The Myth of the Muse

A young man responds to a prophetic vision of a massacre

1

“What’s going on?”

This is expected. Note his disorientation and confusion. Respond with a calm and gentle voice to avoid panic, which could be unrecoverable. His eyes widen and dart from side to side. He may try to get up. You might gently stroke his hair.

“You are with me, Isaac, in my tent and on my bed, you are perfectly safe and everything is beautiful.”

“Is it morning? I must get ready for work.”

His greatest fear at the moment is that he might be late for work.

“It is late in the afternoon and you are finished with work for the day. And no work is to be done tomorrow, so there is nothing at all you need to do, except to relax and enjoy your time with me. How are you feeling?”

See how he focuses on me and he reaches out to me. Everyone is different of course and you learn how they respond. I decided to be partially undressed with some of my breast revealed. This awakens and excites him. Leverage the energy of his excitement without this becoming a distraction.

“I am so happy that I don’t need to get ready for work.”

He is relaxed, smiling, alert and focused. Now we can begin.

“Isaac, I have something important I want to discuss with you. And then, after we discuss this, we will eat and drink wine and enjoy being on my bed together, as we have before. Are you ready to hear this? Moses has been to the top of the mountain, speaking with God, but he will return soon.”

“How do you know he’ll soon return? It’s been so long.”

“I know things.”

“Yes, you do. What else do you know?”

Now tell him the story in a way that places him at the centre. 

“You are a Levite – this will be important today. There is a reason our secret meetings began when Moses went up the mountain. He is coming down soon and you must prepare. This is why we have been spending time together. I like you and I trust you and we need your help.”

“What do you need?”

“I will tell you. While I explain, I want you to remove all the gold you can find on my body, and to place the gold in this basket.”

This is why I am wearing so much gold. The activity serves several purposes. It gets him moving so he is more awake and alert, it brings our bodies close, even touching, which he enjoys.

“When you remove something, I want you to kiss me there.”

But the main reason is to propel the story forward in ways that connect him to the events while also demonstrating your abilities.

“When Moses returns, something unbelievably horrible is going to happen. The men of your tribe will slaughter thousands of us, including some of their own family and neighbours. The camp will be red with our blood. The Levite swords will be red with our blood.”

Another reason for the task is to observe changes in his body when you share the vision.

“You need to keep removing the gold, Isaac.”

“Why will they do this?”

“They will be killed for worshipping God in their own way.”

“How are they worshipping God?”

“Each in their own way. There is a joyous feast to the Lord, with singing and dancing around a beautiful golden calf that Aaron made. That Aaron will make.”

Now the messenger passes near the entrance of the tent and proclaims:

“Listen, all! Aaron asks that we all provide gold for the Lord – give us your gold earrings and jewellery!”

Ask Isaac to take the basket of gold with him when he leaves, to deliver the gold to Aaron.

2

Isaac returns today full of questions. He has seen the calf being constructed and is disturbed by our visions of violence – but does not yet believe.

“This is not a story, Isaac. This is going to happen. And you will be expected to participate – to kill family and neighbours who celebrate around the golden calf. This will demonstrate your faith and obedience to God and Moses. You will become a priest. This is how you become a priest."

He is sceptical because nothing like this has happened before. We fight enemies who threaten us. But to kill each other? For how we worship God? This is absurd, he is thinking. And he is correct, of course. Proceed by introducing the connection with his mother. Meanwhile, prepare the drink, as he reclines on the bed, watching you.

“Your mother had visions, as well.”

“Yes, she did, sometimes – it was a secret.”

“Your mother taught me, and others. She prepared us to give birth to new ways of being that bring us closer to God. She taught us to help young men, to prepare them for compassionate leadership. She said this will take many generations. Man is slow to change. Your mother envisioned the golden calf and the massacre. She was worried for all of us and for you in particular.”

Finish preparing the drink in silence, as there is much for him to process. He searches memories of his mother and of his time here with me, since I offered new context for our meetings. He is coming to believe that the visions are true and violence is coming.

Just as you finish preparing the drink, a messenger is heard in the distance:

“Tomorrow will be a feast to the Lord!”

See the change in Isaac’s face. He believes. Now, the work can begin.

“Tell me more! What exactly is going to happen?!”

“That depends on you. We must decide together. You have many options to consider. You might simply do nothing – or try to do nothing. You could even hide until it is all over.”

He is incensed by this, offended and hurt that you would conceive of him this way. Guilt and shame are as powerful as sexual desire. You can leverage this.

“Of course you would never do this. Of course you will act. When you were much younger, though, your mother thought of sending you away. But now you are a man.”

Now bring him the drink. Be careful not to spill even a drop.

“Isaac, this drink is not like the previous ones. This one helps us dream together. You will see what happens and take part. Yet we are always here in my tent. And in that world, you will consider what to do.”

Until one experiences the drink one cannot be truly prepared. If he asks for detail, describe hallucinatory journeys where entities and environments emerge and dissolve. But avoid the notion of contact with beings from the future. This can be confusing to the point of distraction.

We are ready. Have him drink first, a full cup. Then drink a full cup yourself.

3

“Where am I?”

Set the scene. We are at the base of Mount Sinai. The Levites are gathered with swords on their thighs, listening to Moses. Much has already happened since Moses appeared. They destroyed the golden calf, burned it and ground it into dust and tossed it into the water. The community drank this water. Now the Levites stand ready to attack.

“I will stop them!”

“How?”

“I will…make the fall asleep.”

“You haven’t that power.”

“I will fix their feet to the ground.”

“You haven’t that power either.”

“What can I do?”

It is time for the difficult part, but we have been practicing. For the first time, let him see what we see. Swords pierce bodies, horror and agony, stabbing and hacking, screaming and blood. We see victims but not the faces of the murderers. We see through the eyes of a Levite. 

He panics. He yells ‘no’ and ‘stop.’ And he suddenly awakens, or believes he has. You are back on your bed, though an illusion of your bed. He is breathing hard, disoriented and frightened. Remember to control your voice.

“Isaac, it is not real.”

Pause and repeat.

“It is not real. But it is true and will become real.”

We are teaching him to think critically, not impulsively. We are helping him learn to control the environment.

“Lie back, close your eyes and we’ll try again.”

He is hesitant, which is to be expected. Why would anyone voluntarily experience this horror? Yet he complies because he trusts you.

“Now, what do you see?”

“They are gathered before Moses. They are not moving. Nothing is moving.”

“Time has stopped so that you might consider your options. When time resumes, the attack will begin.”

“What did Moses say that would make them do this?”

Demonstrate the ability to fly back and forth through time. Let him see the feast and the celebrations, the singing and dancing, the worshiping at the altar of the golden calf.

“When Moses returns, he sees the celebration, destroys the calf and orders the attack. Moses claims that God orders the slaughter.”

“Why would God do this?”

Explain that your vision does not extend into the mind and motivations of God. We have tried, of course. A point of contention with God. But this is about Isaac and what he will do. Ask him.

“I will warn everyone and rally the people against the Levites. We will fight them!”

Discuss how there is no time to start a political movement and to raise a fighting force. The Levites are trained, disciplined, battle-hardened and he would be killed immediately.

“I will simply refuse the order, visibly and vocally. I will be a conscientious objector and a role model to others who might then join me.”

He sees this scenario through the eyes of these others. They see a man killed for disobeying and the result is terror and compliance.

“Isn’t there virtue in trying? Even while facing certain failure?”

Swords, screaming and blood, and we are again back on the bed.

He is shaken but no longer fearful. He understands that this is like awakening from a dream. He is quiet and we should be quiet ourselves. Let him speak first when he is ready.

“I might save some from the slaughter. If I cannot stop it, perhaps I can save some. I will hide them – and you! There is a cave I know at the base of Sinai.”

Some people did successfully hide Jews

“Who is that? Who said that?”

He is aware now that someone is here in the tent with us, someone that can be seen out of the corner of one’s eyes. If you turn to look directly, they disappear. Isaac looks back and forth to catch a glimpse, to no avail. The visitor speaks:

Life is not just about survival

Death is inevitable and should be meaningful

Stop thinking that death can be avoided

Encourage him to close his eyes again and wait for him to proceed.

“I will attack Moses. Before he gives the order. If there is no order, there is no attack. I will wait in hiding and kill Moses on his way down the mountain.”

Isaac performs this fantasy. He climbs the mountain with sword on thigh and hides beside the path. The old man comes, climbing down slowly with two stone tablets cradled in his arms for protection. He comes closer. This man Isaac has revered. This man of God who speaks with God.

“Perhaps I could just speak with him and negotiate!”

But Moses stops and sees Isaac and hears his thoughts. 

Moses says wearily, “The negotiation is complete,” and continues on his way.

“Moses looks sad and exhausted but determined and somehow radiant. Killing him would not stop the massacre. God would simply deliver the order through Joshua or someone else. But if I go up the mountain high enough, early enough, I might see Moses speaking with God. I might intervene and ask why he wants such violence and death.”

Isaac manifests this scene and questions God who now speaks to Isaac as he speaks to us. We cannot hear God’s voice – he is speaking only to Isaac – but we know from experience what is said. The golden calf is an abomination and evidence of a corrupt people unworthy of his love or mercy.

“He says he will now destroy the entire community! What have I done!”

Swords, screaming and blood. And we are again back on the bed. 

This is how we facilitate explorations and experimentations. Note how we periodically move back in time. First, Isaac tried to stop the Levites, then he tried to stop Moses and finally, he confronted God. We are approaching root causes and the essence of our dilemma.

“Isaac, why don’t you destroy the calf – or prevent its construction? No calf, no celebration, no punishment.”

He thinks about this silently for some time and looks terribly sad.

“But I see you there, celebrating around the calf. You are leading the celebration. To destroy the calf would be – to destroy your life. I don’t understand, but I see that you must do this.”

“Yes, I must.”

“And the massacre is inevitable. It will happen. I cannot prevent it.”

It has happened already

It has been happening forever

Sit in silence now, allowing space to process and accept this knowledge. When the time feels right, offer words that you have sworn to pass along.

“Death is inevitable, Isaac. Make our death meaningful. The massacre is the worst of happenings. Make it matter.”

4

Rest before continuing. Relax and eat. The visitor can be periodically heard whispering, indistinctly, but already Isaac sees this as normal. He has the sight, now. Take comfort and satisfaction in this success. Now he tells you what he sees and what will happen.

“We place the Levites and Moses and God on trial and hold a symposium at the base of the mountain with representatives from across all tribes. We work together on ways forward. We establish a Levitical priesthood founded on the commitment that such a massacre must never happen again. We celebrate diversity and protect those who worship in their own way – even around a golden calf. Each individual is a beautiful and unique experiment of the universe. We create our own ways to God, suited to our beliefs and temperaments. We dedicate ourselves to protect this freedom. Even to curse god, as I do today.

“I see a festival. Some sing and dance and share stories. Others receive a cup of the drink. There, someone lies on the ground arms outstretched as if holding the entire world. There, joyously heated debates over the nature of reality. Some are off in the distance in loving embraces. And the Levitical priests, I among them, surround you, facing outward in a perimeter of loving protection.”

And as we all feel an overwhelming wave of beauty and perfection, a messenger calls out:

“Moses has returned and the Levites are gathering!”