The Author Who Tried to END The World (Watchmen / Alan Moore) – Wisecrack Edition

Summary

This video dives into the fascinating and eccentric world of Alan Moore, the legendary comic book writer known for works like *Watchmen* and *Miracleman*. It explores Moore’s self-proclaimed identity as a ritual magician and his deep involvement in Hermeticism, a mystical tradition that seeks to understand reality through alchemy, astrology, and theurgy. Through Moore’s philosophy, magic is framed as the manipulation of consciousness, connecting art, language, and symbols. The video examines Moore’s belief in the power of stories to alter perceptions of reality, culminating in his magnum opus *Jerusalem*, a complex ritual aimed at transforming the collective consciousness.

Takeaways

• 😀 Alan Moore, a highly influential comic author, embraces ritual magic and sees himself as a magician, drawing from Hermeticism to explore reality and consciousness.
• 😀 Moore defines magic as a purposeful engagement with the phenomena and possibilities of consciousness, bridging the material and immaterial worlds.
• 😀 Hermeticism, which Moore practices, is based on three methods: alchemy, astrology, and theurgy, with the ultimate goal of achieving spiritual perfection.
• 😀 According to Moore, reality can be split into the material (physical world) and immaterial (mental models), and magic connects these two realms.
• 😀 Moore uses the concept of magic to describe how art, language, and symbols can influence perception and alter reality, much like spells.
• 😀 Moore views money as an illusion, one of the most destructive illusions in human history, and in his comics, characters like Miracleman abolish money to reveal its emptiness.
• 😀 In Promethea, Moore explores the concept of perception and how changing the way we view the world can alter its reality, as seen when characters confront demons by changing their approach to them.
• 😀 Moore's comic Promethea is a deliberate exploration of the Hermetic principle of macrocosm and microcosm, reflecting how individual perceptions can mirror the larger universe.
• 😀 One of the key Hermetic principles in Moore's work is 'Solve et Coagula' – breaking things down into their components and recombining them for a better understanding.
• 😀 Moore's narrative structure, particularly in Promethea, follows the Tree of Life from the Kabbalah, representing different stages of human consciousness from perception to enlightenment.
• 😀 Moore’s work, like Jerusalem, is a complex, self-aware ritual designed to alter readers' perceptions and push them toward higher consciousness, influencing both individuals and the collective.

Q & A

What is Alan Moore's approach to magic, and how does he define it?

Alan Moore defines magic as 'a purposeful engagement with the phenomena and possibilities of consciousness.' He views it as a bridge between the material and immaterial realms, where art, language, and symbols play a crucial role in shaping human perception and reality.

How does Moore's view on magic align with Hermeticism?

Moore's understanding of magic is deeply influenced by Hermeticism, a philosophy that emphasizes understanding the world through alchemy, astrology, and theurgy. In Hermeticism, the goal is spiritual perfection and achieving a deeper connection to God, which Moore ties into his own magical practices and philosophies.

What is the concept of 'macrocosm and microcosm' in Hermeticism, and how does it apply to Moore's work?

The 'macrocosm and microcosm' principle suggests that every level of reality mirrors others, similar to an infinite fractal. In Moore's work, this idea appears in the structure of his stories, such as how 'Promethea' reflects universal patterns on both large and small scales, illustrating the interconnectedness of all things.

What is the significance of the Tree of Life in Moore's work, particularly in 'Promethea'?

The Tree of Life, a central symbol in Hermeticism and Kabbalah, serves as a roadmap for reality in Moore's work. In 'Promethea,' Moore uses it to structure the narrative, with the series spanning the ten Spheres and twenty-two Paths, reflecting the journey from perception to higher understanding and connection with the divine.

How does Alan Moore challenge traditional perceptions of reality and consciousness?

Moore challenges traditional perceptions by proposing that reality is not fixed but is shaped by human consciousness. Through storytelling and symbolic language, Moore shows how altering our perception can change the world around us, as seen in his works like 'Watchmen' and 'Promethea.'

What role do art, language, and storytelling play in Moore's philosophy of magic?

In Moore's philosophy, art, language, and storytelling are fundamental to magic. He believes that these elements are not just tools for expression but are intrinsically connected to consciousness and reality. They allow individuals to shape and transform their perceptions, effectively casting spells through narrative.

How does Moore's view on money align with his magical philosophy?

Moore criticizes money as an illusion, a concept that only exists because people believe in it. In 'Miracleman,' he uses the abolition of money as a step toward creating a utopia, reinforcing his belief that much of reality is shaped by collective perception and belief.

What is 'Solve et Coagula,' and how is it used in Moore's stories?

'Solve et Coagula' translates to 'Separate and Combine,' a Hermetic principle about breaking things down to understand them and then recombining them. In Moore's works like 'Watchmen' and 'Promethea,' characters undergo transformations by breaking down concepts or identities into their components, then rebuilding them to achieve greater understanding.

How does Alan Moore’s writing in 'Jerusalem' relate to his magical practices?

In 'Jerusalem,' Moore views the novel as a ritual intended to affect the consciousness of its readers. The book itself becomes a ten-year magical working, aiming to provoke a widespread revelation and shift in perception, reflecting Moore's belief in the transformative power of storytelling.

Why does Moore believe the end of the world is tied to a shift in human consciousness?

Moore suggests that the world as we know it ends when humanity's understanding of reality shifts. In 'Promethea,' this shift happens when people begin to perceive both the material and immaterial worlds as equally real. Moore's own prediction for this transformation was set around 2017, when he anticipated a significant change in how we grasp knowledge and reality.