Tag: Evil

The Age of Aquarius

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Aquarius, Dutch modern artist Johfra Bosschart

Paul Levy, who I quote extensively below, is a pioneer in the field of spiritual emergence assisting others who are also awakening to the dreamlike nature of reality. Among his books are The Quantum Revelation: A Radical Synthesis of Science and Spirituality and Dispelling Wetiko: Breaking the Curse of Evil. An artist and author, he is deeply steeped in the work of C. G. Jung, and has been a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner for over 35 years.

As we enter the nascent phase of the Aquarian Age that includes the corrective and final gasps of the previous Piscean Age, we simultaneously enter the paradigm shift that was the impetus for Chrysalis Tarot.

A paradigm is defined simply as the framework for understanding reality. The dominant Piscean paradigm is the Eurocentric, Biblical worldview. It regards evil as an external reality, i.e. the devil.

In fact, evil is an intrinsic aspect of every individual’s psyche. It exists in the shadow self. It is a mind disease Paul Levy calls wetiko, a Cree word meaning evil spirit.

In actuality, wetiko is a far worse demon: “Wetiko is the overarching umbrella that contains, subsumes, informs and underlies every form of self and other destruction that our species is acting out seemingly uncontrollably in our world today on every scale,” according to Levy.

When wetico’s scale of infection leaps from individual to species, from micro to macro, it becomes a phenomena called Mass Formation Psychosis, a term attributed to author Mattias Desmet. The spectre then becomes “madness on an industrial scale, as we see evidenced all around us in the world today,” as Levy notes in an article he wrote for Kosmos Journal.

“Wetiko can be conceived of as being an evil, cannibalistic, vampiric spirit that inspires people under its sway to take and consume another’s resources and lifeforce energy solely for their own profit [or emotional satisfaction], without giving anything back of value from their own lives. Wetiko thus violates the sacred law of reciprocity in both human affairs and the natural world as a whole.” Because it is vampiric, it is also toxically narcissistic: the unawakened are self-absorbed yet not self-aware. Consequently, they are easily manipulated, intimidated and controlled. They believe what their peers insist they believe thus forming a collective, undiscerning hive-mind.

Have you watched mainstream news lately? Wide scale violence is escalating, as is palpable fear. Not only does corporate media confirm the above quoted assertion by Levy, it both promulgates and justifies it. The mainstream media is part of the problem.

Art by James Piper

As I previously mentioned, I don’t intend to write a great deal about wetiko or about what is really going on in our world in this Chrysalis space. Instead, such pieces, often harrowing, will appear on my new Rational Spirituality substack. I invite you to subscribe – it’s always free. You will be provided with critical information and spiritual guidance you are unlikely to find anywhere else.

The evil spirit animating wetiko has been creatively symbolized in as many ways as can be imagined by many great artists, scientists, thinkers and philosophers, and certainly by every spiritual wisdom tradition known to humanity, notes Levy. Carl Jung referred to the wetiko mind disease as “totalitarian psychosis.” The trend toward totalitarianism in the U.S. is astounding; consider the lockdowns, mandates and pervasive censorship. We are truly entering the Orwellian dystopia.

The great imperative is this: we must fast awaken to this threat and seek to understand it. There is far too much groupthink and far too little critical thinking in our society. “Wetiko, though originating within the human psyche, reveals itself via the medium of the outside world. The worldwide coronavirus pandemic is reflecting—just like a dream, where the outer dreamscape is a symbolic expression of the inner state of the dreamer—an unconscious process that is happening deep within the human psyche. It’s like Covid is something we collectively “manifested into existence.” (Levy)

Chrysalis was created as an antidote to the mind virus. Our great defense against wetiko is self awareness, which must include our shadow self; the shadow is where wetiko lurks with impunity. We all must incorporate our personal shadow, regardless of our deplorable it may be, into our conscious awareness and own it! It’s the only way I know of to effectively fight back. The universe is a living organism and offers everything we need to wake up and develop eyes to see.

Jung felt that the catastrophic evil manifesting in our world today is an archetypical expression of the process of humanity’s transition from one epoch—and lower state of consciousness—to another epoch and higher state of consciousness.

The dark side has it’s archetypes and we have ours! My favorite Old Testament prophet is Ezekiel, who wrote: “Son of man, you’re living with a bunch of rebellious people. They have eyes but don’t see a thing, they have ears but don’t hear a thing. They’re rebels all.” (Ezekiel 2:22, MSG)

Mundo Icayari, by Luis Tamani

 

© R. Toney Brooks, PhD, 2023

The Banality of Evil

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The title of this blog, The Banality of Evil, is a phrase coined by philosopher Hannah Arendt while covering the trial of Nazi official Adolf Eichmann. She notes that evil does not come from a Cosmic Boogeyman but rather from actions normalized by unthinking and uncaring robotic human beings. Good and Evil exist in our world side by side, ofttimes in precarious balance. Whenever evil overtakes good bad things like world wars and natural catastrophes that threaten human existence are more likely to occur.

I believe we find ourselves at such a bifurcation point today. Humanity today can easily slide into tyranny and authoritarianism – into abject existential evil – or alternatively we can bring about a higher level of consciousness that eschews conflict between nations.

Snow Spirit (above left) lived during an age we know very little about – the Paleolithic or more specifically the Upper Paleolithic. It’s a epoch that ended around 12,000 years ago at the same time the last Ice Age ended. The world of Snow Spirit ended suddenly and violently. There are two theories why. Almost overnight our planet warmed by as much as 15 degrees and sea levels rose by 300-400 feet. All the wooly mammoths, mastodons, and other large mammals went extinct, a layer of soot called the Black Mat that dates to this catastrophe blanketed the world.

The first credible theory is that a comet hit Earth, but no crater has been found. The second theory holds that a giant CME (Coronal Mass Ejection) from the Sun caused a humongous solar storm and was responsible for the destruction. As you might have guessed, Chrysalis favors this latter theory.

Geologist Robert Schoch described it this way: “Plasma hitting the surface of Earth could heat and fuse rock, incinerate flammable materials, melt ice caps, vaporize shallow bodies of water creating an extended deluge of rain, and send the climate into a warming spell. The release of pressure that follows the melting of thousands of meters-thick ice sheets can induce earthquakes and even cause hot rock under pressure to melt and erupt to the surface as volcanoes. The world was in chaos…”

Chaos. Disorder. These are words indelibly affixed to existential Evil.

Until around 1954 students were taught civilization began in Mesopotamia some 6,000 years ago. We were taught Ancient Egypt was the crown jewel of that civilization, a civilization that built the Giza pyramids and Sphinx around 2,500 BCE. We were taught civilization had then progressed gradually one step at a time forward through human history, a theory called uniformitarianism. The Bible stories about a Great Flood and Plato’s account of Atlantis were myths, we were told.

Archaeologists then discovered the Sphinx was actually built before 10,000 BCE. The ruins at Göbekli Tepe were discovered, ruins that date to ~9,000 BCE. There’s another site in Turkey that even predates Göbekli Tepe. Clearly there was an advanced civilization that had been leveled by some cataclysmic event during the Upper Paleolithic. The floods produced by this Biblical 300-foot rise in sea levels, let alone the “fire in the skies” – constant lightning strikes spawned by horrendous solar storms – would have wiped out most life on Earth and altered the face of our planet. Forever.

Perhaps Snow Spirit was present at that time. Perhaps, through Chrysalis artist Holly Sierra, she has presented herself to us today as a motherly warning. Remember, consciousness is nonlocal and timeless; knowledge of these events linger in our subconscious minds.

From the beginning, Chrysalis was intended to be a prophetic tarot deck. We foresaw this upcoming paradigm shift and the concordant opportunity for unparalleled advancement – a quantum leap in the evolution of human consciousness and rational spirituality. Among the Cadre of Evil opposing us are those who engender chaos: staunch materialists. These lost sheep worship political religions like Marxism, fascism, communism and socialism. They speak of globalism, a New World Order and Great Reset.

They believe the universe is random and that everything is either matter or energy. For them consciousness doesn’t exist; the spiritual realm is but a childish illusion. Control and absolute power season their sinister dreams of global domination.


Negativity by Nyrn-Aeh for Deviant Art

Humanity today is set upon a crossroads – a tipping point. “The Ten of Spirals (top right) beckons you to listen to your inner voice and trust your instincts and intuition. Doing so will produce a Moment of Truth when you can declare, “Enough!” Whether you pray, meditate or contemplate, the time has now arrived to do so – incessantly.

Pray that humanity will escape the horrors and tyranny that threaten us. Eschew these dark forces. Renounce the demonic negativity that seeks to manipulate us all: fear, hate, confusion, division, narcissism, manipulation and mind control. We don’t have a great deal of time remaining! Armageddon is at our door.

Theosophists note the square root of 1% of a population can neutralize negative manipulation and effect positive change. In America, that’s 1,800 people. This is known as the Maharishi Effect.

© Toney Brooks, The Ides of March, 2022

At the Nexus of Good and Evil

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Good vs Evil by ladyrapid on DeviantArt

A metaphysical nexus is defined as a shadowy, reactive juncture of two of more things. The two things in this instance are the metaphysical concepts of Good and Evil, two terms that are much more difficult to define. Philosophers have been trying for years with diverse results. For our purposes here, we associate good with the dominant presence of order and evil with the dominant presence of disorder or chaos.

Like everything in the universe, these two concepts may be expressed in terms of frequency and vibration. Good is among the higher order of frequencies and evil is among the lower, e.g. good is love, evil is hate. Good is healing; evil is destructive. Confidence and calmness are good; fear and loathing are evil. The reason we humans now find ourselves staring down this nexus is because the levels of fear, hate and disunity in the world are off the charts. By my historical reckoning, in the past such extraordinary levels of fear and hate were last experienced during and immediately prior to the American Revolution, the Civil War and the twin crises of the Great Depression and World War II.

In Chrysalis there are, by design, no low-frequency negative archetypes. Several cards, such as Bella Rosa and Ariadne, symbolize the shadow or dark side of the psyche, which we each possess. Spiritual growth (a good thing) requires that we integrate our shadow-self and not repress who we really are. Since shadow work is not the upshot of this piece, here’s a helpful introduction to the topic.

Kali (left) is the Hindu mother-goddess archetype of creative destruction, which can be envisaged as the crafty yet measured use of chaos to kick start some eventual greater good or higher purpose.

I used to think that a measured use of chaos was precisely what lies ahead in these stormy days and it still may well be. However, what I now intuit is a far greater and unrestrained triumph over good by the dragon of evil, as shown above. So the upshot of this blog is to offer suggestions on how to cope with this darkness and perhaps even how to mitigate it.

Holly wisely included the all-seeing Third Eye of Horus in our Kali art – don’t let Kali’s string of skulls frighten you, they symbolize higher consciousness. The Third Eye when activated represents our first and foremost coping mechanism for the chaotic times we are experiencing today. We discuss how to activate your Third Eye a few paragraphs below.

Time can be reckoned in one of three distinct ways: chaotic, cyclical or linear.¹ To focus your Third Eye on what lies in the offing, what we call Kali’s Crazy Puzzle, we must appeal to cyclical time; prophecy and precognition are in part a reinterpretation of historical patterns filtered by a healthy dose of intuition. The Third Eye (6th chakra) is the mystical conduit for human intuition.

From our Chrysalis Companion Book: [Kali’s] Third Eye reminds us to use intuition and always to remain open to new ways of thinking. Such openness is the key to locating the all-important cornerpieces in Kali’s Crazy Puzzle. Cornerpieces can help you identify situations in life, e.g. people, beliefs, bad habits, etc., that have become obstacles to self-fulfillment. Kali will then motivate you to act appropriately and in your best interest. Like a jigsaw puzzle, Kali hides her solutions in plain sight.

“Our lives are shaped by creative and subjective forces that can only be intuited by the Third Eye. The unicorn’s horn symbolizes the bridge of perception that connects our world to the Otherworld.”

Recall that the word Otherworld refers to the spiritual Akashic Field, a vast unseen storehouse of information situated in the aether. The Third Eye can gain access, the consciousness can not. When activated, the Third Eye can glean the immediate future with varying degrees of clarity via meditation, prayer, yoga and other “bridge of perception” relaxation-response techniques.

As you know, Chrysalis Tarot was designed to help you develop your innate intuitive skills and creative imagination. In Chrysalis, the Suit of Scrolls corresponds to the element of Air. In traditional tarot this suit is called the Suit of Swords. Chrysalis’ Scroll cards represent the fine qualitative balance between the intellect – your attitudes and beliefs – and intuition. As I noted above, the intellect should remain open to new ideas and new ways of thinking in order to stimulate spiritual growth and encourage self-awareness so that you can make sense of your life.

In times of chaos, events unfold in no discernable path; the essential nature of chaos is randomness. This is surely one reason many of us feel ill at ease in these days. There is no way to foresee where today’s hate and fear will lead. The only thing we know for certain is that it’s better not to go there.

If you are one of the many among us experiencing trumped up levels of fear and hate, do try to chill out and regain perspective. The ego-driven incivility and cultural contempt infecting media and the body politic is repulsive. Moreover, it is dangerous not only to one’s personal health – both physical and spiritual – but to society as a whole.

View of the Washington Monument and the National World War II Memorial with its Pearl Harbor Dedication, Washington, DC

¹A book about historical cycles you might enjoy reading: The Fourth Turning

© Toney Brooks 2021

The Nature of Evil

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The image below is of a bronze sculpture of Baphomet. You may recognize the image as the inspiration for the Devil tarot card in the Ryder-Waite deck. The sculpture was commissioned by the Satanic Temple in 2015, although the original image dates from the 1860s and is attributed to the French occultist Éliphas Lévi. 

We won’t delve into the esoteric symbolism pictured here. There’s no point. I simply selected this particular image to introduce the Chrysalis worldview’s position regarding evil. No worldview can be complete unless it broaches this topic.

Evil exists in the world because we are all capable of it, just as we are all capable of doing good. As long as good outweighs existential evil, the world is a happy, mostly peaceful place.

Each of us is capable of evil because the genetic makeup of our psyche includes an evil archetype, such as Baphomet, or perhaps even several. Most of us intuitively seek to keep that archetype in check. In other words, not to feed it energy, at least not willfully. The Satanic Temple and many others, however, willfully feed the beast and do so regularly.

Therefore Chrysalis Tarot regards evil as archetypal without appealing to the supernatural. Moreover, the Chrysalis Worldview rejects supernaturalism in favor of preternaturalism (existing outside of nature). Psychic phenomena are, for example, preternatural and spiritual.

Evil energy is very low frequency energy, ranking below even the negative energies of hate, fear, envy, etc., which are all in the 0-100 range, as illustrated above. It’s this very low-frequency energy of chaos and disorder that fragments the psyche and in extreme cases presents as a pathological condition, e.g. a serial killer.

The archetypes in Chrysalis Tarot were selected and painted to elicit positive energies, promote positive energies and raise individual self-awareness, hence consciousness and enlightenment.

However, rising levels of intolerance, self-righteousness and contemptuousness in society today, not to mention willful blindness, sound shrill echoes of the breeding grounds of anger, hate and violence that almost destroyed Europe and other parts of the world in the 1930s and 40s.

We can only hope that sordid chapter of human history is not repeated in coming years. For if it is, Armageddon will be on our doorstep.

Whenever you feel anxious or stressed, activate your heart chakra to lift your spirits. One quick way to do this is to express gratitude.

Heart Chakra by Nayamoon Art

© Toney Brooks 2020

What Evil Lurks

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Enthusiasts of Vintage Radio programs will recognize the opening line of The Shadow as the inspiration for this blog’s title: “Who Knows What Evil Lurks in the Hearts of Men?”

So, what exactly is the origin of evil in the world? What underpins it? Could evil, in fact, really be caused by a red-tailed cosmic cartoon character run amuck on mankind? Or might it proceed from so-called “original sin,” an accursed spiritual birth defect ostensibly passed down to us from Eve?

Well, the “problem of evil” can get rather complicated.

However, the problem becomes far less complicated when you replace theological allegories with depth psychology, quantum physics and the scientifically proven universal interconnectedness of all things, both good and evil. Ironically, spiritual growth is actually stunted when theological allegories are taken too literally, but that’s another topic for another time; spiritual growth is dependent upon keen conscious awareness, reason and rationality.

In physics, good and evil are analogous to order and disorder, or chaos. Chaos serves as a touchstone to measure the amount of disorder (entropy) and, consequently, the quanta of negative energy plaguing the world at any given time. Unquestionably there is more negativity, fear and uncertainty in the world today – more furious negative vortices – than at any time in our history since the Second World War. And the situation appears to be getting worse.

A vortex is an emergent property of energy. It can ossify into either a positive or negative force that can fester and grow or just fade away of its own accord if not replenished. Too many negative vortices are festering and growing. They swirl in search of sustenance – more negativity, fear and foolhardy behavior.

Positive energy vortices, on the other hand, are palpable at such revered sites as the Great Pyramids, Stonehenge, Glastonbury, Sedona along with various other venerated locations across the globe. You yourself are a micro-vortex of energy – and there’s the rub. Each of us is naturally susceptible, and some of us perhaps even prone, to being imperiled by negative vibrations. We are then in danger of becoming negative vortices ourselves unless we mount a spiritual defense by refortifying our natural auric center.

Irrational fear is chiefly responsible for our current dilemma. Throughout the ages it has been the weapon of choice for propagandists. The wanton manipulation of populations through fear fueled by lies and deception is itself inherently evil.

Fear and hate are the bottom feeders among energy fields of negative vibrations. I imagine “apocalyptic fear” ranks even lower. Other notable negative vibrations result from anger, anxiety, stress, envy, lust and shock, which is a sudden psychic jolt of debilitating emotion and/or trauma.

A vortex of negative energy affects not only those overwhelmed by it, but also those who come in contact with that colorless aura. For example, an elderly couple enjoying a quiet meal in a restaurant are suddenly accosted by ANTIFA thugs. Those who stumble across the video replay on social media are shocked and repulsed. Such negativity can fester inside and spread to others like a noxious weed. Social media is particularly apt at this.

As we approach what looks more and more to be a global tipping point, maintaining one’s center becomes vital. Just as vital is the need to produce positive energy via positive thoughts, prayers, meditation, nature walks, friends and family connections – whatever you generally do to regain your center and maintain peace and order in your life is now more vital than ever.

This lurking evil proceeds from an archetype that is increasing in efficacy. Gird your defenses with spiritual protection like Chrysalis Tarot (all our archetypes are positive). In our next blog we will identify and characterize this evil archetype now being activated and sustained in so many unwitting people. This archetype, lurking in the shadow-side of everyone’s psyche, is being worshipped and invoked by many servile, disaffected, power hungry souls and evildoers, particularly those in the corrupt twin towers of evil – the Deep State and the Deep Church (Vatican).

We are entering a period of spiritual warfare writ large. Meditate, pray and safeguard your inner peace. Bless you.

© Toney Brooks, 2020