"WHAT'S NEW"
in Iona's Domain
6/01/2000
Shortcuts; Upload Notification; Webrings; Artwork; Poetry;
Writing; Syndex; Appearances; Booksales; VoiceMail;
INTERVIEW; PHOTOS
NEW PUBLICATIONS: Psychedelic Monographs & Essays publisher,
Tom Lyttle has just released a new book entitled Psychedelics ReImagined,
Autonomedia,
1999. [Contact Autonomedia for purchases at 718-963-2603, phone and
FAX]. Tim Leary helped Tom with his editorial choices on this book,
and wrote the Introduction. The anthology contains a chapter by myself,
entitled "Chaos as the Universal Solvent: Re-creational Ego Death in
Psychedelic Consciousness." It parallels the course of experiential
therapies with the generic psychedelic experience.
ABSTRACT:
There is a generic process in nature and consciousness which dissolves
and regenerates all forms. The essence of this transformative, morphological
process is chaotic -- purposeful yet inherently unpredictable holistic
repatterning. The Great Work of the art of alchemy is the creation
of the Philosopher's Stone, a symbol of wholeness and integration.
The liquid form of the Stone, called the Universal Solvent, dissolves all
old forms like a rushing stream, and is the self-organizing matrix for
the rebirth of new forms. It is thus a metaphor or model for the
dynamic process of transformation, ego death and re-creation.
INTERVIEW: IONA MILLER & RICK MILLER. C. Dana Andrews interviews
us for the metaphysical magazine, CROW, coming out next month. We
discuss some of our respective backgrounds, alchemy, ego-death, magick,
art, metaphor, ritual, etc.
Find the text of this interview at the end of this What's New page by
scrolling or click here:
SHORTCUTS: If you have been using the Collected Works full address
there is now a shortcut, which is oocities.com/iona_m. Don't forget
the underscore. These are case-sensitive URLs. http://www.oocities.org/iona_m/
UPLOAD NOTICES: If you would like an automatic notification by
me of new uploads at your e-mail site, check out signing onto this service
at the end of the Collected Works Homepage; it's easy to sign up, and will
alert you to changes, or articles you may have been waiting for.
WEBRINGS: Collected
Works has most recently (5/2000) joined OUROBOROS: THE GNOSTIC RING,
which features many interesting links of interest to Jungians, alchemists,
magicians, mythologists, pagans, etc.
Collected Works and Synergetic Qabala are now part of
the Qabalah Webring, and Mythos & Logos Webring, and Ouroboros: The
Gnostic Ring, which provide many related links. Find them at the
bottom of their respective index pages.
ARTWORK: The compiling and uploading of my collages is still in
the works. More oceans, jungles, and caves remain to be scanned and
loaded. But the three Psychogenesis books are done.
Just click on either Art Gallery or
7.
Netzach at either Qabala listing (CW Homepage) or Synergetic Qabala
Homepage. There are three separate books here: Alchemical Reality,
Chaosophy
2000, and Mythopoesis. They take a long time to load (sorry),
but are worth the wait. In the works is a slide show format.
We are also in the process of photographing a series of original art
by Frances Israel Regardie which he did for his own Temple; originals are
now in the Miller Library, graciously donated by Lady Sara Cunningham-Carter.
They include the "Four Watchtowers," "Pillars of the Temple," and "Lid
of the Pastos." There will also be a collage piece by Phyllis Seckler
of the College of Thelema. Look for their new listings under "Art
Gallery" at Collected Works index page.
POETRY: I've begun writing poetry, much to my own surprise, since
the turn of the Millennium. On the mystical/erotic side, it
can be found on the Collected Works Homepage by clicking on:
There are more than seven files here, so be sure to use the "Next button"
to continue. To get to an individual file use its index iona_m/ionapoems1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, etc.
Eventually, there will be Real Audio recordings of some of these as
both songs and poetry readings. Temple of Living Light is
already a beautiful song, by composer James Eastman, and leads off his
new self-titled CD.
WRITING: My ex-husband, Richard Alan Miller, and I are collaborating
again. He is a physicist, parapsychologist, and world-renowned herbalist
and writer. We are currently working on two books: one on ESP and
Self-Hypnosis, and its relationship to current consciousness studies in
cognitive science; the other on Tantra, based on lectures from Rick's old
AOL metaphysics course. Rick plans to upload his extensive metaphysical
library when he upgrades his website at Magick Net. in the near-future.
We are currently seeking a new agent, as our former one, Bernard Shir-Cliff,
has retired. Maybe someday we'll get around to writing metaphysical
fiction.
"A
Day at the Beach," photo by Iona Miller, 2/2000
SYNDEX: Bob Marshall continues to refine his vision ("Marshall Arts") of
the graphic solution of the prime number enigma. Most of the Synchrographics
and Numeronomy study sheets remain to be scanned and loaded, but a visit
this Spring 2000 moved things along. More graphics. We're still
looking for a metaphysically-minded mathematician and/or number theorist.
APPEARANCES: Rick Miller's keynote address at the Portland, Oregon
MENSA event went terrific. A fine time was had by all. He spoke
on aphrodisiacs. Rick met author Jean Auel, who wrote Clan of the
Cave Bear and The Mammoth Hunters.
For you herb fans, Rick will also be the keynote speaker at HerbFest
2000 in Regina, Saskatchewan this July. It is the largest grower/buyer
herbal conference in North America this year.
BOOKSALES: Sales of The Magical and Ritual Use of Perfumes are
up, particularly in Europe. So thanks to any German-speaking patrons,
who are buying the hardcover German language edition, which has Crowley's
Thoth deck as its accompanying art. Note that there are also Spanish
and Portuguese (Brazilian) versions of this work available through Inner
Traditions, Intl.
Also note that large portfolios of Joel Radcliffe's art from The Book
of Lambspring, published in our work THE MODERN ALCHEMIST,
are still
available from Phanes Press. FYI: Joel is preparing to go to
Timbuktu to help locals set up a bookbindery to restore and preserve a
collection of that country's ancient manuscripts from around the 1100s.
This is a joint project of UNESCO and several corporations.
VOICE MAIL: You can leave a 90 second Voice Mail for me which will be
delivered to my E-mail at excite.com. Just use the access code number,
1-888-Excite2, followed by my personal number, 232-652-3666, (which is
the numerical equivalent of ADAM KADMON) on any touchtone phone.
If you have this number with you, you can reach me from anywhere without
a computer terminal.
Please use sparingly, as it only takes 60 calls per month. If
I don't know you, leave an e-mail address to receive a reply.
INTERVIEW:
RICHARD MILLER AND IONA MILLER
A Discussion on Magical Formulae
Edited by C. Dana Evans
I met Rick Miller online in an AOL class on Metaphysics. He totally
intrigued me with his quantum understanding of magick. With nine
new publications out this Spring, Rick Miller is "cooking." He is
a keynote speaker at the Mensa Conference in Portland, Oregon on April
22nd. The topic? How aphrodisiacs actually work, chemically!
The three book series published by Inner Traditions on the Magickal and
Ritual Use of Perfumes, Herbs, and Aphrodisiacs are still respected authorities
in the arena of the occult, according to Stuart Weinberg of Seven Stars
Bookstore, 731 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Mass. I talked with
Stuart in January, 2000, and he had this to say:
[Seven Stars Bookstore has]..."carried Rick Miller's books for years.
His books were classics before there were 30 other books competing for
reader's attention on the subject. His material still does exceptionally
well in this arena. His Aphrodisiac book is certainly 'kick ass.'
The sexual focus has certainly been elevated in recent years, and again,
Rick [and Iona'a] books were there before there were others, so certainly
Rick has had a seminal influence in a variety of fields. His collaboration
with ex-wife Iona Miller on The Modern Alchemist continues to do very well.
This title is about Personal Transformation within an alchemical framework;
a classic, and continues to do very well."
DANA: For readers unfamiliar with The Modern Alchemist, Rick, can
you just explain a little about that work?
RICK: Well, The Modern Alchemist was published in 1994.
In that book, we take a 14th century alchemical text, translate it from
old German into English, and Iona adds a psychological commentary from
the Jungian perspective. Joel Radcliffe did a beautiful job of rendering
the medieval plates into pen and ink. It spans the developmental
spectrum from awakening to perfection. The first half is about therapy,
the second about the Path. It is a translation in terms of the modern
transformational process; a contemporization of alchemy.
IONA: I guess you could call it "The Magickal and Ritual Use of
Alchemy.!"
DANA: How did you folks ever come to writing a book like this. Can
you tell me something of your spiritual progressions?
IONA: My first exposure to metaphysics was in the 60's. I lived
in Ojai, California, a Theosophical center, and homebase for Krishnamurti,
the "Un-guru." Through Theosophy, and the excellent library there,
I learned about various mystic arts, including astrology from a former
Bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church. Of all of them, magick seemed
to be the most intriguing because it had the most depth. My study
ranged far and deep. Realizing this was not exactly the "norm," I
began investigating psychology, also. By the early 70's, I was an
avid Jungian. I began writing to crystallize my thoughts on the interface
between mysticism and depth psychology. A continuing interest of
mine is the relationship of psyche and matter.
RICHARD: My first experience was as a child in high school.
I was part of a study conducted by Duke University, later known as the
Foundation for the Study of Man. My mother was a known clairvoyant
who had been observed prior. They were checking children to see if
there was a hereditary passing on of skills. It turned out, I am
a "transmitter," rather than receiver. However, using a scientific
technique for ESP that I developed, I was able to win the 1st National
Psychic Tournament at the Gnosticon Conference, 1975, sponsored by Llewellyn
Publicationss. There were many world-class psychics there.
DANA: So you were sort of formally introduced to magick with this
Psychic Tournament?
RICHARD: My first actual formal training began, like my [ex]wife,
with Theosophy. From there I explored Rosicrucians, Wicca, and Free
Masonry. Soon, I also came to the same conclusion Iona did regarding
magick, after reviewing the options.
DANA: This conclusion concerned initiation? What is this concept?
IONA: I think that initiation is one way of simplifying the Great
Work by connecting yourself with a tradition of spiritual development.
Why re-invent the wheel! Ultimately, though, my path became the Jungian
one of individuation which doesn't require joining anything. Life,
as well as spiritual teachers, creates rites of passage that influence
the deep psyche. But some form of spiritual practice is essential.
RICHARD: I could make a second comment on that by saying that I originally
was collecting these things like merit badges. I wanted access into
certain kinds of groups which could demonstrate religious experiences through
their intiation processes...[Magickal groups taught me] tricks of the trade,
shortcuts. In my apprenticeship I learned the whys and wherefores
of structuring ritual. Essentially it means preparing a switch to
go from profane into "sacred" space. If you prepare a ritual correctly,
you have a switch to turn off the experience so it doesn't take over your
personality.
There are other aspects important in ritual also. You set up your
form of psychological protection. If you drive an automobile, you
know what a seatbelt and an airbag mean. Those are a part of your
automobile's overall design. A ritual is done similarly, metaphorically
speaking. You want to have a sense of protection, or availability
of protection. Also it brings a cleansing, allowing a finer focus
of attention.
Some psychics use no protection and fall indiscriminately into trance and
are "taken over" by a spirit which might be benign but could just as easily
be malevolent. It is difficult to know even though these spirits
assure you they are not bad. You have no way of knowing where that
source of energy is coming from.
If you draw a circle of protection, using a ritualistic format, you clear
a working space and call in specific energies or archetypes. Its
been used for centuries - tried and true. Most new age channeling
is done with no preparation. Prior, you may even take a ritual bath
or sweat. Those who automatically or indiscriminately fall into a
trance state are more open psychologically to the phenomena of possession
by seemingly alien forces.
DANA: Are you talking about assimilation or a breaking down of one's ego?
RICHARD: Yes, but even ego-death is O.K. with preparation so it can
be integrated. There are a lot of questions that arise and that is
just one of them. I have always felt most comfortable with Grimoire
magick, which uses formulas. This is probably because that is where
I first entered my studies: Abra-Melin the Mage, The Greater Key of
Solomon -- that sort of work. It is like being a mathematician
who does really well in algebra. I have an affinity toward that kind
of system. Ritual may also be internalized and done without the formality.
Internally done, ritual is very subtle and ever-present. Ritual is
one way of approaching integration, or unity. [We address this process]
in The Modern Alchemist.
DANA: It seems to me that you are approaching low magick and high
magick ideas.
IONA: Low magick is the evocation (calling up) of demons, or complexes,
or your own sub-personalities, in order to get them to swear allegiance
to you. Clearing the issues they represent serves the personality
and will. High magick, or theurgy, is invocation (calling in) of
supra-personal, or archetypal energy known in the past as Gods and Goddesses.
Theurgy is the technique of bringing that energy and those qualities within
you in a sacred space. It serves itself. It implies bringing
in resources from the transpersonal realm. ...Employing the correspondence
of the Tree of Life by Pathworrking means changing states of consciousness
at will, and it works both ways. Those things reacting to your energy
help create an atmosphere as well. The common meeting ground of both
matter and psyche is the imagination.
RICHARD: That is the purpose of it. There is a symbiotic relationship.
IONA: The correspondences help create an atmosphere, a sacred moment,
a holistic moment. The senses are the quickest way to access a Gestalt
experience, or memory unit, either imaginal or physical.
RICHARD: For example, regarding the use of perfumes: the nose is
the only known place where the brain directly accesses the physical universe.
What a perfect way to get access to specific brain functions and associations.
The scent helps set the stage for a ritual or archetypal encounter.
If you have access directly into the brain with incenses and perfumes,
you can make the imagery better or more enhanced.
DANA: So it's like if you can see a concept in your mind's eye, that
concept can become present on a material plane.
RICHARD: Well, you see, that is the concept. They are not separate.
What you are trying to do is reach across the planes. Remember the
old adage, "As Above, So Below." If you have it on one plane,
you literally have it on all planes. What you are trying to do is
find tools that assist you in making those temporal connections so that
the event can happen on an imaginal level. If it can be done on that
level, it is real. And you can direct it just like an artist.
In fact, that is what magick truly is.
IONA: It is an aspect of art, one mode of artistic expression.
It differs from ego-gratifying fantasy, because it serves a transpersonal
aim. Imagination is not something you make up, rather it is something
that happens to you. Ritual, archetypes, myth, and dream are all
expressive of a developmental level. Metaphor is the language form
of that spectrum of the psyche. Like cures like. When someone's
root metaphors change, so does their self image, feelings, and beliefs.
RICHARD: Metaphors are very efficient for going directly into the
source of transpersonal energies. Of course, as with all shortcuts,
there are some perils. You need to know where the "cow pies"
and "land mines" are. Hopefully, with a psychologist and physicist
writing, you get a broad enough based perspective so that you can navigate
those waters a little more easily. Consciousness maps or modeling
systems make it more accessible to you. Even if you don't fully understand
them, you can use them. You may not understand the rings in your
car, but you know if you have certain kinds of compression, the automobile
will function.
Essentially what we are trying to do is give you enough of the physics
and the psychology of it that you have several planes bridged, and can
allow the rest of it "to flow" as it were. It is a metaphysical worldview
that is not inconsistent with science.
Flow is the keyword, of course. Aleister Crowley used to talk about
"enflamement," or energized enthusiasm. It is that part of
being an active participant where you are caught up in the act itself,
become part of the dream, if you will.
IONA: It is not much different than the Taoist sense of being in
the flow. That is why, at a certain point, ritual is not so much
a psychological necessity as an aesthetic expression. It expresses
the sheer joy of a consciously lived life. At a certain point, magick
precipitates into daily life through synchronicity and through the flow.
Understanding the language of symbolism you can read into your daily life
the things and mythemes that previously you could only comprehend and access
during ritual or through divination.
RICHARD: Ritual becomes part of your total waking experience.
When you reach that stage of relationship with yourself and your environment,
this is a state-specific form of consciousness. In the O.T.O. they
call this Grade 7, or Adeptus Exemptus. That means you are
exempt from a host of reactions, because you are in synch with your universe.
You can be a great magician and still not be exempt. It's similar
to someone of Wall Street who can materialize money out of nothing, to
use a low-level metaphor. You get the idea.
IONA: Like the adage, "If you're so smart, how come you're not
rich?"
RICHARD: What you are doing is trying to go for higher plane experiences.
Your inner plane experience is where the richness and real wealth lies.
This was true in alchemy. It is the "gold" of the philosophers, mined
from the lead of profane experience. It has nothing to do with the
physical, material plane, but that is often seen as a reference point of
your ability, or functionality.
IONA: The point of magick, getting into a conversation with your
Holy Guardian Angel, is not substantially different from the experience
Abraham Maslow described as Self-Actualization. He also describes
the peak experiences that go along with that state. The stabilization
and generalization of that state into daily life has certain specific characteristics.
DANA: Is this Angel an inner/intra psychic relationship or an autonomous,
non-human creature? Please explain.
IONA: Either way, it is real. Jung spoke of this same force
as a relationship with the self through an on-going inner dialogue.
The alchemists called it the meditatio. It means a relationship
with the self or one's wholeness. Others know it as the Higher Self.
RICHARD: On the Tree of Life it is defined as Tiphareth, and relates
to the biological and psychic heart center. That is like getting
access to the other nine-tenths of your cerebral cortex. Tiphareth
is only half way up the climb on the Tree of Life. Further up comes
the Abyss, a void that precedes the experience of Union with Godhead, or
the Source, the goal of God-Realization, which requires meditative practice.
PHOTOS
Iona's "evil twin," Mona
File
Created: 2/20/2000 Last Updated: 6/01/2000