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Underground > Temple >

technocitytotems - taxi

00:35 / 20.08.01

'Taxi spirits. Know the secrets and the secret places of the city.'

I posted this in another thread about possible modern city totems and it got me thinking... Just how would one get in contact with a taxi spirit?

An experiment. I want to know the truth about Tom & Nicole. I figure someone somewhere has blabbed it all to a cab driver so the taxi spirits must know all about it.

How do I contact a taxi spirit?
What does the ritual involve?
What makes a taxi spirit happy, what makes it unhappy?
Can a totem just be invented like this?

14:23 / 20.08.01

There's something scary about the idea of trancing out in the back of a cab....

solid~liquid onwards

15:51 / 20.08.01

i reckon that taxi spirits exist, if you create them. on the astral thought constitutess matter and there is an astral double of the universe...but it is altered by our thoughts.

go ahead, give those taxi's some life

19:27 / 22.08.01

IXAT is who you want to talk to.

I actually came up with this one outside of Grant Morrison, who also mentions it quite early in the Invisibles. In fact, as inspiration of that whole technocitytotems you'd be well served in re-reading the early sections with Mad Tom - lots of wonderful ideas there, including a very excellent industrial totem.

Ritual? Well, call to IXAT - hop in the first taxi that comes by and talk to the taxi-driver and see what comes up. Give a generous tip - repeat at random. Perhaps get an image of that glowing TAXI sign and meditate on it. Don't be surprised by what turns up. IXAT is very garrulous and practical.

19:38 / 22.08.01

Hate to derail this away from Taxis,but has anyone ever encountered Hotel hearth spirits? I saw the spirit of the NYC YMCA when I stayed there about 5 years ago,from a trance state, but I didn't manage to talk to it.Bit of an ugly spirit, unless you happen to come from Planet Pizza,if you know what I mean.

Blank Faced Avatar

01:04 / 23.08.01

The spirit TAXI knows All and sees All
Except for the dark zones
South of the River of Night
The TAXI knows where you live when you call
But you must tell them the way home
TAXI is fickle
TAXI has had, at some time or other, EVERYONE in the back seat.
Slave and Master of the Meter
Black ones are Best
HAIL him and Implore him to transport you
Around.

01:51 / 23.08.01

Does anyone know anything about IXAT other than it gets mentioned in Invisibles vol1 and it spells taxi backwards?

01:58 / 23.08.01

quote:Originally posted by the Humble Crab:
The spirit TAXI knows All and sees All
Except for the dark zones
South of the River of Night...

I bet if you tip well TAXI would go there as well. It probably doesn't go there usually because it ain't very popular with the punters.

Tuna Ghost: Pratt knot hero

16:36 / 24.08.01

In all seriousness, I think a large tip would be crucial in reaching/offering/speaking to IXAT. It just seems right. But I'm relatively new to this.

Imaginary Mongoose Solutions

17:03 / 24.08.01

IXAT showed up in my life a while before I was reading the Invisibles. First of all, IXAT is not TAXI spelled backwards, but TAXI is the pale reflection of IXAT. IXAT is the man you go to when you have to be there right NOW. He can either speed you through the grid or leave you stranded and floundering. TAXIs are but one of his servents. On weekends he plays poker with Ganesha and Legba.

Kevin

Next on Spritis of the City: TAMAT who oversees the distibution of funds through his servent the ATM.

22:49 / 24.08.01

Hmmm... I have a frien who drives a Cab...

I'll check with him...

09:10 / 05.09.01

On the whole technocitytotems bits, I thought I'd mention I've just picked up an interesting book called City Magick: Urban Rituals, Spells, and Shamanism, and it's written by Christopher Penczak. You can find it here on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.

I can't heartily recommend the book as I've only just purchased it, and I haven't had time for a thorough read. It does seem a bit Wiccanish to me (but that's the guy's background), and a bit light on the shamanism side. However, there are some useful ideas, good suggestions, and it's pretty well written from the bits I've dipped into. I'll let you know what I really think after I get the chance to examine it a bit more.

Plus there's a ringing endorsement of Grant Morrison in the Introduction, and an admission that he probably inspired the author to write the book. It's nice to see The Invisibles continues to have an impact on the world at large.

Someone has probably already mentioned this book, so sorry for any repeated information.

09:10 / 05.09.01

[threadrot]

I've just finished reading it. It's ok, a bit wish-washy. He bounces from topic to topic without really explaining the "background". He doesn't try to explain magic in any way.

A belief that magic works really is a prerequsite to this book because Penczak doesn't even try to covince you.
Still, he has some interesting ideas about contacting the spirits of cities.
(Haven't tried any yet, though!)

We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread:

[/threadrot]

11:50 / 05.09.01

Funny coincidence. I was given “Taxi Driver Wisdom” as a late wedding present by a friend at work. It compares them with the finest philosophical minds and portrays them as a source of unexpected, practical wisdom. Are these characteristics that IXAT shares?