(This is a reply to Marianne Williamson's substack post - ONLY A BAND OF WITCHES CAN BEAT BACK WARLOCKS )
Without Marianne's effusive language zandtao considers himself a spiritual warrior "fighting for harmony". However he tends to avoid the language of confrontation because of his experiences as an erstwhile socialist. Whilst having all the compassion of a spiritual warrior, wearing the chosen burden of socialism meant that his language was mostly not listened to - mostly only heard by the like-minded. Having turned his back on the confrontation of socialism he advocates harmony for the 100%.
Socialist bill might well have asked Marianne's wealthy and powerful friend (WPF) to redistribute his wealth, but even as an unwealthy person bill is sufficiently aware to know that that is relatively pointless. But in addressing the question of scale of redistribution, zandtao points out that given priorities on his money he only has a free membership of substack - something that the WPF would not have to concern himself with - a waste of his time, his burden is far more.
ICE as with icebergs is just the tip, and it is the tip of accumulation. As far as zandtao knows - he is not part of US politics and life, Marianne points out correctly that "Now, of course, we're at a point where the corporate authoritarians have effectively got this thing sewn up. They didn't even invade in the dark of night. They invaded in the light of day. And even then, our defenses fell like tin cans.", there are other correct observations in the post as far as zandtao knows.
zandtao's own less emotive spiritual warrior is a pathtivist. To be a pathtivist a seeker's priority is to follow their spiritual path - for Marianne readers that is mostly ACIM, and on that path at some stage the seeker's awareness develops the need for some form of embodiment. Whilst the seeker maintains the path as priority zandtao espouses the case for grassroots activism as possible embodiment through his pathtivist advice - for zandtao guidance for that path is (will be) summarised in zeer-consciousness.
Let me address Marianne's WPF, his spiritual path has a far greater burden than zandtao's because he is WP(F). We are who we are, we have our Sacred Wounds based on our upbringings of conditioning and conformity, and for WPF his Sacred Wound includes WP. If he redistributes his wealth apart from a stipend he is more than likely avoiding his Sacred Wound, and there is no learning. His additional burden is how best does he use his wealth and power? zandtao had a similar (slightly smaller impact  ) burden, how best did he use his wage-slavery? bill was a much smaller cog in the machine (system-of-accumulation), as a teacher his financial contribution to accumulation was minimal. He only had the moral dilemmas facing any teacher, how much could he educate? and how much was he compelled to enforce the propaganda of the system-of-accumulation? Whilst working, these dilemmas together with his needs and desires concerning money were the cornerstones of his teaching life; there was still the path he could hold to at times - until he retired early and dedicated himself to the path more and more.
So we all have dilemmas to face like WPF but let zandtao ask similar questions to the dilemmas bill faced:-
 How much does your wealth fall in line with the accumulation that created ICE? Are your investments as ethical as possible?
How much does your influence including non-participation promote the propaganda of the iceberg-system-of-accumulation?
With these questions does not come yes and no but priority, and if WPF is becoming a spiritual warrior it is not the wings of emotion that his spirituality needs to embody it is how he applies the path to his Sacred Wound (including WP) - that is part of his embodiment, wise use of his WP burden.
In many ways WPF and similar colleagues have a far greater burden than ordinary conditioned and conformed wage-slaves like bill, when they start to become aware of the path they become aware of their own contributions to the system-of-accumulation - WP, their wealth and power. As a teacher bill had his own dilemmas that affected his career, big to him at the time but small within the system-of-accumulation. WPF also has dilemmas with his accumulation - because he has WP even small decisions have impact.
Being the change that is spiritual warriors is the way to solve - Einstein and from "outside". But we live inside, our embodiment is inside, our burdens are inside, and with our burdens come the dilemmas of our Sacred Wounds. We learn from our Sacred Wounds but some more than others have impact with their Sacred Wounds; that burden is reflected in their spiritual path. Good luck, WPF.
Hypothetical:- Coercion by Accumulation
The takeover by accumulation is not just recent - what about Citizen's United? Corporations are people - how ludicrous. But it was a step on the way to control by accumulation. WPF is an indicator of that, he doesn't want ICE where is his control?.
Marianne talks of "corporate authoritarians", zandtao describes them as facilitators of accumulation. Let zandtao state a big if - this is nowhere near his world, zandtao has never experienced the burden of wealth nor its benefits; this is a hypothetical because for zandtao it can never be anything else - no big bank balance and no power nor influence - not his Sacred Wound.
Now zandtao perceives these "corporate authoritarians" as a package of forces. These people have lost to their greed, power and influence; whatever they have they just want more. They think they have control because they want more and can get it, but they can only get more if it is where accumulation currently wants them to go. And currently that direction includes Project 2025, Christian Nationalism, Corporate authoritarianism, Trump Admin, and the tip of the iceberg - ICE. These are not separate entities, this is the package that accumulation uses to increase - the bottom line of accumulation. WPF laments ICE but this is the package - the iceberg.
WPF has Wealth, let's call it X - a significant amount with zeros. Suppose talking to Marianne makes X decide that he wants ethical investment - he is going to reduce X to X/2 - no impact on what he would like to purchase. What happens? X calls an ethical broker and begins the change in investment which would be beneficial to the majority. Then in clicks the network that defends accumulation. He has phone calls and visits warning him - WPF, what about your power and influence?
WPF has a decision to make about this coercion.
Amongst the community of WPF there might be many old guard money who find the current direction of accumulation gross and garish - the accumulation has crossed boundaries. Maybe 100 such people. What if WPF got together these 100 and they all said let's ethically reduce from X to X/2. This would be wonderful because it would mean ethical investment of 50X - and X was significant. Not one of those 100 have lowered their standard of living, X/2 will buy them all what they want.
But here's the rub, 100 have power, 100 together can resist the phone calls and warnings because 100 have power. Their power and influence might not be the same but it will still exist because there are 100. Coercion can be resisted.
This could be part of the path of the spiritual warrior. That path does not demand falling on swords, the path cares for its seekers. How much happier would these 100 be with 50X ethical investment?? Whilst the spiritual warrior experiences bliss, the path in daily life need not be sweeping with vast craters of emotion. Wisdom can exist in small ways - small wisdom is not hypothetical even though zandtao does not know how real any of the above is.
| RADICAL LOVE AS GRASSROOTS ACTIVISM |
 | | RADICAL LOVE AS PATHTIVISM |
|
|
Books:-