known as the ‘undead.’

In the 1970s and ’80s moviegoers dressed up as characters and recited lines from the film, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, perhaps entering into a state of consciousness which anthropologist Lévi-Bruhl called participation mystique.

A more recent newspaper report of alleged vampirism in Toronto tells of a man who forcefully cut and drank the blood of a young woman.

At first the woman was horrified and pressed charges, resulting in the aggressor’s imprisonment. Over time, however, she began to feel united and in love with him, visiting him in prison on a daily basis.

Paranormal researchers and psychics generally explain vampirism in terms of a restless earth-bound spirit or so-called ‘tramp soul’ that gains control of psychologically weak and vulnerable individuals.

By way of contrast, vampire nightclubs seem to be harmless, non-violent and socially acceptable outlets for individuals seeking to experience the numinous aura of the Jungian shadow.

A comparable situation might be the upstanding priest who enjoys horror movies during his off-hours.

But clearly not everyone can keep a mature, adult perspective on vampires. Violent murders have been committed by teens in vampire cults who take the Goth lifestyle to its tragic extreme.

» Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dracula, Lycanthropy, Swedenborg (Emanuel), Transmigration, Werewolf

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