Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more.
It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.1
All the worlds a stage, and all the men and women merely players…2 the touchstone of the proud atheist. Having bent his intellect upon the spectacle of pomp and finery beloved of priests and rabbis, their frequent corruption, their endless doctrinal quibbling, and rightly rejected their mummery, he has come to the conclusion that nothing sacred exists. In his pride, he has banished his sense of divinity. And what is left but a dim stage, across the dusty boards, and before the faded canvas drops depicting one, the fields and farms and, the other, a manorial interior, he acts out his life. A solitary and self contained intellect traipsing through a painted world from which he is entirely discontinuous.
And what is the outcome of this atheistic revelation? A world of technocratic communists, dissatisfied with the paucity of their own interior landscapes and so turning to mandating those of their neighbors. With all sense of proportion lost, they turn to central planning, and shallow cults of technological enthusiasms, to palliate a hunger they can no longer admit or understand. The scion of illustrious reason has now become a pure materialist.
How does one get turned down the dark, blind alley of outright materialism? By missing the rather large, important sign-post reading “The Nature of Consciousness”.
If one understands that the material world is an instance of consciousness observing an infinite probability field, which is the inevitable conclusion if one is to accept the implications of quantum mechanical phenomena; one can begin to understand that matter and consciousness are so closely related that they are , in effect, two sides of the same picture. Or, more likely, two facets of a multi-faceted continuity.
This is where the “primitive” conviction that everything is imbued with consciousness begins to become a rational, scientific possibility. If consciousness and the materium are one, if consciousness is an unbroken field that perfuses all matter then firstly: the human being is not a disconnected mote, trudging through a sound stage on a backlot in the suburbs of a dystopian nightmare and, secondly: it is perfectly lucid to suggest, as the untutored animist does, that a stone is imbued with consciousness.
Uh… look who’s back. It’s Gaius, our Illustrious Head Academician. Today he is postulating a “law” which states that all things trend to entropy and disorder. Only Gaius, could sit surrounded by magnificent complexity and order, his own being an example of fantastic intricacy and organization, and conclude that he exists in a universe ruled by entropy. Gaius scoffs at our consciousness imbued stone, by the way, absolutely dismisses it with superior, illustrious laughter. I suggest we move on, I just don’t see much sense in engaging Gaius. Perhaps we could leave our stone on his desk, maybe someday, by chance, he’ll pick it up and really look at it.
Speaking of magnificent complexity, when we contemplate a continuous consciousness, and try to imagine how then does the individuated human mind fit in, how does any type, or instance, of individuated mind “fit in”, for that matter. Where are the boundaries, how does it work exactly? We are going to have to draw maps which are necessarily incomplete and crude, or rather, optimized for certain points of view. We can see that consciousness suffuses everything, that it is one whole, yet also individuated. One can imagine a human being as a discreet motile with a connection to the whole. But there are multiple mappings. The human consciousness maps to a range of meta, or group, consciousnesses. In the same way, an individuated horse mind maps to the horse meta-consciousness, or the stone shares the meta-mind of stones, but also the sub meta-space of the quartzite, or the fluorite stones. The vast complexity of these structures cannot be understated, and individuals must guard against leaning too heavily on the necessity of over-simplification. The really important point though is, that all discreet consciousness is also part of, mapped to, and patterned on the whole.
Let’s simplify the map of local space. The Earth is a planetary body whose mass current consensus (with lots of caveats) puts at 5,973,600,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg. To compact that figure we write 5.9736 x 10^24 kg. Gravitational effects have its matter consolidated, with some variation, on a density curve running from the planetary core, where the highest density matter resides through some liquid water strata, thence through an envelope of gas which gradually decreases in density until we reach a point of rarefaction at which we declare, here the planet ends, and interplanetary space begins. Within this material system are countless individual motes of consciousness. Some simple, some sophisticated, some very very slow, etc. While each, regardless of scale, can be viewed in isolation, they all form part of an immense contiguous whole which reaches from the minutest level through the planetary, the galactic core, etc etc, the full catastrophe.3
Now, let’s cut to the chase. We’re talking here about the consciousness of planetary bodies. We’re going to focus on the discrete consciousness at that particular level. Not the bacterium, though we could discuss that, not the mushroom, the maggot the mudslide, or the mountain, though all would be valid discussions. Dialoguing With The Planetary Consciousness of The Earth/Moon Locale is the sub-title of this piece, and that is what we’re about.
Just as an aside: The title really should read “consciousnesses” as we’re dealing with two, not one. but it’s such a clumsy word, your author at first couldn’t stand to use it… and then ended up using it anyway.
We are pleased, upon this planet, to exist within the close consciousness field of two planetary entities, The Earth, and its close companion, a single satellite, The Moon. We are within the range of influence of other bodies as well. There are some human beings who are clearly aligned with the Saturnian consciousness. The Pelasgians, who understood these ideas as a matter of course, seemed very enamored of the Jovian mind4, and of course every human civilization, to more or less extent, follows The Sun. We are concerned with The Earth consciousness however, as we are a contiguous part of her creation; and with the Lunar consciousness, as she plays a unique role in balance, and calm touchstone for her unruly sister.
Notice that the author refers to both entities in the feminine, which is indeed correct. They are both feminine in nature and aspect.
Now, let’s not imagine that conversation with these minds is possible, it’s not. No human being will ever enter into a peer to peer discussion with a planetary level mind. Although they are made of the same “stuff” so to speak, the difference in scale, both mental and temporal is insurmountable. Communication is possible however, and it can take place in several ways. There are some skilled herbalists who practice a technique whereby they will question a plant regarding its disposition toward human or other beings, and how, and if, it may be used. Through practice they learn to receive the answer through clear mental impressions. Are they communicating with plant devas, so called, or with an aspect of the planetary mind? Its the same thing, isn’t it? Not many people are aware that water dowsers, who are still fairly common in New England where your author lives, practice the same technique. They ask clear mental questions about subsurface features of a landscape, and receive clear mental answers. A favorite example is the story of how Luther Burbank, a highly skilled nurseryman, essentially received the Burbank Potato as a direct response to a request. It is a great story, a profound story, and quite interesting the way he relates it in his autobiographical work; not quite so directly as to upset the ordinary reader, but quite clearly enough to communicate to those of his calling, with the predisposition to understand him, the exact nature of what took place. it is also very interesting how much knowledge of this sort is passed on, informally, generation by generation, in a semi veiled manner, just below the surface. The other form which this communication takes is of course within meditative, or entheogen induced altered states, or within lucid dreams. A vast, planetary level consciousness will, again, not enter directly into communication with a human being, but can, and will communicate through what one might call a shard, or an avatar, a small piece of its mind, detached and tasked with answering a specific question, or guiding a human mind, in dreams or visions. One thing which has always struck the author, is that certain secret, or esoteric societies make use of quite the hodgepodge of symbolism and images which perhaps they may have scraped up through the years and jumbled together in their books. Perhaps they are all relevant, it is not for the author to say. However, he can attest, from personal experience, that the Isis imagery found in the Masonic, and closely related traditions, is remarkably accurate. The Lunar Entity Avatar does indeed appear almost exactly as pictured here, as the Masons picture her. The pillars are in fact a form of gate, beyond which lies The Akashic Record. If you have arrived here, she most likely will offer you access.
Let’s talk names: After all, the title of this article is Naming Goddesses. Names function in the same way as an alter, or an image functions. They serve to keep the named present, close to, just below the surface of, the conscious mind. Keeping them in mind maintains communication, and by maintaining, strengthens it. The least effect is to sharpen intuition, upon which a good many people rely much more often than perhaps they fully consider. These particular minds we will identify as Goddesses, just as the ancients before us. That is the accurate way to describe their role within our local reality. These Goddesses have been named a good many times over the years, and the various names have become cross referential, tied to certain images, cultures, religious traditions. In order always to have mental proximity to them, the author came to choose, for his own purposes, a consistent use of those names from history and tradition which seemed most fitting.
Artemis/Hecate: She is the mind of the Terran Planetary Body.
Man, her last work, who seem'd so fair,
Such splendid purpose in his eyes,
Who roll'd the psalm to wintry skies,
Who built him fanes5 of fruitless prayer,
Who trusted God was love indeed
And love Creation's final law—
Tho' Nature, red in tooth and claw
With ravine6, shriek'd against his creed—7
Her creative spirit is vastly productive, wild, unsettled, disconcerting, frightening and sublime. What kind of a mind issues forth, on the one hand the most exquisite, delicate flora, and on the other the ravening beast? What can one think when viewing the arachnids? Ten depthless eyes, eight legs, and mad geometrical minds. Trap setters, blood drinkers, reavers whose fangs drip with necrotic toxin. What mind nurtures such things? Crawling, biting, hissing, poisonous things. Leaches, millipedes, monstrosities, if it please her. Raptors, predators, and prey of every description, and we haven’t even plumbed the oceans yet, all caught up in an intricate, savage dance of death. To know Artemis is to know the absurd, the deranged, the intoxication of un-restraint, and… transcendent beauty. Beauty, and unqualified generosity, and deep, abiding love. When one can view all the parts of her creation, and never be repulsed, but see only that is is manifestly, impeccably exquisite, then one can say that they are close to her way of mind.
Isis/Sophia: She is the mind of the Lunar Planetary Body.
Written in July, in an arbour
Thou silver deity of secret night,
Direct my footsteps through the woodland shade;
Thou conscious witness of unknown delight,
The Lover's guardian, and the Muse's aid!
By thy pale beams I solitary rove,
To thee my tender grief confide;
Serenely sweet you gild the silent grove,
My friend, my goddess, and my guide.
E'en thee, fair queen, from thy amazing height,
The charms of young Endymion drew;
Veil'd with the mantle of concealing night;
With all thy greatness and thy coldness too.8
The last line is the real capture by our 16th century authoress. Isis does indeed appear both brilliant and cold. Not ice cold though, more the cool of the smooth alabaster statue, deep in the shadowed interior of a Spartan or Corinthian temple. Imposing, quiet, and cool to the psychic touch. She is the pure branch water chilled, silver balance to the passions of Artemis. She is the sword of reasoned intellect. She is the white birch in the snow. She is as loving in her way as Artemis, but her love is sternly countenanced, it brooks no base motives, no extremes, no overwrought storms of sentiment, no grand declarations. It is pure and deep. Her role, is in many ways, to act as a balance, a helpmeet, even protectress, of fever prone Artemis’s mad genius. Artemis’s creative passion is unique and treasured, as it should be, but her work will not suffer from the steadying influence of her cerebral warrior companion.
Why would anyone bother with this ludicrous gibberish? Why does the author blather on about the consciousness of stones, of motes, planets, suns? The reason is that science as we know it in this time, the natural philosophy we have laboriously brought forth through the ages of industrial civilization, is fast approaching an inflection point. This is not the singularity which the materialists imagine, but a point at which the pragmatic, empirical world, will have to re-learn what was of necessity forgotten in the rationalist labors of scientific progress. The rational, individuated mind will need to revisit the true nature of consciousness. Physics itself is already pointing the way; contiguous consciousness imbues, and undergirds, the entire phenomenological world.9
https://myshakespeare.com/macbeth/act-5-scene-5
youtube.com/watch?v=9aViOs_z-xA
I have read two sources which state that during excavations in 1711, beneath the alter/choir area of Notre Dame, workmen discovered an alter inscribed to Jupiter by the Paris Boatmen. I have not read anywhere of the ultimate disposition of this alter, whether it was removed, left in place, or what have you. Apparently it was in the shape of a large block of stone on which an inscription in Latin read “Under Tiberius Caesar Augustus, the Parisii Sailors have raised this alter to Iove, Optimus Maximus”. It is interesting that Our Lady of Paris was raised, roughly 1,000 years after Tiberius, precisely upon what was already long consecrated ground, and that the workmen of ~1160-1260 did not destroy or remove Jupiter, but left him in place, hidden below the Christian alter. It is also interesting to speculate whether the consecrated nature of the place preceded ~ 14-37 Anno Domini, when the Society of Navigators placed their stone, and to what Celtic diety it may have been sanctified. The settlement at Île de la Cité was already a minimum of 250-300 years old by the time of Julius Caesar. Here is one reference. Page 61.
A fane, is a church or temple.
In the predatory, rapacious sense. i.e. - ravening.
Tennyson had the sense of her. https://www.online-literature.com/donne/718/
Mary Wortley Montagu, 1689-1762
Leaving the practicum for the very last, and buried in the footnotes. Just because... If you would be interested in experiencing a casual and undemanding connection to the Lunar Mind, then do as Endymion is said to have done. Lie outside of a summer evening, gaze into the light of the full moon until your optic nerves, and thence your frontal lobes, and deeper, are filled to overflowing. Take a puff of fine tobacco, or a bit of wine - not too much! Relax and let that light run into you in floods, float away on it. In your relaxed state, retire to your bed, and if you do not have lucid dreams with her presence, in some way, very much a part, your author would be quite surprised.