The ground pulsates with rythmic energy. Shrill cries announce it's advancing. Frightened children peek from within the folds of their mothers' skirts.

It is here... The Masquerade has arrived. Heralded with a colorful flurry of raffia costuming and a foreboding mask, the dancing form weaves it's way through the crowd. A dervish in motion... every swirl a freakish invocation.

In traditional African culture, the arrival of the Masked Dancer carries a message. A tradition so potent that some masks are only revealed under very special circumstances.

The identity of the masked figure is a carefully guarded secret. But there is another piece of information which is also held in reverent awe. It is the identity of the Mask Crafter.

Crafting the Mask...

The skill involved in carving a mask goes far beyond simply putting a knife to wood. Craftsman are often born into the tradition and initiates are selected based on their intuitive and spiritual gifts. The process of weaving meaning into paint and wood is intricate and painstaking work. Work which involves an understanding of tribal tradition, culture and history. And the manipulation of thought forms to communicate a message. This is because, Masquerading is essentially a form of Spell Casting.

Casting the Spell...

Spell Casting has been a part of human culture for thousands of years. One definition in Wikepedia indicates that it is the "manipulation of the world through powers harnessed through the mind." If this is an accurate reflection of the term, perhaps the world's most proficient Spell Casters reside outside the tropical rain forests. Perhaps we are more likely to find them comfortably ensconced within the ivory towers of Madison Avenue.

Think about the degree to which our world is manipulated through the direction of human focus and thought. We are 'Sold' just about everything. This includes consumer goods, ideas, issues and even wars. The manipulation of human thought has reached dizzying levels of craftsmanship in the political sphere as well. I am intrigued to hear political Spin Meisters state that the current election will NOT be about issues...Well, what in the world will we be voting for then? Personalities?

Setting the Stage...

Ancient cultures placed great importance on ritual. Each movement of a traditional Masquerade was intended to capture the imagination. The effectiveness of the message remained highly dependent on the atmosphere which in most cases was a mixture of suspended animation, dread, and excitement. To the uninitiated, the show may have appeared random and disordered. But to the tribe, the message rang through loud and clear.

Crafting the Message...

The historical objective of Masquerading and Spell Casting framed the CONTEXT in which the message was received in order to achieve a specific result. For instance, in many cultures, Masquerades were often used to generate offerings. The threat of a curse often forced people to give when the Masquerade appeared.

While ancient cultures employed the power of auto suggestion to relay messages from the spiritual world, today the Masquerade speaks through the forum of modern telecommunication and media. The New Age Masquerade dances around the issues by crafting skillful advertising that dulls and disorients the mind. Through the media, Talking Heads on television purport to tell you HOW to think and thereby influence how you behave.

Spell Bound...

Enormous amounts of our best creative energy is invested to direct mass thought movements according to the dictates of the skillful advertising gurus, the new Mask Creators. The general public is rarely aware of WHO is acually behind the creation of the spell. We don't even question the reason why we have forgotten how to think. We simply follow along, putting our minds on auto pilot as we proceed to max out yet another credit card or pull the voting lever.

So, have we really evolved? Or are we simply playing out the same old patterns using new methods of technology.

Masked dancers courtesy of cdorians photostream on flickr

Copyright 2008  Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

If you enjoyed this article, Check out these Related Links:

grand rapids: The Bubble & Trouble...The Palaver Tree Rumble!

inspiration: On Sisterhood, Being A Daughter & What It Means to "Keep A Mother"

inspiration: What I Know To Be True...

inspiration: Lusting Within Our Hearths...*A Peculiar American Love Affair!