Might and Magic - The Path of the Pagan Warrior

Long before I developed an interest in dusty ancient texts (or anything else for that matter) I was heavily influenced and immersing myself in the study of various martial arts. Those studies are what likely got me through my teenage years relatively unscathed. It's all I did, all I cared to do. I wasn't interested in getting my first car, drinking, drugs, school, girls... if I wasn't training, I wasn't happy.

I spent 4 years studying on my own until my parents were finally convinced enough to get me into formal training and the Imperial Dragon - a very secret society type of set up hidden away in the attic of an old auto parts building. They didn't advertise, didn't compete for points and trophies, and didn't expect you to do those things either. In fact, the first rule was: Never tell anyone about this place. The thinking was that if you sought them out and found them, you might have the qualities they were looking for. Chief among those qualities: desire.

While studying at the Imperial Dragon I continued to study on my own. I made my own training equipment, obstacle courses, weapons, and my parents even allowed me to design my own dojo in our garage which was laid out in the design of a Buddhist temple. There I studied the myths and culture of the East while beating myself to a pulp. All the while, no one outside of my family members knew anything about it until my Jr. year in high school when I was pulled into letting the cat out of the bag.

My Sensei from the Imperial Dragon was invited to give demonstrations in one of my classes. During the first part of the demonstration he didn't acknowledge me much at all as he gave a quick lesson on meditation. Which I was fine with. The second part of that same demonstration was based on how controlling one's mind aids in controlling the abilities of one's body. To demonstrate this sense of focus and control he wanted to display the standard breaking of the boards. The twist was that he called me up to do it and in doing so let all of my classmates in on my little secret.

At this point I had still never done the breaking technique nor did I care in trying it. I thought the breaking of the boards was a showman thing and I was not all that impressed by the idea showmanship because usually it just invited trouble. But in the dojo or out when your Sensei tells you to do something, you do it.

So, I stood up from my desk and walked to the center of the room, the stunned eyes of all of my classmates locked on me. I was anything but comfortable up there and can remember thinking that it was going to be the most humiliated event of my life if I failed. As my Sensei was prepping everything for the demonstration I whispered to him that I had never done the breaking technique. He whispered back that he would not have called me up there if he didn't think I could do it. He knew I was ready. I wasn't so sure.

He gave an enigmatic explanation of what we were about to show the class and took his place, board in hand, me directly in front of him, fists at the ready. I took one deep breath while staring at the wall behind my Sensei. THAT wall was my target. Not the board, not him. Just the single point on the wall behind them both. It was then that I experienced what I can only describe as tunnel vision. The room, the class, the board all fell away from my sight and all there was in my field of vision was that focal point on the wall. Seemingly in slow motion I threw the strike and stepped into it at the same time. The board snapped loudly, pieces of it flying from my Sensei's grip, exploding across the room. When my senses came flooding back I found myself gripping a fist full of his shirt. A final detail to stop the remaining power of the strike. My classmates all gasped in silence for what seemed like an eternity before they busted out in screams and applause.

Eventually I would take my studies in various martial arts and combine them with western pagan spirituality rather than the more common eastern philosophies of their origin. The psychology behind witchcraft would come into play as a new kind of technique making me into a new kind of weapon. But what I was doing back then was not your neo-pagan, love and light, we're all peaceful crap. In fact, I as doing the exact opposite and doing it all very publicly with absolutely no care for the consequences because the simple truth is: there were none. I was an absolute menace, a nightmare come to life for many. Even the police could do little to even get in my way let alone stop me. And I excelled at terrorizing anyone I took a disliking to. Beating them down both physically and mentally with techniques and notions that today I believe no one (especially a rebelling teenager) should ever possess the knowledge of. Something inside me wanted blood, blood is what it took, and lots of it.

I stayed in that state of mind for nearly 5 years before I finally outgrew it. The story of what changed me is a different tale all together. But what happened in that tale instantly put me on a path of trying to redeem myself for all of the pain and hell I had unleashed into the world.

I know all of the darkness and evil that men are capable of because I have done it all myself. In the years since, I have taken out a hundred times more evil than the victims I created when I was evil myself. But I am also well aware that no matter how immersed in the light and blessings of ancient gods I can be there is still some shred of that old darkness inside me. Still those random thoughts, emotions, desires that come from the demon half pacing and roaring in his cage. Especially when I am challenged or under high levels of stress. It's simply not a good thing for me to get angry. Anger seems to trigger that old darkness, wake it up. And when it wakes it is extremely difficult to keep it in the cage.

I have learned to control it better and use its energy in more creative ways. Working out, taking on the enormous physical challenges of The Journeybook, focusing on my spiritual path, things like that. I have tried to pass all of this knowledge of training, darkness and light down to my younger brother who today is the same age I was when I was dark and holds a kind of darkness of his own.

Before I moved away we would train together constantly. We've been doing it since before he could walk. Today those training opportunities are rare. But we have made it a habit to get together at least once a year for a week or so of training and we film just about every minute of it.

This is the more hidden side of this overall tale. Sure there are ancient gods, artifacts, weapons, incredible landscapes, and unbelievable manifestations that defy imagination. But there is also the training, the violence, the brute force and the pain. Now, for all to see.

The Journeybook - Training Daze 2 (VIDEO)

The Island of the Gods and The Spear of Keravnos

 Without question one of the most influential locations for my story has been a single island that rests in the middle of a river seven miles south of my home.

It was from this island that I took my altar stone, this island where I discovered the Eagle, this island where three bald eagles appeared during the season one finale of The Journeybook and this island where I was to return.

A return that was anything but easy.

Persistent rain, threat of flash floods, unknown dangers on the murky river bottom, no idea what I would encounter if and when I was able to set foot on the island again. In fact, there were so many unknowns that it would take two entire chapters of Journeybook to pull off. One dark, one light.

The first leg of the quest took me through a far more ancient landscape than the island itself. A dark forest of rocky ledges, a shallow streams, caves, and waterfalls.

This was the difficult part of the overall quest. I got lost twice and had to backtrack several miles in order to correct the mistake. The rugged terrain made the correction alone take nearly two hours. With the sun in the western half of the sky before I even reached the forest, things were even darker than they might have been mid-day.

While the dark forest was enchanting in its ancient feel that landscape was difficult to capture on film. Twice the camera fell during filming and while the camera itself didn't suffer any damage the tripod did after tumbling off of one of the slopes when a loose rock fell, hitting one of the tripod legs.

There is a cave in this same forest that I wasn't able to get into because the recent rains I mentioned had flooded the valley that cuts through the heart of the forest where the cave lies. By the time I got into the area the cave had already been flooded.

But... I was able to navigate through the ancient forested landscape and make it safely back into the light, even if the gear did take a beating in the process.

I came out of the dark forest with some of the most stunning images of the season to date and a twisted knee - an injury suffered while making the jump to the lower valley floor. The injury just happened to be captured in the video. You can hear the impact, the instant sting, and see me stumble when I hit the ground.

Island of the Gods - Part One (VIDEO)

This photo (above) is of a shrub that grows on the Island of the Gods itself which I was able to reach after a tenuous river crossing that I took inch by inch - having to keep my body turned sideways against the strong current. If I had tried to face it directly the river current would have swept me downstream. To date, I have not been able to identify these shrubs that grow in the Island of the Gods and no where else in the entire river valley. In all of my travels this is the one and only place I have ever seen them.

The island was pretty much as I remembered it. Here everything seems to be 4 times the average size from the stones themselves that make up the island to the various types of shells and sea glass that liters it. Even these mysterious shrubs grow to incredible heights and girths - somehow able to withstand the frequent flash floods of the temperamental river.

I really had no idea what motivated me to go back to the island aside from some of the most memorable stories in this series coming from it. I simply woke up one day knowing that I had to go back.

Once I made it to the island I set up a spot for my gear and began searching the island in a grid like pattern, looking for whatever it was I was suppose to find with no idea what that something was. Of course I found peculiar stones, large shells, huge chunks of sea glass, a wealth of goose feathers strewn about, and all of the other standards. The island happens to be huge in comparison to most others along the river with a swollen center where the shrubs grow.

It was amid these shrubs near the highest part of the island where I discovered this (above) wedged deep into the sandy crust. A discovery that was captured in the film because I just happened to be recording video of the island when I came across it. The piece is hallow, almost as a spear head but far heavier than one would expect a spear head to be. Still, that was the first thing that came to mind when I discovered it.

I've been working with the piece for weeks now in order to forge what will be called The Spear of Keravnos. 

The piece currently rest inside Hera's Altar Room.

Island of the Gods - Part Two (VIDEO) 

The Coming Storms

A quest had been planned for this coming Sunday ( June 2, 2013) to return to the island where I discovered the 7 Mile Altar Stone and Zeus's Lightning infused Eagle stone. This same island is also where three bald eagles appeared during the journey to place the last of the stone Hera Votives to complete the Ritual of Moira a 22 part, 9 month long ritual meant to release Hera from her bindings by Zeus.

Since these manifestations all came to pass on the same island the island was named "The Island of the Gods" and deemed to be 'holy ground'. I have not been to the island since the encounter with the eagles. Nor had I intended to until I had a vague dream about it which has since infused me with a sense of urgency in getting back there for some reason.

I planned the journey to answer the pull to the island and then a change in the weather came about. 2 days of thunderstorms are expected over the weekend which  prevents the planned journey on Sunday and the rains to come with these storms will increase the flow of the river making the island that much harder to set foot on for a time after the storms themselves pass.

I don't know what lies on that island, what manifestations will present themselves when I return to it, or why the sense of urgency to get there. The appearance of the thunderstorms does delay the journey but it is also a fools errand considering I have been harvesting the essence of such storms and welcome every one of them in order to gain more measures.

Another manifestation has appeared behind the coming storms. The past 2 days have been the hottest of the year thus far. But a cold front coming in behind the line of thunderstorms will drop the temperature and humidity drastically for a few days. The cooling veil of the cold front will make journeying far easier and more comfortable.

So it would seem that I have gained a hindrance from Zeus and a blessing from Hera when it comes to venturing back to the Island. The only thing to do now however, is wait.

The Island of the Gods

The Chain of Fate

Discovering the valley where the Chain of Fate was hidden posed a few challenges due to some of the locations along the way not being on any map. Which I thought odd considering just how many detailed maps are available. The journey was also a race against time. Much of it was done just before sunset and it was well after dark before I made it back to "civilization".

The adventure took me further south that I had anticipated, hooked to the west into a deep river valley where that falls were tucked away under the arches (Right).

And there near the falls, as foretold, was the natural cavity cut into the rock itself by thousands of years of swirling water when the river flooded where I found the golden chain.

It was a moderate climb down the rocky river bank in order to get to the falls themselves. Many others who take on the venture reported it to be a difficult climb down and even harder getting back out.

From the overlook area the rocky slopes look intimidating enough. Most of them are sheer drop-offs of smooth rock face. No footholds, nothing to hand onto. But just to the south of the overlook, hidden in the brush, is a trail snaking down most of the way. A little jump at the bottom and one finds themselves face to face with the cascading falls.

Once I retrieved the Chain of Fate I had to make my way north along the river bank until I came to a narrow passageway where the bedrock had actually split in two. From above this same passageway cannot be seen. The ground appears to be solid. An illusion brought on by the angle and the fact that both chunks of earth have a matching pattern to them. You have to be directly over top of the chasm in order to know it's there. And that chasm is the only way back out without climbing gear. But even using the chasm led me to a secondary rock face I had to climb in order to reach the trail heading out. Luckily the secondary face was broken and covered by thick tree roots that gave me the ability to climb.

The Chain of Fate now rests in the altar room at Hera's feet. Another ritualized test completed bringing me one step closer to my goal.

But passing these tests and attaining the power of lightning are two very different things. From here on the journeys will be much more difficult and far longer. Tests of strength, endurance, and resolve are coming from the landscapes alone. Not to mention what the Gods themselves might throw onto the path.

What is to come next might very well provoke Zeus enough to take notice once again as I prepare to return to the island where I discovered the Seven Mile Altar Stone and the fulgurite Eagle. The next leg of the journey will take me back to the Island of the Gods. The same island where Zeus manifested so prominently during the final quest last year. And unlike all of the other quests I have taken on this season, I have no idea what lies in store or what it is I am to discover on that island.

Hemitheos

"Our current obsession with creativity is the result of our continued striving for immortality in an era when most people no longer believe in an after-life."

~Arianna Stassinopoulos

Last week I had the opportunity to travel back to the very spot where this story began and spend the week in the Gardens of Lisocea which have changed somewhat since my last visit. The central lion head fountain is where Hera left the peacock feather that began this tale is now surrounded by over 100 solar lights. One of which sets right inside the fountain marking the exact spot where the feather was discovered. 

The sacred spot continues to be built upon, changed, and maintained with votives of all kinds added throughout and has come to also include 3 graves within the central garden of the lost and beloved pets of the family who maintains the grounds. 

Over 50 different species of flowers have already been planted throughout the gardens for the season with work also being done to the nearby frog pond and river of flowers that flows into it. As of now, not a single day goes by that the Gardens of Lisocea are not tended by the caretakers. 

This photo (left) was taken near sunset over the central fountain, showing the solar light marker where Hera's feather was discovered years ago. The story of which was recounted by the family while setting around a campfire on the third night I was there.

Many spiritual people can recall the events that led them to the path they have found themselves on. Not so many have a photo of the exact spot where that path began, the spot where everything in their lives changed (for better or worse), a spot considered to be sacred - not only by those on the path but to all those who have heard the tale and believe. 

This week long visit back to where this very story began marks a turning point and insights into what is to come. Gifts and votives for Hera's Altar Room were brought back from the trip including a rare hand blown crystal wine glass from Romania. While there I also had the rare opportunity to film a lightning storm which passed over. Oddly, there was no rain and little thunder. Just a grande display of lightning which I was able to film and include into a recap video for The Journeybook titled Hemitheos. (See Below)

Both the visit to the gardens and the new video mark a turn in the video documentary of this journey as I prepare to head west, back into the wilds, in one of the most action packed adventures of the season. The quest is to find and obtain a golden chain votive that long ago was dedicated to Lachesis - the second Sister of Fate and guarded by a giant spider. 

The golden, crystal encrusted talisman is thought to have the ability to cloak the fate of anyone who wears it, rendering them invisible to oracles as well as the Sisters themselves. While the talisman does not have the power to change ones fate it does offer the opportunity for the bearer to change it themselves through their cloaked actions.

But Lachesis did not make the ritual trails to obtain her golden chain easy. It is hidden somewhere in a forested labyrinth, in a hole that was naturally carved into the earth itself by a mighty waterfall, deep within a river valley that is surrounded by dead falls and crumbling shale cliffs. A hard place to find, a hard test to come.

The Long Road

In just a few short hours I will be heading off on a road trip that will take me all the way back to the very fountain, setting in the center of the gardens it took me nearly 4 years to build, where this very story began. It was there, in that same garden where I woke up one morning to find a single peacock feather unexplainably lying in that lion head fountain. The same feather that crowns the entry way into my altar room, looking down on me as I write these very words.

Hard to imagine such a tiny thing having the ability to begin such an epic journey. If that feather had never appeared my tale would have never taken the direction it did. I might not be so connected to Hera, this blog might not exist for the world to see, and so many countless adventures might never have been had.

From that feather came all of it. This written account, The Journeybook videos that chronicle my journey beyond the written word, the digital art, stone carvings, grande altar room, my defiance against Zeus. It has permeated nearly every aspect of my existence from the mundane to the unbelievable. The later being the motivation for the video series. Having it captured on video and thousands of photos does tend to lend to credibility. In this age people like to watch adventure such as this more than simply reading about them. They want to see it. And thus far I have done pretty well at giving them that opportunity.

My path was of course raging on long before this all came to pass. It took me the better part of 20 years to become what I am today and be chosen for this journey. Prior to discovering the feather and finding myself on this quest I had little to do with the old Gods, didn't really care for any of them. I was raised in a rustic countryside environment, came out of the forest to become a well known warrior in the world wide pagan community. From warrior I rose to become a pagan king. Challenged by over 20 men over the years for my crown and title and to this day that crown and title remain undefeated. As king I created one of the most powerful, impactful, revolutionary, and nearly undefinable pagan dynamics to ever exist. Unlike the modern re-constructionist who tend to the lambs I only tended to the lions.
Thousands of them came and over the years thousands of them fell. In spite of everything they believed to be true about themselves they simply could not endure. Until finally, there was no one left and I sat there on that throne all but alone. The great hall I ruled over and all of its people had fallen. Yet, I remain.

I'm not always sure what it is that drives me on beyond the limits of all others. Perhaps it is fearing the shame that might come in leaving such a tale abandoned and unfinished. Perhaps it has nothing to do with me at all. It may not be my will pushing me forward down a path I can scarcely see nor hardly believe myself.

This morning, as I set here before the Altar of Hera, preparing for the long journey back to where this all started I can vividly see the path behind me. I can see every loss, feel every pain and the kind of exhaustion that only comes from traveling a path too far, for too long, and knowing that you are still no where near the end of it - you never will be. The beginning and the end no longer matter. There is only the climb.

If I succeed in what is to come just this year I will have bested Zeus himself, won the heart of Hera, will sip honeyed wine made from a thousand thunderstorms, and hold the power of lightning in the palm of my hand. All for the world to see in word, video, and photographic glory every single step of the way.

And then what?

You see? It's not the Gods that put the questions in my mind.
It's eternity.

The Gift of Poseidon

On May 7, 2013 the journey turned westward along the coast until we came to a place where the God  Poseidon holds great influence. It was there that the long path traveled across the lands found lands end. The next adventure would put me under the sea.

It would also be the first chapter in The Journeybook to be named directly after one of the Gods. Something that might seem odd considering the entire tale involves Hera, Zeus, and myself  and yet it would be Poseidon - a seemingly unrelated God - who would come to change the impact and range of everything.

It's still unclear which side Poseidon favors. Hera and I or his brother Zeus. But the gift Poseidon was to grant might also be seen as him being neutral about the whole thing. The tribute required by Poseidon in order to gain access to the sea realms was costly but the benefits that would come of it would be of equal measure.

This photo (left) is but one of the 75 stills I took while filming this chapter of The Journeybook and this tiny creature packed a powerful punch when it came time to post the photos - instantly becoming the single most popular image taken from the entire series to date.

The release of the photo manifested in a massive boom and is quickly circling around the net in multiple forums, creating a huge increase in the viewer range of the series. A story isn't much of anything unless it is being told.

Attentions are being draw with every step I take. Every day I get closer and closer to taking on the battle that many are already holding their breath to see. The gift of Poseidon would come to be a net cast over tens of thousands of people who would turn their eyes and become witnesses to this very tale.

Many of the landscapes and images captured in this journey are ethereally beautiful, haunting, and enchanting. It has been a relatively calm adventure thus far this season. But that sense of calm wont last. A very long path still lies ahead and that path will not always be beautiful nor will the challenges to come upon it be easy.

Only one quest westward remains before the turn south and the long march begins to the end of Zeus.