Lost in Translation

How "context" has rendered us "Too Blind to See"

Think about this statement:

The neural network's algorithm optimizes quantum encryption protocols to secure blockchain transactions on decentralized platforms. At the same time, augmented reality interfaces facilitate real-time user interaction with AI-generated simulations in the metaverse.

While you might not grasp it completely, you have a sense that it involves AI and networks. Thanks to Bitcoin, you have a good understanding of decentralized platforms. Because of Google Glasses, you sense augmented reality interfaces, and because you are reading me, you probably know the metaverse.

Yes?

Now imagine you found a diary with this entry:

Before my husband gave birth, I dropped some acid in the Tesla. Googling baby names while tripping was definitely an experience! I've decided on Echochrome or Crux because I refuse to call he, she, ze, xe, they, or ey ELON, like my husband wants to! What nonsense! But hey, at least I discovered that our 3D printer can make biodegradable baby diapers that send push notifications when they need changing. Win-win!

You can probably imagine the situation clearly, even if it's a bit surreal. It's a modern scenario—a trans couple, with the husband who is female-to-male giving birth, all while there's a mix of futuristic tech and the realities of everyday life. The Tesla might feel like a stretch...might be too "other team", but your brain fills in the blanks, allowing you to visualize it all: the drugs, the tech, and the playful, rebellious spirit.

Now, imagine you took either of these, hell both of these, back in time to the smartest people in the world, 50 years ago. 100 years ago, 1000 years ago. What would they have made out of either of them?

Chat suggested this is how a pompous know-it-all "expert" from the 1700s, with no modern context, might interpret this sentence:

"The neural network's algorithm optimizes quantum encryption protocols to secure blockchain transactions on decentralized platforms"

"Neural network," you say? Surely this refers to some infernal contraption of interconnected nerves or sinews, perhaps the musings of a mad anatomist attempting to imitate life itself. An 'algorithm' must be some strange, arcane calculation, though how one might apply it to 'blocks' and 'chains' remains a mystery! Blocks, perhaps of stone or cement, and chains of iron, bound together in a laborious fashion to construct some form of monstrous fortress or prison. These 'transactions' likely refer to the exchange of these blocks and chains, no doubt an extensive and back-breaking labor to build this wretched edifice! As for 'decentralized platforms,' one must assume these to be literal platforms or stages, scattered haphazardly, perhaps with no central pillar or foundation, supported by chains and blocks, a most precarious and dangerous endeavor!

You can see how things get lost in translation!

This mind virus infected me last night as I listened to an old Joseph Patrick Farrel Dark Journalist interview that rocked my world. JPF said

"...we have a cosmic war, we blow everything apart, and our infrastructure's shot so we've got to preserve something and we've got to preserve it in such a way that we're encoding a lot of our knowledge that will only make sense to a similarly high civilization, right? This is why those ancient texts read one way to a 17th-century Frenchman or an 18th-century Frenchman going on an expedition with Napoleon to Egypt, and they read much differently to us now our scientific knowledge has advanced, so that we can see that, yeah, these people may have been talking about what we're talking about just using the best language they had available."

Well as we know, the best language the ancient Egyptians had available was symbolism (yes, including hieroglyphs). In many respects, symbolism offers a more potent and universal mode of communication than language. While language is a precise tool for conveying specific thoughts, it is inherently bound by cultural and linguistic differences. Words vary across languages, and their meaning is confined by the syntax and grammar of each region and, as we have just experienced, time.

In contrast, symbols transcend these barriers. A single image, such as a heart or a dove, can evoke shared emotions and ideas across different cultures, offering a common ground of understanding where language may falter.

Another key advantage of symbolism lies in its ability to compress meaning. A symbol can encapsulate layers of complexity in a single, unified form, where language requires an entire sequence of words to express the same concept.

One of the greatest strengths of symbolism is its ambiguity and capacity for multilayered interpretation. Unlike language, which often seeks clarity and precision, symbols are fluid, allowing for multiple meanings to coexist. A single symbol can carry diverse interpretations depending on the cultural context, creating richer and more nuanced communication......

or not!

A complete misinterpretation is also possible because of said cultural context, and this, my friend, is where we are stuck!

I continue to drone on and on about how we are the most material society that has ever lived, trying to piece together messages left by the least material society. We also approach ancient Egypt with the hubristic idea that we are the most advanced society ever—because we have iPhones!

So imagine once again....I am giving you workouts today : )... that the ancients were indeed a highly advanced society, but one whose advancements were along an entirely different line than ours! One that had no “HARD PROBLEM OF CONSCIOUSNESS” or the restrictions of an arbitrary materialist paradigm to bind their understanding of consciousness. Imagine that they held this knowledge to be so vital that it wished to ...after the cosmic war....we will leave that alone for now... "preserve it in such a way that we're encoding a lot of our knowledge that will only make sense to a similarly high civilization."

Therein lies the rub. We are a high civilization indeed, but are we similarly high? No, we are high in the exact opposite direction!! (Not to mention high in ego, ignorance and brain numbing substances….)

What happens then is that when we look at, for example, parts of the brain that have been rendered in stone, parts of the brain intimately connected to this thing we have a "hard problem" with, people think we are mad instead of seeing deeply encoded knowledge! We may as well be talking "neural networks" to Shakespeare!!!

Now, here comes the important bit. We are also the least MAGICKAL society ever trying to understand the messages left by the most magickal, and since we do not even understand magick, we can hardly relate to their thought process behind their choices to say, equate Osirus to the brain for example...but if you look at it from a magickal perspective, things start dropping into place....

For example, one of the first things I learned in my magickal adventures is that if you wish to practice magick effectively, it is essential to align your rituals with the mythology and symbolic essence of the god or deity you intend to work with. Magick is not simply about wielding power; it is about establishing a relationship with the forces you seek to engage, and this relationship must be rooted in respect and understanding of the deity's mythological framework. Each god or goddess carries a unique set of attributes, stories, and energies that have been shaped over millennia.

To work with these divine beings, you must immerse yourself in their mythology, absorbing their essence and aligning your magickal workings with their symbolic narrative.

For example, if you are working with the Egyptian goddess Isis, you would not invoke her casually; you must understand her role as a goddess of magic, motherhood, healing, and resurrection. She resurrected Osiris and protected Horus—thus, your ritual must reflect themes of renewal, protection, or the nurturing of life and spirit. The symbols associated with her—such as the ankh, wings, and the throne—should be present in your ritual space, and the ritual itself should embody the themes central to her mythology: life, death, rebirth, and protection of sacred knowledge.

The timing, materials, and structure of the ritual should also honor the deity's mythology. Working with Osiris, for instance, would call for rituals that echo his death and resurrection cycle. You might choose to perform the ritual during the waning moon, symbolizing death and decline, followed by renewal at the new moon, when rebirth begins. But while that all sounds woo woo, why would you want to work with Osiris, and even more importantly, why connect him to the brain? What message would they be trying to encode? It could be his connection to that thing we know little about? Consciousness.

Osiris, one of the central deities in Egyptian mythology, has a deep symbolic connection to consciousness in various ways. While he is primarily associated with death, resurrection, and the afterlife, his mythological role touches upon the evolution of consciousness, spiritual awakening, and the cycles of life and death. Here are a few examples..provided by Chat....

### 1. **Death and Resurrection: Transformation of Consciousness**

Osiris's death and subsequent resurrection can be seen as symbolic of the transformative processes of consciousness. His murder by his brother Set represents the disruption of order (Ma'at) and the descent into chaos (Isfet). This could be interpreted as the loss of conscious awareness or a descent into the unconscious, paralleling the death of one's old self or state of being.

( Gosh does that sound like us perhaps? )... "loss of conscious awareness or a descent into the unconscious" could describe a materialist human perspective in certain contexts. Materialist humans, in this case, could be seen as those who are disconnected from spiritual or higher states of awareness, focusing solely on the physical, sensory, and tangible aspects of life.

More Chat:

His resurrection, brought about through the magic of Isis and the aid of other gods, represents the awakening or rebirth of consciousness. It symbolizes spiritual enlightenment, the emergence of new awareness after a period of inner death or transformation. In this way, Osiris's myth reflects the cyclical nature of consciousness, where one must undergo trials or symbolic "death" in order to evolve to a higher state of awareness or rebirth.

Ok I amy buying this....go on Chat....

### 2. **Osiris as the Judge of the Dead: Higher Awareness**

In the afterlife, Osiris is depicted as the ruler and judge of the dead in the Hall of Ma'at. Here, the deceased undergo the weighing of the heart ceremony, where their soul is judged based on their adherence to truth and righteousness (Ma'at).

This process can be seen as symbolic of the self-reflective nature of consciousness. Osiris, as the divine judge, represents a higher level of awareness—one that transcends earthly concerns and assesses the spiritual integrity of the soul.

This role of Osiris suggests that consciousness is not merely an individual experience but something that continues beyond physical death, advancing toward higher states of being. It also implies a connection between moral integrity, the development of consciousness, and spiritual evolution.

Again....I know people who would not have this, but I am fine with this...

### 3. **Osiris and the Nile: Fertility and the Flow of Consciousness**

Osiris was also intimately connected to the Nile, the source of life and fertility in Egypt. Just as the annual flooding of the Nile brought new life to the land, Osiris's role as a god of fertility reflects the flow of consciousness. Water is often used symbolically to represent consciousness, emotions, and the subconscious mind in many spiritual traditions. Osiris's connection to the river represents the cyclical flow of consciousness—how it ebbs and flows, dies and is reborn, bringing renewal and growth.

This fluid nature of Osiris's connection to the Nile mirrors the dynamic and ever-changing quality of human consciousness, constantly renewing itself through experiences, insights, and transformations.

Ok Sign me up!

### 4. **Osiris as the Green God: Growth of Inner Consciousness**

Osiris is sometimes referred to as the "Green God," symbolizing vegetation and regeneration. This aspect of Osiris could represent the **growth of consciousness** through the cultivation of inner awareness. Just as plants grow and thrive under the right conditions, human consciousness can expand and develop through spiritual practices, introspection, and learning. Osiris's association with growth and renewal is an allegory for the awakening and flourishing of higher states of consciousness, particularly after periods of darkness or "death."

### 5. **Osiris and the Osirian Mysteries: Initiation into Higher Consciousness**

The **Osirian Mysteries**, rituals associated with the death and resurrection of Osiris, were important initiatory rites in ancient Egypt. These mysteries were believed to guide initiates through symbolic death and rebirth, teaching them the secrets of life, death, and the afterlife. For those undergoing these rites, Osiris symbolized the journey of the soul through different stages of consciousness—moving from a mundane awareness of physical existence toward an enlightened understanding of spiritual truths.

Through these rites, Osiris was seen as a guide who helped initiates transcend the limitations of ordinary consciousness and enter into a state of divine awareness, linking him to the development of esoteric and mystical consciousness.

### 6. **Osiris as the Archetype of the Dying and Resurrected God: The Collective Consciousness**

On a broader, archetypal level, Osiris represents the **dying and resurrected god** found in many cultures, a powerful symbol of transformation and renewal in the collective consciousness. His mythological journey speaks to the universal experience of the death and rebirth cycle, not just physically but psychologically and spiritually. Osiris symbolizes the universal truth that consciousness must undergo periods of death and dissolution before it can be reborn on a higher level.

In this way, Osiris represents not just individual consciousness but also the collective consciousness of humanity, embodying the archetypal process of spiritual evolution that resonates across time and cultures.

### Conclusion: Osiris as the Cycle of Consciousness

Osiris's myth is deeply intertwined with the cycles of life, death, and rebirth, making him a powerful symbol for the transformation of consciousness. His death and resurrection represent the breaking down of old, unconscious patterns and the emergence of new, awakened states of being. As the judge of the dead and a god of regeneration, he guides souls through spiritual evolution, offering the possibility of higher awareness both in life and beyond. Through his connection to the Nile, fertility, and the Osirian Mysteries, Osiris embodies the growth and renewal of consciousness, showing that true enlightenment often comes through a process of death, introspection, and rebirth.

Now that is a LOT of information packed into one little symbol!!! Perhaps not as deep as we want to go, but this is "just" a Substack, not a documentary series like Magical Egypt for example…hint hint…. but you can see it no? You can see how one little symbol can communicate heaps of information..in the RIGHT context..for those...yes I am going to say it...that have EYES TO SEE!

p.s. here is a funny animation Chance made that shows it!

You can also see how, if magick is what you do, you will approach your encoding of knowledge in a familiar and comfortable way, assuming—and why would you not—that everyone would think magically as you do.

No? Are we not guilty of this? Not the magickal part, but the assuming part : ) Hahaha you know we are...

Thank you, Dark Journalist and one of my favourite researchers ever, Joseph Patrick Farrel....you gave me an aha!

p.s. …...Bernard Reicher is offering an ADVANCED Magic Castle Experience THIS WEEK, in other words, a journey into the Imaginal for Healing and Transformation!

And here is the best part: if you still need FOUNDATION, he gives you that free so you can get up to speed! SQUEEE!!! Oh and there is a DISCOUNT COUPON!!! ( it is on the page)

Prepare to embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and empowerment as Bernhard Reicher guides us into the depths of the imaginal realm. Join us for part two of "A Journey into the Imaginal" and unlock the doorway to infinite possibilities.

The faculty of imagination stands as an essential organ of perception, wielding its greatest potency when directed towards the realm of causation. This realm, existing beyond the confines of the tangible, beckons us into an ethereal landscape where Bernhard Reicher, the luminary architect of Magic School, extends his invitation—a beckoning toward a voyage into the imaginal realms. Here, the changes we make resonate as cymatic shifts in reality, catalyzing profound healing and transformation. Unlock portals to enlightenment, revelation, restoration, and magic in this transformative 2-part series! The upcoming session is the Advanced, and with reservation you get Foundations, a $199 Values FREE!

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ALSO Magical Egypt Season 4 dives neck deep into magick. Understanding Magick is intrinsic to understanding Ancient Egypt.

https://www.magicalegyptstore.com/orderheka

More soon!