Part 5: Love and the Goddess

12 May 2014
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The validity of the individual experience over that of the monolithic society
I’m reminded of a quote from Joseph Cambell in the last lecture from a story: “I’ve never done a thing I wanted in my whole life.” Well, this is sort of what it is like in a monolithic society and let us not be fooled into thinking that those in higher society weren’t breaking the rules they themselves set down. These monolithic rules were designed to control the masses with fear of the consequences of hell. What a terrible way to use God. We can’t say that religion doesn’t serve the same function now. Only for some it is the religion of the state, that is being patriotic. The same purpose is fulfilled. As Jedi we are following the will of the Force, our own Jedi path. We do what we want to do, but it is what the Force would have us do if we have consulted the Force. The impulses of nature are what give authenticity to life.

Atonement= At-one-ment:
I had no idea this word was that awesome. It means restoration and reconciliation of mankind to God. I remember also Cambell’s discussion of the shaman’s experience. The Shaman leaves his body, essentially dead, to commune with the spirit world. This is why once the shaman returns to his body, the people of his tribe must blow on his face for him to become alive again. The same would seem to be true of Christianity. By denying the lusts of the flesh, we gratify the desires of the spirit. But how can we tell the difference? Is there a difference at all between flesh desires and spiritual desires? I’m learning that it depends on motive or intention. All things can be bad or good based upon this.

The Goddess
I literally had my mind blown in this section. Here we have two different sets of psychologies coming into contact: the hunters and the planters. Rather than take on the indo-european idea and have the two on equal planes as with Zues and Hera, in the Hebrew tradition, the Goddess is completely subjugated in favor of the God. The hunters take precedence over the planters. The strength to kill is valued more than the strength to give life and hence we have a very messed up society. If we could work more like Yin and Yang we would not have this unnatural competition between the sexes. One would recede naturally in favor of the other at the necessary time, but we would be aware of our inability to exist free of the other.