Miscellaneous Scribblings
The Disruptive Archetype
What is the Angel of Disruption?The Angel of Disruption is a multi-faceted conception. I see it primarily as an archetype that arises within the individual, but I can also see the archetype enacted publically, particularly by revolutionaries and reformers with a creative/artistic bent and an ability to take their opponents' views seriously. (I do not see it in your typical angry protestor who, succumbing to the addiction of angst, is constantly making loud "us vs. them = good vs. evil" noises.)
The Angel of Disruption's central traits are (1) that it works to disrupt expectations, assumptions and dichotomies , thereby widening the possibilities of human flourishing, and (2) in doing this, it realizes, admits and accepts that it will become a demon in the eyes of those who support "the Reign of the Absolute", i.e. a worldview that fixates upon infinity. (e.g. an omni-everything God, eternal life after death, an implication that anything finite or limited is bad, and assorted other buying-in to insecurity) Beyond this, the traits and functions of the Angel of Disruption fall into three main categories: trickster, savior/antichrist and muse, as discussed below. I will also briefly discuss the impetus for archetypes, as opposed to just listing a bunch of ideals for people to live up to.
Of course, as with everything I do, this definition is provisional and always subject to future evolution.
The Trickster
For this concept I draw upon mythological figures ranging from the Native Coyote and Raven to the Norse Loki. Trickster is that which overturns expectations; an impulsiveness that reveals the often arbitrary nature of rules. I think it is significant for this to be conceived not as the kind of stridently rebellious character who mouths off at cops because "I hate cops and they suck," but rather as a more playful archetype who doesn't necessarily seek trouble, yet runs into it as a natural consequence of its extreme curiousity and its need to satisfy its appetites.
As a trickster, the Angel of Disruption is thoroughly embodied, and thus possessed with the same carnal appetities as other earthly creatures, minus the inhibitions toward satisfying these appetites. This lack of inhibitions is likely to come across as a lack of morals in the eyes of "civilized" people (i.e. people who have forsaken their desires in favor of addictions). Such a view is to an extent justified within a social context, for the trickster's actions do occasionally disregard others. However, the trickster's actions often reveal peoples' unrecognized prejudices and assumptions to them, suggesting contrary possibilities that may lead to social transformation. The trickster thus exists in an ambiguous position that raises lesser-of-two-evils-type questions: is it worse to upset the lives of some people, possibly in a traumatic way, in order to cast doubt upon the existing social order, or is it worse to allow that order to continue to stifle human potential unchecked? (Excellent illustrations of this issue can, I believe, be found in the movie Fight Club.)
The more rules there are, and the more oppression, the more likely that a trickster will make even more trouble. Loki provides a good example: he frequently annoys the gods, but when he is bound, the results are apocalyptic. As a trickster, the Angel of Disruption destablizes accepted grounds. But as the reaction of the oppressors becomes fiercer and increasingly forbidding of a light-hearted response, the Angel of Disruption begins to behave less as trickster and more as Antichrist.
The Savior/Antichrist
Western culture is very firmly entrenched within the Reign of the Absolute. Transformation and a kind of rescue are required in order to escape this paradigm. The need for a savior can be seen as arising from this situation. But the savior will only be a savior for those who want change. For those who would rather resist change, the Angel of Disruption comes not as savior but as Antichrist.
As a savior, the Angel of Disruption cannot be a version of the traditional Christ upon whom utterly sinful and helpless humans must depend. Instead, as savior it is a guide and helper who assists one in one's self- realization and flourishing, with this fulfillment ultimately remaining one's own responsibility. Also, since the Reign of the Absolute has both inner/personal and outer/social dimensions, the savior also has both such dimensions, combining contemplative and revolutionary functions.
One might want to dismiss the conception of the Angel of Disruption as Antichrist out of hand as being merely a status quo view. However, I do not think this is wise: one does well, I think, to recognize just how serious a threat one is perceived to be, so that one can expect and prepare oneself against the likely backlash. But even further than this, part of escaping the Reign of the Absolute lies in admitting to relativity. One religion's god is another religion's devil. Historically, people have almost always forgotten this, with the result that everyone thinks they're "on God's side", no one thinks they're the devil and everyone ends up puzzled as to why they can't seem to talk to each other enough to even argue effectively. By contrast, the Angel of Disruption is a self-aware and self-declared Antichrist (dare we say, honest evil? :), who understands that its revolutionary ideas will be rejected by many people for reasons that are in many ways justifiable. Without this understanding, one just goes around banner-waving and demonizing one's enemies, addicted to one's own "good guy badge."
The Muse
While the savior figure is a useful model when attempting to move beyond the boundaries of the Reign of the Absolute, the muse becomes a significant archetype once these boundaries have been crossed. The muse calls upon one to ask oneself what one really wants; what one is truly inspired by and aspiring to. Answering these questions is essential if one is to escape from addiction, i.e. from stifling one's true desires in order to chase after the desires that one thinks one should have. The muse thus acts as a sort of spiritual psychoanalyst in addition to being a personification of one's inspired desires (i.e. the ultimate companion. Note however that this need not and probably should not be taken as any kind of spiritual "marriage": in order to uphold its trickster qualities as well as its muse ones, the Angel of Disruption can't really be considered "committed.")
As muse, the Angel of Disruption works within one, encouraging one to seek fulfillment and thus flourish in one's own way. At the same time, it should be noted that in the muse's form of personified desire, the Angel of Disruption still retains its other qualities. In particular, a semblance of amorality, if not immorality: rearranging one's priorities may also prompt a rearrangement of one's ethics. The muse isn't malicious as such, but the demands of unbridled creativity can at times be high.
Why Have Archetypes Anyway?
One might wonder what the point of this conception is: why not just present these traits as ideals for individuals to live up to and leave it at that? I think that approach would work just as well for some people. Myself, I find that I draw more inspiration from narrative, and conceiving of ideals in terms of personified characters is also more effective for me as far as ritual work goes. Imagining an alternate persona that one can "become" can help to focus one's will toward the acheivement of one's transformative religious goals. The risk is that one may confuse one's conceptions with objective reality, resulting in a further submersion into addiction. I believe however that awareness of this risk can go a long way toward mitigating it, and that the potential inspirational benefits of a disruptive archetype are significant enough for the enterprise to be worthwhile.
Note: This document was especially influenced by Grace Jantzen's "Becoming Divine."
Last Update: Nov 6, 2001 (minor edits: Aug 19, 2004)
