Who exactly is Pan, anyway? Apart from Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 dark fantasy, El Labarinto del fauno, we know little about him; only a few vague Urban Legends survive; his name comes to us today due to his immense popularity during the Romantic Period of Europe, 17th & 18th centuries in particular; the neopagan movement which presented rather powerfully in the 19th and 20th centuries made him even more popular with the lower classes. The upper class aristos don’t admit it, but I could name a few Pan fans that are out there right now in the very highest of power-possessing and quite famous folks traveling in the most aristocratic circles of Europe.
Pan is not, as you’ll hear people say, the devil, or a demon; he’s more or less a satyr, a half-man, half-goat, sort of a goat-herder or shepherd who serves as a sex-partner for your standard ancient Greek nymphs. He also served in the pantheon of gods for the ancient Greeks and several other cultures as well. He was very popular at parties and was a real service-minded individual with a lot of connections in high places, notably tops of local Greek mountains.
Interestingly, I had in my groups in Hollywood a number of “Pan” fellows, Richard Pan, George Pan, Jack Pan, Glenn Pan…some of whom worked the meatrack on Hollywood Boulevard; they came to class between “get down time” and theater let-out. Gay? No, these were Hollywood hookers — a lot of street people came to classes in Hollywood, believe it — and they were emphatically not gay. “Indifferent” was the word they used, generally a result of early abuse.
Pan, the original, not the Hollywood versions, was the first real Party Guy, sorta like Hugh Hefner without the **** ( I censored myself). Pan’s business was pleasure, and when it came to pleasure, he meant business.
I thought this Orb would make a terrific stocking stuffer for a pagan.
Before you write me nasty letters — oh, heck, it’s okay if you do, as long as you don’t mind if I get nasty back — I just wanted to say that Pagans that I knew back then, and that I know now, don’t neglect the kids at Holiday time. Quite the opposite. They’re less likely to ignore the kids at Winter Solstice. So in many “pagan” homes you’ll findstockings on the mantle and pile of gifts under a spruce or other evergreen tree in the living room. It’s just that they mean different things.
Listen, I grew up in a Jewish household in New York City; I went to a multi-racial school, Downtown Community School. Do you think for a single moment that anyone I knew, white or black or brown or yellow or red (we had ’em all and more) didn’t have a Christmas tree or at least a Chanukah Bush???
This is America. Christmas Trees have nothing whatever to do with Christmas. They’re Yuletide things, Pagan things. Christians now say they were the first to think of them. I believe both to be true. So get a Christmas tree and run the Orb. Why not give Pan a visit? Maybe he’ll bring toys???
Enjoy this little excursion into ancient culture. I intend to produce Oracle Orbs with all sorts of historical figures. Be prepared to see everyone from Aristotle to Tiny Tim. Herb Khaury (Mr. Tim) was a longtime friend, and I just might be persuaded to do an Orb featuring him, but there are so many in line ahead of him… I’m currently working on Hermes Trismegistus, which translates to “Thrice-Greatest Hermes”, whoever he is or was. Like the historical Jesus, nobody really knows.
Speaking of Jesus, he has a place in the Oracle Orb Pantheon, of course, as does Buddha, Krishna and Quetzlecoatl. Why them first and not other, perhaps more popular, gods and goddesses. Because for these guys, I have the models.
See You At The Top!!!
gorby