JUAN O SAVIN~ THE KING OF MISRULE ~ A READING Happy Saturnalia 2023

The Pagan Roots of Impeachment stemming from the festival and sacrifice known as the “King of Misrule".
Read here by the writer JUAN O SAVIN
The magician casts his spells with a magic wand and according to legend, the most powerful wands are made with wood from a holly tree; so out in southern California where I used to live they named the place where all the movie magic is made…Hollywood. It's not just one building or studio; it's the whole city, working together to make magic. It's mystery and glamour, drama and life…or death, casting its spell on us.
The world class magicians in this city of illusions, if they are good…, really good at their craft…can make us forget where we are when we enter into their world. The unimaginable is real, as the spectacle plays and draws us into their screens, all our senses are compelled to come closer and our heart races with every explosion; and the music calms us. We can smell the perfumed hair of the Olympian beauty. She whispers her sirens song softly, come hither; but the drum beats from the jungle, and warns us of dark forces and primordial beasts lurking beyond the fire lit night…! And for a moment its all real, we can feel ourselves there, anything is possible…its all possible.
The Holly day festivals began in Roman times. It was an entire season of magic. The great holly day festival was dedicated to the pagan god Saturn and was called the Saturnalia Holly day Festival. Accounts vary, but writers from early Rome seem to agree that it originally occurred on December 25.Rome's Emperors repeatedly altered their calendars and after years of confusion, eventually settled on December 17 to 23 for the Saturnalia Festival, which encompassed the winter solstice.
Like a Wizard with his wand, the highlight of the Saturnalia Holly days Festival was the fundamental and magical transformation of society. Everything was turned upside down, inside out and backwards. Normality was subverted and masters served their slaves. In various households as well as whole cities, they cast lots among the lowest and most vulgar members of the community and the winner was crowned 'The King of Misrule'. The new King was dressed in amusing finery and with an unholy anointing began to channel the unclean Spirit of Misrule. Simultaneously the willing mob who had done the deed was divided into squads and compelled to execute his decrees. As the coup began, he ordered that slaves take command of the offices of state, and he had the power to order anyone, to do anything his whim desired. As the Lord of Fools, He commanded everyone be partakers in his drunkenness and debauchery. The King of Misrule was encouraged to take any woman he desired while ordering orgies and rape. Military discipline was relaxed and the armed guardians of the state who were normally admired by friends and feared by foes, roared around the city on their chariots with loose women in tow and acting like buffoons; or worse.
Parties for all was the order of the day but, in spite of all the exuberance and outward displays of gaiety, there was always an underlying tension and apprehension. Participants were continuously anxious about what the King would order next and who would fall victim to the vulgar tyrants mocking rage or unwholesome affections. This was Misrules chance to get back at anyone who had ever dismissed, slighted or derided him. Whether great or small, the axiom is still true, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power, corrupts absolutely".
Near the end of the Roman Empire, the King of Misrule's rein was nearly always ended with his literal sacrifice at Saturn's alter in the presence of his ministering fools; so the unfortunate misruling scape goat was all the more encouraged to make the most of his last days; eat drink and be merry, for at the end of your rein you die. His cult of followers spent all day, perhaps even the whole year, dreaming up sweet taunts to whisper in his ear, or, should THEY be the hapless victim, how best to exact THEIR opportunistic revenge.
The rowdy bands competed in their mischievous calamities and each macabre decree had to be followed by something new and even more disgusting, or delirious. Why? because the real challenge where ever foolish tyrants rule is,…as it has always been, to try to stay on the tyrants good side so as not to suffer his wrath. The end of the magical Festival was also its Zenith; and everyone, especially the Misruler knew what certain fate awaited him as step after step higher, they mounted the sacrificial ziggurat. It's easy to understand why the hapless King of Misrule, Lording over his Fools, would want to extend the party indefinitely with that kind of finale' ahead.
Disorder and chaos do not put bread on the table or build homes and repair streets. Therefore, Tartarus as it was known then, or hell as it is known now, that place where reason does not exist, is the only natural place for Misrule's rein eternal. So, with great pageantry the King of Misrule would finally arrive at the sacrificial plateau and was ceremoniously presented at the appointed hour before Saturn's alter. There, in the presence of all the other pagan gods and his now solemn band of fools, the sorcerers black magic deed was completed; either by his own hand, or if he be unwilling or unable, by another's when the knife was put to his throat. In some places he was put to his eternal rest on a fiery wicker bed or hung from an oaken tree; after which Misrules fools disbanded.