RAMBLINGS, REFLECTIONS and RUMINATIONS
MAY FULL MOON 2022 with Daniel Giamario
I recently have had the opportunity to read the book: “The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity” by David Graeber and David Wengrow. I have been waiting for a book like this for quite a long time. Not only does it corroborate and expand my world view of humanity’s actual history, but has seeded a brand new application that uses the Shamanic Astrology Paradigm ™. For many years I have researched the convergence of many time-lines and cosmic cycles at this time of the Turning of the Ages. In addition, I have delved into alternative interpretations of history that differ from those presented by mainstream academicians and supporters of the peer-reviewed and tenured consensus. My research, including journeys to many sacred sites around the world, has provided much opportunity to expand my curiosity and understanding. This area of interest falls under one of my essential life inquiries, namely: “Who are We? And What the Hell Happened?”
Before delving into the radical and incredibly stimulating views of this book, I will summarize here my critique of the current situation and predicament of global humanity at the end of Kali Yuga(Note Two) and the end and beginning of an entire precessional cycle. These are the signs and symptoms of what is assumed to be “progress”.
- Hierarchical Patriarchy, and an inevitable class structure.
- Patrilineal Family Structure
- Fundamentalist Monotheism
- Dominion over Nature
- Materialism and Scientism, and the belief in linear “progress”
- Abstract and written language, recorded history, and loss of oral history
- The inevitable rise of the State
Each of these points could be elaborated on in depth, many of which I have done in previous articles and seminars. “The Dawn of Everything” explores why and how we got here, and whether, indeed, it was inevitable. The authors think not. I will attempt here to summarize their main points. It could be said that their main theme is asking “What is Freedom?” Deeply woven throughout the book is also the question: “What is Civilization?” The authors use anthropology and archeology to explore these questions. In this book they demolish the mainstream consensus, and present evidence very much in harmony with the research and understanding that I have developed over the years.
The authors, from their global and cross-cultural research, explore the concepts of freedom and social liberty. They explore the great explosion of research and discoveries just in the last thirty years that are contrary to the established consensus that is still taught in schools, and promoted by best-selling authors, like Diamond and Harari. Graeber and Wengrow look objectively at the last 30,000 years and see quite a different story. They locate the three most often seen ingredients found in society and culture prior to “Western” civilization.
- The Freedom to move away or re-locate from one’s surroundings.
- The Freedom to ignore or disobey commands issued by others.
- The Freedom to shape entirely new social realities, or shift back and forth between different ones.
They then explore extensively the rise of the state and of hierarchy, and question if it’s inevitable as part of a necessary evolution. They noticed that the creation of the state and empire, and its hierarchies as happening due to three main ingredients:
- Sovereignty and the means to enforce it manifesting as types of domination grounded variously on the use of violence and secret or higher knowledge.
- Bureaucracy for its implementation.
- A Competitive political field, based on charisma, competition and violence.
A state can arise with only one of these present, termed a “First-Order State”, but “Second” or “Third Order States” arise with two or three of these ingredients present. The authors give many examples throughout the past of all three. It sure seems to me that the push for a technocratic global super-state ruled by corporate, scientific and military elites is a Third-Order State.
A great portion of the book details the many examples throughout history of cultures and societies that chose to NOT have any of the above features. And more often than not they emphasized the three different ingredients of social liberty. Often it looked like conscious choices were made to NOT go in any of those versions of the state. Surely geography and climate entered into the decision making processes, but even more so were the conscious decisions to choose the way of life that they desired. Not only were the rise of states and hierarchy not evolutionary or inevitable, but neither was the inevitability of warfare and violence. Graeber and Wengro also are sympathetic to the research and theories of Marja Gimbutas, defending her against the scorn leveled at her by the mainstream consensus. The actual cross-cultural research favors her views on matrist and matrilineal cultures. The authors often demonstrate that the state, hierarchy, and warfare follow on the heels of patriarchy. Many examples are given.
What I have termed the mainstream consensus includes an allegiance to: 1) Humans have always been competitive and violent 2) Ancient humanity was primitive in a derogatory sense 3) increased population must result in hierarchy 4) the state is evolutionary in an inevitable and progressive sense 5) Patriarchy is inevitable and evolutionary 6) progress is linear rather than cyclical. More could be added here, of course. These are all things I have argued against, and I could not be more pleased with this book! All 669 pages! My views are always evolving as new research is uncovered and more voices can be raided against the consensus. But I remain convinced that global humanity in its 300,000 years of history has considerably more often been a collaborative and cooperative species, with limited warfare, and great equality between men and women, known as gylany. The great contribution of this book is to show that global humanity’s current situation is NOT inevitable or evolutionary. I have made the case that it’s more of a cyclical devolution, and as Robert Lawlor argues, that patriarchy, materialism and warfare can only become dominant in a devolution time. Instead, global humanity has often consciously and intelligently made choices that greatly differ from the Third-Order “civilization” that we find ourselves in. I hope we can wake up to see that we can choose differently and create a world of freedom, with multiple choices of how we can create our societies.
Whilst there is no astrology in this book, it greatly activated my imagination in perceiving a new application for our astrological paradigm. A foundational element holds that not all people are the same. All men are not the same. All women are not the same. Not everyone should be Vegan. Not everyone should eat meat. Not everyone should be monogamous or married. Not all women should have kids. Not everyone needs to be Christian. Not everyone should be compelled to use the latest technology, etc. Shamanic Astrology is archetype driven and we honor and support all places on the wheel of life. Should not this also include having the freedom to live in a society in accordance with our archetypes, chosen in freedom? Just as the ancient ones created a great diversity of cultural systems, shouldn’t we also have that intelligence and freedom to do the same?
I am envisioning as a creative process seeing how each of the twelve Mystery Schools of Life would envision how their society and civilization would look. Let’s all create those visions together and help create a planet where all those places on the wheel have the freedom to be their chosen direction. Stay tuned for more developments.
NOTE #1 David Graeber died just weeks after completing this book at the age of 59, near the end of 2020. Graeber was a major player in the Occupy Wall Street movement and is said to have coined the phrase we are the 99%. It is sad to not be able to see what his next creation would have been.
NOTE # 2 About the Kali Yuga, ending in 2025.
“The Vishnu Pranas, a mythological text of the Hindus, described it this way:
“Kali brought sin into the world. In the Kali Age the proper order of human relations is reversed; social status depends upon the ownership of property; wealth has become the only source of virtue; passion and luxury are the sole bonds between spouses; falsity and lying are the conditions of success in life; sexuality is the sole source of human enjoyment; religion, a superficial and empty ritual, is confused with spirituality”
NOTE # 3
I also recommend the excellent books of Robert Lawlor, in particular: “Voices of the First Day” and “Earth God Ascending”.