“Tiger gotta hunt
Bird gotta fly
Man gotta sit and wonder
'Why why why'
Tiger gotta sleep
Bird gotta land
Man gotta tell himself he understand”
Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle.
In Cat's Cradle, one of the main themes of the book is a religion called Bokononism. There are calypsos that are recited. Practitioners will also say 'busy busy busy', which is Bokononist for acknowledging the random element of the universe. The religion openly admits ‘everything I'm about to tell you is shameless lies’. These are called ‘fomas’ and are considered harmless untruths that will let you lead a life that is ‘brave, kind, healthy and happy’. It's created as a coping tool to create an adaptive personal responsibility. The calypso I quoted at the beginning is one I repeat to myself often. For all the information we have, it amounts to a hill of grand scheme beans. It's what we do with that information.
In the bible, there is a parable I've also been thinking about lately. It's the story of a master who gives gold to three of his servants before he leaves for a trip. He blesses them with encouragement to go out in the world with their new wealth. When he returns,he visits each of them to see what the have done with his gifts. The first and second had invested and doubled their wealth. The third, fearing he might lose what he was given, had buried it. The context I've been considering this is, look at the sum of all our knowledge. Hard science, anecdotal, esoteric, however you want to categorize it. Sure we ‘double the weath’ in that we do keep learning new things, but it feels a lot more like we are burying it. We aren't inclined to break away from old models. Old models like, centralized power that allows a stranglehold on resources and creates intentional chaos. So which beast is holding us back, fear or greed?
It's time to make magic out of beans. The world is in desperate need of a lot more magic. Not card tricks, or Disney, or Harry Potter. I mean old magic, the kind that is in our bones and dreams, the subatomic vibrational kind. In short, the really good shit. And before you back away from this slowly because witches are spooky or something, remember that religion is magic too. Magic is setting intentions, pouring your energy and attention into those intentions and claiming the manifestations as a sign, or a showing of divine will. If you ask me, science has a lot in common with magic too. Oh, I'm well aware there are those of the science community who got hot under the collar at just the suggestion of this opinion. They can be as annoyed as they like, it's not gonna somehow compartmentalize science into a vacuum outside of the rest of the human experience.
A life with magic is our birthright. We know that you can affect the outcomes of your life. How wonderfully simple yet phenomenally affirming. In these times strife with disempowerment and despair we need every tool in our kit out and about. Especially knowing that the reverse is true, other forces affect us and our trajectories. To acknowledge, name and then act with intent is a powerful way to resist, and resistance is magical.
