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With the Homeless on the Street

buck

00:00 / 05:09

HOLES: CHAPTER NINETEEN
MEETING THE KEEPER OF WISDOM

The Planet Burning

One afternoon, I hung out with the homeless on the street. Then I rode my bicycle back to the El Dorado District as the world was burning due to climate disruption.

In the El Dorado District

I was happy that I at least had food and shelter even though I lived in the El Dorado District, which has remained poverty-stricken and downright tawdry for years.

In Front of the Apartment

The entrance to my apartment seemed like a portal for a moment. As I stood before my door, I suddenly realized that I was tired and needed to take a nap.

The Hierophant: Taurus

As I was sleeping, I dreamed about stepping through a hole in the fabric of reality and holding a conversation with a wise man, a hierophant, holding up two fingers in blessing. The Hierophant claimed, "I am the Keeper of Wisdom. While you were away, I expanded your tiny apartment so that now it is a temple with many rooms. Each room contains a subtle force represented by a God or Goddess."

Pretending to be the Hierophant

In my dream, I saw myself on a throne and tried to gesture like The Hierophant. "I guess now I am a Keeper of Wisdom too!" I thought.

Temple of The Moon

Then I found myself in a temple room that represented a Goddess of the Moon.
The Moon Goddess spoke, "I am the subtle force, known by some as the Holy Spirit, who presents symbols and archetypes representing spiritual principle to your inner vision. Through the symbols and archetypes, you can understand other subtle forces represented on the Tree of Life."

Temple of Mercury

Then I wandered to the next temple room and found myself with the God Mercury.
Mercury spoke, "I am the subtle force, known by some as Hermes, who enables you to create concrete ideas representing mythological principles that come alive in your imagination in the Emanation of The Moon."

Temple of Venus

I wandered across to the next temple room and discovered the Goddess Venus, who spoke, "I am the subtle force, known by some as Aphrodite, who holds up a prism to The Sun so that subtle forces can be known through their rainbow colors. Through the magical triangle on the Tree of Life that includes Mercury and The Moon, you can bring the subtle forces into the physical realm, where they can manifest and operate through independent action."

Temple of The Sun

I then wandered into the heart of the temple, where I discovered the Sun God. "I am the subtle force, also known as the Son of the Trinity, through whom human beings experience the Vision of Harmony and the Mysteries of the Crucifixion. You are now in the center of equilibrium, which balances the subtle forces of the Tree of Life. From here, you can ascend the Middle Pillar of the Tree of Life and experience the Source and the underlying unity of all creation, or you can choose to experience the ethical triangle, which includes the subtle energies of Mars and Jupiter."

Temple of Mars

I chose to experience the ethical triangle, so I wandered into the temple room of Mars. "I am a subtle force through whom human beings achieve balance--even though at first I might seem to cause chaos and conflict and a lack of balance. I am the God in the Emanation of Power who fights with the righteous to establish justice in the physical realm, and in that way the communities of the earth maintain harmony."

Temple of Jupiter

I then ambled across to the next room, where I discovered the God Jupiter. "I am the subtle force, also known as Zeus, who reveals the Glory of Creation. Through me, human beings can know the magnificence, harmony, and abundance of the spirit. Each Emanation associated with a planet has balanced and unbalanced energies. The unbalanced energies in the Emanation of Mercy are tyranny, bigotry, gluttony, and hypocrisy. By experiencing the horrors of these unbalanced energies, human beings learn the true value of harmony."

Temple of the Saturn

I then came to an abyss, but I was able to leap across to the temple room of Saturn. "I am a subtle force, also known as Chronos, and I fashion the primordial energies that manifest as physical form in The Kingdom. I am often perceived as a God of Death because whatever takes on physical form must break down and die, but I am also known as a God of the Harvest, for in The Kingdom the spirit comes to know the abundance and joy associated with physical form."

Temple of the Zodiac

Then I sauntered across to a temple room where I encountered the Zodiac. "I am the subtle Spirit that permeates the Zodiac, also known as The Father of the Trinity, in the Emanation where the Source of all Creation first becomes aware of itself within manifestation. Here the One begins its manifestation as the cosmos. Here, in the microcosm, the individual self sees and knows the divine core of being. The mysteries of manifestation and divine revelation and spiritual self-awareness originate here."

The Inner Sanctum

Then I crossed another abyss and entered the inner sanctum. "You have entered the Crown of Creation. Here you experience the unity of all creation, the One within the Many, and here you connect the divine core of your personal consciousness with Universal Consciousness. Here you experience union with the divine and clearly understand all of your experiences of the Many within the One. Here you accomplish the Great Work of Self-Transformation."
Suddenly I woke up.

All poems, stories, essays, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

Sun God

lily24

00:00 / 03:50

HOLES: CHAPTER TWENTY
THE VICE OF BEAUTY (THE SUN)

Ogre in an Art Museum

One night, I fell asleep and dreamed that I had stepped through a hole in the fabric of reality and met the Sun God in a field of yellow flowers.
The Sun God spoke: "The ideal energy associated with The Sun and the sixth Emanation of the Tree of Life known as Beauty manifests as harmonizing love and sacrifice. The unbalanced energy, the vice, manifests as pride. Those who manifest the unbalanced energy exalt themselves above all of the rest of humanity, all of the rest of creation. They are egotists and disputers and eventually reveal themselves as ogres."
The next day, I visited an art museum. A man gazing at a painting grunted angrily and spewed profanity.
"Why would anyone get so angry about modern art?" I wondered. "Fear of something different?"

Dear Leader

I returned to my apartment and turned on the tv. A news station was covering our leader, who was making racist slurs and spouting hatred at a political rally.
"Why would anyone vote for such an ogre?" I wondered.

Followers of the Dear Leader

Then the camera panned the crowd at the rally. Everyone in the crowd seemed as angry and hateful as their leader.

Always Fighting

Tired of watching the news, I looked out the window. Down below, two ogres were fighting near the park. I wondered if the leader's hateful rhetoric had motivated the ogres to settle some kind of score with each other.

Ogre Minister

I wanted to share some spiritual experiences with a kindred spirit, so I strolled to a church down the street.
"If you have not been saved, my son, your so-called spiritual experiences no doubt originated with the enemy--the devil. You must repent of all your sins, or your soul is in mortal danger of spending an eternity in hell. This religion truly saves, unlike all the other religions and spiritual traditions in the world. Here you will be reborn, and once you have experienced salvation, you can rest assured that your soul will spend an eternity in heaven, thanks to our savior."
I wandered away from the church with the feeling that the minister was experiencing pride, not a loving connection with other people or the community of all life on earth.

Ogre Newscaster

When I returned home, I sighed and turned on the television again. A newscaster was spouting lies and misinformation about people in one of two political parties. "Some people must watch this program so that they can exalt themselves above the people in the other political party, in other words, so they can feel superior to half of the people in the realm. This can only lead to anger and divisiveness," I thought.

River in Spring

I sighed again and turned off the tv. Then I traveled to the river, where lupine and poppies were flourishing on the hillsides. "At least here I can relax and release anger and frustration and sometimes even feel the oneness of creation," I thought to myself.

Ogre Mechanic

Unfortunately, my car broke down on the way home. The mechanic attempted to rip me off in every conceivable way. "Some ogres have to feel superior by gouging as many vulnerable people as possible," I muttered to myself.

Ogre Boss

I realized that I needed another gig in order to pay my bills, so I applied for a job, which did not offer any benefits, only minimum wage.
"Unfortunately, my friend, you are not qualified," the boss stated with a frown. "Come back when you have more experience."
"How can I get more experience when I can't get a job so that I can get experience?" I wondered out loud.

Ogre School

I wanted to improve my resume, so I talked to a college professor.
"Thank you for your interest in our school," the professor stated. "Unfortunately you have not passed all the right tests. You must first demonstrate that you have the knowledge and ability to succeed here, for we have very rigorous standards. Also, we have unwritten standards of behavior that you must learn how to follow. In order to succeed you must demonstrate a liberal understanding and tolerance for what some might label as unacceptable behavior among the teaching and administrative staff. Do you think you can do that?"
Confused by the question, I shook my head.

Ogre Gangster

As I wandered home, I encountered a Hell's Angel on a Harley Davidson. I attempted to chat with the man for a moment.
"Get the hell outta here! You gotta prove yourself worthy to be a member of our gang," the biker sneered.

Ogre Policeman

On my way home, I walked by a policeman, who looked at me with suspicion.
"There's been a lot of crime in this area. I hope you're not homeless, for homelessness is now a crime," the ogre stated. "I'll give you one minute to get off of this street."

Ogre Militiaman

I hurried back to the El Dorado District, where I encountered a militia man.
"What kind of citizen are you?" the militia man taunted while pointing his gun at me.
"I am a good citizen, like all the other good citizens who believe in a free country," I replied.

"Are you an immigrant?" the militia man demanded to know.

"I am the descendent of immigrants who came to this continent in 1640," I replied.

The militia man frowned and grunted but let me pass.

Ogre Coach

I wanted to forget my troubles at a baseball game, so I rode my bicycle to the stadium.
The coach yelled at the players, "Get out there, ladies, and kick some butt if you want to remain on this team!"

Ogre CEO

At the stadium, I sat next to a rich man who was constantly on his phone, which made it difficult for me to concentrate on the game.
When I politely asked the rich man to enjoy the game or conduct his business elsewhere, the rich man replied, "I am the CEO of a major corporation, and you are just a loser. Why don't you mind your own business--or take it elsewhere?" The rich man dialed his phone again.

Authoritarian Plan

After the baseball game, I visited the library. An ogre was sitting at a table writing something.
"What are you working on, if you don't mind me asking?" I asked.
"I am developing an authoritarian plan that enables the rich and powerful to control the masses. With patriarchal, hetero-normative, and Christian values, this plan enables only the right people to rule. Once this plan is adopted, woman, people of color, and people in non-normative groups will no longer have a say so that the rich, who have shown themselves worthy by succeeding in a competitive capitalistic society, retain all the power," he responded. "Democracy is no longer acceptable. The government is not managed well enough and is not effectively maintaining order. Strong, competent ogres need to step in to establish and maintain stability."

Ogre by River

The next day after I woke up, I felt like I had turned into an ogre, so I visited the river. As I experienced the tranquility of the flowers and the trees and the flowing water, I felt myself slowly, very slowly, turning back into a human being.

All poems, stories, essays, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

Goat in the Flowers

beat33

00:00 / 03:56

HOLES: CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
THE VICE OF VICTORY (VENUS)

Venus

I dreamed that I was hiking in the mountains one day and stepped through a hole in the fabric of reality. Soon, I came upon a goat in a field of lupine and poppies.
Suddenly I heard a voice behind me, "'The lust of the goat is the bounty of God,' which is certainly true for those who love each other with selfless reverence.'" I turned around. The Goddess Venus was standing right behind me. "The ideal energy associated with the seventh Emanation of the Tree of Life manifests as selflessness. The unbalanced energy, or vice, reveals itself as lust. This vice can manifest in many harmful ways."

Harem

The Goddess continued, "Lust can manifest as a need to control the bodies and minds of others. People dominated by this vice also lust for money and power so that they can control as many other people as possible. They desire to take what they want when they want, so they also feel the need to amass a vast amount of money and power."

Chased by a Beast

"They chase after people and dominate them and threaten them and frighten them into submission. They like to think that they can put their paws on other people wherever and whenever they like."

Terrified by a Beast

"Sometimes they lust after power and terrify people in order to get what they want. If he has enough money and power, a leader dominated by the vice of lust can become a ruthless authoritarian who sets up a secret police force that kidnaps people and sends them without due process to concentration camps."

Chasing a Car

The Goddess continued, "A person manifesting the vice of lust can at first seem as ridiculous as a dog chasing a car."

Chasing Money

"They are always chasing money."

Dog Fight

"They always seem to be in a fight for domination."

Bank Robber

"Sometimes they cannot control their lustful impulses, and they become lawless. Others who admire masculine lawlessness and want to become lawless themselves sometimes view criminals as heroes."

Leader of the Pack

The Goddess continued, "In rare instances, if enough people admire masculine lawlessness, a person motivated by lust can become a domineering leader who rules with an authoritarian hand--but he also creates a culture of corruption because of his lawlessness."

Starting Wars

"Sometimes a leader with a lust for power will start wars so that they can control more and more people, more and more land, more and more resources."

Concentration Camp

"Sometimes they will throw vulnerable populations and dissidents into concentration camps," the Goddess stated.

Pile of Gold

"When they are sitting on a pile of money, lustful people will not hesitate to buy off politicians so that they can continue to protect their economic interests and control as many resources and people as possible."

Dam

"They will destroy thriving ecosystems by building dams so that they can control a basic necessity such as water."

Clear Cutting

"The will cut down entire forests while fighting environmentalists tooth and nail."

The Planet Burning

"They will continue polluting the environment until the entire planet burns. They cannot control their need for money and power and domination," the Goddess stated.

Authoritarian Domination

"They will even threaten the planet with nuclear annihilation if they don't get what they want. Enough is never enough for them."

All poems, stories, essays, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

Mercury in a Field of Flowers

2thoth

00:00 / 07:18

HOLES: CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

THE VICES OF SPLENDOR (MERCURY)

The Liars

I dreamed that I was strolling through the mountains, and I encountered the God Mercury in a field of poppies--after I had stepped through a hole in the fabric of reality.
The God spoke, "The ideal energy associated with the eighth Emanation of the Tree of Life is truth. The unbalanced energy, or vice, manifests as lies and deceit. This unbalanced energy can be extremely harmful to many people and the planet." I suddenly remembered how repulsed I had felt when I had encountered a man who was blowing a trumpet and spewing lies in the Tarot Realm.

Gaslighting

The God continued, "Some people try to gaslight others by constantly telling them lies. This confuses the victims and even eventually drives them crazy. Liars use this technique as a form of control, both individually and collectively. The can control the minds of the masses by repeadedly telling lies in advertizing and propaganda, and they strive to deceive as many people as possible by never telling the truth and by creating alternate realities. Corporations and cult leaders are especially fond of this technique."

Puppet

"Lying can be a powerful tool for charismatic or wealthy individuals. Liars confuse and condition other people by repeating lies over and over. Many liars brainwash people and turn them into puppets. A politician, for instance, might vilify or demonize a person who has told the truth about him, and his puppets will then threaten or harm the unfortunate victim, who is more than likely a morally upstanding man or woman. This type of power can lead to stochastic terrorism."

Employer as King

The God continued, "A powerful person, such as an employer, has great power and control over the people under him. An employer can sometimes convince his employees to break the law or act in immoral ways that they would never have considered doing themselves. Because of job insecurity, employees must do the employer's bidding or lose their job. This can result in terrible tragedies, such as the pollution of the environment or the production of unsafe items that can cause great harm."

\

Insanity is the New Normal

The God continued, "A person in this realm tends to be conditioned from a very young age to believe that having a well-paying job should be the paramount goal of one's life. Then often, when they find a decent job, they discover that they are being exploited, overworked and underpaid--simply so that the person at the top can benefit from their labor."

Debt

"People in this realm know that their wages remain essentially stagnant while prices keep rising. They have to keep going deeper into debt to survive, and they are conditioned to believe that it's their fault."

Chain Smoking

The God continued, "Some lies can end up killing millions of people. Some industries can deceive the masses for years into believing that their product is safe, even though the product is addictive and causes cancer. They can deceive a whole society for years, mainly by keeping politicians in their back pocket."

Pandemic

"A leader might lie about a dangerous air-borne virus to please the donor class and keep the economy up and running--instead of implementing the tried-and-true practices of testing, contact-tracing, and quarantining. As you know, over a million people died recently in his realm because of this deception."

Genocide

The God continued, "A government might encourage or allow the genocide of an entire race of people and then try to drop the memory of the theft of land and the death of millions of men, women, and children into a memory hole."

Fascist Tyranny

"A fascist state ruled by the wealthy few, in other words, an oligarchy, might enslave people and treat them as property simply because of the color of their skin. The wealthy can find obviously ridiculous but divisive justifications for their exploitations."

Unjustifiable War

"The powerful elites will sometimes lie and start unjustifiable wars that make them and the donor class much more powerful and wealthy," the God stated.

Funeral

"And they will often make a great show of honoring the dead soldiers who return home in a coffin."

Meltdown

"People in power will lie for decades to promote a technology that they know is dangerous, a technology, for instance, that might end up poisoning the ocean or raising global temperatures."

Death from Pollution

"Scientists funded by corporations might then study a long time what killed the creatures that wash up on the shore."

The Planet Burning

"Powerful corporations that control the political arena can threaten the entire planet. These corporations often know for decades that their products can lead to serious environmental damage, but they choose to deceive the public so that they can continue to rake in huge profits," the God stated.

Pinocchio Politician

"Buffoonish politicians can lie with every breath, but their supporters nevertheless back these lying cartoon-like characters. The brainwashed supporters believe that the racist, harmful polices of their leaders will end up benefitting them in some way--when in fact the policies benefit the rich."

The Next Insurrection

"Some politicians can tell a lie so big that it causes an insurrection or a civil war. Some people in power will constantly lie and deceive to stay in power."

Emergency

"Some powerful people will even fly a flag upside down to signal a state of emergency but ignore the real emergencies that exist all around them."

All poems, stories, essays, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

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