An Original Circular Times article from its first printing in 1995, Volume One: Issue One

KICKING IN

THE NEW PARADIGM

By Paul Caron

Ballgames have been documented in human culture for thousands of years. In the Maya culture the ball game was more than just play, it was actually a fundamental part of their founding mythology. The creator of man also known as the Corn God, or the First father, was named Hun Hunahpu. He and his twin brother, Xbalannque, so the myth goes, were required to go to the underworld Xibalba, where they were challenged to a ball game competition by the Lords of Death themselves. In this initial ball game they were defeated and sacrificed, but they were reborn to defeat the Lords of Death. They then went on to other exploits, raising up the sky, creating humanity, founding the original tribes, etc. The whole story is told in the scripture of the Maya called the Popul Vuh.

The original Maya ballgame, first played a long time ago on this continent, has served as a structural model archetypically for today's competitive sport. This game was often played to the death of the loser or winner and suggests a pattern of superiority and domination, which has carried over into the structure of the entire society;

from interactions between people, to those between nations.

There now exists an imprint of competitive “play till the death” programming on the grid of conscious energy circuits that encircle our world and exist within us in a micro-cosmic sense. We believe that this pattern has been played out to its end and explored fully, and if continued unchecked, will result in the destruction of this planet and our species.

Since the competitive paradigm was enacted through a ball game, we feel the new paradigm should be “kicked in “with a new ball game. Fortunately, a game, which meets the structural requirements of the new paradigm, was invented not long ago. "The game of footbag, commonly known as “Hacky Sack, “contains all the elements needed to enact a model for consciousness that will heal the Earth and allow us to evolve to the next stage.

The first and most important aspect of this game is its cooperative nature.

It is played in a circle, universal symbol of the unity of humanity. The common aim is keeping the ball in the air and passing the ball around the circle so that each person can touch it before it hits the ground; this is called, “Getting the hack.” As in the original Maya ball game, the hands are not allowed to touch the ball.

It is impossible for one person to get a hack, it takes at least two individuals cooperating together. The limit to the largest size of circle depends on the skill in cooperation between the players. This goal reinforces the cooperative nature of the game because it sets up a structure where individual performance is secondary to group achievement. The actual skills required in footbag give no advantage to physical strength or large size, therefore the game can be mastered by persons of any age or sex.

We have discovered many benefits of playing this game and insights into its nature. On a physical level, active play creates a steady surge of heartbeat and breath rate increase, which is sustainable for many hours with small risk of negative body impact or injury. The required movements of the game stretch the muscles as well as exercise them.

The focus needed develops mental and physical quickness,

effectively slowing down time into a group meditative state.

Also, unlike many conventional sports, success requires equal development of both right and left sides of the body. Ambidexterity is known to promote balance and emotional health in the personality. Play itself binds us together with our fellows and helps us connect with our own joyful nature. It is our opinion; this is the first step in creating a solid network of people, who will then be able to work successfully together in fashioning a new world.

We have organized the understanding of the game into several conceptual structures. By considering numerological aspects of the different size circles, certain coded information can be exchanged symbolically, embodying metaphysical aspects of being-ness. For instance, the game of two players, called the Mythic Game, named after the mythic hero twins of the Popul Vuh, is a very active physical game, which develops skill and accuracy.  The esoteric significance of two has to do with the One observing Itself and the birthing of intelligence.

Four players comprise a Sacred Game. In this mode each player embodies one of the four Sacred Directions representing different elements and aspects of consciousness. In our experience, this is the ideal game for extended performance going beyond one's perceived limitations, studying arcs and orbits, and for optimum function of the group game. The Sacred Game embodies the spiritual concept of healing and attunement to the light.

Seven players is the Mystic Game, functioning to bring awareness of the family of common purpose. This game is ideal for teaching new people and creates a blissful, affirmative group feeling.

One more aspect that we have just begun to discover as our skill has increased, is the existence of Mythic Portals, the first of which appears around the level of seven continuous hacks.

We experienced this as entering a Mythic state of consciousness,

connecting us to the existence of group mind.

We have theorized the existence of higher portals; however, our present skill level has not allowed their practical discovery.

In order to begin the process of paradigm transformation and set the tone for all of our work to come, a team of cosmic agents was assembled in the spring of 1993, with the mission of traveling to the ancient ball courts of the Maya. There, we intended to ritually circumcise the negative competitive archetype from the active grid named by Sheldrake the "Morphogenic Field."

The archetype was to be placed in deep conscious memory vault,

there to be subject to memory and learning, but to be inactive.

In its place we intended to insert the new harmonic template of cooperative group achievement, download the program, and activate. When this was completed, this new paradigm model powered by the geomantic sites began to transform the planetary consciousness and support all of those people who are actively working in many different ways to create positive change on this planet. This ritual was carried out by the team and was decreed to be so on February 14, 1993, Valentines Day. END - PAUL CARON - For Colette Dowell 1995

Sabu