A VOICE’s Neighborhood

Go forth and fill your libraries with media.

Seriously, thanks to everyone for being so amazing and patient. You are the reason I love Vox.

~daisy

I was just told that the Amazon Conduit will be fixed by tomorrow. I will post here as soon as I get word that it's back up and running.

I know this has been frustrating and I am sorry there wasn't more I could do to make it less so. I really appreciate your patience though.

Cheers,

daisy

Direct link to download .mp3 podcast file -- http://media.blubrry.com/occultofpersonality/www.occultofpersonality.net/wp-content/uploads/OoP_Podcast75_RobertPlace1.mp3

If the above link is not working, please try -- http://www.divshare.com/download/9070324-a2b

“Robert M. Place is an internationally known visionary artist and illustrator, whose award winning works, in painting, sculpture, and jewelry, have been displayed in galleries and museums in America, Europe, and Japan and graced the covers and pages of numerous books and publications. He is the designer, illustrator, and co-author, with Rosemary Ellen Guiley, of: The Alchemical Tarot and The Angels Tarot, which are both published by HarperCollins and have received international acclaim particularly for their skillful and illuminating graphics. He is the designer, illustrator, and author of The Tarot of the Saints, and The Buddha Tarot, which are published by Llewellyn. His fifth book, The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination, is published by Tarcher/Penguin. He has also authored Astrology and Divination, Magic and Alchemy, and Shamanism. His latest Tarot deck and book set is The Vampire Tarot, published by St. Martins Press.”

"The Vampire Tarot" by Robert M. Place

To begin episode 75, Robert describes the prophetic and synchronistic manner that he was introduced to the Tarot. As an artist, he was able to intuitively grasp the symbolism and levels of meaning portrayed in the Tarot images, allowing him to create “The Alchemical Tarot“, a very highly-acclaimed and beautiful deck. Robert then describes his latest creation, “The Vampire Tarot“.

Jonathan the Fool

As a Tarot scholar, his research into the history and folklore of vampires and the Dracula legend led him to the realization that this story was like an inverse of the alchemical quest. The Great Work is analogous to the story told by the Major Arcana of the Tarot. In his analysis of the Dracula legend, Robert realized that this story was also a quest for immortality but in a far darker and different way, replacing the spiritual with the material.

IV. The Count

Robert tells us how the vampire legends invoke the Jungian concept of facing the shadow or the other. The resurrection of these legends in literature coincided with the scientific revolution and Romanticism. The original vampire stories, like the unrefined unconscious mind were dark and frightening, but when examined in the light, by writers and artists, these same stories can take on an alluring quality. Robert explains this evolution from a historical, psychological, and artistic perspective.

XVIII. The Moon

We finish off the conversation as Robert describes how he views the Dracula legend as analogous to the quest for the Holy Grail. Dracula can be seen as the dark knight and those trying to defeat him as the Knights of the Round Table. His perspective on this legend and his beautiful artwork in “The Vampire Tarot” can bring forth yet another version of the archetypal hero’s quest, there all along and just waiting for us to discover it.

XIX. The Sun

“Though systematic change takes many decades, there are pressing questions for me and I imagine for some others like me if we raise our daily consciousness on the perquisites of being light-skinned. What will we do with such knowledge? As we know from watching men, it is an open question whether we will choose to use unearned advantage to weaken invisible privilege systems and whether we will use any of our arbitrarily awarded power to try to reconstruct power systems on a broader base.”

“Only rarely will a man go beyond acknowledging that women are disadvantaged to acknowledging that men have unearned advantage, or that unearned privilege has not been good for men’s development, or that privilege systems might ever be challenged and changed.”

 

“Those men who do grant that male privilege takes institutionalized and embedded forms are still likely to deny that male hegemony has opened doors for them personally.”

 

“They may say they will work to improve women’s status, in the socity or in the university, but they can’t or won’t support the idea of lessening men’s.”

 

“Through Women’s Studies work I have met very few men who are truly distressed about systemic, unearned male advantage and conferred dominance.”

 

“I was taught to think that racism could end if white individuals changed their attitudes; many men think sexism can be ended by individual changes in daily behavior toward women. But a man’s sex provides advantage for him whether or not he approves of the way in which dominance has been conferred on his group.”

Peggy McIntosh, White Privilege and Male Privilege

It's not enough to recognize it. One needs to actively do something about it. So unless you are doing this, you are part of the problem and part of the structure.

direct link to download .mp3 podcast file -- http://media.blubrry.com/occultofpersonality/www.occultofpersonality.net/wp-content/uploads/OoP_Podcast74_Orryelle.mp3

In podcast episode 74, we’re joined by Orryelle Defenestrate-Bascule, “a prolific visual, sonic and textual artist-magickian. The instruments of his arts and magicks include, but are not limited to: Australia’s Metamorphic Ritual Theatre Co. which presents public rituals aiming to transform rather than merely entertain the audiences.” Orryelle explains how the act of creation is Magickal from an artist’s perspective.

Moonzoomorphs

Orryelle is responsible for the “ever-expanding digital archives and galleries of Mutation Parlour; a member of The HermAphroditic ChAOrder of the Silver Dusk, a global multicultural and multisubcultural blend of tradition and innovation, artist of “Conjunctio” (a Graphic Grimmoire), creator of the Book of Kaos Tarot, and author of A Brief HIRStory of TimEmiT. Orryelle has been extensively involved in the Horus-Maat Lodge, channeling several double-current Libers such as ‘Pennae-Ultim-Atum‘ and ‘The Book of Going Back by Night‘.”

Conjunctio by Orryelle Defenestrate-Basucle

Our conversation touches on the recently published graphic grimiore “Conjunctio” and presentation at the Esoteric Book Conference, the importance of working in the physical plane, aesthetics, art, beauty and transformation, including body modification. Orryelle also discusses the art of ritual performance, world wide travels to sacred sites, and even some thoughts about 2012.

Svadsabmand

Orryelle is extremely creative in many mediums, including poetry, art, music, theater, Magick, Alchemy, and self-transformation. Our conversation provides a bit of insight into Orryelle’s unique Work.

relevant links:

Mutation Parlour

“Conjunctio” by Orryelle Defenestrate-Bascule, available via Fulger Ltd.

Esoteric Book Conference – performances (also discussed in episode 69 with William Keisel of Ouroboros Press)

Orryelle Defenestrate-Bascule

Mutation EnCyclopsedia (tattoos and other body arts)

Metamorphic Ritual Theatre

Global Chakra Workings

Orryelle Defenestrate-Bascule’s publications (including Book of Kaos Tarot), EsoErotic artwork, and music

intro music by HipGnosis and Darkfold

outro music by Orryelle Defenstrate-Bascule – “Kalikaye”

Upcoming class: Occult of Personality presents “Meditation and the Western Esoteric Tradition” on Thursday, October 29th at 8 PM. Please see the link for specific details.

direct link to download .mp3 podcast file -- http://media.blubrry.com/occultofpersonality/www.occultofpersonality.net/wp-content/uploads/OoP_Podcast73_Memie.mp3

In podcast episode 73, we’re joined by Memia Ayat. Memie is a healer, Wiccan, hypnotherapist, and belly dance teacher. She joins us to discuss her diverse interests and how they all fit together.

Memie 2002

In the photo above, Memie (left) is surrounded by a strange mist…

Memie begins the interview by describing the path that led her to Wicca and alternative healing modalities. Memie discusses what it is like to be a Witch in the Salem, Massachusetts community.

Pentagram

Bad news. As many of you have probably noticed, the Amazon Conduit was not fixed in the last week's release. Unfortunately, there was an undetected bug that is preventing the conduit from working.

We are working on this bug fix and hope to have the Conduit back up and running this week.

I will keep you posted.

Thank you for being so patient.

~daisy

If you were going to write a book, what would you write about?

I would write about how viewing religions as divine languages can be helpful for people without developed spiritual frameworks. It would be an attempt to show people that it is okay to speak multiple religious languages while maintaining their unique perspective of not having a native religious language.

Blog Action Day

6 comments

Blog Action Day is every October 15th, when blogger are asked to post something about a single issue to show our strength and conviction as an online community. It's a great way to feel connected to the greater good, and the participation of so many bloggers to support the world's leading non-profit organizations is something you can do to help, right now. By blogging today, you're supporting some of the world's leading non-profits and sharing your voice for change.

This year's topic is climate change, and we'd love to read your thoughts on the topic. If you participate, leave us a link to your post in the comments, so we know to check out your post!

Go to www.blogactionday.org to learn more, get a badge for your blog showing your participation, and see some ideas for your post on climate change.

Can't wait to read your posts!

~ daisy

Why do we use our beliefs to excuse bad behavior instead of as inspiration to do better?

Not all people make this choice. For those that do, I believe it has a lot to do with fear of what is within their own being. Rather than look inward and take responsibility for what they have done, many instead look for an external scapegoat to avoid responsibility for their actions. While there are certain environmental and external factors that contribute to scapegoating, it is ultimately one's own decision in succumbing to bad behavior and then deflecting responsibility externally. The belief system is inconsequential because it is just a guise to cover up responsibility.