The Naked Justice of St. Patrick

I was inspired to write about St. Patrick’s Day by these panels from Class Comics depicting the origin story of Naked Justice - the super-cock powered alter ego of mild-mannered and hunky British banker Felix Himner. While on holiday in Egypt, Felix explores the ancient tomb of an Egyptian deity who just might be Osiris, given the emerald green throne, and somehow brings the God back to life. We note the mighty erection, signifying that Osiris has been re-membered, and also that (King) Felix is a red head and wears a red neckerchief, symbolizing “beheading” or ego death. The mighty power of the Egyptian God is transferred to Felix, who in a sense becomes the "son" of Osiris, receiving the inheritance.

Osiris’ death ritually occurs on March 17, which is also the feast day of St. Patrick, the missionary Saint of Ireland, who we venerate by the 'wearing of the green' and getting blind drunk. Ireland is also called the Emerald Isle, and is well known for their red heads.

Legend credits St. Patrick with teaching the Irish about the concept of the Holy Trinity by showing people the shamrock, a three-leaved clover, using it to highlight the Christian belief of 'three divine persons in the one God.' -wikipedia

The Egyptian trinity of Osiris, Isis and Horus, and the Hindu Trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva show that this "three into one" Godhead symbol is quite universal, though the shamrock has a double meaning.

The shamrock is also the suit of clubs, which in the tarot is the suit of wands. The image from the Rider-Waite tarot being barely less explicit than the naked Justice cartoon. It means creative power, as exemplified by the 'Green Man' - another name for Osiris.

Pious legend credits St. Patrick with banishing snakes from the island, however all evidence suggests that post-glacial Ireland never had snakes. However, one suggestion is that snakes referred to the serpent symbolism of the Druids during that time and place, as exampled on coins minted in Gaul (see Carnutes). --wikipedia

Not to rain on the Catholic parade, but Druids weren’t the only ones to use serpent symbolism:

Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live." Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. --Numbers 21:6-9

The Rod of Asclepius, also known as the asklepian, is an ancient symbol associated with astrology, the Greek god Asclepius, and with medicine and healing. It consists of a serpent entwined around a staff.

In Grail mythology, the return of the Grail King is associated with the healing of the land, since the King and his land cannot be separated. Much like the Green Man.

Tracy Twyman has done a fabulous study of the serpent on a stick as it appears on our symbol for money: $ (which, interestingly, is also the no. 4 on my keyboard). Tracy helps us see that this little scrap of green paper was carefully invested with all the magical creative power of the Druids, Egyptians, Hebrews and Templars (The Knights Templar being the first capitalists or "banksters") As bankers use the scrip (lending money out of thin air) it literally creates something out of nothing, or in other words, the very definition of magic.

 

The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest --Albert Einstein

As I was musing about snakes, wands and the dollar, I find the brazen serpent winking at me from the top right corner of Harry Potter brand Pancake mix. I recalled that both Harry and Lord Voldemort have the same “stuff” in their wands.

I suppose St. Patrick is the Irish Moses, driving out snakes by example of the shamrock, club, wand, brazen serpent, phallus. Or in other words... Naked Justice.

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life". --John 3:14-15

OK, even Jesus is getting in the act now, comparing himself to the “brazen serpent”. Jesus famously said that the love of money was the root of all evil, and it would seem that bankers are representing that to us pretty well. How perfect that our money is covered in serpents, and that we are experiencing a collective economic “snake bite”.

And this is where it gets really weird, because on the 14th (pi day, also representing wholeness or holeness) Oliver the Australian Terrier suddenly gets really sick, he’s vomiting up everything he eats (the carpet will never be the same) and we have to take him to the vet. The Rod of Asclepius is the symbol of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

This leads to a heated discussion about paying for vet bills with no actual money in the bank, and so we agree to drag out the credit card (once again) to pay for it. So even (especially) in an emergency, the serpent bank will get its 17% interest, and will have 'made' something out of nothing, or from my point of view, gotten its pound of flesh. Because I'm the one who will have to do all the heavy lifting on the magical money creation machine to pay the bills.



Video: Bills, bills, bills - Glee

Now that's brazen.

NOTES:

Our emergency vet was Dr. O'Hanlon.

The Clinic rocked. We heard The Who "Behind Blue Eyes" playing on their muzak. Of course I was wearing my Port Townsend hat.



The doctor Who took Oliver's X-Ray, her name was Dr. Kissinger? Ouch!

I don't know the artists' name for the very cool Green Man image, something I just copied from somewhere. If you do, please let me know.

A homeless Jedi in Seattle. Note the 'green man' winking into the FAther. And of course, the 44, er... $$.