The Occult Cosmos

Imagine taking a stroll through a park on a warm spring day. As you walk, you see green grass, red roses, and a blue sky with white, fluffy clouds. Although lovely, you’re only seeing a tiny part of the picture. 

The human eye can only see a small segment of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. The entire spectrum ranges from radio waves at the lowest frequency to gamma radiation at the highest. The visible part of the spectrum, consisting of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, lands roughly in the middle. 

This means that the vast majority of the world is hidden from us. Let’s look at an example. 

Below are two images of the spiral galaxy IC 5332 side by side. The image on the left was taken from the Hubble telescope, while the one on the right was taken from the James Webb. Why the difference between the two? The Hubble image was taken in the visible part of the EM spectrum, while the James Webb image was taken in the infrared. They’re both accurate. 

Photo Credit: NASA

The EM spectrum is a helpful analogy for the cosmological model found in most Western esoteric thought. 

In Western esotericism, the Cosmos also exists as a spectrum. Like EM radiation, this Cosmic spectrum emanates outwards from a Source. Our phenomenal realm and the divine Source of the Cosmos rest at opposite ends of this spectrum, with multiple realms of existence in between.

Another interesting aspect of the esoteric model is that, like the different images of the galaxy IC 5332, all the realms co-exist with us; it’s just that most are hidden. The realms of spirits, such as gods, angels, demons, ancestors, ghosts, and other ‘supernatural’ beings, are right here. They’re not elsewhere but are immanent. 

The majority of the Cosmos is ever-present yet hidden. Or, to use the synonym for hidden, it’s ‘occult.’

Dragons and Wolves

There are several festivals this month that I find meaningful and exciting. 

Chinese New Year
Today, February 10, 2024, marks the Chinese New Year based on the lunarsolar calendar. It's often referred to as the Lunar New Year in reference to other Asian cultures. In the Chinese calendar, the Chinese New Year usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. 

The Chinese calendar assigns an animal sign from the Chinese zodiac each year using a 12-year cycle. The calendar also cycles through the Chinese five elements of earth, wood, metal, fire, and water.

The combination of animals and elements results in 2024 being the year of the Wood Dragon. 

What will a year of the Wood Dragon bring? In Chinese mythology, dragon characteristics include creativity, individualism, power, charisma, and confidence, while the wood element emphasizes morality and ethics. This combination of characteristics could prove interesting, to say the least.

Lupercalia
February also means the return of the annual Roman festival of Lupercalia, which occurs between February 13 and 15. 

I ended my blog post about Lupercalia last year with the following, 

Lupercalia isn’t about the sacrifice of animals. Or naked individuals whipping others with goat skins (which is okay if you’re into that and it’s consensual among all participants). The eternal spirit of Lupercalia is a recognition of the goodness of the physical body and the enjoyment of our carnal desires.

The modern Lupercalia is a time to release your inner wolf and howl at the moon.

I still find Lupercalia to be an important and meaningful festival.

Sticks and Stones

“Dogs bite sometimes, people bite at all times, with their hurtful words.” – Mehmet Murat İldan.

We have all heard the childhood rhyme, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” The intention of this rhyme is good, for it’s meant to help strengthen a child against the cruelty of others and to teach them to keep things in perspective. As adults, it seems like we need to be reminded of this. For example, Taylor Swift’s song “Shake It Up” is more than just a fun tune. Its lyrics present a similar message of ignoring the negative comments of others.

Admittedly, this Stoic message has great value. From a purely logical point of view, words don’t harm us as a physical assault.  

However, we are not, at our core, logical beings. Our earliest formative years were exclusively emotional. Reason and logic are learned behaviors, so childhood rhymes such as Sticks and Stones are necessary.

Because logic and reason are learned behaviors, our emotional side still exists. And this emotional side is very susceptible to words. In fact, words may do greater lasting damage than the proverbial ‘sticks and stones.’ 

 

This would be a good point to explain my views on reason or rational thought. I do not see reason as synonymous with logic. Reason incorporates logic yet includes so much more. It acknowledges the limitations of logic and that affairs of the heart, such as passion and pain, provide their own insight.

Therefore, reason accepts that the childhood rhyme is true because words do not cause physical harm. However, it also recognizes that we are emotional creatures, and words can sometimes cause harm that may last a lifetime.

Choose your words wisely.

Hazbin Hotel

Note: The following post includes spoilers on several television programs.

One of the significant contributions of 19th-century Romantics was reimagining the Devil and Hell from symbols of evil and suffering to liberation and freedom. This reimagining continues today. 

One of the popular modern reimaginings was the television series Lucifer, which was broadcast initially on NBC and then moved to Netflix. Another popular NBC series that reimagined Hell was The Good Place, which starred Ted Danson and Kristen Bell. Lucifer’s title character is shown as a likable and sympathetic person who, by the end of the series, works to rehabilitate those condemned to Hell. In The Good Place, Hell begins as a place of eternal torment but, in the end, is converted into one of rehabilitation.

Hazbin Hotel is the newest member of this infernal club. 

Hazbin Hotel is an adult animated musical comedy series created by Vivienne Medrano. The central character is Charlie Morningstar, the princess of Hell and the daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. She creates the Hazbin Hotel in Hell, intending to rehabilitate the demons and sinners so that they can be allowed into Heaven.

 

As of the writing of this blog post, six episodes have been released. I love Hazbin Hotel. The series is a fantastic, raunchy, violent romp. Each episode has an extraordinary musical piece that’s Broadway quality. The characters are well-written, and the storylines are creative. Hazbin Hotel is streamed on Amazon Prime Video.

I highly recommend Hazbin Hotel.  

Hazbin Hotel, like Lucifer and The Good Place, shares a common feature. They all address the philosophical problems with beliefs in an embodiment of evil, Hell, and eternal damnation. 

In mainstream Christian thought, Hell isn’t limited to dishing out justice to those who commit evil acts (con artists, murderers, rapists, etc) as it is in non-Christian traditions. It’s very common to find Christian theologians who declare any non-Christian, including the ethical, as being condemned to Hell just for not being Christian. In addition, most Christians believe anyone, no matter how evil of a life they may have lived, can receive a “Get Out of Jail” card, even at the last moment, through a deathbed conversion. Heaven, according to mainstream Christianity, is filled with converted murderers and rapists, while Hell is populated by virtuous non-Christians.

The concept of Hell, even the non-Christian versions, demands a series of blog posts to address its many issues. However, one can say that all versions of Hell contain a significant philosophical flaw: they fail to consider life’s complexities and our inherent flawed human nature. The Christian Hell is the worst in that, in addition, it fails in the area of justice, which the idea of Hell was initially meant to address.

Striking A Balance

“My journey has always been the balance between chaos and order.” – Philippe Petit, French highwire artist.

We live in an age of extremes. Movies are considered to be failures if they aren’t bigger blockbusters than the last. The wealthy have gone from millionaires to billionaires. On the opposite extreme, homelessness has exploded. The weather has become more extreme due to climate change. 

This imbalance is also found in emotions. Happiness and a positive attitude have gone from being one aspect of life to being the sole goal.

Studies support that having a balance in attitude and emotions, sometimes “negative” while other times “positive,” based on the situation, is healthier than constantly striving for the positive. 

 

In the book The Upside of Your Dark Side, Todd Kashdan, Ph.D., and Robert Biswas-Diener, Dr. of Philosophy, provide studies that have shown that "negative" emotions are more effective in certain situations while "positives" are beneficial in others. Constantly emphasizing one over the other isn't helpful. Finding a balance is the key.

Balance rests at the heart of reality. The balancing point where Chaos and Order meet is the birthplace of the Demiurge, the creative source of Creation.

Strive for balance.

The Challenge of Authenticity

In my book, The Philosophy of Dark Paganism, I wrote about the importance of authenticity in Dark Paganism. Psychotherapist Carl Rogers was influential in developing the modern idea of ‘authenticity.’ According to psychologist Stephen Joseph, Rogers believed “authenticity meant being the author of one’s own life.” 

 

One challenge to being authentic in modern society is that everything has been commodified, including authenticity. For example, a product search for ‘authenticity’ on the Amazon website will return dozens of books on the subject. Everyone is trying to sell you a book on being authentic, myself included. 

One tool that can help in our search for authenticity is self-knowledge. At the website Tiny Buddha, Debra Mittler provides a series of questions we can ask ourselves as we try to find our authentic expression:

• What comes easy and natural for me?
• Who am I when no one is looking?
• What do I value?
• What am I inspired to do but my head tells me not to?
• What did I love to do as a child?
• What do I truly enjoy doing now?
• What is real about me, regardless of whether I judge it as good or bad?
• What are my best qualities? “I’m caring, I’m loving, I’m empathetic, etc.”

Don’t feel bad if you think you’re not living authentically. Authenticity is a threat to our socioeconomic system because it’s difficult to make a profit from those who live authentic lives. Even those who have achieved an authentic expression of themselves, whatever that might look like, are always under pressure to follow the herd.

Authenticity is a lifelong process. Be gentle with yourself in your quest to achieve it.

Vox Populi, Vox Dei

“Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” – Winston Churchill. 

According to Time.com,

In 2024, more than half the world’s population will go to polls—4.2 billion citizens across approximately 65 countries in what, from a distance, at least appears to be a stirring spectacle of self-government.

This should be a year of celebration. However, it’s a year of trepidation. Democracy is at risk globally as anti-democratic political forces have a high chance of winning in many countries.

Democracy is fragile by nature. When people are afraid, they sometimes vote away their freedom in favor of tyrants who promise to keep them safe. Benjamin Franklin understood this when he wrote, “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” 

One often hears that tyrants will create the “Other” as part of their strategy. There is truth to this; however, something more is required. This is because Otherness can be attractive. Think about how people in the 20th century went crazy about everything ancient Egyptian who they perceived as Other than themselves. What’s needed is to convince people that the Other is a threat. 

Today, there are many portrayed as hostile Others. Immigrants, liberals, LGBTQA+, scientists, scholars, socialists, environmentalists, atheists, and more. This includes Neopagans like many reading this blog. Anti-democratic forces in many countries are attempting to convince voters, often through the use of conspiracy theories, that by voting away their rights they'll keep them safe.   

While these times are perilous, all is not lost. In a 798 C.E. letter to Charlemagne, the scholar Alcuin of York wrote, Vox populi, vox dei, which translates as “The voice of the people is the voice of the gods.”

The people can ignore the fearmongers and speak as gods. There is still hope.