Shell Game in the Forest of Adocentyn

guy fox is a burned effigy
guy faux is a false fella
one burns and in turn
the queen, well, god bless her
who am i?

corporations rape by personhood
paper contracts as darkest covers
one learns and in a turn
the humans, well, throw them away
who am i?

out of dark wombs, new and small
baby ears suck names, not nipples
our boys growing in the rows
simple hands, well, lets arm them
who am i?

dagger sharp and bright
one plain to see, in rock of yore
and so ascends, to draw, to reign
one who is, well, knife hearted
who am i?

of ones household as its said
enemies you will be, I promise
both fight and wound willingly
bed at last, well, almost
who am i?

crowned, eyes droopy, savage holes
drawn down, the lungs sag, filling
straining to breathe just once
death at last, well, maybe
who am i?

here you are, here in space
struggling to breathe as well
carrying in pocket, monied identity
fill-in your history, well, no dice
who are you?

three shells, two mediums
all one being, being
a sick game of aurafice
a temple of quartered turnings
all in all is all that is

Since the matter and substance of things are indestructible, all its parts are subject to all forms, so that Each and Everything becomes Everything and Each, if not at one and the same time and in a single minute, then at various times and various moments, in sequence and in alternation. - Giordano Bruno, Ash Wednesday Supper

The sun, the universal Apollo, the absolute light, is reflected in its shadow, its moon, its Diana which is the world of universal nature in which the enthusiast hunts for vestiges of the divine, the reflections of the divine light in nature, and the hunter becomes converted into what he hunts after, that is to say, he becomes divine. Hence the wonderful image of Actaeon and his dogs, hunting after the "vestiges", which recurs again and again in the Eroici furori, until, by progressive insights the dogs thoughts of divine things, devour Actaeon and he becomes wild like a stag dwelling the woods, the beautiful disposition of the body of nature. He sees all as one. He sees Amphitrite the ocean which is the source of all numbers, the monad, and if he does not see it in its essence, the absolute light, he sees it in its image, for from the monad which is the divinity proceeds this monad which is the world.

The religion which is cultivated under the marvellously complex and beautiful imagery of the Eroici furori is the same as the Egyptian religion of the Spaccia della bestia trionfante which contemplated in the divine in all things and knew how to rise through the innumerabe species, in their astral groupings, to the unity of divinity, and to the fountain of ideas above nature.

We have also, in the Eroici furori again the prophecy of the imminent return of the Egyptian religion through the revolution of "great year of the world". The revolution of the great year of the world is that space of time in which, through the most diverse customs and effects, and by the most opposite and contrary means, it returns to the same again....Therefore now that we have been in the dregs of the science, which have brought forth the dregs of opinions, which are the cause of the dregs of custom and of works, we may certainly expect to return to the better conditions.

For since the states of the world go by contraries; when it is in a very bad state it may expect to return to the good state. When it is in the very good state, as once in Egypt, the fall into darkness is to be expected.

As in the case of Hermes Trismegistus, who, seeing Egypt in all its splendour of sciences and divinations, through which he considered that men were consorting with demons and gods and were consequence most religious, he made a prophetic lament to Asclepius saying that the darkness of new religions and cults must follow, and that of then present things nothing would remain but idle tales and matter for condemnation.... And as in these days there is no evil nor injury to which we are not subject, so there is no good nor honour which we may not promise ourselves.

The implication is that the world being now at its lowest ebb of "opinions" and "works", the nadir of that fall into darkness prophesied in the Lament, it may expect to return back into such light and splendour as Egypt enjoyed in the days of Hermes Trismegistus when men consorted with gods and demons and were most religious. - pages 278 and 279, Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition, Frances A. Yates.

The universe (Diana), which appears as a simulacrum of primary nature (Amphitrite), is all that can be, since it contains all matter, but is not all that can be because of the difference between forms assumed by individual beings. It is only a shadow of the first action and power; in it, action and power are not the same thing, not being in the same parts. The universe is "deployed" (explicato), supported, distinct, whereas the first principle is "entangled" (complicato), uniform, one. Corruption, death, vice, the monstrous, stem from the shortcomings and impotence of things which are obliged to be many things simultaneously, trying to attain being through their power to be, which exceeds action and is thereby realized only imperfectly. But, since it is absurd that something be several things at a time, the individual being only suceeds in exchanging his being for another being.

So it happens that the universe, Diana, is a shadow of the universal soul,of Amphitrite: a shadow that swarms with beings but nevertheless can be envisaged as an indistinct unity. To surprise Diana naked is to perceive this shadow, to allow onself to be absorbed by it, giving up the limitations belonging to a particular state of being. Actaeon, who thought he had a seperate existence, finally realizes - while he is still able - that he is only a shadow of a shadow; at one with the whole. - Ioan P. Culianu, page 75, Giordano Bruno and the Kabbalah, Karen Silvia de Leon-Jones

I see cleary that we are all born ignorant and willing to acknowledge our ignorance; and then as we grow, we are brought up in the disciplines and habits of our house, and we hear disapproval of the laws, rites, faith and manners of our adversaries and of those who are different from ourselves, whilst they hear the same about us and our affairs. Thus, just as there are planted in us by the natural forces of breeding the roots of zeal for our own ways, so in others an enthusiasm for thier own different customs is instilled. Thence it easily becomes axiomatic that we should esteem the oppression and slaughter of the enemies of our faith as pleasing sacrifice to the gods; as they do also, when they have done like by us. And they render thanks to God for having vouchased to them the light which leads to eternal life with no less fervour and conviction that we feel in rejoicing that our hearts are not blind and dark as theirs are. - Giordano Bruno, Cena diologue, page 253, Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition, Frances A. Yates.

John XIII, 18-19: I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scriptures may be fulfilled. He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. Now I tell you that before it comes that when it is come to pass you may believe that I am he.

In the light of the Qabala these verses could hardly be clearer: Jesus is not speaking of all the apostles, but of Judas whom they think he has chosen by mistake. However, he knows that he has chosen him to fulfill the scriptures concerning Ben-Adam. According to Genesis XXV, 26, the human-to-be seed Jacob-Ben-Adam, was in the womb holding Esau-Edom's heel, lifted against him. Eventually, Esau-son-of-the-earth was compelled to confess that Jacob-son-of-YHWH was indeed the carrier of the seed, and Jacob gave him bread as a token of communion. Esau lived, but there was no truce.

However, the fulfillment of the myth and of man must necessarily be integration in one single individual of the two aspects of vital energy first symbolized by Cain and Abel, then by Jacob and Esau and now by Jesus and Judas. This is exactly what Jesus says: "Now I tell you, before it happens, so that you may believe that I am he". He, meaning obviously Judas if we simply read the text as it is, considering that the "he" mentioned two lines ahead is him.

John XIII, 20-27. Not withstanding the clarity of these statements Jesus insists: Verily, verily I say unto you: He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that send me. He will send Judas and Judas will be his alter ego.

Then: When Jesus has thus said he was troubled in spirit. Why was he troubled in spirit? What could have thus pertrubed him? In uttering those words he must have suddenly realized in absolute fact that he, Son-of-YHWH, had actually become incarnate. He had become also son-of-the-earth. It must have been a terrific experience.

We know come to the dramatic denouement and in quouting it I will substitue a more adequate expression for the deadly, the destructive word, "betray".

...and (Jesus)testified, and said, Verily, verily I say unto you, that one of you shall HAND ME OVER (OR, DELIVER ME). Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples whom Jesus loved. Simon-Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. Then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give the sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Isariotes, the son of Simon. And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, that thou doest, do quickly.

Here again the text is so clear that it cannot be misunderstood if we do not inperpret it willfully in such fashion as to infer from it the opposite of what it says.

In spite of two thousand years of theology, the only one with whom Jesus communes is Judas, and however bewildering for the minds that can only function one way, the direct effect of that communion is that Jesus introduces Satan into Judas.

And now having materialized Satan, Jesus speaks to him as a master to his dependent: that thou doest, do quickly!

John XIII, 28-30: Now no man at the table knew with what intent he spoke unto him. For some of them thought, because Judas had the purse, that Jesus had said unto him, buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or that he should give something to the poor. He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.

None of the eleven were aware of what was happening. We know that they were half asleep, or mesmerized, or probably overwhelmed by the tremendous outpouring of energy that was to shatter forever the foundations of the human mind.

The most decisive words of any myth in any time had been uttered. And now had come the moment of suspense.

And those words, for some of those men, so deeply slumbering, have meant "go and buy cakes" ... Moreover it was night: What a time for such errands!

But John is now aware. He, so near his master, as actually to be touching him, must feel the tremendous vibrations. What is it that he sees? How does he know? Many years later when dictating his gospel to his disciples, he stated that Satan entered into Judas. Was it a conclusion? A knowledge acquired at the end of his life?

We cannot answer these questions, and they are not relevant, our real question is: this suspense is not of time, therefore it is now, here, facing us and in us. Do we see it? Do we feel it? Do we understand it?

Here are, in us, standing face to face, Jesus and Judas. Who are they? What are they? And we hear Jesus giving his order: What you are to do, do it quickly, and John has just told us that this order is given to Satan who has taken possession of Judas.

Have we emptied our minds of all the infantile ideas and pictures of "devil"? Have we deeply integrated every myth and mythology? Are we actually inside the inexplicable mystery of all that exists? If so, we can understand and rejoice: John XIII: 31-32.

Therefore when he was out, Jesus said Now is the son of man glorified and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him God shall also glorifiy him in himself and shall straight away glorify him.

We can no longer be deterred by the real meaning expressed in such a symbolic and archaic way: the fact has been stated already: he that receives the one that Jesus sends receives Jesus and receives that one that sent Jesus. It is clear that Jesus sends Satan. So he who receives Satan receives Jesus, hence he receives God.

In terms of traditional religion this statement, in spite of it being so clearly written in John's gospel is monstrous and frightening.

In terms of gnosis it is the statement of a simple fact: there is only One energy, only One life, only One movement. All is one and one is all. The One is the one game of life and existence, of energy as energy and of energy as it its physical support, which is its own resistance to itself, without which nothing would be. - pages 201-204, The Cipher of Genesis, Carlo Suares

(Pieces of 8 collected for air time spent with Celtic Rebel. A toast to the host!)