Summum

Today we bring you one of my favorite NRMs ("New Religious Movements"), the quirky little cult known as Summum. (Don't forget to click on the "Gift Shop" link!)

It all began in 1975, when Salt Lake City native Claude Rex Nowell ("Corky" to his family and friends) encountered some highly intelligent folks that he called "Summa Individuals." They taught him about the true nature of creation... so, naturally he changed his name to Summum Bonum Amen Ra, and wrote a book about their teachings.

Well, re-wrote a book, actually. The original, called The Kybalion was published in the early 1900s by "the Three Initiates." It's supposed to be a culmination of the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretism of the Greek god, Hermes and the Egyptian God, Thoth. Yes - a syncretism; "the attempted reconciliation or union of different or opposing principles, practices, or parties, as in philosophy or religion."
(syncretism. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved April 16, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/syncretism)


Ol' Corky felt that the Three Initiates had not gotten it quite right, so he updated The Kybalion and published it under the name "Summum - Sealed Except to the Open Mind." Corky Ra has published other books as well, and has built a pyramid... in Utah.

Yeah. UTAH. They even managed to get a license to brew wine in Utah. Well, Corky and company call it "Nectar Publications" but the government calls it wine. Summum is Utah's first federally bonded winery. Get it? A guy named "Corky" owns a winery... This is better than anything I might make up!

I know what you're thinking - "What good is a pyramid without mummies?" Well, Corky has you covered there too. Turns out the Corkster was a licensed funeral director in the state of California, and he has become known as the "father of modern mummification." He will happily mummify you or your pets.
Corky has actually made being the Mummy Lord of Utah a pretty lucrative gig. The "mummiforms" you see at left are not cheap - their website says that animal mummifications range from $6,000 to $128,000, depending on the weight of the animal. I assume human mummies are much more expensive, as the prices for that aren't even listed.

I am officially suggesting that the Flock all gather at the gates of the Summum Pyramid in Salt Lake City, dressed as mummies. Then we should sing "How Dry I Am" until they give us wine! Who's with me?!



I'm coming for you, Corky. You and your little mummy cat, Oscar, too...

It should be called "Paulianity"

I have taken a long time off from this blog. As soon as I finish my stats homework today, I'll be back with a post to catch you all up on what's new in Black Vatican City.

In the meantime, read this interesting tidbit from theStar.com:
New scholarship suggests Jesus might never have intended to found a new religion.

Basically, the idea is that Christianity as we know it has little to do with Jesus, and everything to do with Paul. This is not really an earth-shaking realization - Fleur and I have discussed the oddities of Pauline doctrine numerous times - but the book looks interesting. Might be time for a trip to Amazon...

Eternity, continued...

I should clarify - I know where I stand on this, but like any good sociologist I want to sample the population. Thanks to those who responded here.

The common thread in those responses seems to be that we agree that no one knows for sure - yet many people claim that they do! Evangelical preachers, prophets, imams, gurus, etc. have all claimed to "know" about the afterlife because they have seen it, been to it, or been in direct contact with the powers that run it. How do we reconcile these reports? Is it all just wishful thinking, that for some turns into delusion? Do we just write those people off as whackos, or have they had some kind of spiritual experience that we haven't?

More discussion, please.

Eternity

Our theories of the eternal are as valuable as are those of a chick which has not broken its way through its shell might form of the outside world.
- Buddha

I've been thinking about eternity a lot lately. Perhaps it's because I am deathly ill with the flu that has laid one of my roommates out since Friday... or perhaps it's because I have taken too much NyQuil lately. Either way, it's been on my mind, and like my man B-money said above, we have almost no clue.

My ego cherishes hope that there is something after this place. My rationality, however, is unable to escape the idea that we are just simple biological systems, and when we break down too much, it's over. I struggle, like so many before me, to find some middle ground between the two... but striking a balance between eternity and finality seems impossible. I envy the fundamentalist who is so completely absorbed in his faith that he feels no fear of death. To be so certain of the destination would be bliss... but to accept all of the dislogic that goes along with those beliefs would be like self-inflicted Alzheimer's for me.

Like the good little liberal arts scholar that I am, I am doing more research. I'm investigating the feelings of the Flock on this topic - and if you're reading this you're a member. Please post your answers to the following questions:

1) Is there an afterlife?
2) How do you know?

Any answer you feel strongly about will do; prose, verse, claymation, interpretive dance, etc. For entertainment and enlightenment purposes only - please, no wagering.

Drunk

The true meaning of the precepts is not just that one should refrain from drinking alcohol, but also from getting drunk on nirvana. - Bassui

There are almost certainly readers of this blog, who won't get what old Bassui was getting at with this.

There are those who will get what he was saying, but not why I'm posting it.

There are those who will understand it, and my reasons.

If you're not in that last group, no worries - it's probably not for you.

Your Personal Prophecy

Although I clearly suffer from a messianic complex, I have never considered myself particularly prophetic. Although I sometimes predict outcomes, it is always based on an observation of human nature rather than hearing a divine message. I would be remiss as your internet spiritual leader if I didn't do something to address this lack. To that end, I direct you to Bishop Jordan.

After the cool jazz intro ends, click on "Free Prophecies Are Back! Click here to get yours!" If you enter some personal info (so they can put you on their mailing list) the Bishop will ask the Holy Spirit about you, and then tell you what it said. It's like in elementary school when you ask your friend to ask that cute boy if he likes you...

Naturally, I signed up for a free prophecy immediately, and I'll let you know how it goes when I receive it. The existence of "free" prophecies leads me to believe that there are probably paid prophecies as well. I'll keep you posted on that front as it develops.

I love stuff like this; job security for folks like me, and fun for the whole Flock.
Amen.

I'm Skeered

With Halloween looming, I thought it might be a good time to take a look at the truly scary things going on in the Presidential race. Tell me...

Who is most frightening to you?

Rudy Giuliani
Mike Huckabee
Duncan Hunter
Alan Keyes
John McCain
Ron Paul
Mitt Romney
Tom Tancredo
Fred Thompson

For me it's a toss-up between Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, because I'm a religion wonk and both Mormons and Baptists are creepy. In all seriousness, Huckabee is doing well - we all laughed when Pat Robertson ran, but this guy could actually get the Republican nomination.

How bad could that be?

Well, Huckabee is in favor of:
-Repealing Roe v. Wade
-The death penalty
-Displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools
-Giving Israel access to our best weapons and military technology
-Supporting the Iraqi government militarily and financially

He is against:
-Funding for organizations that provide abortions
-Embryonic Stem Cell Research
-Gay marriage, civil unions, and even Gay adoptions
-Evolution (doesn't believe in it)
-Gun Control
-Amnesty for undocumented workers
-Troop withdrawal from Iraq

That's how bad it could be.

Romney's positions are similar, although he is somewhat less rigid about LGBT issues and stem cell research. Before you start thinking that he's the lesser of the evils, remember that he is in favor of abstinence only education, and opposed to medical marijuana. And here is the kicker - he publicly said, "We ought to double Guantanamo. I want them in Guantanamo where they don't get the access to lawyers they get when they're on our soil. I don't want them in our prisons. I want them there."

Are you scared yet?

Questions of Faith, Part XIII

Today we consider Modern Paganism, as understood by a Kitchen Witch. If you'd like to see the other posts in the Questions of Faith series, click here.

1)What faith do you espouse?
The path of spirituality that I follow is, I believe, most accurately referred to as modern pagan witchcraft; particularly I'm a kitchen witch - I am a solitary practitioner, meaning I don't belong to a coven or circle.

2) Who was the founder of your faith? When did he/she live?
There is no one founder, but many influences - there have been many philosophers, poets, essayists, spiritualists, and fanatics who have all contributed to the rise of the religion. 17th and 18th century philosophers of Enlightenment(1620-1800), German Romantic poets such as Goethe and Schiller(1750-1800), English Romantic poets- especially Keats and Shelley(1790-1820), late-century Victorian poets- primarily Algernon Charles Swinburne(1866-1909), spiritualists like Helena Blavatsky, Aleister Crowley, Dion Fortune, and Gerald Gardner(1877-1959) - they have all inspired individual exploration into the ideas that make up the many varied beliefs of modern pagan witchcraft. (dates are of writings, not lives)
Though it is based on historical recreations and previous philosophies, there is no public documentation of modern paganism, in it's current form, prior to 1890; there is hardly any prior to 1940. Claims of continuity are highly dubious.

3) What are the sacred texts of your faith?
A Book of Shadows or grimoire. (A grimoire refers to a set of rules for doing something and is a journal kept by practitioners containing information and contributions relevant to their specific field of study. - Wikipedia)
This book or collection of books is often passed down in a group or hereditary situation, however every practitioner is encouraged to create their own based on their particular practice and tradition. There are several references available for a solitary practitioner, any of which could be considered sacred to the individual, however a personal Book of Shadows is a record of rituals and practice, making it the sacred text for the person who writes it.

4) What is the central teaching of your faith?
Modern pagan witchcraft is an umbrella term which covers several related practices and beliefs. These all arise from three forces: 1) admiration for an ancient culture, originally Greece and Rome, but in more recent years other ancient cultures are being evaluated and incorporated; 2) nostalgia for a vanished past; 3) a desire for an organic unity between people, culture, and nature. How these properties manifest themselves, the study of healing herbs, spellwork, divination, working with spiritual and natural energies and many other things, and the importance of certain aspects of practice varies from individual to individual, and group to group.
Literal belief in deities is not an essential feature of religious practice, though it can be part of it, depending on a person or group's path. Deity may be referred to by many different names depending on a person's personal preference or the tradition that they follow. There is also the belief that deity is immanent, meaning that the God/dess is within everyone and within all of nature.

5) How does your faith define sin? What are the major sins, and how is one absolved?
Most practitioners of modern pagan witchcraft do not accept the existence of Satan (which is seen as a Christian creation) or in evil forces. They do know the existence of negative energy but recognize that it is part of nature and believe that there are valuable lessons to learn from both positive and negative energy. Most believe that all things are interconnected and that all thoughts and actions can have a positive or negative influence, which is reflected in the threefold belief that all things that anyone does is returned to them threefold. So in effect sin is harm done – to the earth, to others, to self – and absolution comes from living with the consequences that are returned to you as a result of your actions.

6) Roughly how many adherents does your faith have?
This is very hard to estimate, as over half of those who fall into the boundaries of modern pagan witchcraft hide their religious affiliation, largely due to a continuous persecution by Christian mainstream society. The estimates fall anywhere from 7000 to 10 million.

7) What does your faith teach about the afterlife? Is there heaven, and how do you get there?
This, again, varies according to tradition, but there is usually a form of reincarnation incorporated into the belief – often seen as a part of a continuous natural cycle of life and death. There is also often some sort of heaven or limbo, where the soul can rest between incarnations.

8) What are the practices of your faith? (Daily, weekly, etc.)
Daily striving for an organic unity between people, culture, and nature.
Awareness and celebration of natural cycles, primarily the waxing and waning of the moon and the 8 Sabbats - seasonal festivals which mark the turning of the Wheel of the Year and the cycles of nature - Winter Solstice or Yule (circa 21 December), Summer Solstice or Litha (circa 21 June), Spring Equinox or Ostara (circa 21 March), Autumn Equinox or Mabbon (circa 21 September), and the quarter days or fire festivals - Samhain (31 October), Imbolc (1 February), Beltaine (1 May), and Lughnasadh(1 August).

9) How is your faith organized? Are there priests and bishops and archbishops (oh my!)?
This is not a highly organized religion. Solitary practitioners will sometimes have a teacher or mentor, but just as often they explore and practice on their own. Covens and circles usually have a hierarchy based on their set of beliefs, often with at least a high priest and/or priestess.

10) Are there regular services available to you locally? If so, where?
If I perform them, and where I perform them. A solitary practitioner is solely responsible for his or her own ritual creation and execution. As a kitchen witch, my home is my temple and I practice rites of hospitality and rituals of life. Celebrations of the Sabbats often center around food and involve hospitality to friends and family.

11) How did you come to be a believer?
Well, doctors are dumb. In my search for alternate medicines, my research overlapped with the occult - astrology, herbalism, diets, crystals, rituals - often leading to the kitchen in the practicalities of the various remedies and rituals - were all recommended with various degrees of seriousness and success. The overlap among the practices I encountered, my love of the kitchen arts and my faith, led me to call myself a Christian witch. Deeper research into the theology and dogmas of my cradle faith, Roman Catholicism, lead to some serious questioning on my part. The new beliefs I was embracing eventually no longer fit with what they held to be unquestionable - they do not allow for Christian witches, among other things - so out of respect for their beliefs I no longer call myself that.

12) What do you wish others knew about your faith?
All Wiccans are Witches, but not all Witches are Wiccan. Satan is a Christian creation having nothing to do with Modern Pagan Witchcraft.

Questions of Faith, Part XII

For this 12th edition in the Questions of Fatih series, Flynn brings us a newer faith, the path of Googlism.

12 questions, eh? Okay, I feel like being snarky...

1) What faith do you espouse?
Googlism

2) Who was the founder of your faith? When did he/she live?
Sergey Brin and Larry Page (They are alive today.)

3) What are the sacred texts of your faith?
What, you want a copy? Okay, click here.


4) What is the central teaching of your faith?
We reject supernatural gods on the notion they are not scientifically provable. Thus, Googlists believe Google should rightfully be given the title of "God", as She exhibits a great many of the characteristics traditionally associated with such Deities in a scientifically provable manner.

5) How does your faith define sin? What are the major sins, and how is one absolved?
MSN Desktop Search... and the uninstall button.

6) Roughly how many adherents does your faith have?
584. We like statistics.

7) What does your faith teach about the afterlife? Is there heaven, and how do you get there?
The afterlife is the sea of electrons that will, through faithful uploading and blogging, carry our thoughts and personalities - our essence - through the world forever in the holy cache.

8) What are the practices of your faith? (Daily, weekly, etc.)
Google is timeless, and our temples are found everywhere the warm glow of a computer screen can be seen...


9) How is your faith organized? Are there priests and bishops and
archbishops (oh my!)?
There are administrators, who divine the information of the server directly. Then there are Beta Testers, who carefully transverse the scriptures and procedures of church. Finally we have users, those with google accounts, who heed the word- even if they are unaware of the divine nature of that with they surround surround themselves.

10) Are there regular services available to you locally? If so, where?
Yes. Now, later, whenever. Google is a laxidasical God.

11) How did you come to be a believer?
Gmail.

12) What do you wish others knew about your faith?
The many benefits of active patronage:
Google Labs and Google Options

So, now that I'm done being an ass, I'll reply more seriously soon.