Mythic Physique Ecstatic

Based on the groundbreaking life-work of religious anthropologist Dr. Felicitas Goodman, this unique tome by metaphysician Belinda Gore reveals a new spiritual dimension worth exploring by every metaphysical sojourner.

The premise is simple: early societies left us detailed instructions on accessing alternate realities via the postures assumed by human figures in their sacred art. The author and her group, utilizing universal (and very basic) shamanic techniques, have experimented with figures from hunting-gathering and early agricultural periods in our history. The result is Ecstatic Body Postures, a wonderful introduction to this exciting new field.

It has long been known that assuming certain body postures can unleash specific feelings and emotions - for instance, habitually standing tall and walking proud will definitely increase your self-confidence.

And anyone familiar will New Age thought - or acting - can tell you that you become that which you imitate to a degree greater than you could have imagined. Totemic shamanism, which I have practiced, uses this self-same principle in shapeshifting.

Ecstatic Body Postures takes this thinking a step further. There are postures for Healing, Divination, Metamorphosis, Spirit Journeys, Initiation, Living Myth and Celebration.

As an Olympian Heroic Path practitioner I could not wait to attempt the traditional Hercules poses of archaic and classical Greco-Roman antiquity. There was a Greek Youth posture in the book so I started with that as Hercules was often depicted as a beardless youth in archaic art. My next experiment was the Farnese Hercules, my operant archetype's most famous depiction.

Fortunately, my library contained the tome 'Herakles: Passage of the Hero Through 1000 Years of Classical Art' so I had a lot of material to work with beyond that.

After several months of fruitful experimentation I began to wonder...

What would happen if I used these archaic shamanic techniques while assuming the signiature poses of more modern interpretations of Hercules? Why not try embodying the Sword & Sandal movie Hercules? Or the Marvel Comics Hercules?These images inspired my life-path and still resonate powerfully in the deepest recesses of my being. What would be the effects of assuming these postures on my physique and psyche? What alternate worlds would it transport me to?

I endeavored to find out. I started with the 'both arms and head raised while addressing the gods' pose of the peplum Hercules. Reg Park was my model as he did it superbly.

Almost immediately I felt like I was a conduit of great power, or its vessel. I was neither of Heaven nor of Earth, but something in between, partaking of both worlds but fully belonging to neither.

Powerful stuff, well worth exploring at greater length. I will definitely stick with this position until I have exhausted its possibilities. And to think, there are so many more to experiment with after that!

Update: July 2015: And I'm still experimenting, years later!

Onwards!

Review by Hercules Invictus

An Earlier Version of this Review was Published in Quest for Might