The most obvious metaphor for someone like Ms West is Darth Sidious in the Star Wars movies.  While masquerading as the Chancellor he manages to persuade everyone including the Jedi that he is working for the light when in reality, like Ms West, he is evil personified who corrupts all around him.

The following excerpt from "Tolkien at the End of Time; Alchemical Secrets of The Lord of the Rings" By Jay Weidner and Sharron Rose makes interesting reading.

"A major theme found in Tolkien's work ­is the relationship between Creation, Art, desire, power and immortality. True adepts from the great esoteric traditions of humanity speak of the trap of personal power and the grasping nature of the individuated ego that desires its own dominion and therefore, immortality above all else. For as the adept, spoken of in the alchemical lore as the artist and imitator of Nature and the divine Great Work, rises in knowledge and aptitude, as he/she delves into the heart of nature and the elements, seeking the elusive prima materia, philosophers stone, and 'elixir of life', there is always the opportunity for a 'fall' or error.

Too often, like the wizard Saruman (see picture above) in The Rings Trilogy, the aspiring adept becomes the victim of a type of mental distortion and disequilibria, which Tolkien describes as a perversion of their Art into Power. Seduced and perverted by his/her ever growing communion with 'forces' that promise endless treasures, extraordinary physical and psychic abilities, power over men and 'phenomena', and of course, immortality, the alchemist, having forsaken the essential interior or spiritually oriented aim of this Divine Art becomes ensnared in an ever-tightening net of darkness and delusion that is essentially antithetical to the ultimate goal of the Great Work.

Tolkien tells us that the Elves are placed in his works to demonstrate the difference between pure unsullied magic and what we refer to as black magic or sorcery. He states that their 'magic' is Art, "delivered from many of its human limitations; more effortless, more quick, more complete (product and vision in unflawed correspondence). And its object is Art not Power, sub-creation, not domination and tyrannous re-forming of Creation." 

Here let us spend a moment on the subject of the Magical Arts. Magic in its essential form is the communion and resonance with and phenomenal display of a spiritual power, energy or force. At its root it is a pure unsullied creative force. In Tolkien's world, as in our own, since the time of the first 'fall' there have been two main opposing streams of this 'sub-creative' magical force.

The first is the development of innate powers or talents for the purpose of a growth and flowering of the original seed essence or pure vision of the Divine. This magic or Art, filled with divine light and healing power is that of those whose hearts remain true to the light such as Galadriel, Elrond, Gandalf, and Aragorn.

The second and contrary stream as defined by Tolkien is "all use of external plans or devices (apparatus) instead of developments of these inherent inner powers or talents - or even the use of these talents with the corrupted motive of dominating; bulldozing the real world, or coercing other wills."  [*Sounds familiar?]

This is the dark magic of the Machine, the black magic of Sauron, and all those beings that he bred through genetic manipulation, or the corrupted magic of the Elves, Men and Wizards, whose minds they poisoned and swayed with their dark nefarious promises and temptations. Masters of all great initiatic traditions such as Alchemy tell us that the acquisition of 'the dark powers' such as demonstrated by Sauron and Saruman are but a distraction that divert him/her from the true goal of gnosis, communion and reunion with the Divine Source. Yet, as one gains in knowledge and power, as one comes to understand the essence of the forces of creation, there is always the lure of the darkness and the time of testing."
 

* Comments in square brackets my own.

And now we go back to Darth Surya Ma or is it Sidious West?

With four court cases currently against her for ‘financial impropriety’ and one for allegedly physically assaulting a female member of staff (I know of other cases where the victims are too afraid to come forward) you would think that Ms West would be ready to pack up shop?

You would think that with many ex employees now finding the courage to come forward to give statements about how they too were physically and or mentally abused and in some cases robbed you would think Ms West would be ready to pack up shop?

You would think that with West having to take down her website because most of the testimonials were found to be 'false' and the picture of a non existant 'executive spa apartment' was in fact a locally owned private house, you would think she would be ready to pack up and go home?

Well you would be wrong this 'business' pays big bucks and Ms West has always been able to find, coerce, persuade, bribe, people to err, be economical with the truth, on her behalf.

Joseph & Barbara Costantino left 3 years ago being owed $20,000 at that time Ms West tied up the labor board hearing for months with false statements that resulted in the claimants getting about half what they were owed. This time, if my sources are correct, one of the current employees has allegedly signed a statement (we don’t know who wrote it but someone allegedly signed it) characterizing Darth West as a, and I quote, “a polite, well mannered Southern belle!”

Oh yea! And I’m Mickey Mouse’s cousin twice removed!

Copyright 2007. John Watson. All rights reserved.