Wow, Alex, reading the below I hardly even think you meed me for this!
> I note the apparent similarity between the comment here about the
> relationship between 'ordinary' and 'draconised' readings of Orlanthi
> mythology, and that in Revealed Mythology about the theistic and mystical
> readings of Vithelan mythology.
Not entirely an accident.
The metaphorical interpretationof mythology as a form of consciousness
is one of the deeper menings that myth has.
> On that basis, I'd suppose that
> the^H^H^H _an_ answer is that one performs the "draconised HQ" by
> _refraining_ from performing the theistic one, and instead meditating on
> its meaning. Or else, by performing a modified, but structurally similar
> one, in which one does some sort of renouncing-the-fruits-of-one's-acts
> bit when one "achieves the goal". Or, if one has already performed the
> 'ordinary' version, by applying this understanding to how to (not) use
> the powers gained.
All quie so.
It is an effort to undersand the multiple meanings simultaneously.
It is like trying to understand how one's relationship to one's lover
is similar to (or indeed, a perfect part of) one's relationship to the
Divine.
> However, given that the EWF evidently didn't just sit around on a rock
> going "om" for several centuries,
Although some of its people did. :)
> I'd further suppose that some cult
> leaders acquire draconic powers, manifest them, and then start to teach
> them more directly: i.e., so that the students themselves start to
> manifest (at least superficially) draconic powers without first
> acheiving anything at all approaching mystical union with an ancestral
> dragon (much less the Cosmic one).
Corect.
Some did it inadvertantly, others advertantly.
> At this point, it ceases to be a
> mystical practice as such, and probably also starts to vary more
> markedly from even structural similarities to the practices of those of
> the 'host' mythology, while retaining elements from it. They might be
> of a form that's magically compatible with theistic practice, without
> making the sort of narrative sense that theistic myths and rituals
> generally do. As to actual details of what one would specifically do to
> grow scales and claws, or to breathe fire, I dunno; doing those things
> in and of themselves seems pretty "Path of Immanent Mastery"-ish,
> whether by exactly the same means or not.
And of course, the Path of Immanent Mastery is exactly one of those
organizations that said, "Hey, this isn't about becomign cosmic, but
about becoming a dragon."
Though some of them probably sad, "The way to understanding becing
craconic is to be a dragon first."
And so we would find that among some of these cults, perhaps the PoIM
and perhaps others, things like:
We conquer Aroka to gain its powers
We devour the sun to get fire breath
We wrestle Orlanth to get stronger.
And maybe even, since they can come back to life (Resurrection wise, not necessarily trough a dragonewt egg methodology) "That which kills me also makes me stronger."
Issaries, Inc.
c/o Greg Stafford
1942 Channing Ave, #204
Berkeley, CA 94704 USA
Powered by hypermail