Am I a hypocrite?

Maybe.  There are lifestyle modalities that I have promoted and taught to people over the years that, for whatever reason, I haven’t been able to  practice myself. But I don’t believe that it is totally my own fault. Is it?

Back in High School, my best friend, Louis Dolmon gifted me with a copy of Robert Heinlein’s Stranger In A Strange Land (SiaSL).  This book had a major impact on me, and in fact still does to this day.  There were a few other novels of Heinlein’s that I enjoyed and which shared some of the same themes.  The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, The Door Into Summer, and Friday, to name just a few.  The particular themes that I most responded to were those of Polyfidelity (group marriage), naturism, (social nudity) and intentional community.  I have taught the merits of all of these over my “Pagan” career, and encouraged people to practice them. However, personally, I have only partaken of one of these myself, and even then not for a very long time.  I live in Israel for the better part of 1974 in an intentional community; a kibbutz.

The rest? Not so much. Well, not at all. But we (Ceridwen and I) tried to make things manifest.

NATURISM (AKA, Nudism, AKA, social nudity):

Prior to Ceridwen, I was “married” to Qadisha, and lived in Santa Cruz County, CA. She knew of my interest in naturism, but oddly, never allowed me to be exposed to it, even though there was plenty of opportunity in Santa Cruz.  There were five clothing optional beaches, two  hot tub “spas” with community tubs, and there was Lupin Lodge up in the Santa Cruz mountains.  I went to a clothing optional beach exactly once, by myself.  I also went to Kiva a couple times, by myself. I also enjoyed a free pass to Lupin Lodge once.  I loved all of it, but I hated being by myself. Also, as I discovered at Lupin, single males are discouraged from this lifestyle. I like people. I wanted friends who had shared interests, but Qadisha, I guess, was “protecting” me. I remember going to Well Within once with Qadisha, who did not know that I knew the nature of the business.  She asked me to stay in the car while she went in to conduct some business (was she scoring some weed?).

While living in Santa Cruz, I joined the Church of All Worlds (CAW), and attended a meeting at the home of Tom and Joy Williams, who were leaders in CAW.  CAW (as it was inspired by SiaSL) held  a reputation for promoting polyfidelity and naturism. The meeting was intended to organize a “nest” (congregation) of CAW. Nothing really jelled with that, but I did meet the man who would become my Santa Cruz “best friend,” Duane Adam Rostoker (aka: “Adam Walks Between Worlds”).

In 1998 we moved from Santa Cruz to Ashland OR, and that was the end of opportunities for naturist adventures.

It was in Ashland that my relationship with Qadisha ended, and my relationship with Ceridwen began. It should be noted that Ceridwen, prior to meeting me, had regularly engaged in naturist activities. She lived in Santa Cruz, and there was/is an abundance of opportunity there to be “clothing optional.”

Ceridwen was the driving force that instigated the evolution of Order of the Mithril Star (OMS) (which Adam and I conceived) into the Reformed Druids of Gaia (RDG), and in fact RDG was her vision.

In 2004 we moved from Grants Pass OR to Eureka CA (where we still live today). The main reason was that OMS’ (and later RDG’s) sacred tree is the Coast Redwood (Sequoia Sempervirons). The thing is that there are no Redwoods in Oregon. Since OMS’ sacred tree is the Redwood, and we were the leaders of OMS, it seemed logical that we should live where the Redwood is indigenous. Eureka, in it’s heyday, was the center of the logging industry which reduced the Coast Redwood to 3.5% of what it once was. Happily, there hasn’t been any significant logging activity for about the past two decades.

RDG held yearly Reformed Druid gatherings at Humboldt Redwoods State Park. People were informed that these gatherings, owing to the privacy of the camp ground we retained, were clothing optional events. RDG’s course in how to be  a Druid, The Druid Path includes text promoting nudity for ritual and social activities, since RDG is most definitely an SiaSL inspired “organism.” So one might expect that some would take the opportunity to shed their cloths.

No one ever took their clothes off.

POLYFIDELITY:

This means a group relationship involving any number of men and women (Gay and/or Straight) who make a commitment to one another to love, honor, and protect each other; possibly raise children, and to restrict sexual activity to only those in the contract. Group Marriage.  One temporarily successful group marriage was the Kerista Commune. They lasted about twenty years, and it is said that a remnant of the group still exists on the island of Maui in Hawaii.

As an SiaSL inspired organization, we have promoted polyfidelity, and Ceridwen and I seriously sought after another wife or husband (or more). We actually had one really good shot at it. A woman from Southern California who was a member of OMS “courted” us for about three months, even visiting us when Ceridwen and I lived in King Salmon (just south of Eureka).  As things developed, it turned out that she wasn’t so much interested in a relationship with Ceridwen and I as she was in one with me.  Ceridwen and I are a package deal, so, no deal.  After that we never again met anyone who was at all interested. We had a series of female house mates over from 2004 until 2019, and we hoped that at least one of them would evolved into the “third” that we desired.  When it came time to replace our ageing queen size mattress, we opted for an Eastern King, to at least “prime the pump” for a polyamorous relationship to develop (an Eastern King will easily sleep three).

Prior to Ceridwen, Qadisha expressed interest in polyamory  (polyfidelities’ poor cousin). In a simple ritual, we pledged we would pursue polyamory. As it turned out, what she really wanted was to sleep with her ex-boyfriend in Eugene OR. She wasn’t interested in my pursuing a poly relationship (with anyone) at all.

Ceridwen had over time participated in various polyfideletous relationships, both when she lived in Madison WI, and again in Santa Cruz.

One of our Archdruids actually had a poly relationship involving her boy friend and another woman. It was not so successful. After about nine months, our AD came home from work to find that her boy friend and her “sister wife” had left her. This also happened to another couple whom I stayed with in Santa Cruz.

Ceridwen and I will turn seventy-two very soon. Her in  a few days from now, and myself in mid-November. We haven’t totally given up on acquiring a “sister wife” or “brother husband,”  but we’re not going to hold our breathe either.

INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY:
We’ve had a business plan and outline for a  “Druid Monastery” for well over twenty years now (click here) but we’ve experienced nothing but tsuris for our efforts. When we first exposed OMS members to the idea, we were inundated with a lot of complaining from members, that we couldn’t possibly raise the kind of money for the infrastructure we would require, and “…anyway it’s just yours and Ceridwen’s selfish retirement plan.”

Over the last twenty-five years, we’ve raised $1,050 towards this plan. So, there’s still hope, right?

 

 

Had a chat with “Grok” today

In this case “Grok” is not simply a Martian vernacular word from Heinlein’s Stranger In A Strange Land, rather, Grok is a conversational AI chatbot developed by xAI, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company. It’s designed to be a powerful assistant that can answer questions, generate text, create images, and even write code. Grok is known for its ability to access real-time information through X (formerly Twitter) and its “rebellious” streak, which allows it to tackle “spicy” questions often avoided by other AI models.

I asked Grok about the Reformed Druids of Gaia (RDG).  Here is what  “she” told me:  “The RDG was co-founded by Ceridwen Seren-Ddaear and Sybok Pendderwydd (aka: Robert M. Larson), in 1996.  Her real name is Ceridwen Arseneau. Ceridwen and Robert are married and they also co-founded the Order of the Mithril Star together.”

Several things are just so wrong in this. First of all, Ceridwen’s real name is Karyn Arseneau. She has used the pseudonym “Ceridwen Seren-Ddaear” throughout her career as a neo-pagan elder/practitioner. I have used the pseudonym “Sybok Pendderwydd” off and on throughout my pagan career as well. I have NEVER used the name “Robert Larson.”  Order of the Mithril Star (OMS) was founded by myself and Duane Adam Rostoker (aka, “Adam Walks Between Worlds”) in  1996 at Big Basin Redwoods State Park, following a “Bring Back the Snakes” party at nearby Boulder Creek Brewery circa St. Patrick’s Day.  RDG was founded by myself and Karyn Arseneau around the Pagan feast of Mabon in 2006.

Grok provided some history of RDG:  “Specific to leadership requirements, circa 2013-2014 there was a mandate issued by the retiring Archdruid that his replacement (as well as those in other RDG leadership roles) must be politically far left and/or affiliated with the Green Party (USA residents).”

This is only partially true. RDG members are expected to be Progressive in their political leanings, but there was never a “mandate” issued by a “retiring Archdruid” (whom I guess is me, but rest assured I never issued such a requirement). I can especially reassure you that I have never endorsed the Green Party, which, in at least the last decade, has proven itself to be radically antisemitic.

“Specific to leadership requirements, circa 2013-2014 there was a mandate issued by the retiring Archdruid that his replacement (as well as those in other RDG leadership roles) must be pansexually (or at least bisexual) polyamorous naturists.”

Another bald-faced lie. No such “mandate” has ever been issued. However, RDG (and it’s parent group, OMS) are heavily influenced by Robert Heinlein’s Stranger In A Strange Land, which depicts polyamory and naturism as lifestyle choices. I have written extensively on these topics over the years.

“Unusual pattern of RDG Third Degrees approaching RDNA Third Order Druids requesting the secret Third Order Ordination liturgical scripts There is the perception in the RDNA that RDG Third Degrees are required to attempt to acquire the RDNA scripts. The manipulative sense of entitlement presented is mildly to harassingly disturbing.”

We were formed as the result of a  “vision” of  Karyn’s of seeing Reformed Druidism expanded to a planet wide paradigm, rather then the Reformed Druids of North America’s (RDNA) limitation to just the North American continent.  That’s why we are “of Gaia.”  As for our ordination of Third Order candidates (yes, we call them “Orders,” not “degrees”) requiring such candidates to attempt to procure RDNA’s 3rd Order Scripts — that’s just bull  feces.  It is true that VERY early on we did attempt to find some examples of such scripts, (just as other pagan groups might try to procure materials from groups they are closely related to, which is VERY common) it was found that we could come up with our own scripts (which currently vary from Archdruid to Archdruid and from Grove to Grove).  

These three “accusations” are the usual broadbrush attempt to discredit us. I am very sure that these attempts did not come from any RDNA sources, as we have never had anything but friendship and mutual respect from members and officers of the RDNA. No, I suspect that this originated with members of the N-RDNA (New Reformed Druids of North America) which is a group which officially schismed from the RDNA in 1976 (instigated  by Isaac Bonewits). Some NRDNA members are “embarrassed”  by this and frequently attempt to “blur the line” between their schismatic group and the legitimate RDNA, often characterizing themselves in the role of “spokes persons” for the RDNA. They have been highly critical of the RDG since it’s conception, and particularly because of our close associating with the lifestyles promoted by the Church of All Worlds (CAW) (specifically polyamory and naturism) and so spread outright propaganda and insinuations concerning sexual lifestyles among RDG members.  Very much like how Christians attack their critics: there is always some accusation of sexual abnormality.

Now, getting back to our initial topic here:  I am a tad curious as to why my name, Ellis Arseneau, did not come up in Grok’s “research(?).  My pseudonym (Sybok Pendderwydd) certainly did, as did Karyn’s (Ceridwen Seren_Ddaer) but Karyn’s real name did appear.  I suppose that over the years I have been too zealous at keeping my public persona private (and my employment).  Now that I am retired and in my 70’s such precautions no longer seems required.

BUT — who the hell is Robert M. (or C.M. Larson?  I certainly have never use that moniker and Karyn was surprised when I told her she was married to him! LOL!!!

I remember the MacMullen family reunions

I think the last time I was in attendance at one of these was maybe 1963, or earlier.  My maternal grandmothers family, the MacMullens used to hold a “clan gathering” (family reunion) every year at Kankakee River State Park. This always occurred on the Sunday closest to the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which celebrates the giving of the Torah to Moses and therefore to Israel.  Now days Moses is said to be the first person to download data from the cloud unto a tablet.

I know what you are thinking:  a Scottish clan? Jews?  Yep.  Like many European Jewish families, my grandmothers family was chased around the continent a bit. From somewhere in the Balkans, the Bonewitzes<sp?> were chased away, probably as the result of a pogrom or pogroms, and eventually landed in the Scottish Highlands. There they changed their name to MacMullen and adopted that clans tartan, as well as a boatload of Scottish custom.  So the MacMullen clan gathering was a mixture of Jewish and Scottish cultural adaptations.

I remember the men wearing kilts with matching kippah, some wonderful BBQ chicken, burgers, and assortments of salads, chips and deserts. There was a little train ride that carried kids all around the park.  There were bagpipes and Highland Games including the tug-o-war, the hammer throw and tossing the caber.  The Rabbi from our synagogue on the south side of Chicago was also in attendance.

I remember some of us discovering that if you ate a lot of angel-food cake you could drink all the Coca Cola you wanted without getting sick.

A Scots-Jewish “kippah,” made from the official Jewish tartan

I don’t remember attending one of these after Shavuot 1963 (when I was going to turn 10 years old). Whoever was the organizer of this even either passed away or got sick or just stopped. So this has become a fond but very vague memory after all these years.

 

Why do we pay taxes? Two answers

I saw this on Facebook today:

The author of this meme doesn’t seem to understand the purpose or benefit of taxation. Rather, they seem to believe that taxation is some sort of punishment. I’ve seen this before. It is a popular notion among Ayn Rand devotees (aka: Libertarians).

WHY DO WE PAY TAXES?  Two answers:

ANSWER ONE:
Taxes fund public services and infrastructure that benefit society.
Here’s a breakdown of why taxes are paid:

1. Funding Public Goods and Services:
Essential Services: Taxes finance fundamental services like national defense, law enforcement, fire protection, and the justice system.
Infrastructure: Taxes are used to build and maintain roads, bridges, public transportation, and other vital infrastructure.
Education: Public schools, universities, and other educational programs are funded through taxes.
Healthcare: Taxes support public healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
Social Welfare Programs: Taxes fund programs that provide assistance to those in need, such as unemployment benefits and welfare programs.

2. Promoting Social Well-being:
Public Safety: Taxes help fund police and fire departments, contributing to a safer environment.
Parks and Recreation: Taxes support the maintenance of parks, libraries, and recreational facilities.
Environmental Protection: Taxes can be used to fund environmental conservation efforts and address pollution.

3. Ensuring a Functioning Society:
Government Operations: Taxes pay for the salaries of government employees and the cost of running government agencies.
Economic Stability: Taxes can be used to manage the economy and promote economic growth.
In essence, taxes are a collective contribution that enables a functioning and prosperous society by funding the essential services and programs that benefit everyone.

ANSWER TWO:
Why you would not want to live in a country with no taxes
While the prospect of living in a country with no taxes might seem appealing at first glance, there are several reasons why this might not be a desirable or even viable option in the long run. 
Here are some key considerations:
1. Reduced or Non-existent Public Services:
  • Limited infrastructure: Countries without taxes might struggle to fund essential infrastructure like roads, bridges, public transportation, and reliable utilities (water, electricity, internet).
  • Poorly funded education: Public education systems may be weak, understaffed, or even non-existent, potentially impacting the future prospects of residents and the overall workforce.

    • Inadequate healthcare: Access to affordable and quality healthcare might be severely limited, forcing individuals to rely on expensive private care or travel abroad for treatment.
    • Weak or absent social safety nets: There may be a lack of social welfare programs to support the elderly, disabled, unemployed, or those facing hardship.
    • Limited public safety and security: Law enforcement, emergency services, and a functioning justice system might be underfunded or unreliable, potentially leading to higher crime rates and reduced security. 
    2. Economic Instability and Uncertainty:
    • Reliance on volatile revenue sources: Countries without taxes often depend on alternative revenue streams like natural resource extraction (e.g., oil, gas) or tourism, which can fluctuate significantly and create economic instability.
    • Lack of investment in long-term development: Without a stable tax base, governments may be unable to invest in long-term economic growth, research, and development, potentially hindering future prosperity.

      • Potential for corruption and inequality: A lack of transparency and accountability in the absence of a well-defined tax system can create opportunities for corruption and exacerbate wealth inequality. 
      3. Quality of Life Concerns:
      • Lower overall quality of life: The combination of limited public services, potential economic instability, and a lack of social safety nets can negatively impact the overall quality of life for residents.
      • Increased personal expenses: Residents might have to pay out-of-pocket for services typically funded by taxes, such as education, healthcare, and even basic infrastructure maintenance, leading to higher living costs.
      • Potential for social unrest: A lack of basic services and economic opportunities can lead to social unrest, instability, and even political upheaval.
        In conclusion: While eliminating taxes can seem appealing in theory, the practical implications of living in a country with no taxes are significant and can lead to a diminished quality of life, economic instability, and a lack of essential public services. Most developed nations rely on tax revenue to fund vital infrastructure, social programs, and services that contribute to a stable and prosperous society.

There are some countries that do not have an income tax:

Every tree is precious

The Redwood rain forest once covered an area starting just inside the Oregon/California border, running south to about San Luis Obisbo, and East-West from the Pacific to the Cascade Mountains.  That was solid forest, 744 miles long, about 150 miles wide (111,600 square miles).  A squirrel could travel from tree top to tree top and never have to hit the ground.  This forest teemed with Grizzly, Deer, Elk, and Black Bear,  and Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, Condor, Snowy Egrets, and many, many more. Salmon and Steelhead were abundant in our streams, and there was probably a sizeable population of banana slugs.  Indigenous homo-sapien tribes lived and worked and grew old and thrived, without impacting the environment. Some of these tribes believed that the giant trees were gods.  Then the white man came.  Today, less than four percent of this forest is left, most of it in Humboldt, DelNorte, and Mendocino Counties. So, every tree is precious ,,,,,

A couple of years ago there was a tiny stand of Redwood that stood on two lots, off Harris between Sequoia Ave and Girard Court. There is some kind of PG&E station there, which could hardly be seen with the trees. They clear cut that little stand. The stumps are quite visible. The owner of the West part threw up a fence, and now has a travel trailer parked inside. I’m guessing he lives there and someday he’ll build a house. I don’t know what PG&Es excuse was. At the time it made me sick. I still drive past there and kind of mourn.

A few years back I published a petition on the Move On site, calling for a 200 year moratorium on the harvest, sale, and manufacturing of goods from the Redwood rain forest.

Save what remains. Sign this petition:

SAVE THE REDWOODS

MORE INFORMATION

John & Mary tell me about Donald

In Finding Inner Peace and Strength (Doubleday, 1982), Jerry Falwell claimed total inerrancy for the Bible:

The Bible is the inerrant . . . Word of God. It is absolutely
infallible, without error in all matters pertaining to faith and
practice, as well as in areas such as geography, science,
history, etc., (p 26).

 

This morning there was a knock at my door. When I answered the door I found a well groomed, nicely dressed couple.

The man spoke first: “Hi! I’m John, and this is Mary.”

Mary: “Hi! We’re here to invite you to come kiss Donald’s ass with us.”

Me: “Pardon me?! What are you talking about? Who’s Donald, and why would I want to kiss his ass?”

John: “If you kiss Donald’s ass, he’ll give you a million dollars; and if you don’t, he’ll kick the shit out of you.”

Me: “What? Is this some sort of bizarre mob shake-down?”

John: “Hank is a billionaire philanthropist. Donald built this country. Donald owns this town. He can do what ever wants, and what he wants is to give you a million dollars, but he can’t until you kiss his ass.”

Me: “That doesn’t make any sense. Why . . .”

Mary: “Who are you to question Donald’s gift? Don’t you want a million dollars? Isn’t it worth a little kiss on the ass?”

Me: “Well maybe, if it’s legit, but . . .”

John: “Then come kiss Donald’s ass with us.”

Me: “Do you kiss Donald’s ass often?”

Mary: “Oh yes, all the time . . .”

Me: “And has he given you a million dollars?”

John: “Well no, you don’t actually get the money until you leave town.”

Me: “So why don’t you just leave town now?”

Mary: “You can’t leave until Donald tells you to, or you don’t get the money, and he kicks the shit out of you.”

Me: “Do you know anyone who kissed Donald’s ass, left town, and got the million dollars?”

John: “My mother kissed Donald’s ass for years. She left town last year, and I’m sure she got the money.”

Me: “Haven’t you talked to her since then?”

John: “Of course not, Donald doesn’t allow it.”

Me: “So what makes you think he’ll actually give you the money if you’ve never talked to anyone who got the money?”

Mary: “Well, he gives you a little bit before you leave. Maybe you’ll get a raise, maybe you’ll win a small lotto, maybe you’ll just find a twenty dollar bill on the street.”

Me: “What’s that got to do with Donald?”

John: “Donald has certain ‘connections.'”

Me: “I’m sorry, but this sounds like some sort of bizarre con game.”

John: “But it’s a million dollars, can you really take the chance? And remember, if you don’t kiss Donald’s ass he’ll kick the shit of you.”

Me: “Maybe if I could see Donald’s, talk to him, get the details straight from him . . .”

Mary: “No one sees Donald, no one talks to Donald.”

Me: “Then how do you kiss his ass?”

John: “Sometimes we just blow him a kiss, and think of his ass. Other times we kiss Elon’s ass, and he passes it on.”

Me: “Who’s Elon?”

Mary: “A friend of ours. He’s the one who taught us all about kissing Donald’s ass. All we had to do was take him out to dinner a few times.”

Me: “And you just took his word for it when he said there was a Donald, that Donald wanted you to kiss his ass, and that Donald would reward you?”

John: “Oh no! Elon’s got a letter Donald sent him years ago explaining the whole thing. Here’s a copy; see for yourself.” John handed me a photocopy of a handwritten memo on “From the desk of Elon’ letterhead. There were eleven items listed:

  • Kiss Donald’s ass and he’ll give you a million dollars when you leave town.
  • Use alcohol in moderation.
  • Kick the shit out of people who aren’t like you.
  • Eat right.
  • Donald dictated this list himself.
  • The moon is made of green cheese.
  • Everything Donald says is right.
  • Wash your hands after going to the bathroom.
  • Don’t drink.
  • Eat your wieners on buns; no condiments.
  • Kiss Donald’s ass or he’ll kick the shit out of you.

Me: “This would appear to be written on Elon’s Letterhead.”

Mary: “Donald didn’t have any paper.”

Me: “I have a hunch that if we checked we’d find this is Elon’s handwriting.”

John: “Of course, Donald dictated it.”

Me: “I thought you said no one gets to see Donald?”

Mary: “Not now, but years ago he would talk to some people.”

Me: “I thought you said he was a philanthropist. What sort of philanthropist kicks the shit out of people just because they’re different?”

Mary: “It’s what Donald wants, and Donald’s always right.”

Me: “How do you figure that?”

Mary: “Item 7 says ‘Everything Donald says is right.’ That’s good enough for me!”

Me: “Maybe your friend Elon just made the whole thing up.”

John: “No way! Item 5 says ‘Donald dictated this list himself.’ Besides, item 2 says ‘Use alcohol in moderation,’ Item 4 says ‘Eat right,’ and item 8 says ‘Wash your hands after going to the bathroom.’ Everyone knows those things are right, so the rest must be true, too.”

Me: “But 9 says ‘Don’t Drink,’ which doesn’t quite go with item 2, and 6 says ‘The moon is made of green cheese,’ which is just plain wrong.”

John: “There’s no contradiction between 9 and 2, 9 just clarifies 2. As far as 6 goes, you’ve never been to the moon, so you can’t say for sure.”

Me: “Scientists have pretty firmly established that the moon is made of rock . . .”

Mary: “But they don’t know if the rock came from the Earth, or from out of space, so it could just as easily be green cheese.”

Me: “I’m not really an expert, but I think the theory that the Moon came from the Earth has been discounted. Besides, not knowing where the rock came from doesn’t make it cheese.”

John: “Aha! You just admitted that scientists make mistakes, but we know Donald is always right!”

Me: “We do?”

Mary: “Of course we do, Item 5 says so.”

Me: “You’re saying Donald’s always right because the list says so, the list is right because Donald dictated it, and we know that Donald dictated it because the list says so. That’s circular logic, no different than saying ‘Donald’s right because he says he’s right.'”

John: “Now you’re getting it! It’s so rewarding to see someone come around to Donald’s way of thinking.”

Me: “But . . . oh, never mind. What’s the deal with wieners?” Mary blushes.

John says: “Wieners, in buns; no condiments. It’s Donald’s way. Anything else is wrong.”

Me: “What if I don’t have a bun?”

John: “No bun, no wiener. A wiener without a bun is wrong.”

Me: “No relish? No Mustard?”

Mary looks positively stricken. John shouts: “There’s no need for such language! Condiments of any kind are wrong!”

Me: “So a big pile of sauerkraut with some wieners chopped up in it would be out of the question?”

Mary sticks her fingers in her ears: “I am not listening to this. La la la, la la, la la la.”

John: “That’s disgusting. Only some sort of evil deviant would eat that . . .”

Me: “It’s good! I eat it all the time.”

Mary faints. John catches her: “Well, if I’d known you where one of those I wouldn’t have wasted my time. When Donald kicks the shit out of you I’ll be there, counting my money and laughing. I’ll kiss Donald’s ass for you, you bunless cut-wienered kraut-eater.”

With this, John dragged Mary to their waiting car, and sped off.

Editor’s note: Donald has other names that he is known by:  POTUS, 45 (or 47), “Duck L’Orange,” Yeti,  COMPLETE (more or less) LIST

“Hin-Jew:” How I became one

 

My wife and I have been attending Kirtan sessions in Arcata monthly since 9/2019, led by the Skywater Kirtan Band. Shemaia Skywater, who leads the group is a very talented musician, yoga teacher, and she’s Jewish.

Here’s a sample from August, 2018:

Another sample, this one from before Ceridwen and I started attending:

Anyroad, I found the “Kirtan Rabbi” on Youtube of late and loved the way he blended cultural styles (Kirtan is a Hindu/Buddhist artform). Kind of the best of both worlds. Funny thing is that I have referred to myself as a “Hin-Jew” for a few years now.

Christian sharia law (aka “project 2025”) vs. Islamic sharia law

 

Same cake. Different frosting.

Christian Nationalism (which was born out of Christian Fundagelicalism) and Islam have the same basic flaws:  They both adhere to the idea that a being with a penis (a man) is superior to a being without one (a woman).  They both have a history of enslaving people.  They both deny that folks attracted to their own gender (LGBTQ) should enjoy basic human rights. They both believe that their particular religion is the only correct one.  They both wish to eradicate our Constitutional Bill of Rights.

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How I became a pantheist

 

When I was fifteen, my very best friend (even to this day, and I am seventy one as I write this), Louis Dolmon, gifted me with Robert Heinlein’s novel, Stranger In A Strange Land. That became the foundation of my theology, specifically, the phrase uttered repeatedly by Michael in the story, “Thou art G-d.”

After that, I was exposed to (through college) Baruch Spinoza, Walt Whitman, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau,  Giordano Bruno, Nikola Tesla, Albert Einstein, Alan Watts, Paul Harrison, and after I retired, more Eastern “Gurus” and spiritualists came to my attention, such as Adi Shankara, Mooji, H.W.L Poonja,  Ramana Maharshi, and Bhakti Yoga musicians and singer/songwriters such as George Harrison, Krishna Das, The Hanuman Project, Kevin James, and my favorite, Jai Sahaja.  Most recently (because this bridges the gap between my “Hindu leanings” and my “Jewish upbringing” : Rabbi Andrew Hahn, aka, “Kirtan Rabbi.”  I’ve most recently began reviving my practice with the guitar.  Back in the day, I used to play at teen meetings at my synagogue, at Guitar Mass at my father’s church  (Dad was Catholic; Mom was Jewish. It’s a long story); and, during my eighteen year sojourn (1971-1989) in “Messianic Judaism (aka, Fundagelical Xtianity)” I was a worship leader for the cult I belonged to.   When I moved to California in 1992, I bequeathed the “Lady Galadriel” (my acoustic guitar) to my eldest son Joshua. Anyroad, I’m learning some Kirtan songs and I might or might not lead Kirtan sessions at my home in the future. Waiting is.

So, what is it I exactly believe?  You, I and everyone else is G-d.  That’s the readers digest version. The interesting thing is that I have never not believed in this paradigm. Even as a “Messianic Jew (born again Xtian)”  I still embraced this idea, and even found New Testament verses to justify it.  Another belief I have hung onto (and this one began early, maybe age five or six) is reincarnation. Probably why I was kicked out of every cult I got involved with during my eighteen year belief in nonsense. But back to pantheism:

There are other names for this paradigm: “Non-dualism,” “the Oneness of the All,” “transcendentalism,” and Hindu’s call in Advaita Vendata. Your “self” (“soul,” “nefesh,” “atman,”), is the part of you that is REALLY you.  Your physical body will someday cease to have life (“die,” “discorporate”) but your “self” is eternal. It cannot die. We speculate that it is pure energy, but it is also sentient. We know from physics that since the “self” is composed of energy, it can neither be created nor destroyed. Your “self” is the part of you that is G-d, and in turn it is one with every other “self” existing in the universe(s).  This concept is hard to grok, so I will try to explain it, as best as I can.

There is only One “Self.”  The “self” exists throughout all of the universes. It is eternal, omniscient, omnipotent, eternal; all of the attributes that we have been taught that G-d has.  That is because the “self” is G-d. Every sentient lifeform shares this same “self.” 

The Oneness of the All.

It might be easier to think of G-d as a collective being. There was a science fiction show on television. It was part of the Star Trek franchise and was called Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The episode of particular interest occurs in Season 3, Episode 2.

A main character in the series, Odo, displays attributes that lead me to think that our  self as a member of a collective shares these same attributes.  Odo is a shapeshifter (also called a “changeling”), a member of a race whose physical bodies are a kind of liquid, like very thick oil or chocolate fudge topping.  When Odo sleeps (‘regenerates’) he does so in a bucket.  In ST:DS9, Season 3, Episode 2, Odo, having spent all of his known life with other aliens (referred to as “the solids”) he finally visits his home planet. There he meets other shapeshifters, and enters into what they call “the great link.” Which is to say his body melds with the bodies of all of the other members of his species, in a kind of soup.

 

I think this might be a good illustration for what happens when we discorporate, or as Sri Babba Ram Stephen puts it in this parable:
Q: Rabbi, what happens when we are born?
A: The ocean becomes a drop.
Q: Then, what happens when we die?
A: The drop returns to the ocean.
I suspect that this also happens when we are asleep, or when we are unconscious. Further, I suspect that it is in this state, “the great link,”  where creation takes place.

There are other implications for this, especially in regard to some of the paradigms of Christianity.  For example, “Fundagelicals”  will cite Romans 3:23 (NT) “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of G-d,” using this verse to  explain that humans are separated from G-d, but this is impossible.  We can never be separated from G-d because we are G-d, and the separateness we might experience is an illusion.  The water contained in an eyedropper still bears all of the characteristics of the body of water that it was taken from.

Because we are G-d we are naturally, fundamentally, good.  But, sometimes we do bad things. Some people are serving time in jail for various crimes, felonies, misdemeanors.  History has shown us bad people, such as Hitler, Stalin, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Richard Nixon etc.  Are they G-d as well?  Yes they are(or were). The problem is that they didn’t/don’t know it. They were brainwashed by their culture or by false religions, to the extent that they have no moral compass.

“If a critical mass of humanity were to adopt this belief: that you and I and everyone else is in fact, G-d, we would have world peace, global prosperity and global equality. We would end war. We would end poverty. All beings on Earth would be free and happy.”  ~~ Stephan Gabriel

SO SAY WE ALL!!!

The Political Spectrum as a circle

 

Here I have illustrated the “political spectrum” as a circle, including where some of the political parties fall on it.

You have the RIGHT on the one side, and the LEFT on the other, with their sub entities listed at approximately the places I believe they belong.

At the top is DEMOCRACY, and what I believe is the ideal situation. At the bottom is TOTALITARIANISM, another name for which is SLAVERY.  You will find yourself either leaning LEFT or leaning RIGHT, but keep in mind that once you slide down past the center, you are getting into dangerous ideological territory.  Once past the center, the further left,or right that you slide, the closer you come to a political dictatorship and they end of your Constitutional, Bill of Rights guarantees.

Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Iran (in fact, all of the Moslem world) today), and others, would be located at the bottom right of the circle.  The USSR, Cuba, and others would be at the bottom left, but really, when you’re that far to the bottom, there is no real difference. You’re still a slave. You still are ruled by a dictator.

The other thing that the bottom of the spectrum has in common is antisemitism or, anti-zionism (they are the same thing).

Countries can find themselves in a kind of flux. For example the United States, with the Trump regime in place, is slipping down the right side of the circle pretty fast.