… in purgatory you knew that you were going either to hell or to heaven, and it was up to you where you went. With the joys and freedom of heaven as a carrot, you strove like hell in purgatory. You knew the theory of how to get the ticket to heaven. But the practice… ah, the practice… that eluded you. You snatched it away from yourself.

-Philip Jose Farmer: Gods of Riverworld

Jack
I Listen.

Basic Ideology 101
Lesson #28
The Battle of Limbo

The Marks of a God
—-

When he awoke again, he was not sure how long he’d been out. He went through all of the realms of paranoia, anxiety, depression, elation, mania, and so much more. He battled his demons, trying to recapture something that was lost.

It was night time now. And slightly chilly. Minus felt very disoriented. He had relied on alacrity and synchronicity for so long. But these things were useless in the trial of gods. His magic was about movement and charm. Things he did not need here, alone in the forest. He pulled his arms up and looked at the scars Odin had left. They looked like the runes of Norse magic, which Odin received when he put himself through the first trial of godhood, the world tree. Yggdrasil was older than man. Older than gods. It only made sense that this was the only place left for true magic.

Odin had once been mortal, but he had hung himself on the world tree for nine days and nights to gain insights into ancient magic. The world tree and the elder gods had given him magic in return. A magic he unleashed on the world, and eventually used to overcome the forgotten gods. He used the magic to take his place in Aesir, as the All-Father. His brothers and sisters, and sons and daughters had taken their spots in the royal court, and a new generation of men and gods had begun.

Minus had hung himself on the world tree twice now. This was important. It was important because it was the path of self sacrifice for forgotten knowledge. He knew that Odin often saw him as a son, but was weary to allow him into the heavens. The last man he had allowed in had been Loki Sky-Walker, who caused much destruction and sadness in the royal court. He would not take that chance again. Not easily anyway.

Minus knew all of this, but he had been hanging on this tree so long that he wasn’t sure how he knew it. After Odin’s last visit, he had blacked out, and he had no idea how long ago that was. He had spent hours trying to meditate, trying to understand.

His temples throbbed and he could not feel his arms or legs. He pulled his arms up into view, so he could see the marks that Odin had left. The sigils glowed in the dark night. A bright blue. He had no knowledge of runes, but he knew instinctively that one meant strength and the other meant power. Minus tried to settle back into meditation, but he ending up passing out instead. The blood in his head was getting worse. He guessed that he had hung for five days. But his thoughts were fading into blackness.

On that same day, Jane had asked Mancini about the Akashic Library.

—-

Jack
I Listen.

The Cost of Magic
Section #23
The Marks of a God

—————–

Jack was a mean old blacksmith in this small town, in the Smokie Mountains. This was a different time, mind you, when people still rode horses mostly, and blacksmiths were really important.

Jack was the meanest man anyone had every met. He hated the men, women, and children of the town. And they were scared of him. The only time anyone ever talked to Jack, it was to buy horse shoes, or plows, or the like.

Jack was so mean, if children ran into his shop, he’d throw hot coals at them. Yeah, he was that mean.

So one day Jack was hammering away at a horse shoe, or a plow, he really wasn’t that sure, and he up and died.

So mean-old Jack floating up, towards Heaven. And there he saw the pearly gates of Heaven, and Saint Peter holding a book.

“Hmmmm…. Jack! Oh, my no!” says Saint Peter. “You were much too mean. Just wait here.”

So Saint Peter calls his old buddy Lucifer, and tells him he’s got the meanest, baddest man that ever lived just waiting right here at the Gates.

Lucifer gets very excited. He calls up his two eldest, strongest, meanest sons, and tells them they have to go to the Gates of Heaven and get old Jack for him.

A few days later, Lucifer has not seen his sons or Jack. There’s a knocking at the Gates of Hell. Lucifer hears all kinds of crazy noise outside, I mean all of Hell was breaking loose!

So he runs outside, and about that time, Jack is walking up the steps to his castle.

Jack had beaten the devil’s sons and then crashed down the Gates, madder and meaner than ever.

No one much knows what happened after that, there’s a few different endings, some say Jack beat the devil and left. Other’s say that Lucifer had to chase Jack out of Hell with a hickory switch!

All we really know is that Jack was hammering horse shoes in that village again in just a day or two. Some say Jack is still in that place, hammering away, and since he’s so mean, and no one talks to him, and they all know Heaven wouldn’t take him, no one knows how long it’s been.

———-

- Loki

(Jack and the Devil, a Folk Tale, as told by me, in the tradition of Jack Tales)

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall posses the land.
Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ”

- Jesus Christ, The Gospel of Matthew Chapter 5, Verses 3-10

It should be noted that in the Gospel of Luke, they are slightly different.

- Loki
6/20/07
Lesson # 16

(Dates soon to be taken off Developmental Theology 089. The articles will instead be marked as ‘Lessons.’ Also, it’ll be getting it’s own page soon, so the lessons may be read in chronological order)

[edit - 10.23.07 00:06 - {(by my imaginary audience)}]

My sons and daughters shall be my court, and I shall remake the world in my image, a world where knowledge is searched for and magic is worked. A world where the All-Father will reign supreme and his heaven shall be a heaven for all, for he is the All-Father, and I am the All-Father.

I am Odin One-Eye, sometimes called Othan or the Hanged Man. I am called by many, many names, but it is true that I am one with the All-Father, and the world is now reshaped in my image, and my magic shall be worked. I have given my magic to the people. If they would use it, they would be placed in pact with Odin. If you use my runes, be ready to pay the price of the Hanged Man.

-Channelled by the one called Loki.