Prelude to the First Passage

Abstract

Patriarchal society revolves around myths of Processions. Earthly processions both generate and reflect the image of procession from and return to god the father. According to christian theology, there are processions within the godhead, which is triune. The son, who is the second person, is said to proceed from the father, and the holy ghost is said to proceed from the father and the son. Moreover, all creatures proceed from this eternally processing god, who is their Last End, with whom the righteous will be united in eternal bliss. Thus, in this symbol system there is a circular pattern/model for muted existence: separation from and return to the same immutable source. Furthermore, according to this tradition, christians participate in the supernatural processions through the sacrament of baptism.1 That is, they officially join the of believers. It is significant that the word pagan is derived from a late Latin term paganus, meaning civilian, because the Christians reckoned themselves soldiers of Christ.2 The processions of christians, then, are profoundly connected with military parades, mythically as well as historically. What is ultimately sought by this salvation army is reconciliation with the father, for the human species has been alienated from him through the fault of the first parents, Adam and Eve, whose Original Sin has been transmitted to all. Thus the mythic christian procession toward god presupposes belief in possession by evil forces, release from which requires captivity by the church. Consequently the sacrament of initiation (baptism) explicitly contains a rite of exorcism, blatantly belying the fact that this is really a rite of entrance into the State of Posesssion. Western society is still possessed overtly and subliminally by christian symbolism, and this State of Possession has extended its influence over most of the planet. Its ultimate symbol of proces