564 (FREE TO READ) - "Be Trained or Be Chained": James Keating Interview Part 2
Comtech Knife Coach's book "Warrior, Wizard, Priest" discussion continues with the subjects of balance and personal power for these difficult times
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Welcome back to the second part of an interview with James Albert Keating, talking about subjects covered in his book “Warrior, Wizard, Priest”. This article is edited from a conversation that took part over several emails.
If you have not already read part one, you can find that by clicking the link below:
Part two
Continued from part one and the subject of spirals:
JR: Yes, the bisected spiral image is an elegant, and deceptively simple tool in so much that it can be both figurative or literal and therefore might be applied to so many avenues as a way of looking.
Like deliberate unpredictable behaviour that causes confusion and vulnerability to a direct, straight action of some kind...
I felt that the book itself contained ideas that could be interpreted using the bisected spiral image:
Certain ways of being (and seeing) that are constant in a world that spirals, – and just as that spiral can become a labyrinth, so too can we get lost within it.
The “person of power” themselves as the fixed line both within the spiral, and then at other times, as circling an issue over time and returning again to resolve it rather than just giving up.
You mentioned the repeating feeling of moments in history and I believe there is a quote that goes along the lines that; “History doesn’t literally repeat itself, but it rhymes”.
Those rhymes may be benign or ominous in nature. You’ve mentioned in the past your saying of “Be trained or be chained”, which I feel refers a lot to seeing signs of a repeating pattern in the world, and also changes within ourselves (such as ageing).
Please could you talk a little about your feelings on that with a view to the times that we find ourselves in?
JAK: OK, thanks Jeth. In the great cycles of the planet and of the universe we do indeed find spirals taking place. Near repeats over and over again, thus they are called "cycles" of life, time and experiences. Once you see them, you can loosely predict what lies ahead. Things come and go, they also return.
In this time we are in chaos. Planetary chaos mixed with personal chaos. One in the same.
We could discuss why and who is at fault for days and still have no answers. Besides it does not matter. What does matter is the individual. We have all been taught-brainwashed into believing that we find our way through life much like lemmings. Follow the herd and be safe. Depending on tribe, friends, influencers, counsellors and such. When in truth it is only YOU, you and your guardian spirit (the voice within) / intuition based self guiding capacity.
This is gone from most humans, purged out, a long lost trait for most people these days, replaced by smart devices and more of those "trusted counsels" that should NOT be trusted - EVER.
Personal power is the path, personal power is at an all time low for most men. This is so so very wrong. Sad and creates such times as we are in currently. Getting power is personal. As is the film ULZANAS RAID https://clip.cafe/ulzanas-raid-1972/you-mean-torture-a-man-hours/
Staying balanced, equilibrium - even steven, balance, etc etc // yes, seek and discover balance, it cannot fix shit, but it sure helps.
JR: And this brings us back to some of the ideas in your book which may seem alien in terms of “defence of the self” to a reader looking at this who may have, until now, only considered physical techniques as representing this subject matter without perhaps considering that any Personal Power is built on a foundation of “concept” and that again rests finally upon the mind and spirit; how we perceive the world, and what meaning we derive from it.
The ideas in W.W.P. seem to stem from that Mind/Spirit foundation; of stepping out, disconnecting from the material and learning to look for, question and perhaps, catch glimpses of “something else” and are really important, especially now where, as you correctly say, “smart devices and trusted counsels” are there to drag us back. Becoming open to other ways of seeing and therefore experiencing the world. Different things start to matter and other things may cease to matter, which is where the “chains” might start to loosen...
There are several sections of the book detailing experiences that will sit squarely under the term “supernatural” for a layperson. The idea of perceiving various types of presences, or “encounters” as you refer to them, was a stand out for me personally reading the book, especially chapter 5 in which you talk about “The Death Grab”, something I believe I have experienced myself several times but in somewhat different circumstances. I’ve been gifted, as have so many others, with difficult periods in my life of which the last few years have been one of the hardest – a prolonged succession of losses, including several deaths. Indeed I had begun to actually perceive a literal (visible) dark cloud that hovered close to me at times along with a sense of great weight, and the advice in the book really helped me.
You mention in this chapter the idea of “quality of struggle” being central to personal power and also the experience of “The second attention” state, please could you expand on these especially this last point?
JAK: The "quality of struggle". Sort of like saying its not about the destination, its about the journey. Win or lose it does not matter. Instead focus upon the struggle, there is where power is found.
Some call this sort of thing a "test" which life throws at us at certain times.Well, maybe that has merit. Because whatever its called its a struggle. And its a sign that power is flirting with you, courting you.
Most today see this gift as an attack, poor me, always under pressure, etc. Those people have missed their chance to gain power by running from the struggle(s) that life offers.
A warrior takes up the challenge and struggles, in this act of struggling the life-power comes unto that person. In return, the struggle gives back life energy into the great living emptiness of the void - some have called the life-energy "loosh". Well, its a modern term that roughly fits into this paradigm - not a great descriptor but it will do. Sometimes the human experience defies science and logic.
Sometimes how we pass such experiences along are limited by vocabulary and intent, language is often as not no better than the oinks and grunts of the animals. Sound is sound, intent is felt not seen or heard. The past contained many silent languages that were not based around sound. Those methods are mostly lost to time.
In the old country it is said that some men and women were born with something called "second sight". An ability to see spirits, little people (Fairy, elemental, etc or see the future).
It went beyond mere vision and went into the realm of psychic phenomenon. It also has to do with the speed of your vision. Perceptual speed is goes beyond physical speed boundaries. It is that and more. Perceptual speed also means hi-processing speeds.
Lets say that visual speed and diamond hard attention "help" in the quest for second sight. SECOND ATTENTION: A trance-like state wherein YOU and the normal world change. This shift is surreal and off setting, frightening to some. Like being drunk, but intensely in control unlike a drunk would be. Its been described as being under water, but not. In this trance many things are experienced but are never remembered / odd / like a second life that you cannot recall.
Going into second attention mode is good when done well. Otherwise its confusion and chaos, "Whats happening to me"? Fear. Once again the gift of this experience is missed and what is thus concluded is I am having a medical issue, IE: losing my shit.
Connected in the western worlds is the Tachy Psychia effect that so many fear and warn against, its a gift, not to be feared but explored. To explore it takes power. No power - no forward movement. https://uw.pressbooks.pub/honors211ctime/chapter/tachypsychia-lakshin-kumar/
(JR: Readers may refer to the notes section at the end of this article for a related podcast with Paladin Press author James LaFond on the subject of altered states of perception in combat)
JAK: Hi-stress = struggle = attainment of power, shock, trance kicks in you are either buried by it or you surf it. With No power you are buried by its might, a tsunami of shit. And with power you ride it, a gift, you stay on top of it and it takes you places.
Second attention is a VERY complicated thing to understand, quite counter intuitive, experience counts in such endeavours. The real deep roots of this are far more weird than anyone can even imagine. So we can save that for another time. A real rabbit hole w/ no ending to it. JK
JR: I hope you’ve enjoyed and more importantly, found useful, these edited parts of the conversation that James and I had. It’s always a pleasure to talk to him and I thank him for his time. I’d like to finish these shared ideas for readers with a quote from James’ site:
JAK: “Metaphysical stuff is more about living it can be part of our martial art but it's about life it's about how life and the universe and you all work together or not so after putting out places power and magic my new book many people have asked me about these things and i'm not going to say they're sceptical they're just questioning they're just curious and if i had read such a book with things i too would be a little sceptical…
I've never known master warriors who were not also somewhat mystics they seem to go together those two properties and i'm not saying they have to but they just often seem to be together and i i dubbed that the warrior wizard priest syndrome uh…
The wizard has that magical ability and he's the bridge the crossover between the holy one the priest and the one who's in the field covered in dirt and blood the warrior and so you must have this triad in everything we do remember triads are everything whether it's Celtic whether it's Christianity whatever it may be the the balisong knife itself everything is sets of three the art of Kali is so much is three three this three prefix three suffix and sets of three.
I learned long ago was that I must never argue with anyone if they disbelieve what i do or what i say or what i can do because then it makes an argument it's a conflict. So being the crafty bastard that i am i always allow them the right to prove me correct rather than me proving me correct and that is by having them do the the very thing that they say oh you can't do that that seems illogical well okay then i can't do that but how about if they do that you do that well how then even the most adamant infidel how then can they deny the existence of what i have shared with them because they themselves have just done it they themselves have just proven me correct and that's the only way that I really operate in these cases and it also means that that individual who is before me is thus empowered in a new way that they never had before they've got a new belief and you know what that belief is is a belief in themself. It's a new level of confidence that's been achieved it's a belief in many of the things they have learned in martial arts and their advanced studies of of these various internal external disciplines.
I share this knowledge because it has helped me in my life so why wouldn't i share this with others as long as it's done in the correct way those who are meant to receive this knowledge will be open to it and will will just it will just automatic install those who are not meant to receive such knowledge the door will be shut and it just will not be allowed and this is that part of a karmic path part of a greater energetic path that we must accept sometimes i know in my own past my my growth was not sufficient to sustain what i had been given and i had to grow more internally intellectually spiritually go back to that teaching and find out that now i can validate that teaching because i am a worthy enough vessel to accept that and and be able to do that so we have to understand and this is about understanding ourself and the world around us.”
Find James Keating’s work (including books) at the links below:
NOTES
A related podcast to ideas discussed in these articles with Paladin Press author James LaFond.
