Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Occult or "Satanic" Symbols on our site,videos and lyrics

Everyone is entitled to religious freedom in the United States, after all that is really one of the primary reasons this country was ultimately formed and founded upon for future principle and practice. Having stated that, for all of you who are curious, worried, concerned, unnerved or otherwise interested in the nature of the symbols, lyrics, and themes presented in my youtube videos, music, websites and merchandise, I would like to take this time to explain them, since I did put them there, I feel anyone who is willing to listen is entitled to an answer as to why.

In the intro to my you tube videos and on my website http://wwww.jasonricci.com you see the pentagram, and the all seeing eye as well. These are two very popular symbols. The problem with symbols of course is they are quite literally symbolic… But symbolic of what? Well that answer depends upon who you are, what research you have done or not done, what belief systems you have and what culture you were raised in, and on and on. The same symbol can have multiple varying meanings to many different people. For example: in Hinduism the controversial swastika is nothing more than a good luck symbol representing a sense of spiritual well being while for many others it symbolizes the dreaded disempowering ideals of fascism and the rise of the Nazi Party. Both are of course accurate. The Hindu interpretation is older but for many has been redefined quite forcefully.

For me and others like and unlike me the pentagram is also a powerful symbol. It in no way represents for me a dedication to evil the Devil the Demonic or a belonging to any secret group like the Illuminati, Freemasonry, or any other ancient and/or organized magickal lodges. I do believe the Freemasons and other secret orders to be groups greatly misunderstood and YES I have seen, read, heard, and discussed literally hundreds of the conspiracy theories etc. I challenge you all as a side note to always be checking the content, presented as indisputable fact, for yourself with simple tools such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, etymology, google searches etc. You will be surprised how many fall short within minutes, paragraphs or frames of anything resembling truth. They are designed to unnerve, scare and suede you just the way they often depict their accusers!

The Pentagram represent the number five, an immensely powerful number to man. There are five elements:

1.) Ether, (Aether) or Spirit as it is also called
2.) Earth
3.) Water
4.) Air
5.) Fire

There are as well, five senses:

1.) Touch,
2.) Taste,
3.) Smell,
4.) Sight,
5.) Hearing,

We have five limbs on our body counting the head and Da Vinci's “Vitruvian Man” forms the out line of the pentagram in his out stretched position. We have five toes, five fingers and the list goes on the more you study it with amazing implications in astronomy, mathematics, religion, science and more.

The pentagram drawn right side up (center point up), as depicted on my website and in most my videos and in my youtube video intros, glorifies the power of spirit over matter, the mind over body and the will of God. Equally to myself and probably many others it simultaneously depicts mans natural union with God as created in his image. Further more the top triangle predicts and evokes the divine potential of man and the inevitability of us to rise to all great heights inconceivable to even ourselves. Alas that great moment of being, in which we become without realization, as we are to be, and the true nature of God as I understand is not one that can or is to be ever understood by man, but one that is to be actualized in transformation.

The Pentagram, traditionally by most all occultists, is a symbol of protection from evil not the invitation or representation of!

Open without the circle it represents an individuals confidence, knowledge, curiosity, and evocation for all that is of its elements and the understanding further there of and beyond.

A pentagram closed within a circle (the circle being a symbol of God and the power of infinite wisdom i.e. the circle of life, timeless continuum of energy, and the womb itself) enclose the magickal star protecting and encompassing man within himself and his world shielding him from harm and evil.

I hope this helped you to better understand my intentions concerning the pentagram. I try to wish none of you, nor no man, woman, child or animal any harm ever and if I should ever this symbol is not a representation of that lowered state of consciousness. The pentagram is for me inspires curious and powerful implications as well as scientific and Magickal properties, if nothing else perhaps some of you may feel some relief as you can surely see I have at least thought this symbols meaning through both spiritually and intellectually.

Now: The all-seeing eye! The dreaded and horrid greedy Masonic symbol as depicted on the dollar bill elsewhere! The evil eye, the Illuminati, the Bilderberg group, Madonna’s jacket etc… the list goes on just surf youtube for a minute.
This is an ancient and powerful symbol larger than any one group, going back nearly as long as man himself has had the ability, need, or want to explore the nature of consciousness and spirituality. The eye itself has a powerful effect on the subconscious and has thus been used by many religions, businesses, and cultures to provoke reaction.

The particular “eye” used in my youtube video intros and elsewhere is the ancient "Eye of Horus" from Egyptian mythology. The "Wedjat" or “Wadjet” (meaning: whole) as it is called in Egyptology is often, like the pentagram used as a symbol of protection from evil rather than the promotion of it. The Wadjet also tells the tale of Horus (associated with Ra) in his holy battle with Seth or Set in which his left eye was torn out and he was restored a new one by Thoth also implying the receipt of a third eye or all seeing eye. The eye additionally in Egypt was a symbol of the sun as Horus’s other eye represented the moon. The sun a star, and source of life, wonder and itself appearing as a great eye in the sky. The Egyptians ascribed many more meanings to this symbol and even used it as a six part measuring system and again like the pentagram assigned to it the five senses with a sixth additional sense being thought.

To me personally aside from Egyptology the Eye of Horus represents the all powerful, naturally neutral form of God itself/himself/herself. The eye that sees all and judges not! That which is above as is below. That which is beyond good and beyond evil, that which is neither light nor dark, the sun or moon, the day or night, the good and evil nature of man as he is, the supreme non duality and undisputable oneness of all, that that simply is and is not to be called by name.

I hope that clears things up a little bit.

I will tell you now and admit for the first time I am an occultist. I do study the occult in its many forms and practices. The word occult means secret or hidden, nothing more. I can speak from most definite experience when I say quite humbly that there are many things in this world both ancient and new that rightfully deserve the protective veil of secrecy. A secret should not imply evil or good in and of itself, and not all secrets contain mal intent. In fact many secrets are formed and organized to protect the keeper from the obvious mal intent and misunderstanding of other’s who are commonly so quick to judge, punish, discredit and kill without investigation, study or reason. Many secrets are also in place to preserve the nature of very sensitive and powerful content the world and perhaps others in our immediate life may not be ready or most often WILLING to understand. Both in our personal lives, and in our beliefs it is often a good idea to proverbially bite our tongues. We all know it can be sensitive to discuss politics or religion at dinner with company. The old saying those who know don't tell and those who tell don't know is very close to me and very true in my experience and nature. As I share the meanings of these symbols with you I hold much back for myself alone and those close to me. Most everything I have written here can be easily uncovered with simple scholastic research. In short I only wish to carry on my life hurting none, helping many, and studying the true, philosophy, psychology, science, and nature of myself as I may find it to be. Magick to me is the truest and highest form of philosophy and psychology combined with the will to combine ones own will with that which is greater and to interact both passively and directly with the highest form of ourselves. I may drop hints (symbols, words, clothing, colors, quotes, spellings, etc.) to spark curiosity and for my own empowerment, protection and appreciation but also to aid in the hope of meeting other like-minded individuals, with whom I may some day converse, confide, debate, and share with.

I have no wishes to the rule the world! I do not perform black magick. My Freemason friends are some of the best people I know. I have no membership or actual knowledge in any conspiracies or organized secret societies. I’m not so ignorant to the natures of man that I believe naively that our government has the people’s entire and sole best interest at heart! Yet most realities lie between perceptions, so equally I also do not believe our government has our sole demise planned as well! I know for fact that much of the government and many people involved within it are truly trying to help. I am neither a democrat nor a republican. I see positive and negative belief systems and patterns on both sides. At heart I am more or less a utopian anarchist who believes the will of man and god will one day align in a time in which each man and woman will govern themselves and the world will be at peace with itself, as each man and woman has become at peace within themselves. The ole' Michael Jackson Man in the Mirror formula! I will not address answer or entertain any theories here regarding occultists ruling the world, reptilian domination plots, Freemasonry or other popular urban legends with only small portions of fact and little to no actual evidence. I like good stories too and am thoroughly engaged, inspired, intrigued and excited by such musings, but I try hard and check my facts before trading in my position in society for a straight jacket.


It is true there are many spiritual, demonic, angelic, reptilian, and down right evil related themes, lyric and symbols depicted in or on our records, websites, stickers, and music that I help to write with New Blood. I have had many paranormal and powerful spiritual experiences, I often write about and use poetry and music as one way to attempt to work through the very difficult, challenging, esoteric and often frightening nature of these occurrences. I was brought up Christian (Catholic AND Episcopal) and I often choose to associate and ascribe Christian ideas within the popular, common and mostly well understood frame work that has become modern Christianity for the most part. I have no interest in furthering the motives, missions, or agenda of the dark Forces or the devil with these depictions. I do not see the dark the same way many others do. It is in nature very difficult to see in the dark at all. Additionally one can of course become blinded by light as well. I see the yin and the yang as necessary components of a larger paradigm. Like in blues music: Our songs come from actual experience some times good, often (especially within blues music) bad by singing of these dark times, hard luck, and our losses: We merge the hardship and destruction of our pasts with the positive creation of art and the simultaneous celebration of realization, deliverance, arrival, understanding and the tragic beauty of now! It is the alchemy of evil and good together which creates the perfect tragedy, which is our bittersweet and precious existence.

Having Said that: The demonic/evil symbols or lyrics that appear in our music, covers, and elsewhere are nothing more than symbols of what I know to be part of myself/ourselves like it or not. They are ingrained psychological necessities that depict the nature of my being. They are part of my mind and convenient and established images chocked full of power and meaning by the viewers and listeners own mind. They are nothing but mindful, psychological, outward projections of my consciousness and unconsciousness being, unto music and elsewhere for the ultimate purpose of communication and beyond.

Take the inverted Pentagram, This image is rarely seen in my work, videos, or music however it has indeed appeared and may further yet need be depicted in my future for this reason alone:

As I described earlier the five-sided star (pentagram) with its central point pointing upwards represents sprit/god/goddess/ether/whatever you like over the now lower four sides depicting matter. Reversed (“upside down”) this symbol implies the opposite pinning matter above spirit. Inverted the man or woman's legs are spread above the head (as drawn in Da Vinci's “Vitruvian Man”) the star could symbolize their lust for the temporal and physical as the genitals are above the their head. The other two legs pointing upwards symbolizing the lower more physical elements of earth and fire also above, lower still the more ethereal element of water and air and finally at the bottom the most divine! I don't believe there is a human being on earth, who has not once, at some point in their lives metaphorically turned this star upside down. I depict and present this image to you as nothing more than this at this point in my life. There are of course many who define this symbol differently for varying reasons and agendas.

In music as many of you know I do my best not to stand in judgment. I try so hard to see where others are RIGHT not where my mind may tell me they falter! I want to see all art as perfect. Many play and sing with great technical, virtuosic, and intellectual ability yet they may fail to convey their heart and soul yet still many others choose to play strongly from their emotions with great strength and sincerity and they too fail to reach others efficiently and hold their interest with new ideas and study. No way is right or wrong. They are tools. All is to be studied. Both paths are to be walked and taken to their excessive extremes! Both methods are right and both are wrong. The true and perfect nature of divine art lies again in the alchemy or magickal combination of both mind and heart, intellect and soul. This is when the musician says they were not playing the music it was coming through them. This is when the goose bumps on the audience’s arms stand up! The combination of intellect, heart, bad times good times, darkness light, experience, innocence, love, hate, joy, sadness, Male, Female, animal, human, God and the Devil, Heaven and Earth!

AS IS ABOVE SO IS BELOW

Blessed Be!
Jason Ricci

2 comments:

Adrian said...

I think you are correct if you are saying, as I think you are, that we should avoid sterotypical thinking and easy labelling. For some the Pentagram is good, to others bad, therefore it is not just one thing but merely a symbol capable of interpretation. Again, Freemasons good or bad, well that depends. The new novel The Lion and the Covenant claims a huge nineteenth century plot by the top British Freemasons, yet seems to be also saying that most Freemasons aren't so bad. Same with for example Catholics, Muslims etc - how could all be either good or bad? It's different where people subscribe to something fundamentally inhuman like Nazism or Al Qaeda. Yet individuals have both good and bad in them, and to the extent that we accept other people and differences then we can all get along well enough for the planet to survive us, methinks. Whereas mutually intolerant thinking carried to extremes, will destroy us all; correctly called Mutually Assured Destruction or MADness.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing Jason. I hope your fans continue to be open minded and free thinking.