Invoking the Icons of Pop Culture

Invoking the Icons of Pop Culture I believe that it is safe to say that the prevalent meme in the Chaos Current this past year has been Pop Magick. I first became exposed to this phenomenon through the writings of Grant Morrison. Grant is a practicing sorcerer, as well as the author of the Invisibles, the intensely esoteric comic series which ran from 1994 through 2000. I must admit that I was a latecomer to Grant's work. I discovered him via The Book of Lies, from Disinformation press. In his article Pop Magic, Grant suggests invoking James Bond by dressing in a tuxedo and listening to the score from Goldfinger and Thunderball prior to going on a date. This got me thinking. There are decades worth of archetypal characters from numerous film, literary, and television sources that could very easily be co-opted as servitors, egregores, or godforms. How different can this be from invoking Thorr for great strength, or Athena for wisdom? The characters that come foremost to my mind are the leads in action and horror films. They are concentrated heroism on the celluloid hoof. They are intentionally written to appeal to a mass audience, as that generates the greatest revenue for the studios and filmmakers. The first figure to cross my mind comes from a franchise that is widely acknowledged to have drawn a great deal of inspiration from Grant's Invisibles series itself, Neo, the hero of The Matrix films and related media. As a fan of the series, and as someone who knows well the nature of obsessively searching the online world for information, the character of Thomas Anderson, and his personal metamorphosis into "The One" has had a strong appeal to me from the first time I encountered him. "Neo, if you're out there, I could use some help right about now" - Morpheus, The Matrix Revolutions In 21st century American culture, such as it is, which imaginary being likely has more relevance? The God of Abraham, or Neo, the One, who was rescued from the Matrix in order to save mankind from the race of machines which had enslaved them? The former is well known for being vengeful, jealous, and capricious. The latter for flying in and rescuing his friends from the top of an exploding semi truck. Neo is both a literary and literal Deus ex Machina. Consider how much energy has been invested in this character by fans world-wide. His ability to adapt, improvise, and overcome obsticles knew no bounds once he had proven himself to himself. Besides, he looks good doing it too. Neo is only one example of this phenomenon. I can also conceive of invoking Wesley Wyndham Price, created by Joss Whedon, for help in locating obscure information in books. How about the Bit from Tron in order to assist with decision making. If I needed a boost to help physically defend a charge, I would consider Ellen Ripley. Remember the lengths to which she went to protect Newt in James Cameron's Aliens? Obviously the more familiar you are with a given character, the more likely you will be able to visualize and project them during your invocation. I'm not a fan of elaborate, drawn-out rituals. I haven't got the attention span for them for the most part. I like short, encapsulated vocalizations. Much like a sound byte. Recall the line or lines which most characterize the aspects of the character you wish to use. Think of the character in their most representative form. Vocalize the dialog while visualizing yourself in that form. Project all of your focus and energy into that snapshot moment, and let the construct of that character overlay your own. When the need for the invocation has passed, envision a fade or wipe scene change in the narrative of which you are a part. If necessary, banish with the mantra "It's only a movie" repeated until you feel yourself return to your prior state. Vargr 9/15/04 www.spikevision.org

I believe that it is safe to say that the prevalent meme in the Chaos Current this past year has been Pop Magick. I first became exposed to this phenomenon through the writings of Grant Morrison. Grant is a practicing sorcerer, as well as the author of the Invisibles, the intensely esoteric comic series which ran from 1994 through 2000. I must admit that I was a latecomer to Grant's work. I discovered him via The Book of Lies, from Disinformation press. In his article Pop Magic, Grant suggests invoking James Bond by dressing in a tuxedo and listening to the score from Goldfinger and Thunderball prior to going on a date.

This got me thinking. There are decades worth of archetypal characters from numerous film, literary, and television sources that could very easily be co-opted as servitors, egregores, or godforms. How different can this be from invoking Thorr for great strength, or Athena for wisdom? The characters that come foremost to my mind are the leads in action and horror films. They are concentrated heroism on the celluloid hoof. They are intentionally written to appeal to a mass audience, as that generates the greatest revenue for the studios and filmmakers.

The first figure to cross my mind comes from a franchise that is widely acknowledged to have drawn a great deal of inspiration from Grant's Invisibles series itself, Neo, the hero of The Matrix films and related media. As a fan of the series, and as someone who knows well the nature of obsessively searching the online world for information, the character of Thomas Anderson, and his personal metamorphosis into "The One" has had a strong appeal to me from the first time I encountered him.

"Neo, if you're out there, I could use some help right about now"
- Morpheus, The Matrix Revolutions

In 21st century American culture, such as it is, which imaginary being likely has more relevance? The God of Abraham, or Neo, the One, who was rescued from the Matrix in order to save mankind from the race of machines which had enslaved them? The former is well known for being vengeful, jealous, and capricious. The latter for flying in and rescuing his friends from the top of an exploding semi truck. Neo is both a literary and literal Deus ex Machina. Consider how much energy has been invested in this character by fans world-wide. His ability to adapt, improvise, and overcome obsticles knew no bounds once he had proven himself to himself. Besides, he looks good doing it too.

Neo is only one example of this phenomenon. I can also conceive of invoking Wesley Wyndham Price, created by Joss Whedon, for help in locating obscure information in books. How about the Bit from Tron in order to assist with decision making. If I needed a boost to help physically defend a charge, I would consider Ellen Ripley. Remember the lengths to which she went to protect Newt in James Cameron's Aliens?

Obviously the more familiar you are with a given character, the more likely you will be able to visualize and project them during your invocation. I'm not a fan of elaborate, drawn-out rituals. I haven't got the attention span for them for the most part. I like short, encapsulated vocalizations. Much like a sound byte. Recall the line or lines which most characterize the aspects of the character you wish to use. Think of the character in their most representative form. Vocalize the dialog while visualizing yourself in that form. Project all of your focus and energy into that snapshot moment, and let the construct of that character overlay your own.

When the need for the invocation has passed, envision a fade or wipe scene change in the narrative of which you are a part. If necessary, banish with the mantra "It's only a movie" repeated until you feel yourself return to your prior state.

Vargr
9/15/04
www.spikevision.org