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The Descent of Teebu

0 Comments | December 8, 2009 at 5:13 pm by mahud
Filed under Christianity, Cortexia

a myth belonging to the fantasy world of Cortexia. Written and created by Mahud.

The ancient Niadic people told a story of Verteepo very different to the Therazians. They claimed that Verteepo (‘poverty’) is a corruption of the word ‘teebu’, meaning “all that is beautiful.” It is true that his passage from the realm of divine beings into the human realm was a tragic one.
It is said that he disobeyed the High God and was struck down. Four cobras, with moon-shaped markings on their hoods, found the fallen god beneath the heavenly tree of immortality, knowing at once that if he were to remain in the all powerful radiance of heavenly existence, he would die. All four serpents carried Teebu to Otula the daughter of Sun and asked her to heal him.
Sun’s daughter tried to revive Teebu, but all her medicines proved ineffective. Finally, it was her father Butuda, who suggested that Teebu should go down to the world of human beings and be placed on the healing tree of rebirth. However, many other spirits, also no longer fit to dwell with the gods, crowded around the tree day and night, hoping to be reborn, therefore Teebu might die before touching the healing tree.
“Then let us lower Teebu down upon the crown of the tree ourselves, ” said the cobras. “Tie our tails to the four pillars of your house great Butuda, so that we can pull ourselves up and return him to the abode of the heavenly ones.”
Butuda obliged, and the cobras began the long descent from the house of the sun down to the world below.
Teebu was placed upon the topmost branches, where the healing leaves were most effective. The multitude of spirits were angry that Teebu should be healed before them and cried out;
“Who gave these serpents the power to heal this man, whoever he is!”
At that moment a loud voice cried;
“I do!”
And with that, the sun god untied the cobra’s tails and they fell upon the tree. They tried to cling on to its branches but they broke away. And so, the four cobras slithered away in all four directions, each with a healing branch in their venomous mouths, scattering the spirits as they went.
Teebu was revived and climbed down from the healing tree. All the spirits had fled and peace was restored to the great tree.
“From now on,” Teebu said, “let all the spirits seek out the serpents for the gift of rebirth. As for myself, I will build my home in the branches of this tree, protecting it from all those who seek to heal themselves at the expense of others.”

And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

Mark 2:1-12 (KJV)

A month or so ago I was reading the account of Jesus, who healed a paralytic lowered down through a hole in the roof of a house. As I read through it, I saw that the story could also be interpreted on a mythic-symbolic level, through the lens of comparative mythology.

The house or dwelling in many spiritual cultures is often symbolic of the world or cosmos. Certain dwellings that have a central post interpret it as an axis-mundi, the center of the world, also represented as a cosmic pillar or world tree. Furthermore, other dwellings that have a central opening in the roof, according to Mircea Eliade, understand it as a gateway to the spiritual realm. According to the Gospel account, the hole in the roof was above Jesus’ head, placing him in the centre of the house, corresponding with the centre of the world, the mythical point in space that holds the world together from where creation (and potent healing power) emanates.

The paralytic could be compared to to sleeping/dying mythological being found in many mythologies, such as Vishnu in Hindu myth, who sleeps upon a multi-headed serpent couch within the cosmic threshold of destruction a re-creation. The four men who carry the paralytic best correspond with the four directions or corners of the mythic universe. These four characters also correspond with the four men who helped Odysseus pierce the sleeping Cyclops eye with his own club as well as the four men who lifted up the Cyclopean eye of Balor in Irish-Celtic myth.

The multitude who crowded around the house are symbolic of the barrier (ignorance, etc) that traps unenlightened or purely materialistically minded beings within the mundane universe. This barrier is dissolved when the sick man is healed, opening the way–within the world–to spiritual realization, the invisible realm of divine being.

Rejection of Biblical Revelation (International Pagan Values Blogging Month)

8 Comments | June 27, 2009 at 8:18 pm by mahud
Filed under mythology, Blogging, Paganism, Sprituality, Christianity

Another contribution to the International Pagan Values Blogging Month

I don’t believe we live in a universe where two opposing truths can both be true. Maybe that’s a little bit simplistic and un-philosophical of me. And I find myth a more helpful spiritual guide than philosophy. I’ve never been much in to scientific theories beyond my love for science fiction, which I enjoy more as a vehicle for storytelling than anything else. Regarding Evolution, I have doubts and queries, probably because as a Christian I read quite a lot of material casting doubt on the idea that one species can transform into another, but also because I am heavily influenced by myth as metaphor, and see Evolution more as another cosmogonic myth, that perhaps will end up being discarded in the unforeseeable future and be replaced by something even more wonderful unimaginable and fantastic. I’m not against evolution either. Bottom line is (and this is pretty much my approach to my spirituality (not that I actually believe literally in “spirit” either. Again another metaphor that doesn’t really factually tell me anything that can be empirically proven)) I’m some breed of agnostic that at some level believes, but has reservations regarding what I can actually know. I’m more of a intuition fanatic. Not because I know for sure it’s the best way, but it works and makes sense to me.

Christianity (as I see it) gets around this problem with the concept of revelation. While the world does not immediately fully reveal an otherworldly reality that can be collectively proven, beyond our own individual ‘hearts and minds’ (more metaphor. We use it so much!), God can. I think this is a fair point if you are willing to except the possibility that a single God with a mind and personality can exist. Again I think if we as individuals were able to possess ultimate spiritual truth, we would need to be such as God, that is, we would need to consciously maintain knowledge about everything. Not only the cosmic, but what exists beyond the cosmos (or hidden within physical existence itself). I think that’s what Paul is talking about at the beginning of the first letter to the church of Corinth, where he speaks of humans not having unrestricted access to the All-Searching All-Knowing Spirit of God, which is obviously going to be a bit of a problem if your path incorporates undeniable yet unprovable spiritual truths. God knows only truly about himself, while a human being can only try to fully understand themselves. I may be well off with that interpretation, but anyway… At this point I think Paul is talking about the ‘Spirit’ of Paganism. Pagans can only interpret through themselves. This isn’t a problem to me. I think that’s how it should be, but rather than accepting that, Paul reminds the church that while we do not possess a readily accessible infinite mental capacity (Or, I’d say the time needed to learn everything there is to actually know, all things being, I feel, extending for eternity with infinite creative-destructive combinatorial possibility), the divine mind and spirit is finitely accessible through Christ.

While this ‘may be’ true, I, despite arguments for the viability of divine revelation, am still stuck with myself. I still have to accept this ‘truth’ via a mind limited by time, space and matter, regardless of the possibly that God himself also clothed himself with these attributes to eventually become a conduit to himself. And so I think its fair not to choose to believe something I cannot know in my own heart and mind, as that is the way I’m forced to exist. It’s like I’m denying and deceiving myself regarding my own humanity, while filtering out (and demonizing) countless other divine truths of other forms of spirituality, equally dubious, yet maybe spiritually fuelled vehicles capable of carrying us toward the infinite and glorious unknown of true freedom in the divine WHATEVER.

If I were to be a Christian, I think I’d have to accept predestination. Some are chosen and some are not. And if that’s the case I’m not one of the chosen, not because I deny a Christian God (although I’m far from holy, so yeah, that’s debatable, but again, I’m all human, so…) but on the basis that what I know as a person doesn’t really amount to much more than my immediate circumstances allow.

I guess that’s pretty much why I’m no longer Christian and why I find refuge in Paganism with its possibility to be all-embracing toward differing beliefs (and the divine be it one/many/all/everything and beyond) or non-belief, as it were. Regardless of our personal acceptance or rejection.

Finally this is all a prelude to why I do not insist my beliefs are right and yours are wrong. Why my lifestyle is loved and yours is hated by the divine. I try not to manipulate others or prove I’m right and your wrong. I try to accept my humanity and discover what life here and now has to offer in the only way I can and let death do its (I hope, glorious) thing when I, Mahud, have physically and mentally crossed over the threshold of resistance. No deathbed conversions from me (I find them horrible). And I find it really really hard to believe that God would have a problem with that