#zarathustra

[jareckiworld]

Pedro Friedeberg — The Silence of Zarathustra (ink and acrylic on museum board, 2014)

[henghost]

idk if someone's done this post already (it seems so obvious!) but can we talk about how closely taylor's character arc mirrors the three metamorphoses proposed by the titular character in nietzsche's thus spoke zarathustra. (i'll use the kaufmann translation.)

"Of three metamorphoses of the spirit I tell you: how the spirit becomes a camel; and the camel, a lion; and the lion, finally, a child."

taylor is first the camel, a beast of burden; in other words, she is skitter. she "makes friends with the deaf," the undersiders, who don't understand what she really wants. she compromises her virtues (do-gooding) in the name of what zarathustra might call "wretched contentment."

then, beginning with the discovery of dinah, taylor begins a terrible and arduous trek into a spiritual desert, where the second metamorphosis occurs, and taylor becomes a lion. "for ultimate victory [s]he wants to fight with the great dragon" -- literally! for zarathustra, the dragon represents all preexisting virtues, the notions of good and evil that have been developed for millenia. dragon, the ai, represents this very moral rigidity -- and by defeating her taylor completes her transformation into proud unyielding weaver, who will brook no opposition to her, uh, ethically unorthodox methodology. only this blond beast could kill aster.

finally, taylor must become the child to complete her task. "why must the preying lion still become a child? the child is innocence and forgetting, a new beginning, a game, a self-propelled wheel, a first movement, a sacred 'yes.' " she must learn to speak a googoogaga-ass language. (as nietzsche notes in the fifth book of the gay science, what is conventional language but a means of becoming part of the herd.) khepri creates her own values, propels the rest of humanity forward. khepri exists, truly, beyond good and evil. "the spirit now wills [her] own will, and [she] who had been lost to the world now conquers [her] own world." khepri was an arrow of longing who crashed mangled and defeated back to the earth.

thus, taylor fully emblematizes an ontology of becoming. she is a bridge to the overman, and zarathustra will bury her with his own hands.

[lascitasdelashoras]

Friedrich Nietzsche announces the title of his new book (Thus Spoke Zarathustra) in a letter to Heinrich Köselitz.

[arioloyal]

Finally...

My historical and religious aesthetics 🔥💫:

A/n: you can make and add your own aesthetic by rebbloging this so I can see yours too =) good luck ✨️

[nicklloydnow]

“Nietzsche attacked idealist morality. He ridiculed kindness and pity, revealed the pretense and unmanliness hidden in humanitarian sentimentalty. Like Proudhon and Marx he insisted on the beneficial side of war. Quite distant from the political parties of his time, he happened to set forth principles for an aristocracy of "masters of the world." He praised beauty and physical force, had a distinct preference for life's risky, turbulent aspects. These straightforward value judgments, distinct from liberal idealism, made the Fascists claim him as one of theirs, led certain anti-Fascists to see him as a Hitler predecessor.

As Nietzsche realized, the near future would see the exceeding of conventional limits opposed to violence and the clashing of real forces in conflicts of outsize proportions, clashes that would violently and materially bring all existing values into question. He pictured the woes of a wartime period that would be of unprecedented harshness, and he didn't believe we should avoid such miseries regardless of cost or that those trials would surpass human strength. To him even catastrophes like this seemed preferable to stagnation, to the lies of bourgeois life, to the banal happiness preached by a herd of professors of morality. In principle, he posed the question of whether authentic value exists for humankind, whether prescriptions of conventional morality and traditional idealism obstruct the coming of that value, and whether life will overturn conventional morality. The Marxists similarly understand moral prejudices—understanding them as opposed to revolutionary violence and yielding to some sort of preeminent value (the emancipation of the proletariate). Though different from Marxism's value, the value proclaimed by Nietzsche isn't less universal—since the emancipation he wanted wasn't that of a single class relative to others but the freeing of human life under the example of its best representatives—compared to the moral slavery of the past. Nietzsche dreamed of a humanness that, far from fleeing its tragic fate, would love and embrace this fate to the fullest, a humanness that would no longer lie to itself and would raise itself above the social slavishness.

This sort of humankind differs from the present-day kind, which is normally confused with a function that's only part of human possibility. Putting it succinctly, this new humanness would be integrally human and freed from the slavery that limits us. Nietzsche had no desire to define such a free and sovereign humankind, halfway between modern humanity and a super-humanity, that is, superman. Appropriately, he thought when something is free, you can't define it. Could anything be more vain than designating or limiting a thing that doesn't yet exist? It's up to us to will it! To will the future is to recognize the known as to be surpassed. With this principle—a primacy of the future over the past to which he remained loyal—Nietzsche becomes as disconnected as possible from what is despised by life under the name of death, or by dreams under the name of reaction. Between the ideas of Fascist reactionaries and Nietzsche's notions there is more than simple difference—there's radical incompatibility. While declining to limit the future, which has all rights according to him, Nietzsche all the same suggested it through vague and contradictory suggestions. Which led to confusions and misunderstandings. It's wrongheaded to attribute definite intentions to him regarding electoral politics, arguing that he talked of "masters of the world." What he intended was a risked evocation of possibility. As for the sovereign humanity whose brilliance he wanted to shine forth: in contradictory ways he saw the new humankind sometimes as wealthy, sometimes as poorer than the workers, sometimes as powerful, sometimes as tracked down by enemies. He required of the new humankind that it possess a capacity to withstand adversity—while recognizing its right to trample on norms. Still, he distinguished this humanity on principle from men in possession of power. He recognized no limits, and confined himself to describing as freely as he could the field of a possible.

This said, if "Nietzscheanism" has to be defined, there isn't much reason to dwell on the part of this doctrine that assigns all rights to life as opposed to idealism. A rejection of classical morality is common to Marxism, Nietzscheanism, and National Socialism. The only essential is the value in whose name life asserts these higher rights. Once this principle of judgment is established, Nietzschean values are seen as opposing racist values within a context of the whole.

—Nietzsche's initial stance develops out of admiration for the Greeks, the most intellectually developed people of all time. In Nietzsche's mind everything is subordinated to culture. While in the Third Reich, a reduced culture has only military might as its end.

—One of the most significant traits of Nietzsche's work is its glorification of Dionysian values, that is, infinite intoxication and enthusiasm. It's no coincidence that Rosenburg's Myth in the Twentieth Century denounces the cult of Dionysus as non-Aryan! . . . Despite hastily repressed inclinations, racism admits only military values. "Youth needs stadiums, not sacred groves," asserts Hitler.

—I already talked about the opposition of the past to the future. Strangely enough, Nietzsche designates himself as a child of the future. He himself linked the phrase with the fact of his not having a native land. And actually, our native country is what belongs to the past in us. It's on this and this alone that Hitlerism erects its rigid value system, adding no new value. Nothing could be more alien to Nietzsche, who—against the world—asserts the total vulgarity of the Germans.

—Two official precursors of National Socialism prior to Chamberlain were Nietzsche's contemporaries, Wagner and Lagarde. Nietzsche is appreciated and has been pushed to the forefront in the propaganda effort, but the Third Reich doesn't consider him one of its teachers in the same way it eventually does the other two. Nietzsche was a friend to Richard Wagner but broke off, disgusted by his Francophobic and anti-Semitic chauvinism. As for the pan-Germanist Paul de Lagarde, a single text removes any doubts on that score. "If you only knew," Nietzsche wrote Theodor Fritsch, "how I laughed last spring reading works by a self-important, stubborn sentimentalist by the name of Paul de Lagarde . . .”

—Today of course we're aware how anti-Semitic stupidity functions in Hitlerite racism. There's nothing more essential to Hitlerism than hating Jews. Opposing this is the following rule of conduct of Nietzsche's: "No friendship with anyone implicated in this barefaced hoax of races." Nietzsche asserted nothing more wholeheartedly than his loathing of anti-Semites.

I have to insist on this last point. Nietzsche's fate was to be tarred with the Nazi brush. Certain hypocricies have to be dealt with for that reason. One was perpetrated by the philosopher's own sister who survived him and lived on till very recently (she died in 1935). When November 2, 1933, arrived, Mrs. Elizabeth Foerster, born Nietzsche, could still recall the difficulties that arose between her and her brother—difficulties stemming from her 1885 marriage to the anti-Semite Bernard Foerster.

A letter in which Nietzsche reminds her of his disgust (he refers to it as being as pronounced as possible) for the man whom she chose to be her husband (he calls him by name) was published through her efforts. November 2, 1933, in the house where Nietzsche died, Mrs. Elizabeth Judas-Foerster received Adolf Hitler, Fuhrer of the Third Reich. On that solemn occasion she attested to the family's anti-Semitism by reading a text by . . . Bernard Foerster!

"Before leaving Weimar to go to Essen," reported the Times on November 4, 1933, "Chancellor Hitler paid a visit to Mrs. Elizabeth Foerster-Nietzsche, the sister of the celebrated philosopher. The elderly lady made him a gift of a walking stick once belonging to her brother. She invited him to visit the Nietzsche Archives.

"Mr. Hitler listened to her read from a memorandum addressed to Bismarck in 1879 by Dr. Foerster, the anti-Semitic agitator who protested against the incursions of the Jewish spirit in Germany. Taking Nietzsche's walking stick in hand, Mr. Hitler strode through the crowd to great huzzahs."

In 1887, addressing a contemptuous letter to anti-Semite Theodor Fritsch, Nietzsche ended this way, "So then really, what do you think I feel when the name of Zarathustra issues forth from the mouths of anti-Semites?"“ - Georges Bataille, ‘On Nietzsche’ (1945) [p. 169 - 173]

[the-framed-maelstrom]

Resistance- that is the distinction of the slave. Let your distinction be obedience. Let your commanding itself be obeying! To the good warrior soundeth “thou shalt” pleasanter than “I will.” And all that is dear unto you, ye shall first have it commanded unto you. Let your love to life be love to your highest hope; and let your highest hope be the highest thought of life! Your highest thought, however, ye shall have it commanded unto you by me- and it is this: man is something that is to be surpassed.

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, ‘Thus Spoke Zarathustra

[cosmonautroger]

[riphimopen]

[theupfish]

One of the world's oldest and most persecuted religions is making a comeback

If you live in "the West," you might not have heard much about the Zoroastrian religion, outside of that memorable monologue in the first "Austin Powers" movie. But as priceless as that speech is, the Zoroastrian religion deserves to be known for more than just shaving Dr. Evil's balls. Actually, if you follow any Abrahamic faith, your religion owes its existence in part to Zoroastrianism.

Originating in Iran, Zoroastrianism is one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions. It's founder Zarathustra, AKA Zoroaster, lived some time between 1,500-1,000 BCE. He was one of the first in his part of the world to preach the idea of a single, non-corporal deity, as well as the idea of an eternal battle between good and evil. Fire factors into many Zoroastrian rituals, but they don't literally worship it, which is a common misconception.

In Hebrew school, my teachers taught us that ours was the first monotheistic religion. In my Hebrew teachers' defense, it was the 90s, and information was nowhere near as easy to come by as it is now; plus, half of them were in still high school themselves (our synagogue was tiny). In any case, Judaism took inspiration from Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism is to Judaism as "Dune" is to "Star Wars." And by extention, Christianity, Islam, Baha'ism, and the Druze religion have a bit of Zoroastrianism in them.

Zoroastrianism uh, declined after Islam became the main religion of Iran. Some Zoroastrians chose to remain in their homeland despite persecution. Others emigrated, and moved throughout the Middle East and South Asia before finally finding refuge in India. This group is now known as the Parsi people.

Freddie Mercury of Queen was a Zoroastrian Parsi.

Zoroastrianism has remained a small religion in numbers, not only due to the persecution, but also because like Judaism, Zoroastrianism has red tape for converts, which it doesn't seek out, and sometimes the kids of mixed marriages aren't counted as members of the faith. (Link)

However, Zoroastrianism is now making a comeback in Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran has backfired, causing many Iranians to secretly leave Islam for other faiths. Since apostasy is punishable by death in Iran, the exact numbers of those who do so are hard to pinpoint, since they won't exactly broadcast it. Zoroastrianism, Baha'ism and Christianity are all popular choices, while many others are simply Atheist or Agnostic.

Zoroastrianism growing particularly among Kurds rediscovering their roots, and who particularly tend to feel disillusioned with Islam, what with the oppression and genocide and all that.

Many Iranian Muslims have a positive view of Zoroastrianism, recognizing its influence on their culture. Some more fundamentalist individuals on the other hand deny the identity and authenticity of this indigenous faith (And if you're Jewish, you're now saying to yourself, "Woa, deja vu!") But there are also many Muslim leaders who defend Zoroastrians, and call for peaceful coexistence.

And peaceful coexistence should always be the goal.

[rchetypal]

Ultimately our morality is not an invention, but an instinct.

— Carl Jung, Zarathustra Seminar

[buttercupthg]

Tell me my husband doesn’t look like josh hutcherson? This is a picture of him at like 15

I been with him almost ten years, and had a huge crush on josh, them childhood crushes be something serious lol

[wisdom-and-such]

“ What land should I flee to?

Where should I go to flee?

From my family and from my clan

They banish me.

The community to which

I belong has not satisfied me

Nor have [the rulers] of the country.

How, Thee, can I satisfy, O Mazda Ahura? ” (Yasna 46.1)

Zarathustra, prophet of Zoroastrianism, after his vision that monotheism must be the only true god, debated all those among the priestly class and won in each case, but the king still wanted to throw him in prison. Around this time, he wrote these lines.  Only some time later, after a private audience with the King, did the King come to understand his ideas, seeing that the priestly classes main concern was a threat to their power, and he changed his mind, granting him his life. 

[shroomco]

Zerdüşt dinletisi C318

Ali Çetin 2023

[alephskoteinos]

[castilestateofmind]

“The Mithraic Mysteries lead to the very heart of the magical Western tradition, a world characterized by self-affirmation, light, greatness, regal spirituality and spiritual regality. ln this path there is no room for escapism; or asceticism; or mortification of the self through humility and devotion; or renunciation and contemplative abstraction. Mithras' path is one of action, of solar power and of spirituality, which is opposed to both the dull and dreamy oriental universalism and to Christian sentimentalism and moralism”.

- Julius Evola, The Path of Enlightenment in the Mithraic Mysteries.

[alwayswiselight]

While spending most of my time commenting and attending livestreams on YouTube regarding the genocide in Gaza, I've also returned to my study of Zoroastrianism, or Zarathustrianism, which is the oldest revealed monotheistic religion in recorded history. The major expert in the English language remains Mary Boyce (1920-2006). Because the images are self-explanatory, I'll only comment that the hexad diagram of the Holy Immortals reminds me that the Greek philosopher Pythagoras obviously obtained knowledge of Zoroastrianism while he was in Babylon. The Pythagoreans held the number Six as well as the Hexad to be perfect, respecting the creation of the world.