Bob Bletcher: This Millennium Group – They really believe all that stuff – Nostradamus and Revelations, the destruction of the world?
Frank Black: They believe we can’t just sit back and hope for a happy ending.
– Television series Millennium
“Immanentize the eschaton” or “hastening the apocalypse” is a term coined by Eric Voeglin in The New Science of Politics (1952). Voegelin’s premise in summary is that classical gnosticism sought to find salvation outside of the material dimension, whereas modern gnosticism seeks to create heaven on earth through political reform. This is then seen in the extreme political actions of National Socialism and Communism. He identified a sense of alienation and disconnect from society as being as the base of gnostic impulse, and to this we must agree – even beyond the narrow description of ‘gnostic’ and into spiritual searching as a whole. People do not come to spiritually of their own free will and accord because they are satisfied with their lives or the world around them. One must have a sense discontent, exhaustion, or renunciation of material existence to enter into the Path of Return.
Voegelin’s contemporary Julius Evola stated that the extremes of National Socialism, Communism, and even what we will call “Consumer Capitalism” (that is consumption or ownership as an end in itself) are all the ultimate degradation of monotheism and its singular salvatory theme. That is, some idea, some thing, some point in one’s life such as an achievement, or historical event, brings personal and collective salvation or healing, safety, and wholeness. We see the same in the other Abrahamic faiths as well, but this notion is not exclusive to them. If we are not careful after we have begun the journey, we can easily go from seeking to be more, or as some say, “more than human,” to wanting to have more, to consume more, to experience more as an end in itself. This is in fact, the Path of the Blasted Tower, or a form of involution, an inverse on the Path of Return..
With the recent astrological ingress of Neptune in Aries, social media is ablaze with many ill-informed commentaries and comparisons to the previous ingress. Herein, even among some parts of the “spiritual community” and what is left of the mainstream denominations there are voices crying out for actions that if not specifically stated as so, can only be described as attempting to “hasten the apocalypse.” Of course, from a metaphysical view, be it esoteric or mainstream, any apocalypse is rooted in the sin – the error- of Pride. Pride being the Vice of Tiphareth, and its exceptional display in the form of self-righteousness – in short, the power of the Anti-Christ. This is why there is so much truth in traditions, even if we are not devotees of them, as they contain the collective wisdom of generations of practitioners. In this regard we paraphrase the patristic wisdom when saying that “the spirit of delusion runs after extremes” and that the extreme, superfluous, and excessive are of the demonic or Qlippothic realm. We must be able to go to extremes, but we must also be able to come back from them and to be able to resist them. To stay there is to miss the point entirely – that is the real sin of going to extremes. They are an “all or nothing” event and that is what these “apocalyptic fantasies” are – the desire for a winner takes all event with the winner pre-determined by some notion of ‘cosmic justice.’
Normally these examples of “metaphysical extremism” in various forms would be ignored, but over the last twenty years they have grown attention because of the growth of independent media and the ease with which any voice can have a platform. When Donald Tyson first spoke of Enochian magic, or rather the Enochian spirits, as having the not so hidden goal of hastening the Biblical Apocalypse in his book Tetragrammaton in 2002 many in the magical community openly mocked him, When Jason Louv wrote the same thing in his book John Dee and the Empire of Angel just sixteen years later it was hailed by many as an insight of the deepest historical and occult importance. Tyson’s work was completely forgotten, even ignored.
As someone who likes to play a hand at forecasting and predicting I also enjoy using unorthodox methods on occasion. Using the great word “synchronicity” as my guide, and the fact that for many media is their main source of metaphysical instruction, I will refer to the following. I was sent the occasionally difficult to find, but always expensive DVD three season collection of the television series Millennium (1996-1999).
Catherine Black the wife of the show’s hero, Frank Black, says to him, “Your gift gave you a nervous breakdown. This gift makes you see horrible images. It’s turning you away from your family, from your daughter. It’s caused you to turn to the Millennium Group. Frank, you never even consider that this gift that you have could be lying to you.”
Doesn’t this sound like John Dee and Edward Kelly all over again? Visions and spirits are tricky things to put our trust into, and there is good reason not to do so. Astrology is a bit better, but only if you know a great deal more than just planets, houses, and signs – the real meaning of it all – information must be provided that you can ‘hang your hat on’ or it is just symbolism.
This is also critical as we enter into the discussion of Neptune in Aries, as actions will have very real physical and material consequences, so “choose wisely” as the old Templar Knight said to Indiana Jones. The capacity for exhaustion or simply dissipation from overreach is very high, and actions should be taken judiciously and with precision. One step at a time, and patience, rather than an explosive “out of the gate performance” that wastes precious resources and achieves nothing tangible. This also means we have to be clear on our ethics, our values, and what it is we are contributing to life – notice I did not say, “What we want from life” – so that we can build something of value for our children and grandchildren. This is a multi-generational vision, so it needs to be a spiritually beneficial one.
When we look at the variety of beliefs and presentations of them in mass media regarding various “apocalyptic” and “post-apocalyptic” fantasies we find a common theme, one that is essential in this hyper-mediated and now, Artificial Intelligence dominated world. Maybe none better to tell us than the message to Frank Black from the fictional videogame, Nina: Samurai Princess, which reads: “We are rushing toward an Apocalypse of our own creation.”
This creation of course is optional, and therefore we can revert back to possibly the most famous Apocalyptic fiction ever created, the words of the iconic heroine, Sarah Conner, “The future has not been written. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves.” (Terminator 2)
But how do we get there? How do we get to that future? Again, we look to Frank Black for the answer:
Frank Black: It is prophesied that when the end comes, it will come in darkness: a catastrophe all foresaw but few believed. Most of us will battle too late against the chaos, but not the few, the radical few, who obey no discipline. Unencumbered by conscience, they prepare ruthlessly pursuing their own preservation. If they survive, the rest of us perish.
Maybe the solution is easily found in the Book of Revelation itself when Jesus states, “I would rather you be hot or cold but you are lukewarm so I spit you out.” Or when Jean Dubuis was asked what the greatest threat to a broader human enlightenment was and he replied, “Indifference.”
Or as our hero in the classical sense Frank Black tell us, “We live in a world where too many people won’t go far enough… won’t do what they know is right… what they believe. I don’t know how or why it got this way but the world has become so complicated, to involve yourself in someone else’s problems is to invite them needlessly on yourself.” Yes it has, yes it is, and yes, that is the question, “How far are you willing to go?”
In the past I’ve pointed out that “Zealots always win, simply because they are zealots” and can only be disarmed by an equal or greater enthusiasm for a more productive goal. When people have no real goals and less hope, a vivid imagination and spare time is a recipe for significant personal and social problems. Meaning must come from within, but it also must be demonstrated by those around us – we are the examples for others – if we are true Zealators on the Path of Return.
Where will this enthusiasm take us? In fulfillment of the supreme experience, “to be like God” as the Corpus Hermeticum says. To know the meaning of Hermes when he says, “Think of me and I am there. Think of a thing and you are it.” What does this look like? For this we offer a well known example as described by two who know – and whom I have known:
“Do not cling to the illusions of this world. Understand and you are liberated. Understand and you are liberated.” – Recitation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead by ‘The Monk’ (played by James Hong) Millennium, Season 3, Episode 17.
“Guru Padmasambhava is an ever-present living Buddha. His influence is still with us. His inspiration, blessings, and presence pervade Tibetan history. He did not merely appear in the eighth century and then disappear. In every century, great masters of all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism have been guided by Guru Rinpoche, either directly or indirectly. His presence is always with us. . When Guru Padmasambhava became immortal, he completely transformed all the gross Elements [i.e., Fire, Air, Water, Earth and Space] into their subtle wisdom forms [i.e., original state]. These wisdom elements are free from decay, decline, and change. Liberation from these notions gave him the flexibility and openness to perform many incomprehensible activities. . It is important to understand that all the activities of Guru Rinpoche are designed to break through the rigidity of our dualistic concepts and conventions [i.e., habituated patterns and misconceptions]. He is beyond the limits of worldly views and traditions.” ~from Liberating Duality with Wisdom Display, by Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche & Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche
Let these words be our Friend and Guide as we enter into this new year, and the final months of the “Season of the Apocalypse.” There is still time, but as the opening scroll for Millennium reminded us for three years, “The time is near” so let us make the best use of what time and resources we have left.
That best use comes in two forms of practice: the development of Virtue and with it – as they are inseparable – Wisdom with both being directed towards the development of the Body of Light, the Solar Body as it is called in Hermetic systems. These are the only things – Virtue and Wisdom, and their expression in practice – that will serve us when we move from the time being “near” to “The time is now.” The time of the ultimate ‘Revelation’ – the Hour of our Death.
For this reason, we paraphrase in modern terms the words of the great Tibetan masters when speaking of dzogchen – for us – the accumulation of Virtue and Solar Realization – “Do not waste your time in contrived rituals, or endless podcasts, or search for psychic phenomena, cryptoids, or UFOs. Do not waste your time in spiritual materialism, in social reform. Relax into the nature of your own Beingness. Be alert! Rest in your Beingness.”
Or in the words of Jacob Boehme, whose teachings have often been compared to the Tibetan schools of Dzogchen, we read:
“If we allow our mind to brood over earthly desires, our mind will be captivated by them; but if we spiritually rise above the world of earthly desires and sensations, the world of light will captivate our will, the terrestrial world will lose its power of attracting our consciousness, and we will enter the divine state of God.
The realm of matter and darkness is the realm of anguish, contention, and suffering; the realm of the Spirit is the kingdom of light, joy, peace, and happiness. … He who consciously carries the divine image of God will not die when his physical body dies, nor will he lose any of the attributes which his soul has acquired during its life in the physical body. The world of good and the world of evil are both contained within the world of man. Whatever we make of ourselves, that must we be in the future; whatever we awaken within ourselves will live in ourselves; in whatever direction we struggle, there shall we receive our guide.”
