Spiritual Revolution

Ozymandias

version 1

(See it in the Mystik Way)

I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive,

stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them
and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

-Percy Bysche Shelley

version 2

IN Egypt's sandy silence, all alone,
Stands a gigantic Leg, which far off throws
The only shadow that the Desert knows:—
"I am great OZYMANDIAS," saith the stone,
"The King of Kings; this mighty City shows
The wonders of my hand."— The City's gone,—
Nought but the Leg remaining to disclose
The site of this forgotten Babylon.

We wonder,—and some Hunter may express
Wonder like ours, when thro' the wilderness
Where London stood, holding the Wolf in chace,
He meets some fragment huge, and stops to guess
What powerful but unrecorded race
Once dwelt in that annihilated place.

– Horace Smith

Spiritual Revolution

By Coraluca Soleil 

Both versions of this poem give me chills. A vast desert is described, containing the broken stone likeness of an ambitious leader to whom, in the end, having power was worth more than the lives necessary to define it.

            What significance does this have to our current times? And how can we turn this within?

 I could feel its spiritual relevance the very first time I read it. The message is magickal and foreboding, like an ominous tarot reading on a dark and stormy night. It is a warning from Anima Mundi, and not intended to be comforting. Its energy is apocalyptic in nature, the words themselves feeling as though they were channeled during a highly charged creative trance from an oracular entity. This is not to suggest that was actually the case, merely an observation of the poems’ similarity to such works. If there was no way of knowing its true author and someone told me it was written by Nostradamus or John Dee or Aleister Crowley, I would have believed them. During the Romantic Era and into the early twentieth century, occult-related and fantasy-inspired themes and material enjoyed quite a surge of popularity throughout high culture (in art, music, theatre, and literature). This fact alone could very well have been influential to these authors.

 

Also, that era was probably very similar to this one. It was surely exciting to be on the verge of the Industrial Revolution, which completely changed humanity’s way of life. Is there not an energy of change pervading our current social climate, regarding everything from technology to political and cultural interaction?

There is a definite air of evolution on the horizon. It isn’t only physical change inundating the hearts and minds of people everywhere, stirring them to revolt and protest. It is spiritual warfare.

And yes, I did just say that. I am aware that this is a very Christian phrase. It is often thrown around in pseudo-philosophical conversations. But its true meaning is far more ancient (and complex) than Christianity.

 

Wondering why the world didn’t end on Winter Solstice? It is because it was never the physical world in jeopardy. It is the Spiritual. The threat is still very real, and these efforts have been going on for thousands of years. “Ozymandias” illustrates the cruel, evil dictators who would destroy the whole world to be king of a graveyard. They are hungry for power at any cost, and are literally attempting to wage war on our energy. There is no greater threat to the power-structure than the will of the human spirit. The moment we collectively decide that we are finished manufacturing our own chains, the authorities are obsolete, eradicated.  We outnumber them a hundred to one. If we let them, they will destroy our world, leaving only broken monuments to assert our great existence.

 

The psychological aspects of this poem are also important because it is through our subconscious that reality is created. This half of our minds, the dark half, can only communicate through symbolism and imagery. The metaphor of the vast desert corresponds to the loss of the spirit, to the barren wasteland that engulfs us once our passion, creativity, and love of life are gone.

To the choir to whom I’m currently preaching, to those of you who have been fighting this battle for many years (even centuries) and are now discouraged, precariously treading the verge of apathy, let me say this: We must never give up. We must always fight. Don’t you see? The very desire to fight is worth fighting for! Apathy is dangerous territory for the likes of us…

Please, my fellow soldiers, please stay strong.

            As I was saying, the concept of the spiritual plane creating the physical one is the core aspect of magickal practice, and I am sure you’re all familiar. However, this does not only apply to spells and rituals. It applies to every aspect of existence. By using our minds to envision and enact our reality, it becomes observable in the physical realm through our own actions.

 

This can be used for good or for evil. The conquering elite poison the minds of the people with fear so they will be kept in power. Multibillion-dollar corporations poison our minds with false images of beauty so they will be kept in profit. The pharmaceutical companies poison our bodies with drugs, and doctors prescribe them so they will be guaranteed a job. The list goes on and on. The point is that this world is quickly becoming the barren spiritual wasteland described above.

            This is why spirituality is so essential. Without a connection to our own inner power, we risk letting it slip away into the hands of those who would buy it from us. It cannot be destroyed, but it can be lost. Archetypes such as the broken monument, the shadow, and the empty desert resonate within our psyche, working with other symbolic material to present a multifaceted perspective of reality in which all of existence is reflected in the Self. In this way, we can see ourselves as the great conqueror, and be warned not to follow in his footsteps, wasting energy on meaningless monuments instead of cultivating our spiritual well-being, and that of our environment.

            When contemplating these words, we are also reminded that only spirit is eternal, because energy is matter which cannot be created or destroyed. This is scientific law. We know there is no “one true path,” but the point is to experience the energy of spirit in some way. It could be argued that the path of the spirit is the one true path, which contains infinite variations; just as the human race contains infinite variations of people.

            Whatever your path, be prepared for increased spiritual trials during the coming year. They want to tear us down, now more than ever, knowing there is great potential for spiritual revolution echoing throughout our generation. Stay true to yourself no matter what.

And always be strong.

Never give up.

            Ozymandias Ritual

            Cover your altar with cloth of a bland color such as grey or beige. Place two pillar candles in the center, and a large stone between them. Leave other items off for now.

            Meditate for a moment on the emptiness of your altar, the desert, the subconscious mind. This emptiness can mean potential or destruction, the choice is yours.

            Select the version of the poem you like best, and read it out loud.

            Think about the words. What do they mean to you? Are you dedicated to protecting the spiritual aspects of humanity which are under attack? Can you identify them specifically by observing the world, the media, etc?

            Select crystals or other objects to represent that which you want to protect, call forth, and augment in the world, such as Love, Peace, Healing, etc. Or, write them on bits of paper. Place these objects on your altar in a protective circle around the candles and stone. With the added energy of these things (and your own), the stone is no longer cold and lifeless. Just as all works –great or small - take on life and meaning when combined with spiritual truth and sacred intent.

            Allow the candle to burn as long as you wish.

            Adapt the ritual, thank Deity, and cast/close the circle according to your tradition and/or preferences. http://issuu.com/mystikway/docs/mystik_way_magazine_issue_21