The Power

(The following was written in installments between February 2010 and December 2011.)

"Every religion is true one way or another. It is true when understood metaphorically. But when it gets stuck in its own metaphors, interpreting them as facts, then you are in trouble." --Joseph Campbell

I know there are people out there who have never picked up a tall black book called The Power of Myth. It is one long conversation between the quintessential intelligent journalist, Bill Moyers, and the person who knows more about more kinds of Mythology than anyone ever, Joseph Campbell.

The book serves to sum up Campbell's life's work in easily digestible slices of truth, magic and history. The message of the book is often over-distilled down to his mantra of 'Follow Your Bliss,' but that ain't even the ever-halving half of it.

Recently, after reading the book cover to cover again, I was vividly reminded of my first go-round with the Power. It dug deep into me and made some real changes in the deep fabric of the titanium overcoat that separates and protects me from the other beings on the top level of the food chain/slash "most dangerous predator list." Which, at the present time, takes the form of all my old buddies, Homo Sapiens Sapiens.

I have prattled on before about how the Earth is Gaia, the living, sentient being. Campbell explains exactly how -- or at least in which manner -- humanity developed from "part" of Terra to "master" of the entire crust of the planet (and we would probably go ahead and parcel out various currents of mantle magma if we can just figure out how to run our Ipods off it). We own and want and need and get and get and get. We've woven fact with myth and Myth with lying. The evil that underlies our consumer culture is the Guardian at the Gate of Wisdom. The constant bombardment of our eyes, and not to mention our children (and especially during this season of Xmas with a capital X), with demands that we buy that which we not only do not need, but just as likely will simply store on a shelf until some future day when the item is determined to not be box-worthy in the next move on to somewhere better with better schools and more convenient grocery mega-malls manned by struggling workers willing and able to make the lowest living wage possible and providing service to match.

But (as is wont to occur), I digress.

Part of what I learned from Dr. Campbell is that our disconnect from the planet is our biggest weakness in body and soul. Our placement of Deity itself in the Sky, away from us, where we have to stretch and strive and push push push yourself towards something you will never reach... I bet it tastes like carrots when you finally get it.

I don't even like carrots.

I like the big fat lady with her big ol' boobies that they found all over the place from a time when Homo Sape was not obsessed with striving toward the removed, but instead focused on being part of the seasons and the cycles and the freakin' Nature itself. Instead we have paved it over to put up the proverbial parking lot.

Please read the next line in my most non-zealotous voice,... I think you would enjoy reading The Power of Myth, it's good.

I have recently also discovered a perfect film of the real history of everything. It is on PBS stations right now, but they are able to make it last two hours with all their please pleas. I know, we gotta have PBS at least, give 'em some money, but the show that happens in between is the game changer.

Journey of the Universe tells more in one hour about who we are and where we came from than any hour you've ever spent. It weaves Campbell with Newton with Einstein and everything else. Check your local listings, it's on right now.

But don't get too jazzed up about being so far along the path, it's practically 2012 anyway. If the Mayans are right, it doesn't make any difference one way or the other....

Of course, if they miss on this one, I plan to keep listening for Gaia to tell me what to do next.

Peace.