Doctor Illuminatus and Pulp Fiction

Or Royale With Cheese?

I had never heard of Ramon Llull until about five years ago while we all collectively experienced the pandemic. It was during one of my deep dive calls with my dad while going on my daily mental walks, notebook and pen in pocket. My dad is both an avid reader and prolific writer along with being a consummate thinker on many topics across the spectrum. As I got interested in philosophy he and I began to have far more interesting conversations. One of my goals was to not be completely lost when he would go on his diatribes. This came about through one of my other daily rituals which was listening to Stephen West’s podcast Philosophize This. I started at the beginning and by the end of the pandemic I had listened to nearly 200 episodes. That in itself was an achievement!

Midjourney prompt: three wise men under a tree while talking to another who is lost in their way while a woman on a horse watches, done in the style of artists from the 13th century

We all had our covid rituals to keep us both occupied as well as feeling connected and mine was getting perspective on the evolution of human thought through the past several millennia. As I did my long daily walks I would ingest West’s comprehensive overview of the many philosophers as well as their particular schools of thought. I got addicted to buying the accompanying books so I could reference what was discussed on the podcast, though to be honest I built a much better library than actually used it. But I was learning about so many different thinkers and their works which was fantastic. And one of these thinkers was the 13th century philosopher and occultist, Ramon Llull.

My dad had told me a bit about him as I was just getting back into my Tarot and esoteric studies, so I ordered the Ramon Llull Reader titled Doctor Illuminatus. It sat on my shelf for years. I finally picked it up last week and started to read “The Book of the Gentile and the Three Wise Men.” It starts off with this philosophically learned Gentile who doesn’t believe in God or an afterlife and is very much rooted in this material plane. It makes him quite sad thinking that when he dies there’s nothing after. He meets Three Wise Men on his journey who each represent one of the Abrahamic religions. They find themselves at a grove of trees that are laden with the leaves concerning the virtues and vices. Under one of these trees they also find a woman on a horse known as Lady Intelligence.

Midjourney prompt: how would a philosopher look if they were thrown into the high adventure world of a pulp fiction novel, high action and excitement but also done as if 13th century art

I’ve just began reading the book, but I’m enjoying it so far. To think that it was written over 700 years ago is pretty wild. We humans keep coming back to the fundamental questions of living a virtuous life versus a vice-filled one while questioning what will happen to us after we evacuate this fleshy prison. In our current time I feel as though we are living in the upside-down as vice has become the default mode while virtue seems to be the exception to this norm. We sit here and watch as stories are told to shape narratives that benefit a select few while doing harm to everyone else. Instead of leaving the room entered just a bit better with their presence, they leave it in turmoil and tatters. Before, this was not as an overt exercise but currently it’s become par for the course. Instead of civil debates underneath trees carrying potential that leans in either direction, we are told that vice is fine as long as you can rewrite it to fit the design.

Personally I’d rather we find a way to move towards a post-scarcity world, one like Gene Roddenbury envisioned with Star Trek. Sadly, the “techno-lords” are attempting to push us towards feudalism while calling it “democratizing” by celebrating technology that focuses on furthering fear. With money and power being worshipped and lauded as the ends and not the means there is no flow between nodes. It is believed that we all contain the divine spark within giving folks like Peter Thiel the mindset to embrace themselves as modern prophets. Yet the truth couldn’t be farther as it is not so much about the carrying of the divine spark but the clarity of conduction by said spark. We wonder how a person born to this world could commit such atrocities to their fellow human. Obviously there are many reasons, and if we take a leaf from Llull’s tree the more vices we engage the cloudier our water becomes. The Light cannot shine through as the Spirit is thick with the contaminating muck.

Midjourney prompt: esoteric geometric art revealing how light cannot shine through as the Spirit is thick with the contaminating muck.

Love is a path connecting all religions and most often Light is the symbol used to relate us to the allegory of our own journey through the valley beset by death’s shadow. It is Love that powers empathy and gives us our greatest strength. When we are at our best we find that the Truth is the canopy above us, shading us as the tree does the traveler. Our dreams of peaceful living and a better tomorrow are overshadowed by the vices embraced by those who would enrich themselves at the cost of others. It’s a similar story that happens throughout the ages and one that Llull was not unfamiliar with either. So goes the saying: the more things change, the more they stay the same. I strongly believe that this isn’t the end, but just a means to continue to push us to where we must ultimately evolve. Time only measures our experiences, as eternity is much more challenging to grasp…especially for a philosophically and logically minded Gentile.

And just because I love this movie so much, I figured I’d include this fantastic scene with Jackson and Travolta. This movie still slaps so many years later. And perhaps that was what was in the suitcase all along. The GOLD of Marcellus Wallace’s Soul. Maybe he finally had found a way to change that lead of his evil ways into the gold that could make a better future. Who knows, but somehow this world needs to find its way out of these shadows, otherwise these two mean mo’fos might very well come down as avenging angels on a mission of vengeance. The universe is not without its balance…or sense of humor.

And it’s usually more ironic than slapstick.