Finally, let me reveal my own morphic theory and a simple truth. Controversial biologist Rupert Sheldrake believes that traditions, customs and rituals are maintained throughout history and embedded in societal lore and cultures through a process of what he calls morphic resonance. At the heart of this well-debated school of thought is the concept that energy is transferred within and between fields containing evolutionary memory that exist around us.
Sheldrake points out that, in order for rituals to have a “deliberate and conscious evocation of memory, right back to the first act…ritual acts must be performed with the correct movements, gestures, words, and music throughout the world.” Ok, enough of Sheldrake’s theory. It’s time for mine.
Society is habitual. It relies on repetition and routine to maintain stability and safety. Institutions such as education, marriage and family, business, the media, entertainment, religion – all depend on things happening the same – day in, day out; year in, year out; century in, century out; and so on.
Queers, disabled people, indigenous people, agnostics, atheists and pagans, independent thinkers and radicals threaten that stability and safety. We are unable to perpetuate the “deliberate and conscious evocation of memory, right back to the first act.” We refuse to “perform the correct movements, gestures, words, and music.” We change things “throughout the world.”
We alter the morphic resonance of society.
In 2004 Anglican Archbishop Whakahuihui Vercoe wanted a world without gays and, preaching that homosexuality is not a human accepted norm, tried desperately to restrict the evolution of society’s morphic resonance.
Shortly after the Archbishop had denied his prejudice I did a full moon ritual. We had to move around the backyard of a friend’s place, chanting about what we wanted to receive from the universe. Then we had to write something we wanted to be rid of on a piece of paper, burn it and eat the ashes.
Ok, we didn’t have to eat the ashes. I have a Libran ascendant and moon, so I never know whether to get into this spiritual shit or mock the crap out of it. My Capricorn sun means I use useful aspects of it.
Anyway, my point: I could not physically move around the space in the traditional way, because my capacity to co-ordinate that specific movement was impeded, or otherwise directed, by virtue that I used an unpowered wheelchair at that time.
I needed help writing and burning my riddance. But the ritual called for an undisclosed introspection.
So, I couldn’t live up to some of the “requirements” of the “theory” of the ritual. I wasn’t able to re-create the “deliberate and conscious evocation of memory, right back to the first act.” Did that make the ritual any less meaningful for me or for others in the group?
No, of course not. We knew the intent was to make fools of ourselves and invoke renewal and change. Vercoe and others like him need to understand this simple truth: It is the intent of societal traditions, rituals and norms that holds value, not the means by which we exercise that intent. It is ridiculous to get so caught up in detail. Until humanity grasps this, we queers, freaks and radicals must dutifully fulfil our purpose.
We must continue to evolve humanity’s morphic resonance.
For more on Rupert Sheldrake and morphic resonance, visit his website.
