The Dangerous Cult of Personalities

In an online ‘chat’ with a dear friend who lamented about a cousin under the spell of Trump, pictures of Vladimir Putin came to mind. You know the ones where he is bare-chested. When my digital talk was over, I did a Google search of the images. Upon closer inspection it was as I suspected. Almost all the photos show Putin proudly wearing a Cross pendant dangling from a chain. The hypocrisy is glaring. His odious deeds on the domestic and international stage demonstrate he is not remotely interested in the teachings of Jesus. One can rightly conclude that for Putin the symbol of Christianity is merely a useful tool. It is effective on Russians and American evangelicals alike.

“Ay, therein lies the rub” of Trump. The cult of his personality is embedded in America’s prosperity gospel crowd. It is entrenched in the belief he will make them rich. These folks comprise much of his base and they view him as the second coming of the Christ. Remarkably, many of his believers share Trump’s favorable view of Putin. More important, they align with his white, strongman tactics and his anti-Muslim crusade. It is why FOX actor and anchor Tucker Carlson can get away with favoring Russia over Ukraine. Only later did he claim to be joking about his choice. Hmmm.

The cult of Trump’s personality is insidious. A November 26th report in the ‘Washington Monthly’ notes, “it appears that agreeing with them equates to agreeing with God—and disagreeing with them, at least when it comes to Donald Trump, means doing the work of the evil one. For these Christian nationalists, it’s not enough to say, “God is on our side.” If you don’t agree with them, you are engaged with a demonic power. There is no authoritarian tool more controlling than the one that wields the power”.

My memoir is about a true encounter with evil. Unlike many Trump supporters, his religious propaganda does not work on me. I am not a fool. He uses the love of God to connive votes at the ballot box. It is a strategy to ensure money flows into Trump and his pal’s wallets too. His ‘spiritual’ advisor Paula White has almost moved into the White House. Never mind the possible criminal exposure she brings with his endorsement. A November 13th ‘Newsweek’ article notes, “Richard W. Painter, who served as the chief ethics lawyer in President George W. Bush's White House, blasted President Donald Trump's personal spiritual adviser Paula White, suggesting the religious leader was committing "fraud" and running a "Ponzi scheme”. . . .This 'prosperity gospel' scam by Paula White tests the boundaries between 'religious freedom' and criminal mail fraud and wire fraud. ‘Send me money and God will make you rich.' Now she uses her White House position to make her sales pitch."

We've witnessed Trump's spiritual inauthenticity most blatantly in his immigration policy. Astonishingly the same Christian nationalists who support him are perfectly fine with locking Christians in cages at our southern border, separating families and kidnapping their Christian kids, and people making money from the deplorable scheme.

God help us. The soul of America and our democracy is at stake!

Street Tarot

We Are All Ms. Hervin Khalaf

A simple definition of an empathic is someone who can ‘understand and share in the feelings of another’. With the aid of the inner eye, we can even witness what a person is going through from a description or narrative of far away events. People with sympathetic abilities contribute to the advancement of society and are a vessel for social consciousness. Compassionate individuals do not immediately judge others, but first consider what it means to walk in their shoes.

Contrary characteristics to empathy are callousness and narcissism. Senior campaign advisor Lara Trump is the epitome of a non-empathic who supports her father-in-law. On the October 14th Fox News at Night broadcast with host Shannon Bream, Lara defended Trump’s actions in Syria by stating most Americans don’t know who the Kurds are. Not a sound or rational defense for certain genocide and ethic cleansing. In a phone call with Erdogan of Turkey, Trump betrayed the Kurds who were our allies in the fight against ISIS. Like a mob boss in a second-rate B movie, Trump demands loyalty but gives none as suits his needs. Today, the House of Representatives condemned his withdrawal of troops from Northern Syria.

We are all Hervin Khalaf. A Kurdish politician and secretary general of the Future Syria Party, she was a victim of Trump’s war crimes. Turkish-backed rebels dragged her and her driver from their vehicle. Twitter was awash in images of Ms. Khalaf being raped on rocks, her face grey from the dust and pain. The boots and rifles of her assailants and their accomplices are clearly visible in the video. Reports are the driver was executed and the Turkish proxies stoned her to death. Their murder is the clear result of Trump giving Erdogan the go-ahead to invade the Kurds.

Unless you’re like Lara Trump who’s immune from the feelings of strangers, closing off techniques can be employed by an empathic. Prayers, affirmations, and visualizations are methods one can utilize to not give hospitality to other people’s negativity. Shielding oneself off enables us to understand what someone is going through, and to walk in his or her shoes. I imagine myself wrapped up in the petals of a flower, or I’ll say an ancient Kabblalistic prayer, the Ana Be’Koach to surround myself with light and protection. In my memoir, My Random Death, I go into detail about these practices.

We can employ some basic tools to protect ourselves while we still ‘love thy neighbor, and welcome the stranger, as thyself’.

Street Tarot

The Zohar calls to me.

It’s another gorgeous day in Santa Barbara. Absent are the feelings of guilt that usually accompany me for not wanting to go outside. My current mood is to shut out the world, which puts me in a ‘Catch-22’ situation. On the one hand closing off helps me to concentrate on my mystical pursuits. On the other, I’m in the middle of marketing my memoir. It’s an occasion for self-promotion and public relations.

At the best of times, PR stuff is not my strong suit. I’m a loner by nature and not into selling myself. Aloneness builds inner strength and confidence. It’s a belief of mine that probably stems from being a twin. My current desire to disengage from our everyday work-world is due, in part, to Trump’s corruption. If allowed, his immoral and criminal conduct can drain us. His compassionless worldview, and cruel and self-serving policies can exhaust us. He will suck out our spirit and empty us. His is the kind of charismatic power consumed with the evil inclination. If unprepared, Trump will eat your soul.

All those who seek the light and the good know that first you must heal yourself. Only then you can help fix the world. In the spirit of self-help, the Zohar calls to me. This fundamental Kabalistic text tugs at my soul to become hermetic and study Torah through its ancient mystical teachings. I use the recently published Pritzker edition of the Zohar, translation from Aramaic and commentary by Daniel Matt. A few other gems aid my spiritual endeavor. I rely on ‘The Torah – A Modern Commentary’ in Hebrew with English translation and edited by Rabbi W. Gunther Plaut. Finally, there is the ‘The Jerusalem Bible – Reader’s Edition’ with commentary edited by Alexander Jones.

We cannot let Trump and his crowd win. The kids in cages at our Southern border cry out to us. I can hardly breathe! Now is the time to learn, to prepare myself, and receive the knowledge for the spiritual battle ahead. The fight is about good vs. evil, the lovers of light vs. the vampires of darkness.

Street Tarot