DDD SUGGESTED READING LIST ~ APRIL 25

Okay, so where the Hell does that RED BRICK ROAD lead?!

1. I really don't much care for the most of the articles one can find on the Vigilant Citizen website. Their "exposées" of the "Illuminati-controlled" music and film industries are filled with the kind of breathless prose and idiotic argumentation that one rightly associates with the Xian propaganda videos produced in the mid-1980's. You know the kind; videos that always seemed like the creators were much bigger fans of the rock musicians that they were ostensibly trying to take down a peg than they were willing to admit? And yet, I found some worthwhile ideas in this Theosophical breakdown of Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz series of books; titles which were very formative in my own reading youth. It begins:

With its memorable story and its cast of colorful characters, the Wizard of Oz quickly became an American classic. More than a hundred years after the release of this book, kids everywhere are still enchanted by Oz’s world of wonder. Few, however, recognize that, under its deceptive simplicity, the story of the Wizard of Oz conceals deep esoteric truths inspired by Theosophy. 

Here we’ll look at the Wizard of Oz’s occult meaning and its author’s background. Although the Wizard of Oz is widely perceived as an innocent children’s fairy tale, it is almost impossible not to attribute a symbolic meaning to Dorothy’s quest. As in all great stories, the characters and the symbols of the Wizard of Oz can be given a second layer of interpretation, which may vary depending on the reader’s perception. Many analyses appeared throughout the years describing the story as an “atheist manifesto” while others saw it as a promotion of populism. 

It is through an understanding of the author’s philosophical bckground and beliefs, however, that the story’s true meaning can be grasped. L. Frank Baum, the author of the Wizard of Oz was a member of the Theosophical Society, which is an organization based on occult research and the comparative study of religions. Baum had a deep understanding of Theosophy and, consciously or not, created an allegory of Theosophic teachings when he wrote the Wizard of Oz.

Read on, intrepid seeker... if you're curious about how the twin societal scourges of COCAINE and HEROIN enter Oz's symbological superstructure! Muah-hahahaaa!

2. And, as if the above wasn't enough "magick" for you, then why not strap on a bib and tuck into this magnificent two hour interview with one of the most capable magickal practitioners of the New Millennium, Mister Alan "Swamp Thing and More" Moore? 

After listening, be sure to cleanse your palate with BBC Radio's four History of Idea videos on the question "What is Justice?", smooshed down at the bottom of today's Suggested Reading/Watching/Listening... um... suggestions, I guess.

3. For the eighth time, today's DDD Suggested Reading List includes four selections from the Open University and BBC Radio 4's introductory level general philosophy course entitled The History of Ideas. And that should just about do it for this particular series... at least until they start producing more cartoons! As soon as they do so, I'll start posting them in this space again, too.

WHAT IS JUSTICE?

"Civil Disobedience"

"The Veil of Ignorance"

"Habeas Corpus"

"Lex Talionis and Retribution"