The Original Great Mother Tradition
Mother Worship

MatriTalks 34

HUMAN DESTRUCTIVENESS

Questions & Answers
with
Han Marie Stiekema Sermes

Q. Talking about destructiveness, some people would say, that with the introduction of the Mother, things only get worse. Isn't She the Source of The Law of the Universe, after all, in which "death" is an equal partner of rebirth? Please, explain.

A. Well, as I have said earlier, there is a crucial difference between the destructiveness of the Mother and its earthly counterpart. First of all, the Law of the Universe is governing life. It consists of the dynamics of the Cosmos, that which regulates "death and rebirth" in a most natural way. Varying from the seasons, the various cycles, the transformation of energy on all levels of creation to the limited life span of humans, animals and plants. Everything, is subjected to this Law, nothing excluded. Accumulations of all kinds may trigger destruction as well, as part of the Mother's Concern to keep Cosmic Balance. The current accumulation of human greed, profit, "progress" and expansion is an example of this.

Q. Isn't the human destructiveness a reflection of the Cosmos? With other words: Isn't it part of our body/mind system?

A. That depends on your definition. If you talk about "aggression", then certainly it is part of our system. If you talk about "destructiveness", then paradoxically it is the other way round: it originates, because we are NOT complying with the Mother's Law of the Universe.

Q. In a time, increasingly determined by violence, it seems to be quite crucial to acquiring clear insight in the underlying mechanisms.

A. There are several factors involved. They are all centered around the existential fear of (ego)death. The greatest danger for (masculine) ego-formation, is to fall back into the Maternal Realm. The latter being symbolized by death, darkness, Nothingness, "chaos", women and nature.

Q. Is this a purely spiritual/psychological issue or are there historical lines as well?

A. Both. It all "started" in the (matriarchal) Stone Age, in which males were ritually slaughtered, in order to secure the next harvest. It created both fear of death and fear of women. The way out was sought in the "Quest for Immortality". The Gilgamesh Epic is centered around this theme. His heroism consists of the fact, that he refuses to marry the Queen (knowing that he then will be sacrificed for the sake of the Whole...), while subsequently escaping from Her.     

Q. Oh, gosh, now I understand. The masculine ego is the result of refusing to sacrifice itself "for the sake of the Whole", hence its fear to become part of the Whole, once again. It teaches me, that you can never escape Cosmic Law.

A. The ego-formation was necessary for survival reasons. Now, this very ego has become a threat to survival.

Q. It will be very tough though, because the fear of giving yourself up is very much engrained in people.

A. Absolutely. Nowadays lots of women - the ones who have identified with the patriarchal e.g. alienated ego - also share the same fear.

Q. Could you elaborate a little more on the backgrounds?

A. The fear of death and the "Quest for Immortality" was subsequently projected in the death of Jesus. Because "he died for us all", the necessity for each of us to "die" individually, was taken away and with it the chance for regeneration. In a way, we all thought to become "immortal". The opposite was true though. "Jesus" deprived us from becoming regenerated ourselves. By not being able to go back to the Source - representing "death and rebirth" - the ego had no other choice, than to blow itself up. The consequences were devastating. It was the cause of the fact, that "having" rather than "Being" became the overall socio-cultural "ideal" of the West. Greed as an individual aspect of personality is one thing; greed as the dominant, institutionalized pattern of an entire society is quite another.

Q. Yes, indeed.

A. The problem is, that "having" can never satisfy your longing for Being - to be your Self, love, friendship, joy -  hence the desire for more, more, more and more....

Q. This obviously is the problem. It has to stop somehow. I honestly don't see, how the entire population can shift from "having" to "Being".

A. The first step could be, that we - individually and collectively - start recognizing the fact, that "capitalism" is a major "sin" against the Mother's Law of the Universe. Its drive for profit, accumulation, progress, expansion and exploitation is destroying Her Material Body.

Q. What is the Mother's response to this?

A. Some think, that de-sacralization is the inevitable outcome of "modernity". Rather than acknowledging the fact, that it is the outcome of a collective self-addiction to a very specific socio-economic system. From the perspective of the Mother, well - try to look at mankind yourself - She certainly cannot help, but considering us a crowd of hopelessly obsessive, compulsive and addictive people, straight on its way to committing suicide. This raises Her Limitless Compassion, hence Her efforts to bring people back "to Her Lap", e.g. to invite people to comply with Her Law of the Universe.

Q. Obviously, everybody knows plenty of examples. Which one comes to your mind, rightnow?

A. Take the "construction Mafia" for instance. Regardless of the real need, there has to be new roads etc. constructed all the time. The real necessity is not decisive, the compulsive need for the companies to making profit, is. Greed is the driving force. The result is "the whole earth covered by concrete" e.g. an ongoing destruction of nature.

Q. What about the idea of "progress". Is this also part of our addiction?

A. "Progress" and the fear "to fall back" are two sides of the same coin. The underlying cause is fear of Nothingness, which - as you know - is the greatest fear of the ego. It is the reason, why "the monthly growth figures" have to be reached. Its obsessive character is explaining the depression, the despair nay panic all around, if the figures do not comply with the expectations. The same mechanism you can see in compulsive future-oriented "political programs" of political parties or the equally compulsive "progress" of scientific research. They are all obsessed by "what is coming next". Stagnation is the greatest danger of all. Everything has to go on. "Looking back" is equal to "being lost". It is a.o. the theme of "Orpheus and Eurydice". The sad thing of course is, that by being compulsively addicted to "progress", the true fulfillment: becoming "part of the Whole" once again, can never be realized.

Q. Thus, are you against "progress?"

A. Lacking a context is the real problem here. Therefore, "having" should be integrated in "Being"; "progress" should become integrated in tradition, in being rooted; "flexibility" should be integrated in stability; "change" should become integrated in being balanced and "future" should become integrated in the HereNow. Contrary to that, the existing system is deliberately indoctrinating slogans, like "freedom", "democracy", "progress", "change" and "flexibility", this to further alienating e.g. uprooting people. The more people are dissociated from their context of life, the more they will become willing victims of the forces of greed, exploitation and control. The ruthlessness of our system becomes especially visible in the "Third World". First of all, we destroy local communities by exploiting the people as labor force. After a (short) while we drop them, if no profit can be made anymore. These uprooted people subsequently become displaced, causing the huge crowds of refugees around the world. While we only repeat, that "this is not our problem".

Q.  Still a lot of work to do?

A. The Mother is giving the example here. For the sake of survival, we have to find balance. The Mother's Law of the Universe is a reflection of Cosmic Balance. The sooner you comply with it, the better. "Die before you are forced to die". Thus, take refuge in the Mother. She is the Womb, in Which death is transformed into rebirth.

Q. Thus far everything is clear. What about the original topic of this talk: "Human Destructiveness?"     

A. First of all, there is the destructiveness of the "addiction to having" (materialism), which as I have elaborated, is the consequence of the "inability to Be". Secondly, there is the equally fundamental issue of the isolated ego (individualism). Its greatest fear is to die. This is equal to the inability "giving oneself up", to sacrifice itself or to becoming part of a greater Whole. Ego and surrender are excluding each other. Especially the "opposite" forces: Emptiness, the Mother, Darkness, nature and women, are especially dangerous. Hence, the compulsive need of destroying e.g. controlling the threat. It may be the underlying driving force of science and technology: to replace nature - in which men feel "not at ease" - by an artificial world, which will be entirely "his". The "chaos" of nature has to be replaced by "his order".

Q. Threats also coming from other sources as well?

A. Secondary threats include other men. If (economic) competition cannot neutralize this, then one has to "fall back" on the well-tried method of war.    

Q. Feeling threatened by an imaginary threat, hence compulsively destroying it...Will that be the tragic cause of self-destruction: Don Quichote fighting against the windmills?

A. Don Quichote is our great master. He teaches us the need to awaken from our sleep.

Good morning, Mother.

Here I am!

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Last revising: 02/07/10