S09E02 - Lucifer - The Fallen Angel

DEEP DIVE On this long overdue episode we discuss one of the most ancient, most enduring, most flamboyantly theatrical and most misunderstood figures in the entire history of human belief and moral metaphysical experience; a character whose allegedly rancid fingerprints seem to be smeared all over the labours of expressive human consciousness like religion, literature, folklore, politics, psychology, art, propaganda, and pop culture. A name whispered in rebuke in places of holy worship across the world, screamed in terror in horror films, invoked enthusiastically in heavy metal songs, blamed for inexplicable deeds in courtrooms, depicted both lovingly and grotesquely in artistic masterpieces from time immemorial. An intangible notion of evil conjured into existence by generations in need of a villainous character, grand enough to carry the unbearable weight of human cruelty; this episode is all about Lucifer, The Fallen Angel.Also known as The Light Bringer; The Son of the Morning; The Morning Star; The Prince of Darkness; The Father of Lies; Big Red; Satan; Shai'tan; The Devil; Beelzebub; and Ba'al — before we even begin we are ankle deep in centuries of mistranslation, theological overlap, mythological repetition, political propaganda, ecclesiastical censorship and the kind of cultural rumour mill that turns symbols into people, metaphors into monsters, and old allegories into absolute truths.We ask is Lucifer actually Satan? Is Satan a name, a title, a job description, an inherited office held by many? Is the Devil a literal supernatural being in active rebellion against God, or a psychological archetype set as the final boss at the conclusion of a debauched life? This antitheistic ruler of the underworld exists in one form or another in civilisation after civilisation; Ancient Greece had Hades, Egypt had Osiris, and every ancient culture had a named and feared CEO of the place below. What purpose did a figure like this serve, and how did this nebulous character become so intertwined in a duality with the forces of creation?Lucifer operates as a scapegoat for human suffering and an external motivator for our more debaucherous proclivities, were these the purposes of Lucifer's creation? Not only did he get saddled with the responsibility of all of humanity's misdeeds, but he also served as a cautionary tale for those who might deign to defy God's will. Cast from Heaven for disobeying God (really he was just giving feedback, right?), he began a divine mutiny resulting in a war in the heavens and the banishment of one third of all the angels. This rebellious character stands as a perpetual poster boy for insubordination.This episode is absolutely not the final word on Lucifer, Satan, Evil, Hell, The Underworld, Fallen Angels and/or Demons, or the thousands of years of theological, mystical, philosophical and literary debate surrounding all of those things. But we are having the craic discussing one of the most maligned and misunderstood concepts of human goodness versus human nature, and the notions of good and bad, evil and righteous, and Holy vs 'Satanic'. Whether you believe in an actual Devil or a real life embodiment of a Satan in your theological environment, an aware person living today cannot deny the existence of human evil.So many things have come to light since recording this episode that underscore the necessity for an ephemeral figure like Satan — a creature that embodies the nature of badness. A character archetype we can pour all our heartlessness, savagery, cruelty, ruthlessness, spite, and jealousy into, so that we, humanity, can live without the crushing guilt that the propensity for inhumanity lives inside us. You can't spell inhumanity without human!_________________________You can get this episode AD FREE and in VIDEO with EXTRA CONTENT for FREE when you join the TCG PATREON (so many capital letters) and you can find the episode here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/s09e02-lucifer-153731364 or by ⁠clicking here⁠ and you can sign up for a FREE Patreon account, follow TCG and get this and loads more. If you want to support the show and get even more content and exclusives, please consider becoming a subscriber! Thanks to everyone who is already a Patreon supporter; I literally wouldn't be here without y'all! <3__________________________Joining me on this episode are Eamonn O'Neill and Shane Brown.You can find Eamonn at his now infamous cryptozoological spooky paranormal podcast called Monster Fuzz at their website ⁠ https://monsterfuzzpodcast.com⁠ where he and Rob discuss all the spooky scary stuff with good humour and some naughty wordsYou can find Shane at his podcast The Other Place Archive by ⁠clicking here⁠ and its available on all podcast platforms. Shane takes listeners on a journey of 'the journey' where you explore the realm where people find themselves on a shamanic ritual or from a near death experience. Fascinating and well made, with interviews and doc style content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices