The Long, Hard Struggle for the Light.

Of all the subjects that interest me, none hold such a fascination as metaphysics and the area of occult history. Metaphysics deals with first causes; the subjects of being and knowing, what is real and what is not. It’s often theoretical as opposed to strictly empirical. It should be understood that these two touch and that the one side is well aware of everything on the other side while the other side is generally only aware of itself.

Occult history and recorded history differ remarkably in their view of what happened and why it happened. Occult history, according to some, is precise in its recollections while recorded history is, more often than not, a revision and a fabrication. It is fabricated and constantly revised to serve the designs of those who seek to have humanity serve them; as slaves, as canon fodder, as experiments and for any purpose they may wish to employ humanity in.

A number of readers have wondered why I bother writing about socio-political and cultural issues. They wonder why I’d spend my time hosting a blog like Smoking Mirrors or Reflections in a Petri Dish.

Some writers, who labor in the field of metaphysics; whether it is in a clinical or a religious sense, will tell you that the manifest universe isn’t real. They posit that this realm, which the physical senses interpret, is no more than an illusion. There are sound arguments for this. Certainly those who have activated certain yogic senses or awakened siddhis can testify to the impermanence and insubstantial nature of the manifest world. Some of them can move in and out of it at will and perform acts that defy explanation by empirical scholars. However, if you have ever tripped and fallen while running on the sidewalk, you know that this world can seem very real indeed.

This is why some of us write about life in areas that hold less interest for ourselves and our readers than the more rarified areas of a more permanent existence. It’s about the pain.Most of us do not possess yogic senses or awakened siddhis. Most of us cannot move in and out of this world at will or perform acts that defy explanation by empirical scholars. Most of us are trapped to a greater or lesser degree by real and assumed responsibilities, circumstances and ignorance. Telling us that there is a brighter world beyond might well be true. I am certain it is true but... how does that help us here?

Most of us would help an animal in difficulty; brake or swerve to avoid it on the highway, would help another person according to our ability or feel distressed if we could not. Most of us have some good advice based on past errors of judgment, experienced or observed.If you have studied history and observed the events of your time; if you possess objective awareness you can see personalities and patterns and how they conspire together to create the conditions we are in. It becomes increasingly clear that humanity is divided into various groups with different intentions and agendas. These groups have remained static across the span of history.There are those whose intention is to profit from the needs, appetites and gullibility of their fellows. There are those who wish to help their fellows. There are those who are only concerned with themselves and their families. There are those who are ignorant and those who are very clever and they can be found in all of the groups I have mentioned. There’s no point in going any deeper into the minutiae of this. The complexity of the human heart is beyond the scope of this brief essay.

Sometimes life on Earth is not as difficult as at other times. Sometimes it seems as if the majority of us have gone mad or fallen into a sullen despair. No matter how good or bad it gets, somewhere the good life is flourishing and somewhere there is Hell on Earth.One might well know that this is all temporary. One might have the knowledge and resources to insulate themselves from the trials of the day. But if one is a human being they cannot fail to be aware of the pain and suffering of others. Suffering comes from ignorance. If it is possible to remove some degree of ignorance from the lives of those suffering it would, for some of us, be a worthy cause.

Sometimes the predators among us are very deliberately focused on increasing the ignorance of the population to serve their interests. It is hard to imagine that so many people cannot see that this is happening at this time. I assure you that it is. A small minority of ill made men and women are very intently at work on increasing human ignorance and suffering. They have a large support base of lesser informed souls who have been seduced into believing that they may increase their own fortunes by supporting the ends and intentions of the powerful few. Some are motivated from greed and some from other drives and some are only very stupid and confused. The aggregate collection of these groups in a common purpose makes for a dreadful state of affairs.

In occult history there are many occasions when nothing could be done; when events had to play themselves out. During these periods, many wiser minds withdrew from the chaos and waited it out. At the same time there remain those who were compelled to oppose, by word and deed, the evil machinations of the twisted few and their hosts of ignorant armies. Imagine how black it would seem if not for the voices raised against this terrible empire of lies.It could well prove futile and quixotic. There is slander and acrimony all around for any who dare to dispute the lies and challenge the powerful.

According to many who have left the record of their words and thoughts upon the scroll of history, it isn’t about winning. It’s about striving for the light. It’s about knowing what the right thing is and making that your sole purpose for carrying on. It’s about the useful ignorance of ignoring the seemingly insurmountable odds and living and working for the greater good regardless of the personal cost.

It’s about sealing your ears to the mocking wind of all the little voices singing in the mutant chorus of the deluded and deceived. It’s about being honest and true in the face of every lie and outrage leveled against you. Evil cannot win. It always defeats itself. It is the very nature of evil to consume itself and fade away. We triumph, quite simply, when we endure. The bright unquenchable spark of our higher nature cannot be defeated by the collected darkness of the entire world. This is something occult history has shown and which metaphysics proclaims. The movie is not greater than the screen upon which it is shown.

We may be deluded ourselves. We will, not infrequently, make mistakes. We will fall and we will despair and we will struggle all the while... but as long as we are honest with ourselves we will provide a telling counterpoint to the insanity of the day.

It isn’t about marching into Rome at the head of a victorious army. It isn’t about laurel wreaths and a cheering crowd. It isn’t about celebrity and awards; a place in history, a big funeral with somber eulogies and a large headstone. It’s about telling it like it is and putting it on the line and not being discouraged at the difficulty of the times. It’s about striving for the light so that, just possibly, against all odds, you just might let some light in.

Visible sings: ♫ Listening to God in the Morning ♫
'Listening to God in the Morning' is track no. 13 of 13 on Visible's 2007 album
'The Sacred and The Profane'