transgression

Events have been conspiring recently to make me think about the nature of transgression. I've always felt that one should challenge one's assumptions, and not conform to anything. Obviously if how I naturally am happens to coincide with something 'normal' I can't help that (there's no point being different for the sake of it - that would be just as daft as conforming - the idea is to ignore the norm completely).

Of course there is power in the act of transgression - transgressing against norms, bending the rules, fudging the boundaries - but you can get stuck in mere rebellion, and avoid progression to the next phase, which is to transcend the boundaries altogether. But that alone is not enough; you can get stuck in la-la land if you spend your whole life transcending - after that you need to move on to transforming yourself and the world around you. And then you have come full-circle and can start the whole process again. It's basically another way of looking at the Hero Journey described by Joseph Campbell. You cross the boundary into the other world (trangress); you journey through the other world (transcend); and then you return to this world, bringing back the treasure you stole from the gods (transform).

The Divine Androgyne is a powerful embodiment of this process; it is the goal of the alchemical great work, the expression of balance, and the outcome of the hieros gamos. According to Jung (in his Seven Sermons to the Dead) it is dangerous to think about Abraxas - but without danger, how would transformation happen?

Many of the most balanced people I know are psychologically androgynous - they are not stereotypically masculine or feminine, they do not conform to any norm; they are simply themselves. I don't even know any more which qualities are supposed to be masculine or feminine, I get confused.

Transgress! Transcend! Transform!