The Four Desires

Many people, myself included, have been shocked by events over the recent years. Along with the pandemic, there’s been war, violence, intolerance, and the rise of the political and cultural Far-Right. However, the philosopher Bertrand Russell wouldn’t have been surprised. 

Bertrand Russell

 

Bertrand Russell (May 18, 1872 – February 2, 1970) was a British philosopher, logician, and social reformer, a founding figure in the analytic movement in Anglo-American philosophy, and recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950.

In his acceptance speech for the 1950 Nobel Prize, Bertrand Russell said, “All human activity is prompted by desire.” He lists what he saw to be the four infinite desires of humans. Russell believed these four infinite desires were unique to humans and not found in other animals. The four infinite desires are acquisitiveness, rivalry, vanity, and love of power.

According to Russell, the least powerful of these infinite desires is acquisitiveness. No matter how much we acquire, we always seem to want more. We see this in lottery winners who suddenly have everything they need and end up going bankrupt because, although they’re millionaires, they spend beyond their means. 

Acquisitiveness, although potent, ranks below rivalry, according to Russell. The most famous example of rivalry was the space race between the USA and the USSR. After the Americans landed a man on the moon, they abandoned future moon missions. They had beaten the “Reds” to the moon and, therefore, saw no reason to keep returning, which puts to rest the claim that the reason for the moon launches was purely scientific.

W. L. George wrote, “Vanity is as old as the mammoth.” Russell certainly agreed and made vanity the next great desire. Many will sacrifice everything they’ve built over a lifetime if it means fame. In the musical Chicago, one of my favorite plays, Roxy expresses frustration after her acquittal when the press’s attention shifts from her to another murderer. Her vanity was so extreme that she couldn’t rejoice that the jury spared her life. Instead, she sulked because she was no longer the center of attention.

Russell believed that the love of power was the most significant of these desires. Everything, including the acquisition of wealth, is a means to power. Power is a desire for its own sake. Orwell captured this understanding in his novel 1984 when he wrote, “The object of power is power.” A person will live in abject poverty if it means that they have a sense of power. In Milton’s Paradise Lost, Satan says, “It’s better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven.” According to Russell, even pursuing scientific knowledge is a pursuit of power.

So, when you watch the news here in 2025, remember these four desires. Doing so will help you make better sense of the events.

Disturbing Trends

“Violence is both unavoidable and unjustifiable.” - Albert Camus, philosopher.

People often reflect on the previous year’s events as we approach a new year. I’m not going to review the past year on this blog. Anyone interested can find numerous end-of-the-year reviews. However, there was a disturbing trend that I think deserves attention.

2024 was a violent year in the US. Gun violence continues to plague America, as it has seen more than 488 mass shootings across the US so far this year. A ‘mass shooting’ is defined as involving 4 or more victims. However, this definition hides the severity of the situation, for it fails to consider that there are so many more killings every day with fewer victims.

 

Americans seemed to have gotten numb to the violence. To make matters worse, American voters elected a Right-wing extremist for president who has a history of violent rhetoric and has even been convicted of sexual assault. It’s almost as though Americans now revel in violence.

This celebration of violence isn’t limited to the political Right. Some on the political Left are holding up the murderer of the health insurance CEO as a hero. The irony that many of these same Left-wing individuals celebrating the vigilante are also opposed to the death penalty, even for known killers, isn’t lost on me. 

I find myself wanting to say what I think needs to be done to change this trend. However, I will admit that at this time, I’m at a loss for words. I will simply say that I fear for the future.

Giving

December is traditionally the time of giving. Whether one celebrates Yule, Saturnalia, Sol Invictus, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah, or a social tradition, chances are you’ll probably be giving and receiving gifts this month. 

Unfortunately, we tend to associate giving with retail in our Capitalist society. While material things can be nice, they’re not always the best gifts. I’m reminded of a quote by Steve Goodier, 

“Money is not the only commodity that is fun to give. We can give time, we can give our expertise, we can give our love, or simply give a smile. What does that cost? The point is, none of us can ever run out of something worthwhile to give.”

If you choose to buy retail items as gifts, nothing requires you to buy corporate. I strongly encourage you to seek out family-owned and sole proprietorships rather than corporations. Purchasing from a mom-and-pop shop, as they’re sometimes called, might be considered two gifts in one. One for the recipient of the gift and one for the shop owner whose livelihood depends on your purchase. 

Whether or not you celebrate a holiday, may this season bring you and your loved ones joy and happiness.
Frater Tenebris

The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book

This is a great age for books on Neopaganism and the occult. It used to be that good books on such topics were difficult to find. Today, readers have access to many great books, and more are always coming to the market.

There’s a new occult book on the market that I highly recommend: The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book by Alan Moore and Steven Moore.

 

The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book (I’ll call it from here on out MSBB because I’m lazy) is fantastic. 

The book gets its title ‘bumper book’ from popular children’s books. It’s a giant tome of a book; it weighs over 2 pounds with a page size of 9.25 x 12.38 inches, which allows for fantastic art. The MSBB is a visual feast. Some art is reminiscent of Mad Magazine, while others remind me of Heavy Metal (the illustrated magazine, not the music genre). Other art reminds me of retro children’s art reminiscent of the 50s and 60s.   

Don’t let the cover art and bumper book in the title fool you. The MSBB has a warning on the back that the book is for adults only. This is primarily due to nudity and sexual content.

The MSBB is more than art and storytelling. It’s a fantastic starter for new magic-users. It gives excellent information on the Kabbalah and the Tarot. It explores why and how magick works. The MSBB also has numerous small mini-biographies on the sorcerers and alchemists of history.

This is one of those occult books that everyone needs in their home library.

Difficult Times

“There are two ways of meeting difficulties: you alter the difficulties, or you alter yourself to meet them.” - Phyllis Bottome, English Writer.

Anyone who read my previous post knows that the recent US election wasn’t what I and many others had hoped for. Because of the results, many people are highly concerned about what the future holds. This concern is understandable, considering the promises (threats) made by the President-elect and his allies before the election.

So, what are we to do now?

 

Job one is self-care.

If you don’t meditate, this would be a good time to start. While the positive claims about meditation have been overblown, meditation has been proven to aid in stress reduction.

In addition, I believe that arcane forces flow through the universe that can aid us and help ease stress. Therefore, I highly recommend including acupuncture and either Tai Chi or yoga.

Exercise and a healthy diet have both proven to be helpful. Like meditation, exercise, and a good diet are also proven to be good for managing stress. 

Connect with loved ones. By “loved ones,” I don’t just mean biological relatives. Loved ones can include close friends. The philosopher Epicurus believed that friendship was essential for human happiness.

Spirituality can be helpful. If you have a spiritual practice that’s still meaningful to you and let it lapse, consider restarting it. Or explore a new path. There are so many good spiritualities right now from which to choose.      

It helps to also keep things in proper perspective. First, remember that people have survived hard times throughout the centuries. We are stronger than we sometimes think we are. Second, nothing is permanent, and the pendulum ultimately swings back the other way. Change is the one constant in the universe. The philosopher Heraclitus wrote, “No man ever steps in the same river twice. For it’s not the same river, and he’s not the same man.” 

I’m not going to blow smoke. We should not assume that everything will be ‘okay.’ The right-wing has been emboldened. Economic and social justice are under threat. There will be those, especially those who are not people of privilege, whose rights will be attacked. We need to brace ourselves for this and plan accordingly.

Most importantly, remember to take care of yourself.

Threat to Democracy

“The greatest threat to democracy is indifference.” Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. President

We’re in the last days of an election season here in the United States. On November 5th, Americans will vote to decide who controls our Congress and who will hold the office of President for the next four years. Most political analysts consider this election one of the most important in American history. Our election results will have a global impact.

 

Philosophy and politics are inseparable. According to classic Greek thought, philosophy is more than an intellectual exercise. It’s a way of life. Philosophy is all-encompassing. Because of this, philosophy should determine one’s political views and not the other way around.

Those who have read my blog over the years will probably have an idea of my philosophical views. Humans are a paradox. We are independent individuals, yet we’re dependent upon others from birth. Each person is free, yet no one is an island. Our species is neither collectivist nor rugged individualist. The Self is the highest standard, yet its existence is tied to the welfare of others.

I hold these to be some of the core values of Dark Pagan philosophy.

Applying Dark Pagan philosophy to politics, I find Donald Trump and the Republican Party are not consistent with Dark Pagan values. Dark Paganism stands for freedom of choice and personal autonomy. Trump and other Republican leaders speak of freedom and autonomy yet promote authoritarianism. Trump himself has said on record that he intends to be a dictator on day one. He and the Republican Party leaders speak of supporting the individual, yet they attack diversity. They say they support individual choices yet pass laws restricting choice. In addition, they advocate for laws that cut social safety nets and give increased power to the religious and economic oligarchs who already have special privileges.

By contrast, Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party have established records of democratic values. They are certainly not authoritarian. Their record shows that they support freedom of choice and diversity. In addition, Harris and the Democratic leadership have shown support for strengthening the social safety net. Plus, they openly opposed giving more power to the religious and economic oligarchs. While neither Harris nor the  Democratic Party are perfect, they’re far better than Trump and the Republicans.

Therefore, of the two options, I believe that Kamala Harris and the Democratic party best represent Dark Pagan values. 

Obviously, the best action we can take is to vote. For those who say voting doesn’t work, the fact that Trump failed to be reelected in 2020 shows that it does work. Plus, the fact that there is so much effort to make it more and more difficult also shows that voting can make a difference. If voting didn’t work, they wouldn’t try to obstruct it.

Our options for change go beyond the mundane. We have spiritual actions we can take as well.

We can call upon two goddesses for help in political matters: Libertas and Ishtar. 

Libertas was the Roman goddess of Liberty. She became popular during the latter part of the Roman Republic. Libertas was often shown carrying a sword with a Phrygian cap at the end. The Phrygian cap was worn by freed slaves.

There’s a strong connection between the US and both Libertas and the Roman Republic. American Founding Fathers envisioned the young country as being a renewal of the Roman Republic. Plus, the Statue of Liberty is based on the goddess Libertas.

Ishtar (Inanna to the Sumerians) was the goddess of war, sex, and wisdom to the Mesopotamians. She was worshiped from the Near East to Britain under various names. Her worship lasted for over 2,000 years. 

To the Babylonians, Ishtar was a Sovereign Goddess in that the King’s authority was granted by Her. Ishtar is also a strong defender of justice and women. In the myth of Inanna and Su-kale-tuda, Inanna is raped. After finding the offender, before She kills him, She tells him that he will forever be known as a rapist and a coward.

No doubt, as a Sovereign Goddess, Her power would be very helpful in political matters. In addition, considering that Trump has been convicted of sexual assault, Ishtar would be an obvious ally.

Most importantly, you need to get out and vote as if your or a loved one’s life depends on it. 

Because it just might.

Season of the Witch

Over the years, during each October, I’ve written about the Pagan festival of Samhain. I’ve blogged about the festival’s origins, its connection to Halloween, and the different ways one can celebrate it. Because I’ve covered so much, writing something new about the festival was a challenge this year.   

While watching the miniseries Agatha All Along, I got an idea. At the end of the first episode, they played a great cover of Season of the Witch by Donovan. This made me think. While various supernatural creatures, such as ghosts, werewolves, and vampires, haunt pop culture during this time, probably nothing represents October and Samhain/ Halloween more than the Witch.  

But what really is a ‘Witch?’ 

 

The answer isn’t as simple as it might seem. Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary illustrates the complexity of defining the term ‘ Witch.’ It provides five possible meanings of the word: 

1.    Fiction and folk traditions,
2.    Adherent to a neopagan tradition,
3.    A mean or ugly old woman,
4.    A charming or alluring girl or woman,
5.    Witch of Agnesi.

It’s tempting to go down the line of these meanings one by one. However, I think taking them out of order might work better. So let me start with the last, the Witch of Agnesi.

The Witch of Agnesi isn’t really a reference to a witch. It’s an algebraic curve. The “Agnesi” comes from the Italian mathematician Maria Gaetana Agnesi, who published it in 1748. The Italian name la versiera di Agnesi was originally given, which is based on the Latin versoria (sheet of sailing ships) and the sinus versus. This was read by John Colson as l’avversiera di Agnesi, where avversiera is translated as “woman who is against God” and interpreted as “witch.”

Jumping up to the first meaning, the fiction and folk tradition is a reference to classic stories. Think about the Good and Bad witches of The Wizard of Oz. Or the evil cannibalistic Witch in Hansel and Gretel. This includes modern fictional Witches such as Agatha Harkness or Sabrina Spellman.

I find the third and fourth meanings to be examples of the Catch-22 imposed on women by our misogynistic society. A Witch can be “a mean or ugly old woman” or “a charming or alluring girl or woman.” Taken together, it shows the ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ that’s so much a part of misogyny. 

This leaves us with the second meaning, a practitioner of neopaganism. While commonly associated with Gardnerian Wicca, not all neopagans who self-identify as Witches are Wiccan. There are self-identifying Witches found in a variety of neopagan traditions. And there are eclectic neopagans who proudly wear the name ‘Witch.’ 

Witch as a being one who practices neopaganism is better than the other four meanings, but it still falls short. Understanding what it means to be a Witch requires understanding the word’s etymology. Its origins also give us insights into why witches have been historically feared and revered.

According to the Neopagan elder Raymond Buckland,

The actual meaning of the word Witch is linked to “wisdom” and is the same root as “to have wit” and “to know.” It comes from the Anglo-Saxon wicce (f) or wicca (m) meaning “wise one,” witches being both female and male.

Source: Encyclopedia of Witchcraft by Judica Illes, page 3

Witches are those with knowledge. Not just any knowledge but knowledge far beyond everyday matters. This knowledge gives witches the ability to cure and bless. To help their loved ones and the rest of their community. 

As the saying goes, knowledge is power. Witchcraft is a power drawn from an intimate understanding of the occult (i.e., hidden) nature of reality. The power of witchcraft is an egalitarian power available to everyone regardless of wealth, status, gender, or sexual preference. 

This kind of power makes Witches a threat to the establishment.

One way the establishment attempts to counter-act a perceived threat is to demonize it. Hence, witches are shown as evil and dangerous. They’re portrayed as either young and beautiful sorceresses who seduce men or ugly hags who eat babies. 

Thanks to neopagan elders such as Fortune, Gardner, Leek, Buckland, and the many that have come since, the title of ‘Witch’ is being returned to its rightful place of reverence.

Blessed be the Witches.