Trekking with Elaina Last summer, I had the incredible opportunity to go trekking with my friend Elaina. We had both been looking forward to this adventure for months, and it certainly lived up to our expectations. We chose a remote mountain region known for its stunning landscapes and challenging trails. Our plan was to hike for four days, camping along the way and experiencing the beauty of nature up close. The first day of our trek was exhilarating. We were surrounded by towering peaks, cascading waterfalls, and lush green forests.
The first to label himself an anarchist, Frenchman Pierre-Joseph Proudhon set the axiom all anarchists defend: “Governments are the scourges of God to discipline the world; for them to create liberty would be to destroy themselves.” Looking to history, it is evident, says Benjamin Tucker, that “it has ever been the tendency of power to add to itself.” Tucker’s fellow American, Voltairine de Cleyre agrees: “the nature of government is to become a thing apart, an institution existing for its own sake.” Adding a significant subtlety, anarchist and abolitionist, Lysander Spooner argues the American polity is misshapen from the get-go: the secret ballot of the voting booth is its corruption because power works its wiles in secrecy. Only forthright power, folk standing in front of one another, openly declaring positions, is honest power and equal to human dignity. Anarchism, then, is not absence of order, but absence of rule.
But I have described this atmosphere first because it is the only atmosphere in which such a thing as the Eugenist legislation could be proposed among men. Clearly, the practice must appear uncanny to any normal society in which magic call it collective consciousness in active mode is channeled through ritual and custom to the life of all not the aggrandizement of one against all black magic or witchcraft.
We were surrounded by towering peaks, cascading waterfalls, and lush green forests. Elaina and I couldn't help but pause frequently to take in the breathtaking views and capture them on camera. As we continued on our journey, the terrain became more treacherous.
An Army of Jacks
to Fight The Power
In fairy tales, humans can possess exterior souls, things magically containing or embodying individual life force–stone, egg, ring, bird or animal, etc. If the thing is destroyed, the human dies. But while the thing persists, the human enjoys a kind of immortality or at least invulnerability.
Money could be seen as such an exteriorized soul. Humans created it, in some sense, in order to hide their souls in things that could be locked away (in tower or cave) and hidden so their bodies would acquire magical invulnerability–wealth, health, the victoriousness of enjoyment, power over enemies–even over fate.
But these exterior souls need not be hidden away–they can be divided almost indefinitely and circulated, exchanged for desire, passed on to heirs like an immortal virus, or, rather like a dead thing that magically contains life and “begets” itself endlessly in usury. It constitutes humanity’s one really totally successful experiment in magic: no one calls the bluff and after 6000 years, it seems almost like Nature. (In fact, an old Chinese cosmogonic text claimed the two basic principles of the universe are Water and Money.)
It’s worth noting that in marchen, folk tales, the characters with external souls are often the villains. Clearly, the practice must appear uncanny to any normal society–in which magic (call it collective consciousness in active mode) is channeled through ritual and custom to the life of all–not the aggrandizement of one against all (black magic or witchcraft). In the form of money, the exterior soul, shattered into fragments, so to speak, can be put into circulation but also stolen, monopolized guarded by dragons, so that some unlucky humans can be stripped of all soul, while others gorge or hoard up soul-bits of ancestors and victims in their ghoulish caves or “banks,” etc.
The beloved in the tales may also have an exterior soul. It falls into the grasp of the evil sorcerer or dragon and must be rescued. In other words, desire, which is alienated in the form of a symbolic object (reified, fetishized), can only be restored to its true fate (love) by re-appropriation from the expropriator, stealing it back from the wizard. The task falls to “Jack,” the third and youngest, sometimes an orphan or disinherited, possibly a fool, a peasant with more heart than any prince, generous, bold, and lucky.
Exactly the same story can be seen acted out in every honest ethnographic report on the introduction of money into some pre-monetary tribal economy. Even without the usual means of force, terror, oppression, colonialist imperialism or missionary zeal, money alone destroys every normal culture it touches.
Cargo Cults and Ghost Dances
Interestingly, in nearly every case, some sort of messianic movement, Cargo Cult, or Ghost Dance type resistance movement springs up within a generation or two after first alien contact. These cults invariably make appeal to spirits (or even demons when circumstances really begin to deteriorate) for the power to overcome money, to “provide good things” without recourse to the black magic of money, the vampirization of other peoples’ external souls–the malignancy of wealth that is not shared.
This is a major trope in all the tales. Jack gives away part of his last loaf precisely to the power-animal or shaman or old lady with the very gift he’ll need in his quest, but he gives unwittingly, not in expectation of exchange. Jack always stands for what Polanyi and Mauss call the Economy of the Gift.
A great many fairy tales must have originated in “folk memories” of earlier non-hierarchal social structures, embodied in narrative (myth) and ritual, and given focus during the period when this ancient polity was threatened and finally overcome by later or alien systems–particularly by money, by the coins that always appear in these tales.
Proudhon believed that money had originally been invented by the People as a means to pry loose and force into circulation the hoarded wealth of the “dragon,” the oppressor class. This idea has interesting resonances.
It points to the fact that for “the people,” money in hand represents not oppression but pleasure, gratified desire. Money may be the root of all evil, but given the existence of money, “love of money” is quite natural. Alchemy epitomizes this jouissance of money in the fairy-tale concept of transmutation, production of gold without labor as free gift of Nature to her lovers: Jove’s body as shower of golden coins.
As “the people” in person, Jack wins the treasure, but in doing so removes its curse, its dragonish malignancy, because in him the treasure finds its rightful end in happiness (i.e., free distribution, the Gift). Hence, the great feast that ends so many tales and the wedding between peasant lad and princess that levels distinctions and restores external souls to their bodies.
But Proudhon’s notion is contradicted by myth which attributes the invention of coins to a king–not Croesus of Lydia, who actually did invent coins (7 th Century BC), but Midas, who choked on magical gold, his externalized soul. Dionysus and Silenus gave him his wish and then saved him by revoking it, allowing him to vomit all the gold into the river Pactolus in Phrygia.
The historical Midas lived in the 8 th century BC, and Phrygia is not far from Lydia, where rivers also ran with gold and electrum and coins first appeared as temple tokens. Coins may seem to regain their innocence when they are spent rather than hoarded, but: in fact just at this moment they betray us by leaving us and never returning. In the end, all coins end up in the usurer’s vault. Money is already debt. It says so on the US $1 bill, that encyclopedia of Hermetic imagery and secret doctrine of money.
Jack never really wins
Jack’s triumph lies not in the “ever after,” but only in a moment that is forever remembered and invoked as lost. Obviously Jack never really wins, otherwise we wouldn’t call these stories fairy tales and relegate them to the nursery, the savage pre-monetary world of mere childhood. The idea that marchen contain esoteric teachings on economics will probably sound ridiculous, but only to those who’ve never read them with Polanyi’s or Mauss’s economic anthropology in mind.
The old Russian cycle (Jack = Ivan) strikes me as particularly sensitive to this aspect of the material, almost as if socialism had a subconscious pre-echo in the great Russian fairy tale collections of the early 1900s.
Among the uniquely Slavic motifs of this cycle, everyone loves the tales of the Baba Yaga, the little house on great chicken legs that walks and moves wherever the wicked witch desires. The image’s power involves implications that Baba Yaga functions not only as the witch’s house, but also as external soul. It is both shield and weapon, space and motion, cave and magic carpet. I can’t help thinking of it as a symbol of Capital itself, especially in its purely magical end phase in the Global era. The Baba Yaga might be an offshore bank ready to pull up stakes and flee to some freer market or a shoe factory on its way to Mexico.
Speaking of Mexico reminds me of a story about the Mexican Revolution: Around 1910, thousands of North American anarchists, Wobblies, and adventurers crossed the border under false generic names to join Pancho Villa or the Magonistas and thus came to be called the “Army of Smiths.”
Given the proliferation and gigantism of Baba Yagas in our times, perhaps what we need is an Army of Jacks.
This is a major trope in all the tales. Jack gives away part of his last loaf precisely to the power-animal or shaman or old lady with the very gift he’ll need in his quest, but he gives unwittingly, not in expectation of exchange. Jack always stands for what Polanyi and Mauss call the Economy of the Gift.
But Elaina's adventurous spirit and determination kept us going. She never wavered in her excitement for the trek, even when faced with steep cliffs and narrow paths. Each night, we set up camp in a different picturesque location. The peacefulness of the mountains at night was truly magical. We would spend our evenings sharing stories, savoring meals cooked over a campfire, and stargazing before falling asleep in our cozy tents. One of the highlights of our trek was reaching a hidden mountain lake. The hike up to the lake was challenging, but the reward was well worth it. The crystal-clear waters reflected the surrounding peaks, creating a scene straight out of a postcard. Elaina and I took our time exploring the area, dipping our toes in the cold water and marveling at the untouched beauty of the place. Throughout our trek, Elaina proved to be an exceptional companion. She was always there to lend a helping hand when I needed it, whether it was crossing a tricky stream or carrying some of the heavier equipment. Her positive attitude and unwavering support kept me motivated, even when my legs felt like giving up. On the final day of our trek, we hiked back to civilization with a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction. The memories we had made together would last a lifetime. Elaina and I knew that this adventure had strengthened our bond and created a shared experience that we would treasure forever. Trekking with Elaina was an unforgettable journey. It reminded me of the power of nature, the importance of friendship, and the joy that can be found in the simplest of moments. I am grateful to have shared this adventure with such an amazing friend, and I look forward to many more treks in the future..
Reviews for "Capturing Memories: Photography Tips for Trekking with Elaina"
1. Jessica - 2/5 stars - I was really excited to watch "Trekking with Elaina" after all the hype it received, but I was honestly disappointed. The character development was lacking, and I couldn't connect with Elaina or any of the other characters. The plot also seemed to lack depth. It felt like a series of disjointed adventures rather than a cohesive story. Overall, I found it to be quite shallow and not as enjoyable as I expected.
2. Tyler - 1/5 stars - "Trekking with Elaina" was a complete letdown for me. The animation was subpar, and the overall quality of the series felt rushed. The episodes felt repetitive, with Elaina encountering similar scenarios over and over again. The dialogue was often dull and predictable, and it lacked any meaningful substance. I was hoping for a captivating and enchanting journey, but instead, I found myself bored and uninterested.
3. Samantha - 3/5 stars - While "Trekking with Elaina" had its moments, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was trying too hard to be unique and whimsical. The storytelling seemed forced and occasionally confusing. The episodic format didn't allow for much character growth or development, leaving the audience disconnected from the protagonist. Some episodes were enjoyable, but overall, I was left unsatisfied and wanting more depth in the series.
4. Michael - 2/5 stars - "Trekking with Elaina" started off promising, but it quickly lost its charm. The writing felt inconsistent, with some episodes being engaging and others falling flat. Elaina, the main character, lacked complexity and remained superficial throughout the series. The show lacked a clear direction and often left me wondering what the point of it all was. Ultimately, it failed to leave a lasting impression and left me feeling underwhelmed.