An old dog still learning new tricks

Published: Thu, 03/23/23

Sixty fourth birthday last week. How did that happen? Okay, just the consequence of having been born in 1959, which seems like a long time ago now. Actually, I thought reaching sixty was getting old, but 2019 seems like a long time ago too. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. However, I seem to have learned an awful lot in the past four years. Perhaps on reflection, it was just stuff I already knew dramatically confirmed.
The first lesson that comes to mind is the nature of freedom. In a sense the five principles of Stav are each about freedom and self-sovereignty. On the Trel level you can just walk away from situations which might enmesh and constrain you. Karl means ‘Free man’ or farmer, someone who owns his own business and controls his own way of making a living. The Karl cannot be compelled to submit by threats to terminate employment or with hold wages. The Karl choses who he does business with, or not, as the case might be. The Herse knows that freedom can be defended with collective action, not necessarily with violence, in fact preferably not, just a willingness to act together to demonstrate that not everyone is fooled, or cowed, into submission. The Jarl understands the creation of narrative, the management of belief, and the manipulation of fearful superstitions. The Jarl knows how the simple masses can be kept in their place through
the power of religion with rituals, beliefs, symbols, rites, and taboos. The Jarl may serve the cause of freedom by attempting to enlighten others as to the real nature of occult mind control and, thus how to break free. (Career tip, you will make a lot more money out of practicing the first option.) The Konge knows that there are worse things than physical death and has no reason to fear those who set out to own and control the world.
The second thing I have realised is that after a few generations of relative wealth, prosperity, security, and comfort the five principles may cease to be routes to freedom, and can be used as tools of oppression instead. Instead of seeing himself as the steward of land and skills to be nurtured and passed on from generation to generation, the Karl becomes obsessed with making money by any means, especially money lending and expanding debt. In turn the Herse is hired to protect the interests of the very rich, becoming a mercenary employed to collect debts and provide security for the self styled ‘elite’. Justice becomes a tool of mammon rather than a protection for ordinary people. The Jarl is hired to create and manage the narrative which justifies war, exploitation, fear, and oppression. Those who have inherited, or been elected, to the konge role of leadership will be bought and paid for by the very rich. Anyone of real
integrity who might be a contender for the Konge role will soon find the political system can be subverted and manipulated to ensure they only hold power and influence for a short time, if at all. The Trel state of dependency and compliance becomes the norm, as false narrative is accepted as truth, and debt creates bonds which seem to make it impossible to choose one’s own destiny.
Thirdly, I have realised that the majority of people see life from the wrong perspective. Scientific, secular, materialism, teaches us to accept the dogma of ‘science’, that there is no such thing as spirit, and only the material is real. Such a belief binds us to the material world and makes death the ultimate threat. Such a belief fosters the Trel mindset which is the willingness to submit to whoever promises to keep us alive. The alternative, physical death, is too terrifying to contemplate. Those who submit through fear of death come to see the world as a place of physical bondage where the best we can hope for is the avoidance of suffering.
However, the human body is a transient thing, dependent upon billons of other organisms, such as gut bacteria, for its function. Life always follows a cycle of conception, birth, growth, maturity, decline, and death. At the age of 64 I am conscious that I have probably already lived at least two thirds of my allotted life span. Then what? I don’t know for sure. I have long thought that just one life span is far too short to learn all that we could discover. A large proportion of the world’s population believes in reincarnation of some form. As a Christian I am supposed to believe in the resurrection of the body. However, I am coming to believe that the concept of resurrection is widely misunderstood. I am fairly sure that my real, incorruptible, body may in fact have been through many incarnations.
Perhaps, as I have suggested before, there are really only really two principles. The Trel state of fear and compliance with the powers that would rule this material world. And the Konge state of accepting physical death and thus fully engaging with the experience of incarnation in the knowledge that this life is just a finite experience in which to be free, learn, and find as much fulfillment as possible.
Which then brings us back to the idea of just one principle of simply choosing when to engage, and when to just walk by. Through such choices we take control of our own destiny.
Deep down I have always felt that we are here to learn, and this world is an amazing place in which to receive such an education for a few decades at a time. The past few years have been enlightening for me and the learning never stops.
regards
Graham
PS Occasionally the democratic system brings forward a true hero. The system also does its best to ‘cancel’ and ignore such people. Check out what Adrew Bridgeman MP said to an almost empty House of Commons regarding the biggest ever elephant in the chamber. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvSHD_n3Lyg
PPS The best way of understanding the Five Principles is by working with them physically in martial arts training. Next opportunities are Tickton on the 27th of May and Stav camp in June/July Calendar page here
http://www.iceandfire.org/calendar.html
Graham Butcher
21 Beaver Road
Beverley East Yorkshire HU17 0QN
UNITED KINGDOM

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