Satan for Attorney General |
Discourses in the Spiritual Experiences.
[A series of essays that address various Spiritual Gestalts and Movements.]
Satan is an archetype, a role in the great theater that is life. This role is a basic, fundamental character, such as Arlecchino who has been in many plays with his awkward grace.
Robin Williams is a perfect analogy from which I may draw. From the days of Morc and Mindy, most of his roles have been of some awkward clown who finally comes out on top. In spite of the trouble Morc always got Mindy into, in the end they were little worse for ware — and maybe a little wiser. Time and again Robin has played similar roles, each exploring some feature of our shadow that we are too often reluctant to bring out for fresh air.
Each time robin comes to a character he loses a part of himself to become a “Peter Pan” or a “Patch Adams.” Yet it is Robin who gives that role life. Without Robin, the role would have just remained ink on paper.
This is the case with an archetype. In the Mayaº of the mind we classify and sort the world into similarities and differences so that our minds can make sense of it all. From birth we are familiar with Mother, and quickly learn of Father. These two roles are among the most frequent archetypes we may encounter in folk stories. Though the role of “Mother” may be different between societies and classes, the essentials remain the same. Mothers are female, give birth and milk, and are a child’s first teacher. So, Gaia originates the world, nurtures it, and gives it its first laws.
ºMaya, as the Sheiks tell it, is the illusion of the theater. Yes, everything is real, made from real material. It is just placed in such a way that, with our suspended judgement, we come to believe is really what they portray it as.
The problem with archetypes is that — especially in the Hellen influenced west — archetypes may become quite rigid. A “Mother” cannot be a “Father,” too. She must be one and not the other. By giving the actor one role to play for a while and then another, they resolve this in some cultures — such as Freya and Frey, or Šiva and Kali-ma. Some cultures have striven to blend the two, but these failed as males took command of social structures.
The archetype that we call Satan is more a blending of two fundamental archetypes, the trickster and the judge. The trickster is more like Arlecchino, or the Harlequin that is his ancestor. As such, he meddles in the ordinary affairs of ordinary people, and thereby helping them become … a little less ordinary. As judge, he is that little prick of conscience that reminds us “we should do better than that.” By combining these two archetypes, we have the school teacher who not only instructs us, but tests us. I suppose I could name this essay, “Satan for Quality Control” but the image of inspector 96 making sure my underwear will fit comes to mind.
Which is basically what an attorney general would do. An attorney general insures the quality of society’s character (not the character of my underwear). As the primary law enforcement official, the attorney general ensures that enforceable laws are enforced, and lobbies the law makers for enforceable laws. Laws represent (for the most part) the lowest common denominator of character for a society. (This is why what is legal is not always ethical.) This would also be the job description for Satan*. If they bring a person before a court of law, the attorney general — usually through some deputy — would be that person’s adversary.
[* We can interpret Satan as adversary either in a court of law or other field of conflict.]
A role has its own character that the actor playing it conditions. This is why three people can become King Llyr without boring the audience. Gods have filled the archetype of “Satan” throughout human history … and possibly longer*.
[* They have said that this world is like 4th grade. Students come and go, but there is always a 4th grade.]
A god is a species of virtual being that is a part of the Universe. They have a beginning, and evolution, and an ending. It seems that some gods participate in creation — usually by finding something to make other things with. Still, our stories of the gods may themselves be attempts to explain things that are otherwise unexplainable.
It seems that some of these gods take an interest in human development — a little like 4th grade teachers. Our need to make sense of the world creates archetypes. The gods take these archetypes and “play their parts” accordingly. They do this — I believe — so they may lead us into enlightenment, easily and with a minimum of struggle. Sometimes — for whatever reasons — the Eternal Herself may take on some of these roles.
Many of us try to explain events that are unexplainable with ordinary language. One tool used for this is myth. Myth is a teaching tool, too. It helps us convey ideals to our children, of character and expectations. The story teller brings from his or her being the experiences of her or his culture. It is from this that archetypes — and the stages they act upon — are born. Sometimes, two story tellers will tell the very same story, using different names, scripts, and stages. This can make an anthropologist’s efforts interesting, as she tries to reconstruct the archetypes expressed within a culture. Add to this the flow of time and the effort can become a doctoral, master’s and a senior’s thesis, and still have room to develop into an encyclopedia.
Set was an Egyptian god whom they vilified from time to time. Set broke boundaries, often at the risk of breaking laws or customs that may have done more harm than good. These laws were taboos that, are like a dog sleeping in the cattle manger: neither eating nor allowing the cattle eat. There may have been a time when the boundaries or taboos were a good thing. Young children should not cross a road without an adult to help them. We expect the child to grow up, however, and be able to decide the best time to cross that road. Of course, there are laws that always make sense. If a person runs a red light someone may get quite hurt. Set never opposes rules that make sense, only those that have no-good purpose.
When the gods forbade humanity enlightenment, Lucifer gave it to us anyway. For this breach of etiquette they vilified and made him to suffer greatly. We repeat this theme in the book of Enoch where they have punished the Sons of Elohym for opening avenues of enlightenment for the people. This begs the question, “Why are liberators punished for bringing liberty to the oppressed?”
It is in this archetype that Satan acts as judge. With enlightenment comes a terrible burden. We weigh our responsibilities with less flexibility. No one scolds a child as severely for dropping and breaking a glass filled with milk as an adolescent would be. We expect an adolescent to be wise enough to control her or his hands and not drop the glass.
They say that the Buddha refused to enter Nirvana. He was about to, when he heard a soul cry out in suffering. In his compassion he returned to the Spiral Dance to alleviate all suffering by “Shining his light upon them.”
These two illustrations represent the burden of enlightenment. Not only is more responsibility expected of us, but a part of that responsibility is to pass on that light to “every ear that hears and every eye that sees.”
We expect the attorney general to prosecute children differently that competent adults. So, Satan tests the ignorant differently than she* does the wise. She teaches the ignorant — gently sometimes, not so gently at other times — so they may develop into wise adults. This is what happened in the garden, and with Job. The children in the Garden where afraid to trust, and later were afraid to take responsibility. Job was afraid of death, or maybe Hell after. In either case, Satan established the lesson plans and the tests that would ensure the lessons developed as expected. In each case, the test is just enough to motivate growth and break the boundaries that prevent that growth.
[* Devil, from Deva, meaning Goddess.]
In Egypt, when a soul failed the final test, and was condemned, he was given to Anubis, who either escorted the soul back to Earth to try again, or added his soul to oblivion. In each of these cases, the dragon or Left-hand god is struggling to preserve the qualities of the Universe, or more particularly, of our human world.
   |