On the 14th of March Police Scotland launched an awareness campaign to let the public know that a hate monster was operating in everyone’s psyche. They drew it as a cartoon.

When the public saw this they erupted with fury and anger. There was a feeling of being insulted and treated like children because the Police were using cartoons to communicate with adults. Some even suggested there was something sinister about the campaign.

The police also told us where the hate monster is most active:

“We know that young men aged 18-30 are most likely to commit hate crime, particularly those from socially excluded communities who are heavily influenced by their peers.”

The Hate Monster following young men aged 18-30 are most likely to commit hate crime, particularly those from socially excluded communities who are heavily influenced by their peers.


Why Did People Get Angry About the Hate Monster Campaign?

Before we get into the concepts behind the campaign let’s first try and understand why the public and press reacted with fury and anger.



Evil does not want to be known. If you shine a light in the face of evil it will act to protect itself.

Further, evil cannot ever be truly comprehended by us mere mortals in an absolute sense.

So we will only ever have a relative concept of evil, limited by our perceptions and understandings.

If at any point your perception and conception of evil crystallises into one definitive form, evil will outwit you.

Because it will take shape and work through everything you think it isn’t and it will operate in your blind spots.

Stay loose with definitions of that which is undefinable. It’s fine to have working definitions in order to orientate but treat definitions of evil more as coordinates, less as absolutes.

If you are successful in tracking evil. And you lock onto it. And you directly call it out as being operative in you: e.g. give it the name of “Hate Monster” as Police Scotland did; then you will trigger what is known as ego defence.

Ego defence will activate when your concept of self is questioned. It can feel very threatening and it will activate fight or flight. By telling people they have a hate monster inside of them they are essentially telling people that there is an aspect of them that is bad. People don’t want to conceptualise themselves as bad so their ego will kick in to defend itself and reject this idea.

Further, we have to add into the mix that because we are dealing with evil; there are two further defences that need to overcome:

1. Intellectual laziness
2. Narcissistic defences

Intellectual laziness stops people from exploring new knowledge and considering new perspectives. Evil keeps people thinking they know it all. So that it can operate in the areas they know nothing about.

Narcissistic defences ensure the preservation of the self concept so that you don’t question yourself as harbouring potential evil. You think of yourself as good.

With the above in mind you can why evil constellated and activated a furious and angry reaction to the hate monster in order to try and destroy the awareness campaign.

Now let’s get into the wisdom and psychology behind the campaign.

Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times

Firstly, The idea that you have monsters inside of you that want to act is not a new idea dreamed up by Police Scotland.

It has its roots in many wisdom traditions around the world.

One of the most practical books I’ve read about working with inner demons comes from the Buddhist leader Tsultrim Allione. In her book Feeding Your Demons: Ancient Wisdom for Resolving Inner Conflict she draws on the Tibetan Buddhist practice of Chöd and uses the same technique Police Scotland used in their campaign. That of naming a demon and imagining it into form so it can be worked with.

I doubt however, Police Scotland consciously used Chöd as inspirational source material for their campaign. Rather it was probably dreamt up by someone connected to the same wisdom streams.

Further, Police Scotland’s advice opposes Buddhist teaching. Police Scotland’s advice is “Don’t feed the hate monster” whereas Tsultrim Allione writes in her book:

“When you feed rather than fight your demons, you create a space for transformation. Instead of using your energy in battle, you learn to nurture, understand, and transform that energy into wisdom and compassion”.

This doesn’t mean you go around in real life unleashing the hate monster. What Tsultrim Allione teaches is a safe process for bringing your hate monster into conscious awareness by imagining it, then working with it to restore calm, harmony and peace within.

Making the unconscious conscious through Shadow Work

In modern times, in the West, the idea that there is a hate monster in every one of us was explored by Carl Jung the Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology in 1912.

Jung taught that within the human psyche exist personal complexes and collective archetypes. Some of these are conscious. Some operate in what he called “the shadow” The shadow contains all the complexes (hate is a complex) that we would rather not be.

Jung taught that in order to work with complexes you need to bring them to conscious awareness, either through active imagination or dream work (or during psychoanalysis) and then dialogue with them. The process of analysing and integrating unconscious complexes is called shadow work.

Jung taught:

“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious”

In order to do this you have to shine a light within and bring it to life by imagining what you find. Personifying it as a hate monster. This is a well known principle in psychology and is put to use in art therapy where you draw your emotions and struggles.

Police Scotland’s campaign is based on sound theological and psychological methods and ideas. The public’s reaction is a typical response when you shine a spotlight directly on evil.

The Path to Self Awareness

In light of the uproar and misunderstanding surrounding Police Scotland’s hate monster campaign, it becomes clear that the path to self-awareness and transformation is both complex and fraught with resistance.

The public’s reaction, steeped in defensive mechanisms and a reluctance to confront inner darkness, underscores a universal struggle against acknowledging the less savoury aspects of our nature.

However, this campaign, despite its controversial reception, opens up a crucial dialogue about the importance of recognizing and engaging with our inner demons, not as enemies, but as opportunities for profound personal growth and healing.

The wisdom of ancient traditions and the insights of depth psychology suggest that the journey towards enlightenment and self-realisation is not about denying or defeating our shadows, but rather about integrating them into our consciousness with compassion and understanding.

By personifying these aspects as the hate monster, Police Scotland inadvertently tapped into a deep psychological truth: that we all harbour darkness within us, and it is only by acknowledging and working with this darkness that we can truly achieve inner peace and societal harmony.

This campaign, though met with initial backlash, serves as a potent reminder of the transformative power of facing our shadows.

It challenges us to reflect on our own inner monsters, not with fear or disdain but with the intention of fostering a deeper understanding of ourselves and, by extension, each other.

In doing so, we embark on a path not just towards individual healing, but towards creating a more compassionate and empathetic society.

Through the wisdom of our ancestors and the insights of modern psychology we can navigate the complexities of the human psyche, turning our inner turmoil into a wellspring of strength, wisdom, and compassion.



The Gods and Goddesses of Mount Olympus at war with each other because they are wearing two faced masks and cannot tell reality from fiction.

A Myth for Our Times: The Kidnapping of the Angel of Love

The Gods started to believe nonsense. Their reality broke & war started. The rupture in peace allowed evil to enter and commit unspeakable deeds.
The image incorporates elements of meditation, creativity, astrology, and journaling, set against a backdrop that suggests introspection and the exploration of the shadow self.

How do you do Shadow Work? The Path from Darkness to Authenticity

Dive into shadow work: Use meditation, creativity, astrology & journaling to explore your inner conflicts and achieve personal harmony and wholeness.
what is shadow work - a tree with roots showing how you need to embrace all aspects of yourself to become whole.

What is Shadow Work? Illuminate Your Hidden Depths

Transform darkness into strength. Engage in shadow work for a more authentic, self-aware, and courageous life.
Matt Beech's Mystic's Menagerie Newsletter.

The Mystic’s Menagerie Newsletter

Share the spiritual practices, esoteric exercises, and occult ****** I've been reading, using, and exploring.
The Gods and Goddesses of Mount Olympus at war with each other because they are wearing two faced masks and cannot tell reality from fiction.


During my travels, I met a Countess. With a sparkle in her eye, and a sly wink, she gave me a handful of magic beans. I wasn’t sure whether to eat them or plant them? Anyhow, the beans took me to the realm of Gods, Goddesses and Myths. This is what I received.


For the most fun party to end all parties, the Gods & Goddesses dress up and wear two-faced masks.

But after the party ends, they forget to take the two-faced masks off.

Unknowingly, the masks begin to take on a life of their own.

The two faced masks led the Gods & Goddesses astray, preventing them from seeing truth from false, right from wrong.

And the Gods & Goddesses begin to deceive themselves about themselves and one another about each other.

Greed, pride, delusion and ill will dominated the imagination of the Gods & Goddesses.

Power games are now being played and an unimaginably devastating war has erupted between the Gods & Goddesses.

gods and goddesses at war on mount olympus because they wore two faced masks which they forgot to take off.


The rupture in harmony created an entry point for unimaginable evil to enter the Kingdom, evading every defence.

In the shadows of the Kingdom, evil has secretly crafted the most diabolical demon. Evil has placed the demon directly into the loving heart of the Kingdom so it can hide in the darkest shadows, waiting for the moment when it can unleash terror.

When the moment arrived, the demon erupted into being to the sound of a trumpet and violently ripped the Kingdom’s Angel of Love’s wings from her back. the demon held her limp, wingless body up for everyone to see and a sense of deep shame reverberated across the Kingdom.

A demon tearing the wings off the angel love and holding her limp body for the kingdom to see.


Then the demon forcefully dragged her into the Abyss. Into Hell, so he could subsume her being into his perverse everlasting, cosmic spiral of evil.

The Angel of Love is missing from the Kingdom.

And the Kingdom is now sick and a pandemic of unimaginable devastation has been unleashed. The Kingdom is dying a slow terrible death.


Only by rescuing the Angel of Love can the life of the Kingdom be saved.

Only an act of ultimate forgiveness will repair the defences against evil keeping the Kingdom safe.

The Queen has ordered her most noble Knight to leap into the Abyss and rescue the Kingdom’s Angel of Love. To arm her Knight, the Queen unlocks her armoury and draws Excalibur. She gives it to the Blacksmith for preparation. The Blacksmith uses the strongest stone in the land, a Firestone to hone the edge of Excalibur’s blade making it sharper than it’s ever been before.


On the day of the leap, the Kingdom gathers to watch. The Knight stands at the edge of the Abyss, raises Excalibur to the sky and bellows into the depths “Demon, return the Angel of Love or I will end you”

Not a word from the Abyss.

The Knight waited longer for a response.


And then he heard it, a quiet whisper, a faint sound, a cold demonic cackling laugh.

And the Knight quivers in fear, losing his faith, his strength and his courage.

He backs away from the edge of the Abyss.

He returns to the Queen and tells her that he had failed.

He hands back Excalibur, removes his coat of arms from the Chapel, and gives up his Knighthood.

He returns to the village to live as a villager.

A state of dark despair falls across the Kingdom and the sun does not rise for three days.

And then, a wizard appears out of nowhere. He walks with a most marvellous wooden staff.

At the tip of the staff a sapphire stone gleams, glistens and sparkles, igniting a flicker of hope across the Kingdom.


The wizard walked to the edge of the Abyss.

The Kingdom gathered to watch.

Will the wizard take the leap? Will he find her? Will he defeat evil and rescue the Angel of Love?

But the wizard does not leap. Instead, The wizard pointed his staff into the Abyss and calmly said “Lumos”.

And a blinding flash of light illuminates the darkness making the Abyss vanish. And the sound of a trumpet rang out.

The Angel of Love reappears, soaring high above the Kingdom. Shining with splendour and radiance, emanating ineffable love on the Kingdom once again. And the sickness left the Kingdom and life returned. The Fields of the Kingdom bloomed with Sunflowers.


Everyone in the Kingdom turns to face one another. The words “I am sorry” ring out from the crowds. And as if by Magic, a Water Wheel House appears on the banks of the river and water lilies appear at the water’s edge.



Subscribe to My Newsletter

Matt Beech's Mystic's Menagerie Newsletter.

The Mystic’s Menagerie Newsletter

Share the spiritual practices, esoteric exercises, and occult ****** I've been reading, using, and exploring.
Divine Health and Safety. What are the implications of bringing the knowledge of good and evil into all things, for all infinity for all eternity?



Why can’t you have both knowledge of good and evil, AND live forever?

Some people believe an interpretation of Genesis where Adam and Eve are banished from Eden as a punishment for disobeying G-d’s command by eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. 

However, the evidence to support the idea that G-d was punishing Adam & Eve is weak. No clear translations can be found between the words in the first Hebrew scriptures, when Genesis was first written down, and today’s words that unquestionably conclude that it was a punishment. 

Especially not in the way we would understand and experience punishment today.

The word “punishment” doesn’t appear in Genesis Chapter 3 – The Fall (NIV) 

Instead, punishment is implied through the word “banish”.

But, The Oxford Dictionary’s literal definition of the word ” banish” doesn’t 100% match either the definition of the Hebrew words or the meaning of the symbolism of its letters.

The Hebrew scriptures used a different word which had a different symbolic meaning. 

When translating, there were no words close enough to capture the Hebrew word’s whole essence.

If we follow the etymology of the word “banish”, and how its meaning evolved so that we can pinpoint when it first became associated with punishment, we get a sense that this association gradually evolved and became stronger alongside the maturity of legal systems, the crystallization of cultural norms, and changing views on crime and justice.

But when Genesis was first written, the association between banishment and punishment was not as fixed as it is today.

They commonly used Hebrew verbs like these where we use “banished” today:

גֵּרַשׁ (Gerash): “driving out” or “expelling.”  Emphasizing the action of being pushed out, suggesting a forceful separation. A divorce.

עָבַד (Avad): “working” or “cultivating.” However, in the context of Genesis, it carries the connotation of “toil” or “labour,” implying hardship and difficulty associated with their new life outside Eden.

Despite this, even if you still feel Adam & Eve were banished as punishment; 

And even if, through scholarly research, we discover an earlier, closer to source, version of Genesis where words were used that had a stronger association with punishment as we know it today or we find scripture that transmits a clearer knowing of the symbology of the Hebrew letters and they do in fact, point to punishment; 

It’s still not the primary reason for Adam & Eve’s ejection from Eden.

In Genesis Chapter 3 (NIV); After G-d discovers Adam & Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge of good and Evil, it states, 

22 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 

The reason for Adam & Eve leaving Eden is contained between the phrases:

“The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to…”

AND

“So the Lord God banished him“

The reason they had to leave is:

“He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”

Why not? 

Why are Adam & Eve not allowed to live forever?

They were allowed to live forever before they ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. 

Why does living forever become forbidden once you eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil? 

Genesis Chapter 2 (NIV):

8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

This is what happened:

G-d plants the Tree of Life with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the middle of Eden.  

G-d tells Adam the only tree he can’t eat from is the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. So he is allowed to eat from the Tree of Life.

But after they gain the knowledge of good and evil, They have to leave so they can’t eat from the Tree of Life and live forever.

Why can’t you have both knowledge of good and evil, AND live forever?



Subscribe to my Newsletter

Matt Beech's Mystic's Menagerie Newsletter.

The Mystic’s Menagerie Newsletter

Share the spiritual practices, esoteric exercises, and occult ****** I've been reading, using, and exploring.