Inspired by a recent bout of melancholic solitude, I was drawn back to my tarot cards. Specifically I was fascinated by The Hermit trump.
I remembered that the Hermit is sometimes referred to as the Old Man on the Mountain.
A title that is also shared with Hasan I Sabbah, an ancient Islamic missionary who founded the order of the Feyadeen Hashashins.
Hassan I Sabbah would indoctrinate his members by leading them to his secret man-made paradise, hidden deep within his mountain fortress. All manner of pleasures could be found there. The applicants were then whisked back outside, and told that they could return once they completed their assignments.
I imagined a combination of the two, the Hermit and Hasan I Sabbah.
A man deep in the mountains who is sought out by many for advice. But his advice is always the same: "Cloister your feelings deep within. Emotions are unecessary, and you would fair better without!"
lyrics
You come to me, full of hate,
And I don't know what to tell you.
I struggle to find,
I struggle to find,
The words that are able
To quench the fires of your anger.
You come to me, heavy with sorrow,
And I can't find you peace of mind.
I search my soul to see,
I search my soul to see,
An image to help you illuminate your mind.
Lay them by the fires,
They're not what you need.
Nothing is real.
And if nothing is real,
Everything is permitted.
You come to me, poisoned with envy,
A yearning for the things you've never had.
You purchase trinkets here,
You purchase trinkets there,
Searching for something to fill you inner void.
You come to me, burdened by your guilt,
But words alone won't absolve you.
We urge you to let go,
We urge you to let go,
You're always conspiring to complicate you own lives.
Lay them by the fires,
They're not what you need.
Nothing is real.
And if nothing is real,
Everything is permitted.
credits
from The ArchArkana,
released August 6, 2016
Sun in Leo, Moon in Pisces.
Written and performed by Child Mercury.
Recorded and produced at The Star Chamber, Kagoshima, Japan.
A repository for the musical/magickal projects of Gaze Santos, musician/magickian of the Hodic Sphere.
He is an aspiring
multi-instrumentalist with folk and psychedelic leanings.
Originally hails from Canada, he currently resides in the land of the rising sun, also known as Japan....more
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