As with the Dresden Files series, it's an interesting read from a magickal point of view - in fact, I consider Katherine Kerr's writings to be closer to my work than Jim Butcher's work on the Dresden Files, but the latter is better from the point of view of actual mythology.
One of the aspects that resonated very strongly with me in some of Katherine Kerr's writings (that I missed the first time round) is the reference to "the Light behind the Moon", and "the Light behind the Kings of the Elements". That's very true - I have often felt that many religions share a common source of truth, and have been distorted by humans (male, female and other). I'm very comfortable expressing myself in paganism, particularly the Tel'Ennyn Asur, but I do also recognise that there is a base which is shared by many faiths, and an energy behind the Patron Deities etc that we use.
I'm making this a feature of my next workshop on runes, actually. I'm going to start by pointing out that the Taijitu (the so-called "yin-yang symbol") symbolises the dynamic balance between active and receptive poles, and that this also reflects through into the dynamism of the runes, which are ALL created from fire (Kenaz) and Ice (Isa).
In terms of patron Deities, my conceptualisation (gotta love that word - used it for some lectures I gave at work, and have grabbed it for any other chance I can to trot it out again) is that all are combinations of facets of the one underlying source of Life and Light - a bit like a jewel has many facets, and light from various facets in this example can be combined to create what we know as Tyr, or Isis, or Jehovah, and so on.
Now, moving on to other matters, I recently (back in February this year) read a narrative history book on the change, in Ancient Rome, from a Republic to an Empire: "Rubicon", by Tom Holland (pub. Abacus, 2010, ISBN 978-0349-11563-4, first pub. Little, Brown, 2003). I consider that, in today's so-called "enlightened" age, to quite an extent all we've managed to do is change the glorification and addiction to war and violence of the Ancient Roman,s to glorification and addiction to the economy - especially the notion of holding economic competitiveness higher than social cohesion and cooperation.
Yes, I know that there are many people who are not like that. Unfortunately, they (we!) are in the minority.
Most people want a "better" home, or more pay, or a promotion - and in today's modern "civilised" societies, that largely comes down to competition in the workplace for a "better" job.
Don't think so? Listen to our leaders - who, like or not, are whoever WE, as a mob, have elected to Parliament. Biggest consistent gripe? Who manages the economy better - which goes all the way back to the Protectionists vs. the Free Traders when Australia first became a quasi-independent (well, everything was still ratified by the Pommie Queen or her representative - still is, actually) Commonwealth.
There is SOME justification to this (we're in a recession/depression in my home state of Victoria, and it is causing considerable pain, but more on that later), but it is the attitude of almost reverence to "the economy" that I object to.
It is important to remember that economic considerations are about how to make people's lives better, not how to come up with a set of numbers that someone or other (especially some faceless "other" in a distant country ... ) likes more.
There is a lot that is lost by this undue and inappropriate emphasis. For me, that loss became clearest when the economic rationalists (long may their bank accounts moulder and attract fees!) introduced massive social changes that led to a harder, less compassionate view towards the less fortunate in life. It stank then, and it stinks now - I have even had experience of a single mother ranting at "all those single mums living off welfare", when that was EXACTLY her situation.
We lose a lot when we lose our humanity or our perspective.
I once wrote a short story looking at the sort of losses society experiences from the people who die in war, or are forever changed by the war - including those who do not go to the "front line" (the story was set in the First World War, before aerial attack took the war well behind the "front line" ... mind you, the USA did that rather well anyway during their Civil War, with Northern generals Sheridan and Sherman's stripping of the Shenandoah Valley and "March to the Sea", and others have also in various sieges and invasions).
I think we also lose people and potential in the same way as warfare, as a result of economic machinations.
Several times in my (day job) career I have been working on building effective teams, and have had all my work effectively thrown away by the owners of a business selling it, putting it up for sale, or restructuring.
I've now got the same sort of externally imposed changes happening again, in response to the recession in Victoria, and this time I've had enough, and may get into a different field of work entirely.
That's OK for me, but I was hoping to push along the change in wastewater treatment from energy-consuming/Greenhouse Gas-producing aerobic processes to energy-producing anaerobic processes (for the main process, not just sludge digestion) before I got out of this area of work. Ah well, someone else will eventually do that - it'll just be later.
I feel like all my work to date has been a waste, but in truth, I have helped a little to bring that change into existence/consciousness on the physical plane, so maybe it has been some use. That feeling is just the shock, disappointment, and worry about paying the bills & rent & food speaking.
I had also wanted to pass on the knowledge and expertise I have on the use of lagoons for treatment (don't look up the Wikipedia entry on this - it is wrong), but that will have to wait until I pass and can act as a guide to someone else, much as I have been guided in this life in gaining my ability in that area. (On other plans, I also plan on writing a short story looking at the "Saving Private Ryan" theme of "how much is one person's life worth in terms of sacrifices by others, and equating that to a modern life where people may be dependent on others financially: what is the limit of an acceptable price on those doing the supporting?)
So ... what is to be done about all this?
Well, it is not realistic to expect one company to take on the role of changing the world: they have to have a positive income, just as any household has to live within its means, and this particular company has already invested a fair bit to try and get us through to better times (although we, probably somewhat naturally given it is our sources of income that are on the line, think it could have been done better!).
The solution, sadly, lies with the leaders we create - mostly those we elect, but also those we give acclamation to, meaning those pundits in the media who get the attention - and whether they are savvy or not, good or bad, it is the number of hits that matter to the media moguls, and thus the number of hits (i.e., the adulation) that gives a pundit in the media, or more generally on the Internet, sufficient weight to influence society.
Doubt that? Well, even those who garner a flurry of protest have played a role - that of mobilising opposition to whatever it was that they advocated.
When our leaders, the ones we elect at the ballot and the ones we elect by adulation, set a serious direction towards a better world, then, eventually, the world will follow.
Love, light, hugs and blessings
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")
May the world of commerce & business be recognised to be a servant, not a master, of the lives of people.
A home is for living in, not feeling, becoming or being rich or a “better” class than others.
The International Labour Organisation's definition of "full employment" is wrong, useless and misleading.
Armageddon is alive and well and happening right now: it is a battle between the indolence of "I only ..." and/or "I just ..." on one side, and perspicacity on the other.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing. EDMUND BURKE
Your children are not your children. ... They come through you but ... they belong not to you ... for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow KAHLIL GIBRAN
We didn't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we only borrowed it from our children ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY
Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
Those whom we cannot stand are usually those who we cannot understand P.K.SHAW
Tags: about me, attitudes, depression, economy, finances, religion, society, spirituality, violence, war,
First published: Wodansdagr, 11th July, 2012
Last edited: Wednesday, 11th July, 2012
