photo by Anyextee, October 6th, 2019.
Still energized and ecstatic after an incredible weekend with everyone who attended the 11th Conference on Precession and Ancient Knowledge, which took place this year from October 4th through 6th in Newport Beach, California.
It was an unforgettable event with a very special and positive spirit, made possible by Walter Cruttenden and his family and the entire team at the Binary Research Institute and related organizations. Their hard work behind the scenes ensured that the event went so smoothly that everyone attending (some from other continents, even as far away as Aotearoa) could focus on the subjects being explored, and enjoy conversations that might not have been possible anywhere else.
In the past, I have written about the Norse myth involving the wisdom being Kvasir, who arises from the contributions (in the form of spit) of many other gods and goddesses and who is in some way wiser than each one of them individually. There is a profound teaching embodied in this ancient myth. As I said in a blog post from April of 2016 regarding the origin of Kvasir:
Somehow, when the Aesir and the Vanir reconcile their differences, and spit one by one in to the sacred vessel to signify their treaty, a being arises out of the spit-bucket that is so wise that none can put to it a question to which Kvasir does not know the answer, a being who travels the world imparting wisdom to all.
This would suggest, on the most esoteric level, that when we come down into this incarnate life which embodies an endless struggle or "interplay" between material and spiritual realms, out of this struggle (if we can somehow integrate the two) will arise new wisdom which can be obtained in no other way: and which is so wise that there is no question whose answer cannot be found if we can access this being born of the struggle and subsequent pact.
On a more practical level, it suggests that in the struggle and interplay between different people, new knowledge and wisdom can sometimes take shape that none of the individual participants could have seen on their own -- new insights which, like Kvasir, rise up out of the swirling "pot of spit" created by the interaction of all the different parties, but a being which is in some ways even greater than the sum of the individual "spitters."
I certainly felt as though the confluence of all the fantastic and engaged men and women who converged this year upon the 11th Conference on Precession and Ancient Knowledge in Newport Beach brought about this very spirit of new knowledge which in some way was greater than the sum of all the parts.
And this mythological comparison is most apt (if I may say so myself) because the very struggle in the Norse mythology between the Aesir and the Vanir themselves has to do with the awe-inducing motion of precession, which of course forms the subject and unifying theme of this conference. For more on the precessional aspects of the Aesir - Vanir war, and of the future cataclysm of Ragnarok, please check out my 2018 book Star Myths of the World, Volume Four: Norse Mythology.
I felt particularly privileged to have had the opportunity to present a talk at this special conference this year, because I was speaking alongside some fantastic researchers, scholars, experts, and outright savants. I would highly recommend anyone who is interested in these important subjects consider purchasing the video files of some or all of the presentations (when they become available: at present, only video from the previous CPAK events up through 2016 are available on the following link), through the appropriate section of the CPAK website here.
One of the most touching moments of the entire weekend took place during the presentation by the pioneering researcher Robert Schoch, whose courage and insight in partnership with the late, great John Anthony West was absolutely instrumental in revealing the archaeological and geological and cultural evidence pointing towards the existence of an extremely advanced but now forgotten culture which must have predated all the conventionally-acknowledged civilizations (including that of ancient Egypt) by thousands of years.
This was the first CPAK since John West left this physical incarnation, and Professor Schoch was obviously very profoundly moved by that fact. When he asked for those present to give applause for his departed friend, Robert Schoch told us, "He's listening."
There was more than one ovation during Professor Schoch's presentation for John Anthony West.
At this year's event, it was my pleasure to meet Anyextee (pronounced "N - E - X - T" as if saying each letter individually) and his wife Karina, who worked closely with John West and who are continuing to lead tours exploring the profound esoteric mysteries of ancient Egypt, as well as tours to the great centers of the Maya civilization, and who are in fact working with the same Egyptian guide who participated in John West's Magical Egypt tours, as Anyextee explained in an interview earlier this year with Joe Rupe on Lighting the Void (to listen to that interview, you can go to the iTunes page for Lighting the Void and continue scrolling down until you get to March 12, 2019, or you can right-click (or control-click) on this link and either open the audio player to listen or download the file to a device.
Anyextee was gracious enough to snap some photos during my presentation (which followed right after his own), one of which is shown above. This year, I spoke on the subject of "Stars, Myths, and Recovering your Self."
It was also an honor to meet the team behind the Lost Origins podcast, Andrew Tuczon and Christopher "C. K." Kingsley, who attended this year's CPAK as sponsors and who recorded live interviews with each and every speaker, which will be published as individual podcasts in the upcoming Third Season of the popular show.
It is a completely different experience to record an interview in-person as opposed to over the web, and one I have only had the opportunity to do a couple of times previously. There is so much more personal interaction and communication via eyes and expressions and body language during an in-person conversation, and I really appreciated the in-depth questions and insights that Andrew and C. K. brought to the table. I think you will enjoy it whenever it is eventually aired -- as I'm sure you will enjoy their interviews with the other fantastic speakers over the weekend, from Robert Schoch to Carmen Boulter to Alan Greene to Robert Edward Grant to Christopher Dunn to Steven Lin and all the others.
I cannot say enough positive things about all of the presentations given by the various authors and researchers at this year's event. I would highly recommend everyone interested in these important subjects visit the website of each speaker in order to learn more.
I also cannot say enough about the conversations I had with everyone I met this year. The level of engagement, sincerity, and goodwill towards others was remarkable and a big part of what makes CPAK so special.
In this seemingly-connected era, in many ways it is easy to feel more disconnected than ever from our fellow men and women who are occupying this space and time along with us. I am convinced that it is vitally important for us to connect in person with friends as much as we can, and on a regular basis. Conferences like CPAK are a wonderful way to do this, if at all possible, but also simply spending time together with friends (in small groups or one-on-one) in a more familiar setting.
Thank you to everyone who attended this year's Conference on Precession and Ancient Knowledge, thereby making this memorable weekend possible, and to all those who worked so hard to make it a success.
image: Anyextee (left) and David Mathisen (right) after we both finished our presentations at CPAK XI, October 06, 2019. Photo by Karina Itzcoatl.