The Boreal Crown and the Downfall of Civilization

In 1808 the theorist and “Utopian Socialist” Charles Fourier launched the first fully realized and consciously revoluti­onary attack on Civilization by publishing his Theory of the Four Movements in France. No one noticed—any more than anyone noticed the books of William Blake, the only thinker of the era comparable to Fourier. In this brief text we cannot attempt a full report on Fourier’s brilliant utopian system of society, which he called HARMONY. But we can at least recall that his program involved the reorganization of human life into large groups, called Phalanxes, arranged in “Series” according to “Attraction”—that i­s, according to shared “Passions.” For Fourier, Passion was the sole possible organizing principle for utopian life. In brief: If everyone were free always to do exactly what they desire, all reason for social discord would vanish. Scarcity of any good—material, spiritual, erotic—can only be artificially imposed on society by Civilization, for Nature is naturally “generous.” Marriage, poverty, work, morality, loneliness, alienation, violence, boredom—these civilized miseries constitute the perverse results of a system which benefits a few at the expense of the health of Earth herself. Fourier believed not only that humans are the desiring subjects of a desirable object (i.e., Terrestrial Harmony), but also that the Earth and all other celestial bodies (planets, stars, etc.) are also living, sentient, desiring beings. The “force of attraction” that holds the universe(s) together can only be described as Passion. Erotic desire organizes not only the microcosm of human society but also the macrocosm (e.g., our solar system) in mandala of Harmony—the “lineaments of gratified desire,” as Blake would say.

Thus everything, quite literally everything, is moved solely by erotic attraction. In Harmony we shall work only at that which satisfies a Passion—and we shall be free to choose “Attractive Labor”—and since humans are inherently passionate beings, Harmonian economics will replace the illusion of scarcity with the reality of super-abundance. Everyone will be “rich.” Everyone will eat like an 18th-century French gourmet (but the food will be healthy because it will be prepared according to the Harmonian science of Gastrosophy)—and everyone will enjoy at least the “utopian minimum” of erotic pleasure. This immense intensification of animal/animate life will soon produce beneficial mutations even of the human body: We shall need only a few hours of sleep per night, we shall grow taller and more beautiful, and within a few generations we shall each have a tail with an extra “hand” at the tip, and an extra eye in the palm of the hand. Moreover, the climate will change and the seas will turn to something like lemonade. Most of these changes will occur not through evolution and its endless eons, but almost immediately, spontaneously, virtually overnight—as soon as we abandon Civilization and institute Harmony in its stead. One reason why these changes will occur so rapidly can be explained by the fact that Civilization has literally knocked Earth out of its true position in the cosmos. Normally, since stars and planets are sexual beings, they enjoy sexual intercourse. Their sex organs—so to speak—consist of great cosmic rays (which Fourier calls “aromal rays”); celestial bodies project these rays at one another and thereby experience the bliss of fertilizing potency and erotic contact. In former times Earth also possessed an aromal ray and enjoyed its benefits—which manifested in the peace and plenty, gender harmony, and sexual freedom of the hunting/gathering (or gardening) economy of the Old Stone Age. But Civilization disrupted the aromal ray. Earth lost its orgasmic potential. As Wilhelm Reich would put it, Earth was cut off from the cosmic source of orgone energy; Civilization equals sexual repression and erotic scarcity.

Now clearly, if human society were to overcome the malign local effect of Civilization and institute the Harmonial Era, our planet would at once recover its cosmic sexuality and its aromal ray. Immediately Earth would be bathed again in the perfume or illumination or jizm of the stars. Revivifying effects would begin to appear almost at once, and the initial efforts of the first Harmonians would be rewarded a thousand-fold through the vast new reservoirs of cosmic energy now available via Earth’s aromal ray.

In The Theory of the Four Movements Fourier also revealed that Earth’s aromal ray—or rather its shattered fragments and dispersed remnants—can still be seen in the polar aurorae. The Northern and the Southern Lights (aurora borealis and australis) resemble torn curtains of light. No wonder! At one time they constituted coherent rays of brilliant color and scent which penetrated the yoni of the ether like an infinite lingam, and served as the pathway and vaginal gate for the infusion of subtle illumination-juices from everywhere in the multiverse. (Incidentally, this theory could be used to suggest that UFOs are not extraterrestrial, but consist in fact of local manifestations of “deadly orgone,” just as Reich feared.) Now it has occurred to us that if the downfall of Civilization and the establishment of Harmony would result in the restoration of the “Boreal Crown” (as Fourier called it) to full coherence, then perhaps the opposite might also prove true. The restoration of the Boreal Crown might result in the downfall of Civilization and the triumph of Harmony.

We believe it is worth trying. But the great question facing us is—obviously—how? How does one go about repairing the aurora borealis? If we knew the answer to the question, we would simply go and do it. The purpose of this text is to share our findings so far and to propose a framework for future research and action. We are convinced that this project will necessarily involve a certain amount of coordinated action by a great many people. We envision participation at many levels. Moreover, we have no intention of acting as the center of this participation. We prefer to remain anonymous, and it is possible that our specific actions will be carried out more-or-less clandestinely. We will publish no address; If you want to share ideas with us, please send texts to the publication in which this communiqué appears—or else find out who we are by word of mouth and contact us directly.

So far, we have arrived at the following understanding: The polar aurorae are connected in some way with the magnetic poles rather than the geographic poles. The North Magnetic Pole is currently the more accessible of the two, since it is now moving very slowly across northern Canada. As of this writing it is near Ellef Ringnes Island. The latitude of peak auroral activity is actually described by an oval ring whose center is a few degrees off the magnetic pole in the direction of midnight. The lights glow most intensely during magnetic storms, caused by an increase in the solar wind interacting with Earth’s magnetic field. At such times the auroral oval grows both southwards and toward the pole. The greatest auroral activity occurs at the peaks of the eleven-year sunspot cycle, one of which, unfortunately, has recently passed. It should be possible, nonetheless, to determine certain times and spaces at which our chance of acting on the Boreal Crown would be optimal. Besides the questions of time and place, we also face the question of effective action. At present we believe that we should consider the probable necessity of installing one or more “aromal devices” at one or more key points connected with the auroral/magnetic activity. These aromal devices should be considered “machines” for the repair and restoration of the Boreal Crown. We are uncertain about the design of such devices, but we intend to build at least one, and to install it at the chosen time and place. We hope that other groups and individuals will work on their own theories and produce their own devices. Then, when a time and place have been determined, we will make this information public. We will proceed to carry out an expedition to the Magnetic North Pole, timed to arrive on a certain day. We hope that others will launch their own simultaneous expeditions and that we will all rendezvous at the appointed moment and location. There and then we will carry out all our planned installations, actions, rituals, etc., together, in the context of Festival.

Obviously a certain element of psychic technology enters into this project—and it is precisely on this psychic and “astral” level that many may wish to participate in the action. Energy can be added to the activities of the Arctic expeditions (and to the actual installations or aromal devices) by the thought projections and sympathetic actions of supporters and well-wishers all over the globe. We consider the possibility of a General Strike on the day of the Festival, as the vital component of the operation. Everyone who cannot be with us at the installation of the site can carry out some symbolic and/or material action against Civilization, against Work, against oppression, boredom, and alienation. This might consist of nothing more than wearing a symbol of the Festival (button, badge, flower, color, scent, etc.). Some participants might simply wish to take a day off work and loll around, thinking about the Northern Lights. Groups might want to organize actual strikes or demonstrations against the miseries of Civilization, and in favor of Attractive Labor or the Utopian Minimum. Artists and creative groups might erect sympathetic installations or perform supportive rituals, wherever they might happen to be at the appointed hour.

Our project at present calls for the further refinement of all these ideas and for their widest possible dissemination. These tasks are perhaps best carried out by many groups and individuals simultaneously and more-or-less anonymously. In order to succeed, this Festival and General Strike need to belong to everyone and anyone. Already this text is the product of a group—a group that believes that its ideas will sink or soar solely according to the degree of Attraction they radiate. The one central idea is the restoration of the Boreal Crown to its primordial coherence as Earth’s aromal ray; around this center, the event must come into being spontaneously, like the mandala of a snowflake, like a true holiday, like an uprising. The event therefore, must create itself.

We might, however, speculate in more detail about our vision of the aromal device or machine for repairing the Aurora. Certain themes have already been touched on, and we expect the full structure of the device to precipitate and crystallize around these or other related themes: Magnetism, the Sun, the Earth’s magnetotail, magnets (the first compass was a magnetized needle floated in water), “animal magnetism,” sexual attraction, sexual fluids, aromas, perfumes, colors, lights, the North, the Arctic, hunting, gardening, the Old Stone Age, night, stars, the North Star, the Moon (measurement of time), clocks, gold, crystal, ice, rays, coherent light, curtains and ribbons of light, heraldic emblems (symbols of the events) such as flowers, colors, geometric shapes, hieroglyphs, banners, music, dance, ritual, arctic shamanism, the Millennium, the end of Civilization, restoration of Harmony, peace, brilliance, delicious food and drink, transformation, the esoteric, the clandestine, the hidden, mutation, orgy, the erotic manias, performance, opera, alchemy, the mythology and the folklore of the Northern Lights, mental energy, the visualization of coherent light as aroma, energy from the stars, orgone, blue, mirrors, maps, invocations.... Imagine a “machine” with such “moving parts,” miniaturized to the size of a small box, taken to the North Pole, installed, and activated. Imagine it as a focus for the concentrated desire of a world sickened by Civilization—work, oppression—a vast desire channeled into one image—the Boreal Crown in full glory—and one goal—the downfall of Civilization. In combination: a Festival of Light.

Readers who would like to participate in this project can reach “Anonymous” by e-mailing borealcrown@immaterial.net. Donations of used thermal underwear will also be gratefully accepted.