People vs. Ideas

The Occult-Bad Ideas vs People

In today's rabidly polarized world, the ideological fervor of online communities across socio-political lines has produced horrendous eco-chambers which thrive on groupthink, peer-pressure, and performative outrage. Small collectives of ideologically aligned insiders, rage against perceived threats from the “outsiders”. This phenomenon is pervasive across almost all spectrums of American life, from education, politics, religion, spirituality and yes, the modern Occult-scene. We have seen bouts of cancellations, public shaming’s, and viral outrage, and while in some cases, the concern was warranted (although poorly expressed), the collective trimming of thought and idea that has occurred throughout this trend is concerning. Just look at your average occult publishing house. This trend reached its apex in the span of about 5 years between the MeToo movement and the COVID-George Floyd-Jan 6 (Boy that was a crazy 13 months to be alive) crisis, finally seeming to simmer down in the last 12-18 months. Now that the proverbial pot has totally boiled over and the remnants perhaps at least some potentially useful metaphysics are now splattered over the floor and walls of our little niche sub-culture there is a small hope for some reflection and de-brief about what the hell exactly happened. ‘

This is a tall order and in general I don’t make a habit of boiling the ocean! Perhaps this will be the first of a few pieces of commentary on the subject. Who knows!

Its clear those fateful 5 years of ideological performative “art” (I don’t know what else to call it) no doubt stifled creative and philosophical exploration by discouraging dissent and non-conformity within our small but usually out-spoken community. I have heard rumors that in some online communities, watch and/or black lists were developed, reminiscent of the ideological and religious trials of our heritage.  It was a time when expressing unconventional ideas carried a high risk of public shaming, de-platforming, and creators were (and perhaps still are to one degree or another) pressured to align with mainstream narratives rather than challenge them. It is a rich irony considering the foundation of the modern occult is firmly rooted in the lives of madmen and madwomen who took pride and even glee in bucking mainline tradition. It used to be a sign of honor to be the fly in the ointment of convention.  Pressure to conformity in esotericism is a contradiction in both terms and substance. Its all too easy to point out the insanity and brilliance that is our traditional heritage. What happened?  We are supposed to be a bit mad right? Since when did the esoteric community decide to cater to conformity? At what point specifically did we decide that we as a collective needed to be accepted by the main? Is it profit? Social clout? Ad revenue?  It’s a mystery that will surely unfold as the years progress, but one thing is certain at the moment…we are cannibalizing our young; feeding them to the wolves! We have put the next generation of rebels in the impossible predicament of being at once, wild, antinomian, counter cultural black sheep and…inoffensive? Get real. Mystics, Saints, Magus, Yogis were all offensive. Catholic monks cavorted with demons; Siddhas lived in cremation grounds; scientists flirted with divinity and in doing so their ideas and revelations flourished, many of which were hard won on the very fringes of societal norms. One thing is clear; the environment we survived between 2018 and 2022 would have very likely been the end of almost every major ancestor of our tradition ,should they be alive today.  Crowley? Forget it. Blavatsky? Not a chance. Spare? Likely too abrasive, the Thrice-Great Hermes? Cult Leader.

For a moment, let us take this assessment out of the realm of the Occult (it’s almost too easy for this thought exercise), and look at more mainstream philosophical and religious icons, whose ideas and thoughts form the backbone of today’s western ethical and religious norms. The Buddha, The Christ and Plato. We have to ask, would they have survived? If they were alive during this most recent “era” (?) would their views on non-referential compassion, suffering, hierarchy and justice survive? Would their ever spoken and written word pass the standard we have set for ourselves?  Or would they be dismissed outright for a smattering of bad ideas memorialized in the annals of the social media demon box. Would viral outrage produce such a noise over their character, that their signals of radical self-inquiry would be totally lost?  

Thought Exercise (Play Along Please)

Suspend all notions of linear time, and allow yourself to arrive in a reality in which these great thinkers were just coming into their full realization in today’s digital world. A world where-in Buddha, The Christ and Plato, all of them in their early to mid 30s, compelled by the broad reach of social media, had their own Twitter (X) accounts to maximize the reach of their revelations.

A Tweet from a young prince named Gautama Buddha, who has been roaming around India s a mendicant monastic, checking in on social media from time to time. HIs posts have garnered an immense following amongst both the elite and working-class alike due to his sage bits of rational, modern, agnostic wisdom. Today, as can be gleaned from a series of posts, he is apparently having trouble getting his followers to take his newly developed Monastic program seriously as it is quite strict.

(Source: Tale of Sudinna from the Pali Cannon on Monastic Ethics The first training rule on expulsion: Section 1; Story 1)

Here we see an account of a fiery upstart Rabbi and prophet out of the middle east. He is struggling to manage his new-found popularity with people visiting him from all over the world to learn his ways and follow him.

His handler Tweets a note of caution (Source:  Luke 14:25-27).

Or here, we see an ex-wrestler turned philosopher out of Athens who is trending since he started using his Twitter feed to wrestle with the challenges western society faces with corruption, education and justice.

He posts regular social commentary weekly.  (Source: The Republic)

I hope you can get the idea now.

Amazing people, with some very bad ideas.

Reject Ideas-Not People

Of course, these tweets have been doctored and are totally fictional in existence, but the messages contained in them are historically accurate. All three, masters of their time and discipline, more or less said all of these things according to the record. All three statements are surrounded by a rich framework of cultural, historical and even political context, but yet, what does that matter when an entire persona is condensed to 280 characters on a given day?! The Buddha was a misogynist, or at least made misogynistic statements, The Christ was the leader of a “high demand” cult, and yes Plato is arguably the father of Eugenics. But what do these statements mean in the greater context of these great thinkers’ lives? Their contributions to religious, political and philosophical thought? Frankly, not much. They said offensive things from time to time. Perhaps we can even note that despite their wisdom for the ages, they also had some very bad ideas. But where would we be today if they had been sent to the social media woodchipper? Thrown out of our cultural framework?

I reject the ideas expressed in these posts, but not the people who made them.

Even I feel compelled by the current climate to actually note my rejection of the ideas satirized above.

These great Keepers of the Flame, like all humans (Jesus Christ was a human…sorry), were fallible and occasionally promoted ideas that were/are harmful or misguided. Welcome to the land of the fallen. No matter how brilliant, sophisticated, intelligent, or spiritual we may be, everyone is capable of holding flawed ideas; capable of making poor judgements. Flawed ideas need not necessarily define one’s entire character, but more recently have indeed become sufficient. We hold up someone’s flawed ideas, judgements, or statements (tweets, posts, photos, blog…. what have you), and deem their entire character and persona unworthy of voice and platform. In doing so we have created metaphysical seppuku for both ourselves as mystics, magi and chaotes, and our community as the container of transcendent wisdom and practical magick. We have shat the bed in the highest order of metaphysics we can muster by moving swiftly against one of the primary tenants of esoteric thought; that every human is capable of evolution and growth. Every time we cancel a community member, we lay to waste the entire metaphysical premise of transcendence. By damning these people to the dark and cold underworld, we are damming ourselves and our community as seekers to the same collective fate.

For all of these reasons, I would proffer: Reject Ideas Not People  

XOXO

P.A.