The Circus of Mars

Today (5/21/2024), I stumbled upon a wondrous pearl from the depths of my early writing (2010)—a sunken treasure swallowed by the vast ocean of Google Documents. "Monstrous Strength" is a 10-volume series of body-targeted and function-specific strength training programs inspired by fearsome monsters of myth and legend. Written during a time when I was actively pursuing an MMA career and training to be a Circus Strongman, I believed these volumes were forever lost. However, it seems the Fates have conspired to unleash these mythic beasts upon the world once more. Here is an excerpt from my soon-to-be-released Kraken program: --- The original date of writing is 7/9/2010. **Kraken Strength Training Program** Few creatures stir the unconscious mind like the Kraken. This massive, mysterious beast rises from unfathomable depths, feeding on whatever it finds, leaving destruction in its wake. Alien in nature, the Kraken emerges from our darkest dreams only to return to those unexplo...

The following is my original blog post (updated with better grammar and sentence structure) reflecting my unique early work on "pagan" mythology and strength training. My interaction inspired Heroic Evolution's Queen Maeve program with strongwoman  Robin Coleman   ( who took 3rd place in the 2001 World's Strongest Woman in Zambia, Africa ). Unfortunately, my presently defunct Heroic Evolution never produced this strength program, and it remains an unrealized dream.    Queen Maeve: Strong enough for a man but made for a woman. 8/16/11 Hail Queen Maeve! In all of Ireland, only one woman held the keys to real power—a force of nature that made men tremble with both fear and desire. Her name is Queen Maeve. Queen Maeve is a woman second to no man. She is drop-dead gorgeous, strong as a bull, and said to have slain whole legions of men on the battlefield and in the bed chamber. Queen Maeve is unquestionably the alpha female. In Irish myth, she is a Queen and a goddess of s...

Below is my original blog post (updated with somewhat better grammar and sentence structure) reflecting my one-of-a-kind early work on "pagan" mythology and strength training. The original post can be found here on my Blog,  Circus of Mars.  The Hercules program was inspired by old-time strongmen like Henry Higgins, Auther Saxon, and Eugene Sandow. These men attained strength, which is still largely unmatched, using highly focused and abbreviated programs. Modeling their example, I engineered an "old-time" strongman course utilizing 12 full-body exercises (or labors) and a heavy dumbbell. Unfortunately, my now-defunct Heroic Evolution never produced this strength program, and it remains an unrealized dream. Hercules, Through works and not grace alone 08/07/11 The name Hercules conjures images of raw, unbridled strength and rugged masculinity. Hercules was born of a union between the mortal woman Alcmena and Zeus, king of the Gods. While divine blood runs through his...

Update 08/05/2023 I revisited my original 03/28/2011 post HERE about the sacred bird of Mars and found that I still fully agree with my initial writing. I revised my work to reflect the passage of time and re-present it to you below.  Revised 03/28/2011 Post Would you believe the Woodpecker is sacred to Mars? What about this bird could be comparable to this mystery of God? Mars is a deity of aggression and war, fucking and fighting. However, long before Mars expertly wielded iron and steel, he was a fierce deity of the wildlands, vitality, and masculinity.  Mars is seen in the will to fight and survive in a seedling struggling to break free from the frozen ground and drink deeply of the golden ale of the Sun's rays. Mars is the sweeping and caustic change that destruction brings by violence, be it direct like the act of war or indirectly, such as the growth and making room for industry. More than those, Mars is a persistent force, forever "pecking" away, the continual we...

Update 08/05/2023 My words still ring true and set the heart ablaze. A life re-purposed. I am made whole as another heals. -Kevin Wikse  I received a comment on it a few days ago for a blog entry I made in 2011 from a man who suffered a great setback. My words and experiences inspired him to crawl out of his depression, spend time under the iron, and build himself back up. I knew I needed the blow the dust off this piece and re-submit it to a larger audience. I hope it inspires many more people.  -Kevin Wikse 2022 Original  2011 Post The Revised 2011 Post I have been through some life-altering adjustments in the last couple of weeks. Lord Mars laid waste to my old life. With a mighty spear stroke, he sent me to crawl off and assess my wounds. In hindsight, I intuitively knew it was coming. I knew I required more room to grow than my current situation could afford me. My progress had become stifled. Sons of Mars must always march on. There is only ...

UPDATE 08/05/2023 The following post I made HERE on 6/15/2011 on my long (too long) quiet Circus of Mars blog. Revisiting my emerging voice to discover how far I have come and, in the process, giving them an update is cathartic. The threads of my ideologies are present, but they are still raw and primarily abstract, clearly evidenced in my writing. If I only knew then where those early posts would lead me. Even so, I would do it again, only this time, more and louder. Even today, the path of Mars, a Kaballaistic reference, is my most well-trodden road toward the ever-deepening realization of God.  -Kevin Wikse In the modern world, the force and power of Mars likens very well to a combustion engine. Heat plus explosion equals energy. The hotter, the more forceful the blast, the higher the output. Others should marvel at the potential power contained in your life, even when it's idling.  Implementing strength training as a spiritual practice and religious devotion is undoubtedl...

In all of Ireland, the was but one woman who held the keys to true power. A force of nature who made men tremble with both fear and desire. Her name is Queen Maeve. Queen Maeve is a woman who will be second to no man; she is drop dead gorgeous (literally), strong as a bull and said to have slain whole legions of men, both on the battlefield and in the bed chamber… Queen Maeve is 100% Alpha-Female Queen Maeve in Irish myth is not only a heroine, but also a goddess of sovereignty who all the kings of Ireland where symbolically married too. One of her names is the “King maker”, as she could elevate any man, who is man enough, to his highest potential. Her skills and talents are great and many, she is a woman unto herself, a Queen who needs no King to be complete, but knows that Ireland is best ruled with a combined front of King and Queen. Queen Maeve’s feminine charms and sexual prowess are legendary. It is said she could easily exhust 30-40 men a night, maybe all at the sametim...

The name of Hercules instantly summons the images of raw strength and rugged masculinity. Hercules was born of a union between the mortal woman Alcmena and a God; Zeus the king of the Gods. Hercules is first and foremost a man. He is burdened with the flaws and temptations of any mortal man; but, gifted with the strength and near invincibility of a God. The latter part might sound ideal; however, the implications for Hercules’s actions are far reaching and often times tragic. His strength serves as much a curse as a blessing. Hercules treads on a slippery slope as more than a mortal man but less than a God. Much of Hercules’s story is a constant struggle with self control and accepting the responsibly for his otherworldly strength. The examination of Hercules’s life is a worthwhile study for any man, pagan or otherwise. Hercules seems to have all that a man could want. He is incredibly powerful, popular with the ladies and leads a heroic life filled with endless adventure; however, I...

The Horned God inhabits all religions. He is the great father of the wild woods, a mighty hunter who keeps the balance of life and death imposing its often harsh repercussions. He is the trickster who causes calamity in hopes of teaching a much needed lesson, the seductive dancer who stirs the maiden’s first thoughts of carnality, and finally he is the much recognized “great adversary” who commands the hosts of Hell. The Horned God is all they say he is and more. He is as beloved as he is loathed just as he is as essential as he is eternal in all his forms and functions. Pan is the dance that emulates the beauty and brutality inherent in the interplay between life and death and all that stand between the two. His dance lures the young boys and girls together. His lewd undulations ignite a fire in their loins that inspire them to “dance” new life into the world. The Horned God leaps and flourishes himself menacingly; his dances imitate battle scenes between young stags, antler to antler...