This isn’t a serious article I’m just massively geeking out. I was just reading some books from sci-fi series called Dune by Frank Herbert. Following an apocalyptic struggle with AI who enslaved humanity and after the successful overthrow of that AI, human-kind has to rebuild. Naturally human-kind is scared of technology now and instead of establishing technologies to make life easier, they focus on improving the natural faculties abilities, an action after my own heart.
Naturally, as always, I am drawn to the concept of improving and perfecting the natural faculties of man. Surely true Magick would only bloom in such a mind as those brought to near perfection. Like the cheap metaphor of a moth drawn to a flame, the idea of perfection, which is never attainable is often a lofty goal, which might be there to distract the practitioner from ever achieving their goal. I, myself, have been stuck trying to achieve the same perfection over and over. But by setting clear and obtainable goals and agreeing to move on when they have been met, a person can perfect / complete and move on. My advice: just make SMART goals for yourself.
Back to the novels, in the process of rebuilding mankind, many schools appear which attempt to perfect human beings in some sense. Each school has its own method of training and strive to achieve something unique. I wonder if they could be matched to the elements, so I could benefit from their training in enhancing my own path.
WARNING: spoilers – If you ever intend to read these novels be warned that this will likely contain spoilers. Avoid this article.
The schools:
The Spacing Guild Navigator program
Obvious the least possible to recreate in the world we live in. This school uses a gas made from a spice substance found only on one planet, which mutates and advances human beings until they are able to perceive the universe in a unique way. The aim is to achieve accurate awareness and predictive ability such that they can predict the near future. The Navigators achieve such prescience that they are able to prevent disasters in transport through “fold space” a method of transport which reduces weeks / months of travel to mere seconds. They are the only method of safe efficient space transport in the Dune universe.
Their constant state of awareness and receptivity to the universe make them receptive like water. They way they express themselves would suggest they live in a pleasurable trance like state similar to that of Bhakti yoga or devotional / worship practice. This is often associated with the heart chakra Anahata and with love which is associated with water in Hermetics (Fire in many Yogic / Ayuvedic philosophies).
If this was to be added to a spiritual path it could only be added by spending some time being receptive the feeling of the universe and being open to its voice. Attempting to be aware of everything around you at once to “expand your consciousness”. This could make an adept more aware of their place in the world.
I would not recommend the use of drugs as they could have unexpected unfortunate affects on the initiate and could severely damage the initiates ability to tell the difference between reality and false pathways formed in the brain. Many of my fellow initiates will disagree on that and will recommend drugs, but we do not have access to the Spice gas. It is worth noting that Aleister Crowley was a regular drug users as was normal in his day. It wasn’t unusual for people of the day to take Cocaine to help with toothaches. Also it was recommended in some of his rituals.
In Thelema, two texts / practices stand out to me which could relate to this school. The first is Liber Astarte vel Liber Berylli which means “the book of Astarte or the book of beryl stone” (book 175). This book outlines the practice of Bhakti yoga suggested for any initiate prior to performing the Abramelin working. The second text is Liber Batrachophrenoboocosmomachia (book 536). This involved the initiate visualising the universe and his place in it trying to ever expand his consciousness and awareness of the space around him. These practices could be part of water. Naturally book 536 is similar the Dhyana (absorbtion) practices, which I associate with Water.
It is also worth noting that in the Book of the Law the God Hadit says “To worship me take wine and strange drugs” and the goddess Nuit refers to herself as “drunkeness of the inner most sense”.
The Swordmasters of Ginaz
This is a school of fighters. Some of the best fighters in the known universe. They train day in day out to increase their fighting skills and they also develop some understanding of strategy.
While aggression is often most associated with fire. The teaching he could be considered survival skills which are most associated with Muladhara chakra, associated with Earth. Also the training involves constant awareness of physical space around you and the constitution and limits of the physical body, so I would prefer to associate it more with earth personally.
This could be achieved by doing regular exercise, survival practices and maybe taking up an external martial art. For example I practice White Crane Kung Fu. While practising become aware of the body, how it feels, take the body to its limits and see what that feels like. This has made me acutely aware of my limits and I hope to learn how to surpass them.
The Mentat School
This school is very unique to the Dune universe. Because computers are now banned following the freeing of people from the thinking machines, the next closest thing needed to be made available: Human computers. This school trains humans in memorisation, calculation, logic and prediction through projection of all possibilities and their likelihoods.
This would be very difficult to replicate in our world since it is to some degree a school of all possible knowledge and there is more knowledge in our world than we have capacity to learn in one lifetime. Since Mentats end up being very rational, logical and devoid of emotion they are most associated with Air.
If someone was to do this as part of training they should take a form of science and learn it paying attention to techniques to memorise information quickly. They would learn mnemonics, memory castles, all kabbalah tables by organising things into patterns that the mind accepts more easily. They would need to learn philosophy of logic and use techniques such as REBT (a form of CBT) to rationalise their emotions. This would enable them to make the most use of their mind and not be overcome by emotions. It would enable the initiate to explore the extremest of emotions without being overcome by them. I might consider learning advanced chemistry to help my understand of alchemy and try to learn to memorise religious texts which will aid me later on in my path.
The Suq School
This is the best medical school in the universe. The doctors are mentally conditioned so they can’t hurt anyone ever. Like a force Hippocratic oath.
The doctors themselves needs to be aware of the solids, gases, liquids and energies in the human body so this school could be associated with all the elements.
If you were involved this in your spiritual path I guess the method of self mental conditioning would be useful and notes on how that could be accomplished would help you achieve many things. Perhaps NLP and self hypnosis? A knowledge of anatomy might help anyone who wanted to be a healer. Perhaps if your focus was being an energy healer you could study subtle anatomy. If you were to learn and take up medical practices you need to make sure you have the right qualifications though, otherwise you’ll end up in a whole heap of trouble.
The Fremen Fedaykin
Ok to be honest this isn’t really a school, but I was running out of ideas for the element of fire. The fedaykin are guerilla worries to lead a Jihad in the Dune universe. They are trained to fight like the Bene Gesserit, but are then toughened by some of the worst conditions in the universe on the desert planet Arrakis. What is most unique about them is they are aware of their purpose and are ready to die for it! This is the element of fire to a T. Passion.
In the real world, you’d need to find your passion and fight for it. Maybe not with lazguns and krys knives, but the more you are aware of your true will the easier your life gets. Try reading Liber 150’s section on liberation and the will. Find your will and fight for it also recognise brotherhood and its benefit in fighting for the right thing. The OTO’s initiations are good for this.
The Bene Gesserit Sisterhood
I left this one till last as it is the most interesting of all of them. The Bene Gesserit sisterhood, often referred to as witches, is a group of women who have spread themselves throughout the universe and often assumed connections to people of high power throughout the universe for example we are first introduced to them by showing Reverend Mother Mohaim who is the Truthsayer or adviser to Shaddam IV the Emperor of the Known Universe.
The sisters are often met with suspicion because of their motives are concealed. In the prequels called School of Dune it becomes clear that they come from a long line of Sorcerers who through learning self-control of their own muscles, body chemistry and mind are able to use crucibles and trials to awaken their awareness of genetic memory. They can become aware of the minds of those that have come before in the female line. They have also have infiltrated and learned everything from every other school in the universe.
Prana-Bindu
One of the practices of the sisters is to develop control over every single muscle in their body separately. One of the claims that is made in the series is that the sisters have the ability to move every toe including the little toe individually from the other toes. This is like Earth because it involves great awareness of the physicality of the body.
Other claims is that they have the ability on tasting something to become aware of every ingredient in it including the chemical components. This could be an awareness of the grosses most physical components of something, but it is also a form of absorbtion of the self into something one is concentrating on, so we could say water.
One of the strangest claims that appears in the series is that they have the ability to alter their own body chemistry at will. This is most evident when they drink poison and enter a crisis state through which they are able to awaken their awareness of genetic memories of all the women that came before and through chemical control of their bodies they are able to render the poison harmless. In some books they are also able to force ovulation and determine the gender of the child which is odd since it is actually the male’s gametes which determine such things. I guess science hadn’t got to that in the 1960s when this was written.
They can alter their blood flow, body temperature and heart beat to enable them to survive the harshest environments. This involves a strong connection with the body which is very Earthly.
They fight using the Weirding Way which I believe is the use of all the other above self control techniques to enhance fighting ability. It’s nature appear to form an almost teleportation like effect.
Prana-Nervature
The sisters have enough control over their experience of their nerves that they are able to manifest feelings in other people which are not real and have the ability to ignore such nerve responses. I have only seen this in advanced practitioners of energy work who are able to create feelings in other people. Energy work is most often associated with Air because it is part of the rising on the planes ritual of the air grade in the AA. Also because the energy work realm’s nature appears to be of and relating to the mind.
The Voice
This is a strange ability to command the feeble minded. The sisters can speak with an authority and rhythm so much it commands others. This could be performed these days using a form of NLP, Hypnotism or simply speaking in a manner so charismatic, that people can’t help but follow your words.
Because of its association with leadership I would associate this with fire, the first and leading of all elements.
Falsehood detection and Petit Perception
The sisters are also known for being able to spot deception in the most subtle of movements. They can also spot concealed weapons and analyse scenes in a way similar to Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. (It is worth noting that the author if Sherlock Holmes was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn). This method of observation could only be achieve in modern day with practice, scanning every inch of a room spotting things which don’t make sense in why they have been placed how they are and spotting micro-expressions such as in works on Paul Ekman who wrote on detection of falsehood. This incredible receptivity could only be associated by the most receptive of all elements. Water.
I conclude that many of these techniques could be added to a person’s elemental development. Most could not be replicated in our real world, but this is list of things to inspire my own elemental development.
Fire
Charisma and manipulation in the voice using NLP
Ability to recognise ones own passions and stir up passions in others
Water
Receptivity to the universe
Expansion of conscioousness
Devotional to the universe
Ability to perceive the most subtle of expressions (Paul Ekman)
Ability to scan a scene an notice everything about it
Upon tasting something experience every chemical in it
Air
Learn memorisation techniques (Mneumonics, Memory Castles, Organisation of Data)
REBT – ability to rationalise emotions
Knowledge of science and strategy
Knowledge of Subtle anatomy
The ability to do energy work such that other can feel your energy.
Earth
Practice a physical martial art
Become aware of the limits of ones own body
Knowledge of physical anatomy
Control over every muscle in the body individually
Control over the body so one can alter ones heart-beat, blood flow, body temperature.