[UA] UA Inspiration

[john at tynes.com]

I never actually read Illuminatus, I'm sorry to admit, although I've 
pretty much lived my adult life in its mystical prop wash.

The NG stuff was meant as an extreme example of religious ritual. If 
the sacrament of a cracker and grape juice can bring you closer to 
Jesus, well, here's the same idea in a debased guise. "Do this in 
remembrance of me" becomes "Do this guy in remembrance of me". Like 
much of UA, it was meant to demolish preconceptions about occultism and 
communicate the idea of an underground, street-infused mysticism based 
on real human passions and obsessions.

The Mystic Hermaphrodite was Greg's idea and I always assumed it was 
drawn from his lifelong practice of transvestism. Although I might be 
making that up.



>----Original Message----
>From: breekan1 at mindspring.com
>Date: Oct 1, 2007 10:20 
>To: "The Unknown Armies RPG Mailing List"<ua at lists.unknown-armies.
com>
>Subj: Re: [UA] UA Inspiration
>
>Partially because, even though the Mystic Hermaphrodite's strongest 
resonance is, obviously, in the form of actual gender ambiguity and 
conflict, there are other things that fall under the avatar's 
influence- doctors that poison you and cut you up to get rid of tumors, 
to use an example from the book. The Mystic Hermaphrodite is a broader 
symbol than The Tranny would be.
>
>Also, things like "The Tranny" wouldn't really be distinct enough 
from the Mystic Hermaphrodite to warrant a celestial upset. That being 
said, The Freak certainly represents a more modernized view of The 
Mystic Hermaphrodite, one which could have a solid chance, depending on 
your GM's view.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Jonathan <thuvasa3 at yahoo.com>
>>Sent: Oct 1, 2007 11:00 AM
>>To: The Unknown Armies RPG Mailing List <ua at lists.unknown-armies.
com>
>>Subject: [UA] UA Inspiration
>>
>>I started reading the Illuminatus! trilogy recently,
>>and suddenly the Naked Goddess stuff makes a lot more
>>sense to me.  
>>
>>Thus, I figure that there must be sources of
>>inspiration for things in the game that don't really
>>click.  
>>
>>For example, while intellectually I understand the
>>concept of the Mystic Hermaphrodite, the emphasis on
>>contradiction, etc., in my heart of hearts, I really
>>don't get it.  
>>
>>When discussing the avatar before, there was
>>discussion about ritual cross-dressing, etc., from
>>various cultures in the distant past; however, I feel
>>like I'm missing something in terms of what keeps this
>>avatar current and relevant (i.e. why doesn't it get
>>replaced by "The Crossdresser," or "The Tranny" or
>>whatever).
>>
>>Is there a "Mystic Hermaphrodite" Illuminatus! that
>>I'm missing?
>>
>>Jonathan
>>
>>
>>       
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