Cactusland

This film examines the current materialist paradigm by looking at our consumer oriented society and its focus on money and exploring alternatives based on consciousness. With contributions from thinkers such as Joseph Campbell and Richard Werner, it deconstructs the gospel of Netflix, Apple and Google and proposes new ways to approach these troubled times. Robert Bonomo is a novelist, blogger and filmmaker. You can see more about him on his blog, www.thecactusland.com

The 21 Faces of God explores the meaning and path of the major arcana of the Tarot through commentaries from figures like Joseph Campbell, Terence Mckenna and Carl Jung. The film explores the history, archetypes, duality and structure of the cards and then delves into the meaning of each card separately.

This an extended version of the introduction to part 2 of the film, Twilight of the Archons. In this section, the current materialist paradigm is deconstructed, with a strong emphasis on Joseph Campbell’s ideas on myth and Richard Werner’s explanations of what money is and how it is created. Robert Bonomo is a novelist, blogger and filmmaker. You can see more about him on his blog, www.thecactusland.com David Gilmour Wish you were here live unplugged https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j8mr-gcgoI Actors & films referenced: Toni Servillo - La grande bellezza Scarlett Johansson - Under the Skin Jim Carrey - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Jake Gyllenhaal - Donnie Darko Monica Vitti - L'Avventura Juliet Binoche - Blue Irene Jacob - The Double Life of Veronica The Dog - Goya

This is a excerpt from part 3 of the film, Twilight of the Archons. In this section Joseph Campbell and Rupert Spira explain the meaning of time and space. Joseph Campbell's interview with Bill Moyer: https://billmoyers.com/content/ep-1-joseph-campbell-and-the-power-of-myth-the-hero%E2%80%99s-adventure-audio/ Full video of Rupert Spira explaining the meaning of time and space: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df9YPTe14nU&t=326s

A brief and clear explanation of how banks create money out of thin air, including an explanation from Professor Richard Werner. This is a clip from the film, Twilight of the Archons: https://youtu.be/HsYTsdBCBdE

An clip from the Joe Rogan Experience where Joe talks about people being currency producing batteries. A trailer for the film, Twilight of the Archons, a critique of the materialist worldview with a strong emphasis on the meaning of consciousness and money. Features Joseph Campbell, Richard Werner and Rupert Spira among others. Music by Creed. Link to Twilight of the Archons https://youtu.be/HsYTsdBCBdE Link to the JRE clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DQSIzJ9J-g&t=327s

This is an excerpt from part 3 of the film, Twilight of the Archons. It explores the current materialist paradigm from the point of view of Ray Kurzweil and Elon Musk and their ideas regarding the technological singularity and simulation theory. It also discusses alternatives from thinkers such as Joseph Campbell and Rupert Spira. Bach's cantata Ich habe genug, BWV 82 - Lorraine Hunt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJiJ2i1kAL8&t=101s Ich habe genug, Ich habe den Heiland, das Hoffen der Frommen, Auf meine begierigen Arme genommen; I have enough, I have taken the Savior, the hope of the righteous, into my eager arms; The Consequences of Love, directed by Paolo Sorrentino and starring Toni Servillo

This is the clip of use I in Twilight of the Archons of Joseph Campbell explaining his "follow your bliss" advice. He was an editor of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, I think it's clear he was referring to Sat chit ananda. This insight was very important for how I resolved the film. Twilight of the Archons - https://youtu.be/HsYTsdBCBdE

This is the final scene of Kieślowski's Blue. 1 Corinthians 13 is put to music by Zbigniew Preisner and sung in the original Greek, featuring the soprano, Edyta Krzemień. The actress is of course, the sublime Juliet Binoche. Those fans of Kieślowski with a special eye for detail will notice I changed the timing to have "Love hopes all things" coincide with the change in her expression. I hope Kieślowski and Preisner forgive me. This scene is also the ending of the film Twilight of the Archons. Full Text of 1 Corinthians 13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

This is an aggregation of three very powerful spiritual texts, The Gospel of Thomas, Know Yourself: an explanation of the oneness of being by Ibn 'Arabi / Balyani and the Ashtavakra Gita. Three different traditions, Gnosticism, Sufism, and Advaita Vedanta all pointing in the same direction. Text: Gospel of Thomas 2. Jesus said, "Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all. 77. Jesus says: "I am the light which is on them all. I am the All, and the All has gone out from me and the All has come back to me. Cleave the wood: I am there; lift the stone and thou shalt find me there!" Know Yourself: an explanation of the oneness of being Ibn 'Arabi, Balyani Translation by Cecilia Twinch Praise belongs to God, before whose oneness there is no before .. unless the before.. is ... He and after whose singleness .. there is no after unless the after is ... He. He is, and there is not with Him any before or after, above or below, closeness or distance, how or where or when, time or moment or duration, Manifested existence or place. Ashtavakra Gita, translation by Thomas Byrom Happy and bright, He thrives in the world. Weary of the vagaries of the mind, He is at last composed. He does not know or think, Or hear or see. Undistracted, He does not meditate. Unbound, He does not seek freedom. He sees the world, But knows it is an illusion. He lives like God Film footage from - Free Solo by Jimmy Chin Music by Justin Hurwitz from the soundtrack to First Man. This is a section of the documentary, Twilight of the Archons, that got left on the editing floor, but I thought it was worth posting it as a short. The audio wasn't recorded in the studio or mixed professionally.

This is from the second movement, 2. Andante con moto from a recording by Carlos Kleiber and the Wiener Philharmoniker. This clip got left on the cutting floor of Twilight of the Archons, but I decided to make a short of it. This is the first piece of the music, the second movement of the 5th, that touched my soul. The moment I first heard it is still a vivid memory. Beethoven was my father's favorite composer, and while the son prefers Bach, I still have soft spot for old Ludvig. Father and son concur, however, on the their baseball Giants. Of course the conductor in the clip is not Carlos Kleiber, but Herbert von Karajan.

This is an extended version of the introduction to the film, Twilight of the Archons. This section asks whether our current paradigm offers us enough to create meaningful lives. Robert Bonomo is a novelist, blogger and filmmaker. You can see more about him on his blog, www.thecactusland.com Patti Smith... Gimme Shelter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdBGIjJ77qg

This is an extended version of the introduction to part 3 of the film, Twilight of the Archons.

We reach the end of The Fool's path, time is conquered.

The Judgement card is explored through the god Shiva and the Apocalypse.

The Fool has emerged from the night and is reborn in The Sun card.

The Moon card as the mother of The Fool.

The Star is explained through her association with the Gnostic Sophia, the Woman of the Apocalypse and John the Baptist.

The Tower card is examined through the film, Fight Club.

The Devil is approached through our own shadows, he lies in the deepest, darkest crevices of our souls.

Temperance looked at from art to gymnastics, the Buddha to Joseph Campbell.

Death comes knocking.

The Hanged Man is explored through film, art and math.

With Justice, we reach the middle of the Fool's journey. Justice is explored through the goddess Athena, the sign of Libra and The Matrix.

The Wheel of Fortune is explored through its relation to the fates.