We are all homeless gods

 

- I´m a rich White guy with an oil rig,
what could possibly go wrong?!

“The Hall of Homeless Gods” is John Michael Greer´s latest novel, published earlier this year. In one sense, it´s a departure from Greer´s usual output. The novel is supposed to be a hardboiled detective story, most of it set in a lawless town literally on the edge of apocalypse (as in rapidly rising sea levels). It also has more typical science fiction/cyberpunk angles – but they are atypical for this author. Equally atypical is the pessimistic streak. Greer´s novels are usually strangely optimistic even as they describe a post-apocalyptic future! I couldn´t help thinking that the story comes across as “Bladerunner without the Bladerunner”, or something to that effect. But in other ways, it´s a rather standard John Michael Greer oeuvre. Many of the characters are outsiders, some are affiliated with strange pagan religions, and the plot is set in a world marked by climate change, peak oil, radioactive fallout and other human-made disasters. I´m pretty sure two of the characters are based on the author himself (Fritz and Huddon). There are other similarities to the author´s own biography, too, none mentioned here.

The social and political commentary is surprisingly up-to-date, suggesting that the manuscript must have been finished just prior to publishing. One theme is AI and the bizarre hype around it. In the story, a team of scientists do succeed in creating an advanced AI…after a fashion. The glorious cyberpunk future turns out to be a great power contest to mine a supercomputer for spare parts, while the computer itself is connected to a quasi-artificial humanoid very good at basic accounting and poker…but little else! Clearly not the future we ordered or feared. Military drones are part of the plot too (they are more effective than the apocalyptic computer). “Year One” and “Planetary Unity” are a parody of the Woke left, with some traits of hippies and Hare Krishna thrown in for good measure. The idea of Wokies turning into a crazed cult doesn´t seem very farfetched, tbh. Then there are the Habitats, enormous floating cities off the North American East Coast. I´m not sure if they are based on some far flung idea by Elon Musk or Peter Thiel, but it wouldn´t surprise me.  There is even an “Event” in the novel. Somewhat surprisingly, it´s entirely natural: a disastrous volcanic eruption (based on a real one that actually happened 7000 years ago) which obliterates Japan and leads to famines and pandemics in the rest of the world (although Greer actually mentions this possibility in his non-fiction book “Atlantis: Ancient Legacy, Hidden Prophecy”).

What surprised me was the pessimism in the novel. To repeat myself somewhat, Greer has an ability to sound optimistic even in novels about a Dark Age future (“Star´s Reach”) or an attack by The Eldritch (“The Weird of Hali” series). “The Hall of Homeless Gods” sings a different tune. The universe at large is just as cold and indifferent as in bleak atheist visions. Even the gods themselves are affected. The Japanese mother of the detective forms a new religion dedicated to spiritually feeding those kami that became homeless when Japan was destroyed by the volcano. The character Huddon is positive towards Gnosticism and says that we are all homeless gods who forgot our true origins in the heavenly realms. The material world is depicted as ruled by brute chance, rather than by meaningful karma or destiny (Greer´s position in his non-fiction spiritual books). But sure, maybe this kind of “school of hard knocks” rhetoric is part and parcel of a hardboiled crime story…

With those reflections, I end this review. And the murderer is…nah, not the gardener this time!

What are you guys doing?

 

Shugendo is an old religious tradition in Japan, today mostly under esoteric Buddhist supervision. The clips above feature two Shugendo practitioners, one American and the other Japanese, trying the best they can to explain the tradition to a Japanese interviewer. The language used is English.

The American mentions that many Japanese Shugenja are a tad bit difficult, and this seems to be born out by the Japanese master in the second clip, who does answer the questions in a somewhat trollish manner. 

But...the really difficult guy seems to be the interviewer! I have to admire the patience of the two Shugendo practitioners when dealing with him. I suppose that proves that their asceticism really is working...    

Demons in your pocket

 

Believe it or not, but these are very recent videos. As in this month recent. I´m old enough to remember the right-wing Christian culture wars against "Dungeons & Dragons", heavy metal, Harry Potter and Lady Gaga (the anti-Smurf craze may have been a troll). It´s almost as if a pattern is emerging here... 

But why on earth, pray tell me, are televangelists attacking *Pokémon* in the year 2024?! I assumed Pokémon was a 1990´s fad among pre-teens.

The (too talkative) videos above claim that Pokémon may be freely based on creatures from Japanese Shinto religion and folklore. Which to some people means that it´s extra demonic or something...  

Nightmare Tales

 

“Nightmare Tales” is a collection of nine short horror stories. They were written from 1876 to 1891, and originally published in various magazines. The stories are rather unremarkable in themselves, except for one thing: the author is none other than Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, the founder and first leader of the Theosophical Society. The collection was published the year after Blavatsky´s death (or shall we say departure). It´s freely available at the website of the “Pasadena” branch of Theosophy. I´ve read them in a Swedish translation which I picked up at a very respectable venue (I was surprised).

While the short stories aren´t “bad” as in bad-bad, they feel unfinished, although it´s possible that 19^th century magazines habitually published tales of this sort. If so, Blavatsky simply adapted to the genre. Most of the stories are about Spiritualist séances gone dangerously wrong. All the usual “Gothic” tropes are there, including mysterious castles, journeys through the Balkans, Hungarian Gypsies, and so forth. Blavatsky was a Russian, so a few horror tropes that are perhaps more fitting to that nation are included, such as Siberian shamans. A strong belief in reincarnation shines through. So does the author´s ethnic prejudices: two of the bad guys are Jewish, one of them an extremely obnoxious brothel madam! Sometimes, evil people or skeptics who dabble in the occult get severely punished by the inexorable law of karma, but some villains actually get away with it. I suspect most of the stories are for entertainment only, rather than edifying morality tales.

A certain amount of mischievous humor shines through in some of the tales. The old grey-haired man on Svalbard in “From the Polar Lands: A Christmas Story” is presumably Santa Claus! “The Legend of the Blue Lotus” retells a Hindu legend with obvious anti-Biblical allusions added (Blavatsky hated Abrahamic religion). Blavatsky´s extreme pessimism is evident in “Karmic Visions”. The most serious story is “A Bewitched Life”, about a vain skeptic who gets possessed by demons after rejecting a Shinto purification ritual.

Not sure what to say about “Nightmare Tales” in general, but it does raise at least some eyebrows that the founder of a New Religious Movement with some kind of soteriological message also penned quasi-Gothic fiction!  

Vilken nivå av ironi är vi på?

Vad är Nordbol för något? Någon som vet? Och vad i allsin dar är "esoterisk tomteshintoism"??? 

Anders Ygeman möts av hakkors i Minecraft?!

The path of the Kami

“Shinto” by Paula R Hartz exists in several different editions. I have the third edition, which is more colorful than the first one. It´s also grossly overpriced at all vendors I´m familiar with! Thank god for Black Friday…

While Shinto´s earliest written sources or “sacred scriptures” are from the 8^th century AD, the religion itself is probably much older. Indeed, in a non-imperial variety, Shinto might be the ancient pagan tradition of Japan, or at least of the ethnic group today known as the Japanese. It certainly incorporates ideas often considered “primordial” or “primitive”, such as ancestor worship, shamanism and animism. Originally, there were probably no Shinto temples either, worship taking place at particularly stunning places in nature. However, when Shinto was first codified, it served to legitimize the imperial power and the imperial line, notoriously claiming that the Japanese rulers are descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu herself.

Throughout its history, Shinto has been combined with other traditions, Confucianism and Buddhism in particular. Today, many Japanese adhere to both Shinto and Buddhism, which often baffles causal Western observers for whom only one religion can be True (read: Christianity). During some periods, Shinto and Buddhism were in fierce competition rather than harmony. This was the case after the Meiji Restoration until the defeat of Japan in World War II. During this period, Shinto was a state cult of the emperor, his regime and “Japan” (really the Japanese Empire). Apart from State Shinto, there are other manifestations of this tradition, known as Shrine Shinto, Folk Shinto and Sect Shinto. I previously reviewed a “Sect Shinto” book, written by Motohisa Yamakage.

Paula R Hartz´ book is a good overview of Shintoism, chapters dealing with everything from its history and mythology to basic temple ritual. Various colorful festivals are also covered. And yes, those strange antics of Sumo wrestlers turn out to have a religious explanation. The author is broadly pro-Shinto, and perhaps takes a too romantic view of Japanese history, or at least tries hard to do so! If she succeeds is perhaps another matter. The book also briefly discusses Japanese Buddhism and the so-called New Religions, inevitable when writing about a country where a single person can belong to several different religions or even syncretize them.

In a daring move, Hartz tries to explain what “Kami” actually means… 

OK, that was a joke, but to a modern or Christianized Westerner used to easy definitions or very personal gods, it *is* difficult – at least initially – to understand the concept of mostly nameless, faceless “spirits” who somehow also double as “forces” and even physical objects…I think!

“Shinto” is part of a series called “World Religions”, although it´s difficult to see how an almost exclusively Japanese phenomenon can be called a “world” religion. That being said, I nevertheless recommend this book for people completely new to the subject, although finding it in a library might perhaps be a better idea than buying it outright, unless the Kami recently blessed you with some extra funds...

Esoteric Shinto

Shinto or Shintoism is often regarded as the original religion of Japan. It's centered on the veneration of spirits known as Kami, who manifest themselves in various natural objects. From the Meiji Restoration in 1868 to the defeat of Japan in World War II, Shinto was the prescribed state cult and often came into conflict with other religious traditions. This seems to have been an anomalous state of affairs, however, since Shintoism has usually co-existed peacefully with Buddhism, the other great religion in the land of the rising sun. Many Japanese practice both. Many Japanese also belong to so-called New Religions, many of which are syncretistic in character.

“The Essence of Shinto: Japan's Spiritual Heart” is a book by Motohisa Yamakage, a spiritual teacher who claims to be the 79th Grand Master of an orthodox Koshinto lineage going back to ancient times. However, it seems that Koshinto (“Ancient Shinto”) isn't older than the Edo period (1603-1868), and Yamakage's group is apparently regarded as a New Religion. The group claims to have access to esoteric teachings previously unknown to anyone but a few initiates. Thus, Yamakage's book should be read, not as a general introduction to Shintoism, but rather as a introduction to the author's own spiritual worldview, which may or may not resemble how Shinto is actually practiced.

Yamakage believes that the goal of humans is to become Kami. In Western terms, humans are called upon to become “spirits”, “angels” or “gods”. There are several steps in this process. The most elementary is to strive for balance and purity in one's own personal life, something done through ethics, aesthetics and various rituals of purification. The latter is especially important when interacting with the Kami. There is a tension in the book between seeing Nature as holy since the world is a manifestation of the divine (apparently a kind of pantheist world-soul), and seeing the physical world as contaminated with impurities which must be removed before the Kami can descend to our plane of existence. A good portion of the book deals with these more “exoteric” practices, including the setting up of home altars, ritual baths, and so on.

The more esoteric practices involve meditation and chanting. They eventually give the practitioner access to the spiritual world. He can see a great light, have out-of-body experiences and become possessed by a Kami. We are also informed that there are many hierarchical levels in the spirit-world, and that our path to perfection continues after our physical death. Yamakage also reveals that humans have four different souls, and discusses their fates after the death of the physical individual.

“The Essence of Shinto” is clearly veered to a Western audience, with references to the Gaia hypothesis, Blavatsky and Steiner. Yamakage claims that Shinto has no founder, no doctrines, no idols and no conception of sin, presumably desirable traits in the New Age milieu. He is also at pains to portray Shinto as in some sense monotheistic, since all Kami are ultimately one, and therefore really aspects of a single deity. This, of course, is a desirable trait among Christians. Personally, I suspect that a forthrightly pagan polytheism would work just as well even in the West these days. The author also emphasizes the need for faith and the desirability of direct spiritual experiences.

I admit that I didn't find Motohisa Yamakage particularly interesting, but it's possible that I was brought into disharmony by the small print! I will nevertheless give the book three stars.

The far side of Neo-Paganism

“A Field Guide to Otherkin” is a book by Lupa, a broadly Neo-Pagan author based in Seattle. Otherkin is the name of an American subculture of mostly young people who identify as animals or other non-human creatures. Lupa herself identifies as a wolf, or perhaps a werewolf (Lupa is Latin for she-wolf). Her book was written before Otherkin became a well-known pop culture phenomenon.

I admit that I find the “field guide” difficult to review. Often, Otherkin come across as attention-seeking special snowflakes or as escapees from the local laughing academy. At other times, they sound more Neo-Pagan or New Age-oriented, and hence more legitimate. Lupa's book left me somewhat bewildered! I also got the impression that Otherkin aren't really one homogenous subculture after all, but rather a spectrum of many different belief-systems, some of which co-exist under the same umbrella. Not all accept the Otherkin label. Today, many Otherkin seem to be teenagers experimenting with their identity, making comparisons to Queers or even Emos and Bronies more apt than the religious-spiritual orientation found in Lupa's book. However, it seems that Otherkin accusing each other of being fakes was a common occurrence already when “the field guide” was written. Perhaps Otherkin are best described as a phenomenon combining traits of Neo-Paganism, youth subculture, modern pop culture and (at least in some cases) sheer delusion. Lupa herself seems to be a relatively serious Neo-Pagan and practitioner of various forms of magic, while the mainstream media (perhaps inevitably) often interviews Otherkin who seem confused or frivolous.

The most common types of Otherkin are known as therians or therianthropes. They identify as (or with) earthly animals. Wolves and big cats are overrepresented. A related kind of Otherkin identify as animals known only from mythology, usually dragons. Another important part of the community consists of people who claim to be elves, fairies, angels or even demons. The elves often have elaborate mythologies about their origins in another dimension of reality. Further, there are vampires, both psychic and sanguinary. More controversial are Otakukin or Mediakin (today known as Fictionkin), who claim to be incarnated versions of popular characters from comic books or animated cartoons! Manga and anime characters are overrepresented here. There are also people who identify as Kitsune, Japanese fox spirits (Kitsune are apparently popular in modern Japanese pop culture, but the tradition is older and connected to Shinto). A phenomenon only mentioned in passing by Lupa is people who claim to be space aliens. Presumably, Starseed is a more New Age-related thing. Still, the parallels with Otherkin are obvious. (For the record, the present reviewer does *not* claim to be an alien. I'm 100% Homo sapiens sapiens, for good or for worse!)

Otherkin have very different ideas about how or why they feel and act non-human. The most common speculation is reincarnation. A wolf which reincarnates as a human can retain memories and behavioral traits of his earlier lupine existence. Of course, reincarnation doesn't explain Fictionkin, who must concoct a more exotic theory about parallel realities with different timelines. Presumably, Japanese manga and anime characters are real people in another dimension! More “old school” explanations (at least for therianthropy) include totemism and possession, shamanic abilities, special sensitivity to astral energies of an “animal” nature, or archetypes which for one reason or another affect some people more than others. Animalistic or mythological archetypes can be invoked during magical rituals, and so can totemistic spirits and occult energies.

However, most Otherkin don't claim to be humans somehow affected by animal spirits, but actual animal spirits trapped in a human body. This is what makes the reincarnation theory the most popular one. At least to the present reviewer, this is the least believable option. It evokes obvious skeptical counter-arguments: Why would wolves reincarnate as humans? Why are wolves and big cats overrepresented among Otherkin? Why don't rodents, beetles, worms and bacteria reincarnate as humans? Or apes, for that matter? (Strangely, no Otherkin surveyed by Lupa claimed to be a gorilla or chimpanzee! Maybe they lack the gorilla mindset.) Why don't wolves reincarnate as cats, making us observe house cats with lupine traits? Aren't *all* humans reincarnated animals, and if so, why don't the rest of us remember anything? Why do most Otherkin behave like humans, rather than as their chosen kintypes? And where the hell do vampires come from? Today, with the “Social Justice Warriors” taking over everything, even more questions come to mind. Thus, one Otherkin website I consulted claims that transracials can't be part of the Otherkin community. In other words, you can claim to be a reincarnated wolf, dragon or anime character as much as you like, but you can't claim to be a reincarnated person of color if you're White! Why would a cosmic thing like reincarnation follow early 21st century standards of political correctness in Portland, Oregon?

Finally, I have some more formal objections to the book. First, it's grossly overpriced. Second, the type is too small. The italicized sections in particular are difficult to read (at least to my human, all too human eyes). Third, the neutral pronouns “s/he” and “hir” are annoying. Fourth, I noticed that the word `kin is spelled with a beginning mark, while the term non'kin is spelled with an ending mark! Is there some kind of philosophical reason behind this, I wonder? OK, my main objection was the small type…

Since Lupa's “A Field Guide to Otherkin” seems to be the only good introduction to this subcultural cluster, I will give it four stars despite the above-mentioned problems. As for Otherkin themselves, my suspicion is that the pop cultural and teen angst aspects will eventually be weeded out, while the more “classical” elements will remain and eventually blend back into the pagan/neo-pagan and esoteric traditions they once emerged from.

As for the vampires, they will be hunted down by Buffy!

How empty is deep ecology?

Fredric Bender's book "The Culture of Extinction" is an extensive study of a wide variety of subjects, culminating in the author's creative reformulation of deep ecology.

Bender believes that humans are naturally adapted to a hunter and gatherer lifestyle, and that the "fall" of humanity started with the invention of agriculture. This made it possible to feed an expanding population, while making it increasingly difficult to control population growth. Unsurprisingly, Bender's view of history is somewhat idiosyncratic. For instance, he downplays the Palaeolithic killing spree of our ancestors, while claiming that the Goddess-centred religions of the Neolithic were a first step towards anthropocentrism. His criticism of Judaism and Christianity is harsh, claiming that these religions have an anti-environmental slant. Bender is somewhat more negative of Christianity than Judaism, believing that Neo-Platonism and Gnosticism made the Christians hostile to the body, the material world and hence to Nature.

Bender further criticizes the "anthropocentrism" of Plato, Augustine, Descartes, Locke and early modern science. Another chapter takes on what the author calls "nihilism", a category he believes includes positivism, neo-classical economics and behaviourism. He also attempts (somewhat unconvincingly) to derive "ought" from "is" in a section criticizing G.E. Moore's ethical intuitionism. Curiously, Bender seems to have a generally positive view of Karl Marx, a thinker who was obviously very far removed from Green ideas.

The last section of "The Culture of Extinction" deals with contemporary strands of environmentalist thought. The author is very critical of Murray Bookchin. (The feeling was mutual, since Bookchin considered the deep ecologists to be closeted eco-fascists, or at least not far removed from such a position.) Bender is somewhat more positive towards ecofeminism and groups such as Sea Shepherd and Earth First. His main sympathies are with the bioregionalists and deep ecologists. There is also a section on Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis.

Bender spends considerable time delineating his own version of deep ecology, which seems to be based on Mahayana Buddhism's concept of "emptiness" (shunyata). Also, he draws from Taoism, Shintoism and Spinoza. In the end, however, it's difficult to see any substantial differences between Bender and deep ecology founder Arne Naess, except perhaps a stronger emphasis on social justice issues (the author seems to be a leftist politically). Bender's philosophy is pantheist and vaguely spiritual. He calls it nondualism and believes that dualist thinking is the root problem of the human predicament and our attacks on nature.

"The Culture of Extinction" could have needed better editing, and seems somewhat disjointed. The author moves across a very wide area and his style of writing is uneven. People who know their deep ecology by heart will probably discover little that is new in it. It feels like just another "dark Green" book. Above all, it's a statement of the personal faith of Frederic L. Bender.