Twilight Of The Gods

Prehistoric Scribbles I - What Would Jesus Do?

2009-11-28T06:18:00.004-06:00

I've decided to post here a series of articles I wrote waaaaaaay back in the days when I was on Delphi, now that I've found them again. Here's the first.

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What Would Jesus Do?
One of evangelical Christianity's favorite questions, second only to "Who do you think Jesus is?" I've got a better one for you though. If Jesus was on Earth today, what would he be doing? Would he have a TV show, preaching the "good news" globally in 24ish different languages? Would he come out in an Armani suit, discuss the news from "God's perspective", and preform miracles live? Would he go on tour, performing miracles as he moved from town to town with his entourage, staying in the best hotels and renting civic centers for the tour? Would he run for president? Would he go apeshit and beat "cult" leaders to within an inch of their lives for impersonating him? Would he beat gay people in his own name? Would Jesus be on-line? Would have a website, and get hundreds of e-mails a day? Would he hang out in chatrooms and message boards, starting flame wars when someone disagreed with him? Would he spam and troll the boards run by people of other religions? As Ray Stevens said, "Would Jesus wear a rolex on his television show?" Would he?

I don't think so. In fact, I'm of the opinion that if Jesus was here today, he would be nauseated by the activities of his so-called followers. I'm reminded of his rantings at the Pharisees and the episode when he cleared out the temple. It becomes quite obvious to almost anyone who reads the New Testament with an eye toward the cultural climate of the time that the popular image of Jesus is not quite right. The picture that comes out if you read it without bias is quite different.

Jesus was a rebel. He did not acknowledge any form of authority other than his own, be it civil or ecclesiastical. He didn't even really acknowledge "God" as having any authority over him, due to the simple fact that he claimed to be the son of "God". If someone questioned him on a matter the response, again and again, is "It is my father's will." Who would question him after that? Jesus hung out and traveled with whores and tax collectors and failed fishermen, the outcasts of society. He traveled the region, crashing wherever anyone would let him and living off the willingly given resources of his admirers. He partied, contrary to the popular opinion. The incident surrounding the "water to wine" miracle is very clearly stated as a wedding party. The wine ran out so he turned water to wine in order that the party could continue. And don't give me this shit about the water in the Middle East not being drinkable, so they drank wine instead. That's a cop out. It seems pretty obvious from the context of the story that the water in question was drinkable, being that it was sitting around in jugs that the party goers didn't seem to have any problems drinking out of. He did the miracle 'cause he wanted more wine, damn it.

So, what's the point? Simple. If Jesus was alive today, he wouldn't act anything like what his followers believe he would. And he certainly wouldn't be on TV asking for donations. If Jesus were alive today, he'd probably be a biker. He'd drink, he may or may not smoke, and he'd probably hang out in bars and strip joints. He'd ride around the country - I envision him on a Fatboy - living as he could from city to city.

Why? Why do I say this? In the New Testament, Jesus helped individuals. Yeah, there were times when he preached to large groups, but in that time, it was more personal even in larger groups. At the time, "larger groups" meant a very different thing than it does now, maybe a thousand people, tops. Jesus's style was mostly individual and, above all personal.

And that's what I see him doing. Getting to know people. Real people...and giving them hope.

Hunting Jesus

2009-11-19T05:34:00.003-06:00

Much and nothing have happened since my last post. Call me lazy or call me unmotivated, both are likely true. It's been a years of trials, that's for sure. The comfortable norm upset. And in a way that's a good thing. I'm rid of baggage that I'm better off without, and moreover once again motivated to do things. To imagine, to write, to dream, and to work my Art. It's amazing how stagnant and dull one can become when someone else takes over your life.

But enough of that. As I type this I'm in the process of perhaps the oddest project I've undertaken to date. At my Lady's (insistent) prompting, I am endeavoring to become a Christian again. What the fuck, I know. Though I don't understand her reasoning at the moment, I'm willing to trust. So I go attempting to re-engage (rebuild, recreate?) the faith I once had. Not easy going mind you, as I now know so much of my previous errors. So in a way it becomes an exercise of suspension of disbelief - on a personally epic scale.

So shhhhhhh, be very very quiet. I'm hunting Jesus...

My Birthday Present

2009-01-22T06:49:00.003-06:00

My birthday was on the 19th of this month, but it was on the 20th that I got my real present. On the 20th of this month, a new president was inaugurated into the highest office of this country. Barack Obama, our first black president. And yes, I said black not African-American - I am not a creature of political correctness. At last, for the first time in 8 years, we again have a president that was voted into office. But that isn't the greatest part of why I consider this man's ascension to the presidency as a personal birthday present.

A year ago at Xmas time I posted this. And in the spirit of that post I returned to a nest of vipers that I had left (along with others) in order to give them another chance to show me that there was a way to avoid the cultural war mentioned in that post from turning ugly. I'll be frank - I was of the opinion that, given time, this country would face another civil war, with the lines being drawn mainly by religious affiliation this time. A silly idea? Perhaps. But I doubt many can honestly look at the heat of the rhetoric on both sides and honestly tell me that such a thing is completely out of the realm of possibility. Likewise, I defy any of my (non-existent) readers to tell me that concentration, err re-education camps are totally outside the realm of possibility in the long term if the likes of Palin were to take the presidency and continue Bush's methodical demolition of the Constitution.

So, with hope of finding a way to co-exist or reason with the other side of the cultural war, I went back to the web of deceit and arrogance known as ExWitch.com. In case you're wondering gentle reader, I was not looking to save the world here - I am well aware that one website and my meaningless babble have precisely zero real effect on the world. No, this was more of a social experiment, to see if that two larger groups could indeed avoid the outcome I foresaw by examining the matter on a smaller scale. Regardless, I didn't have high hopes, having clashed with most of the moderators in the past and knowing their methods (self-righteous censorship, arbitary bannings, and good old fashion lying, not to mention gaslighting and other amatuer attempts to "persuade" their audience). However, I wanted to give them a chance to prove me wrong. The experiment lasted til May. To be fair, yes I was banned (temporarily at first I think, but permemantly due to pressing the matter) for "bad behavior". I guess demanding justice - ie that others are not banned arbitrarily for no good reason - and calling out the moderators on their hypocrasy and lies if bad behavior in such circles. In any case, they failed, and proved me right.

I did learn an important leason from the Jesus Nazis there however - one cannot reason with a fanatic, especially in groups, especially when they are in power. One need not be a genius to see what this lesson means on a larger scale.

BUT...as it often does, reality surprised me. On November 5th, a clear majority of this country's population joined together in rejecting the dogmatism, intolerance, greed, and insanity of the Religous Right (in their unholy union with the Republican party), and instead chose tolerance, compassion, diversity, and pragmatism by electing this man, Barack Obama, to the presidency. And so, two days ago, I received one of the greatest birthday presents anyone could have ever given me.

Hope.

A Much Needed Vacation

2008-07-08T20:07:00.003-05:00

So, for the first time in a couple of years I'm on vacation. This time, like many before, that means heading West. To clarify, I live in Wisconsin of all places, so west means (generally speaking) South Dakota, Wyoming, and the like. In fact, I'm setting in a motel in Mitchel SD as I type this. It's rather nice, not a pricey or fancy place, but I like it. The Thunderbird Lodge in case you're wondering (if you know the area). Intending to try for Yellowstone, if things work out right.

Anyway, I've been largely silent for the past few months, with only a few half-snide allusions to spending too much time on World of Warcraft as explanation. While that is partly the truth, and I meant no offense to anyone with said allusions, the other half of the truth is that I'm burned out. I'm sick of discussing, debating, and arguing about religion and related matters. In some senses it's all become way too personal, and in many many others it has simply become far to frustrating. After all, it's not like there is any real, objective answers or evidence involved in religion and spirituality to begin with, and as a result it's rather difficult to debate a point to begin with but ultimately determining and discussing the truth of any religious or spiritual matter is essentially as fruitful and meaningful as discussing the flavors of ice cream available on Mars.

This doesn't mean that one cannot disprove things of a religious/spiritual nature - if an idea is internally inconsistent or simply logically untenable it's a pretty fair bet that concept is false. However, while proving this in debate/discussion is rather easy, convincing people to accept that such common sense is actually true can be a matter of Herculean proportions. Discussion only works as a means of learning if both parties are willing to learn and grow.

Anyway, enough babble. West has always been sort of a spiritual thing for me, and in addition to mundane fun I'm sort of looking forward to actually experiencing again rather than merely talking. But someone else wants to use the computer here, so off I go.

Ex-Witch Dot Done

2008-05-12T23:30:00.002-05:00

Well true believers, it's finally happened - after all this time, the fanatics at ExWitch.com finally done banned this old dog :D Not that it was unexpected of course - my recent shift in style to "in your face truth, screw the niceties"combined with their even more recent descent further down into the dark depths of Jesus Nazism was simply a recipe for such an event. Truthfully, I'm amazed that they put up with me for this long actually, but it doesn't matter in the end. My job and the lessons I needed to learn there have been done there for a while, and it's past time I moved on to another trench in this war of ideas. But first, a break for a while - gots to make me some more WoW money y'all :D.

To my friends on EW - those few that remain as I see the exodus I predicted has begun - I'll see you around in the funny papers, nothin but love for ya :D This includes CountryGal/Shadowvoices, Anita, Catfantastic, Azlan'sTraveler, LadyGarnetRose, Nuisereset, PrayerPower, Butterfly, and Ithril (though I have the feeling I'm forgetting someone).

And to the unnamed management of EW, thank you for once again showing your true faces. Keep it up, you're an excellent argument against your own religion HA!

The Passing Of An Era....

2008-01-29T09:09:00.000-06:00

Tromping around the internet this morning, I stopped by Dumpshock, what I consider the premire Shadowrun fansite. Upon looking around I was dismayed to find that, while they had fixed many of the errant links on the site, they also seem to no longer be hosting two sites that for me are a rather large portion of Shadowrun history - the Shadowrun Archive and Blackjack's Shadowrun Page. Neither of these pages has been actually updated since 2000, so it's understandable to stop hosting them, but...

Blackjack - one Branson Hagerty - is a personality that is likely little known to the wider populace, or to newer Shadowrun players for that matter. A notoriously...grumpy...individual who mainly GMed rather than played the game - something he constantly complained about - Blackjack apparently switched to 3rd edition Shadowrun when it came out, but his site never reflected it. Indeed, said site - and his Blackjack's Corner column on the Shadowrun Archives - was full of his uniquely crusty humor and NERPS as well as a good deal of his philosophy and opinion on how to play and GM the game. His writing was quirky, sarcastic, vaguely nostalgic, and downright bitchy......and I loved every bit of it. His philosophy of gaming had a large effect on mine, even though I never interacted with him directly. These two sites were two of the first Shadowrun sites I ran unto when I first got access to the internet back in the fall of '94, and they were "places" I loved.

And now they are well and truly gone. Yet another sign that I'm getting old.

For those interested, portions of these sites can be viewed via the Wayback Machine here:
Blackjack's Shadowrun Page
The Shadowrun Archive - Blackjack's Corner

Confessions Of A Gamer Geek

2008-01-22T08:27:00.000-06:00

I admit it, I'm guilty. I'm a gamer, a total geek and damn proud of it. I'm into video games, mainly PC based at the moment and I'm just getting into World of Warcraft since my girlfriend got it for me for my birthday. I've always disliked MMORPGs due to the fact that you have to pay to play a game you already bought, but then I didn't buy this so I guess it's ok ;) Anyway, I've loved the Warcraft series of games ever since I played the first one back in college.

My true passion in gaming though is pulp (aka table top, pen & paper, etc) gaming - particularly Shadowrun. Having played SR for something like 15 years starting at 1st edition and now on 4th, that pretty much says where my preference lies. That said, I also like D&D 3.5 (specifically the Eberron setting), Star Wars (d20 and the new Saga edition), and have some appreciation for White Wolf's games (even though I find them kind of pretentious).

D&D (the old, old red box) and Dragonlance were actually my first gaming experiences, and while I have a hate-hate relationship with the game's magic system I keep coming back to it every once and a while. That might change with the advent of 4th edition though. Frankly, neither I nor anyone I know is happy about it. Especially after spending a good chunk of change on the 3rd and then 3.5 edition books. All I can say at the moment is that WotC had best do a damn good job on 4th edition, like miraculous, if they still want my group's patronage.

"You Never Were A Christian"

2008-01-01T05:20:00.000-06:00

"There is no such thing as an ex-Christian."

"You never really believed."

"If you truly knew or loved the Lord you would have never walked away."

I hear this stuff all the time from Christians (mainly the evangelical sort), and it truly does get tiresome, what with all the constantly having to explain that yes, I was once just as they are now. It gets old, really. Now, I'm not starting this thread to rag on or complain about anyone, but rather to address the issue, which is in fact two separate issues.

The first issue is semantics - what is the definition of a Christian? The original definition of the term (coined by the Romans) was "a follower of Christ". Functionally, the only proper definition of the term can be "one who believes in the tenants of Christianity". Ironically, I agree with CS Lewis on this matter as the following link shows:

CS Lewis from Mere Christianity

Now, given that my opinion of CS Lewis is rather low (the man advocated the execution of witches - see the end of Mere Christianity, Chapter 3) it should seem ironic that this agreement is the case.

The second issue is more important (from a Christian perspective) - that of whether being a Christian equals being born again/saved (the same concept really). I contend that, according to the bible, this must be the case. Why?

According to the vast majority of Christian doctrine, the bare bones minimum requirements for salvation are as follows:

1) Belief in fundamental Christian doctrines, mainly that there is one god, Jesus was his son/him, everyone is a sinner, and that Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for the sin of mankind

2) Conscious and freely given submission to Jesus as lord

If I am missing anything, please correct me. Now, if any individual who meets those two requirements is saved it is plain then that anyone who meets the definitional requirements of the term Christian (above) is indeed born again/saved by definition especially since requirement 2 above is a tenant of Christian belief.

Now, it should to plain to anyone that a person can believe in Christianity and meet those two requirements (thus being saved/born again) and then later change his or her mind/beliefs/willingness to submit. Thus, it is therefore obvious that a person can indeed have been a truly born again Christian and leave the faith, thus becoming an ex-Christian.

As an aside, in regards to the last quote above, it should be obvious to anyone that an individual can fall out of love with a person just as well as they can fall into love with them, even if they know the individual well. People change, especially when they learn new information or let their blinders fall away in regards to information they knew but glossed over before for the sake of love.

Now, with such understanding rather easily reached, one is forced to ask why many Christians insist so doggedly on maintaining that we (yes, there are many ex-Christians) are in effect lying when we say we were once Christians. The only reasons I can think of, based on experience and conjecture, are as follows:

1) Dogma - The individual heard it from some preacher or other authority figure somewhere, so that's it. Period. This type of individual is obviously ignorant, stubborn, and closed minded in the extreme, unwilling to deal with new information simply because it contradicts what they already "know".

2) Arrogance or Need To Be Right - An individual of this sort may believe that since they "know God" and "God" (really some authority figure) said that there's no such thing as an ex-Christian that that is the end all and be all of the "discussion". Alternatively, such an individual, having dogmatically picked up this erroneous idea, simply be so horrendously insecure that he has a pathological need to be Right, regardless of anything else, and thusly cannot admit to being wrong especially in such a sensitive issue. This second permutation is especially common in Christian men in my experience.

3) Fear - The individual is afraid to admit that another person could find perfectly valid reasons to leave behind the faith that the individual still embraces. Perhaps they are afraid that to admit such would allow fatal cracks to appear in their own faith, and, as they are afraid of the consequences that their religion gives to unbelief or perhaps fear the identity crisis that deconversion can bring, they would rather deny contradictory information than allow this to happen. It is plain to see though that this betrays a crippling insecurity in their own faith, a fear that it could stand up to such contradictory evidence.

4) Compassion - This would seem to be the rarest motivation for such insult (indeed, is it not insulting to tell another person that their true accounting of their own life is a lie?), such an individual is generally - but not always - aware of Hebrews 6:4-6 and other such biblical verses (there is one I can think of, but can't find at the moment) which essentially state that any who fall away from the faith is eternally damned and can never return to it. In either case, the motivation for such individuals would seem to be that them want to maintain the hope that an ex-Christian can still return to the fold and be saved from damnation. This can be due either to general charity or specific like of the individual ex-Christian in question. While this is admirable, it owns up to neither the facts of the situation nor to the harshness inherent in their chosen religion.

Obviously, the any given individual evidencing such a belief can have more than one reason behind it. Further, the reasons for such belief may not even be consciously known to the individual, which is where it gets tricky.

So This Is Christmas

2007-12-25T02:07:00.000-06:00

The first year of World War One, the British and German troops in some places on the Western Front made their own peace - a bit of truce, a bit of humanity amidst the war. It started by singing songs, and (at least in one place) by one brave German risking his life to bring a Xmas tree to the British in the opposite trench.

Why am I talking about this on Christmas Eve? Because I wanna be that German. Any other time, I am, as you can tell gentle reader, something of an amateur culture warrior. I oppose both Christianity and Islam, and the expansion of either, and I am very much a liberal (generally speaking). All this culture war crap is necessary - vitally so in my opinion - because by debating such matters on the internet (and elsewhere) endlessly to the point of nausea we as a culture can hopefully keep the conflict on an intellectual level, and keep it from becoming something worse. Hopefully. But this is Christmas. Peace on Earth, goodwill to men, and all that. Regardless of our beliefs, for tonight and tomorrow let us have peace, let us make our own private truces. We can go back to the trenches in due time.

Peace, everyone. Please.

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year to all!

Daemons All About

2007-12-22T01:50:00.000-06:00

I haven't seen the Golden Compass yet, but I definitely want to - all the moreso because of the uproar certain groups (you know who you are) are making over it. It must really suck, to be so afraid of new ideas (or old ones in this case) that you have to get your panties in a knot and scream and holler and write pamphlets and propaganda campaigns against something as simple as a fantasy movie. Heaven forbid people should see something you don't want them to see, hell, they might start thinking for themselves if they do right? Sucks to be so insecure doesn't it?

Christian Terrorists

2007-12-16T05:49:00.000-06:00

Well, not alot to say today. Just ran into this gem on YouTube and thought I'd comment a tad.

Christian Terrorist Wannabe

Said Wannabe Advocates "It is time we rise up and force a massive change for the better."

I don't know whether this guy is a real Christian (definition - someone who believes in a Christian doctrine) or some sort of Trojan horse (ie it's an act to make Christians look bad) but then it really doesn't matter does it? The individual does indeed sum up the basic idea of Christianity (and Islam btw) rather nicely - obey God or he will roast you for all eternity. Really looks pretty horrible parred down to the bare bones basics, doesn't it?

When Samhain And Halloween Meet

2007-11-01T01:33:00.001-05:00

About a month ago, Anita (a Christian friend from a couple of the forums I haunt) asked me what Samhain means to me. Now that the buzz of the season has calmed, the rites and divinations done for another year, I have some time to put metaphoric pen to paper and ruminate on that question.

Ever since I was young, I've loved Halloween - the costumes, the trick-or-treating, the horror movies, and most of all the faux spooky atmosphere that surrounds the modern holiday. But the atmosphere that modern commercialism has surrounded the night - yes night, because Halloween is not about the daylight hours - with wasn't the only thing that I loved about it. I always vaguely sensed an undercurrent of otherworldly ambiance on this night, something real behind the mask if you will, and even though that current seemed scary at times I still craved it with the curiosity of youth. A trait I never really lost over the years.

Fast forward to the present. To me, Halloween isn't a single night but rather the month of Samhain. It starts on October 1st (Octoberfest in the area I live) with the barest of hints, anticipation of things to come. Throughout the month, day by day, the energy rises and rises until finally the week of Halloween arrives. And then the celebration for me begins.

October 29th, Anton's Day. Back when I first left Christianity and finally the grip of my teachers, the writings of Anton LaVey earned a special place in my heart (why I'll explain at another time). LaVey died on October 29th 1997, and out of respect for the man and his work to this day I raise a glass to honor him and endeavor to perform some act of personal improvement or hedonism (or both) on this night.

October 30th, Devil's Night. A night of pranks, perhaps with a sinister undertone (in Detroit in times past at least). I don't so much do anything in particular on this night (save for the semi-tradition I have of watching the Crow) but rather consider it something of a dress rehearsal for the night to follow. The energies are high enough and the ambiance is so right that any preparatory magical work I may need for the next night finds a home here rather than the daylight hours of the next day. Of course, if someone is irritating me, a prank of some sort is not out of the question. Although this year I was the one who was pranked (some...individuals...have an odd sense of humor).

October 31st, Halloween/Samhain Proper. "It's time again." That simple line from Halloween 3 sums up this night best for me. During the waning daylight hours, I love to be home where I grew up - I like handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters and seeing their costumes. I may be too old to participate, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the spectacle. But that's just the appetizer. As darkness falls a couple horror movies fill the last few hours til the real show begins. Because on this night, of all nights, the energy flows strongest, the walls between here and there are the weakest, and the weird becomes much more possible than in the garish daylight of the rest of the year. Midnight, magic hour, and the show begins on this night of power, between times. After the rites and magical work de jour are done, the quiet hours that follow are for divination and remembrance. Looking forward, looking back, contemplating the meaning of things - as I do now - and waiting out the night till dawn brings an end to it. Not out of fear, least some suggest that, but out of reverence. Almost like waiting at the bedside of a dying friend.

November 1st, All Souls Day. A relic of my Catholic upbringing - one of few that remain - November 1st is special for me in the same way the day after Christmas is. Not for itself, but rather as a sort of aftermath. The tide has crested and broke as the sun rises, and all that's left to do is remember the year before and lay plans for the year to come. And feast, a replacement of sorts for the candy trove of childhood.

So there you have it, a short overview of my tradition of Samhain. A blend of pop culture festivities, neopagan religious beliefs, and occultism with a distinctly dark and slightly sinister undertone. Many of my neopagan compatriots would object to this - some more strenuously than others - but for me all of these elements are inextricably linked. It cannot be otherwise, nor would I have it be. It seems though that I've failed in a sense to tell what all this means to me, but then in truth it's not something I can truly explain in words I find. It must be experienced.

Now Without Comment Moderation

2007-10-07T02:05:00.000-05:00

By popular demand. Plus Blogspot has been being a bitch regarding my log-ins for some time, so now at least I won't have to log in just to validate comments.

The End of Monotheism

2007-08-09T05:31:00.000-05:00

Or, How Judaism Evolved From Pagan Roots

I've been aware of this material for some time, and meaning to write a post on the subject, but really why bother? This guy's video does most of the work for me. A little commentary though - I think, given the ancient sources, it is obvious that YHVH was originally a pagan god just like all the ones the bible spends a great deal of time denouncing. It's also a safe bet that a group of henotheistic YHVH worshipers were, over time, responsible for steering early Hebrew society in a monotheistic direction. After all, given the personality exhibited by their god (see my posts here and here), he is not the type that can handle competition of any sort. Fast forward a couple thousand years, spawn a couple of offspring religions off Judaism, and you get the mess we have in the world today.

Those interested can follow discussion on this matter here.

Evil Is As Evil Does

2007-08-05T06:32:00.000-05:00

You Are 82% Evil

You're the most evil person you know.
The devil is even a little scared of you!

How Evil Are You?

Found this test referenced on the blog of a theistic Satanist. Check out his score - I win! Well, I can't say I'm surprised. Friends and girlfriend might be, or then maybe not. Last line's pretty sweet though, or it would be if I believed in the Christian devil. Ah well, good fun - back to being lazy :D

Signs Of The Times

2007-07-25T01:15:00.000-05:00

Practical cybernetics...more or less.

Nuff said!

The Warrior Spirit

2007-07-20T07:21:00.000-05:00

Recently I joined an online class on the subject of Pagan warrior spirituality. As the first assignment is an essay on what being a warrior means to each individual, I'd thought I'd plaster mine up here.
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What is a warrior, or better, what makes a warrior? It seems to me that a warrior is defined by two things – conflict and sacrifice. Anything else seems off to me in a sense.

A warrior accepts not only the necessity of and responsibility for conflict, but also it’s inevitability. But I should define terms first. In the sense I am speaking of conflict is any confrontation that has the potential to cause lasting harm. The obvious example is physical conflict, combat, whether lethal or not, but this definition can go further to include spiritual and mental harm. After all, I have a hard time believing that someone who risks their life and sanity in an exorcism or other spiritual battle is somehow not every bit the warrior as the soldier on the battlefield can be. Due to the definition I use of conflict, a diplomat, negotiator, or “web warrior” is not necessarily a warrior, although they can be. A warrior then is one that accepts that conflict is sometimes the only way to resolve a situation or protect what he cares about. A warrior does not flee from necessary conflict, but rather embraces it as his calling and purpose. As a result of this, a warrior takes responsibility for conflict – for initiating it or ending it as necessary and for being prepared for it at all times. A true warrior does not seek conflict lightly or without purpose, as any conflict he is involved in is his personal responsibility, his duty to himself and those or that which he cares about. To seek conflict lightly then puts the warrior and moreover his responsibility at unnecessary risk, and has the potential to reduce his capability to undertake necessary conflict. This emphasis on personal responsibility is very important, as it creates an important distinction – a warrior can be a soldier, but a soldier is not necessarily a warrior. Lastly, a warrior knows in his deepest heart that conflict is inevitable. It can be avoided or put off in many cases, but sooner or later a threat will emerge to those or that which the warrior cares about that cannot be avoided, and then the warrior must fight.

Sacrifice is the second element that defines a warrior. In order to simply be a warrior, much must be sacrificed. A warrior sacrifices the luxuries of complacency, unpreparedness, and pacifism. A warrior sacrifices the luxury of letting someone else take responsibility for protecting the things he cares about, and the luxury of fleeing from necessary conflict. On a further level, a warrior sacrifices the luxuries of happiness, of peace, even of life itself, should these sacrifices be necessary to do his job. A warrior then is one who holds the line to protect what is important to him regardless of the personal cost. He understands that his personal needs are secondary to the needs of the job, and in accepting this makes that sacrifice small or extreme as it may be.

What then is a Pagan warrior? What can he or she be but one who feels called to this life of service, to a sacred duty to do whatever is prudent and necessary to protect that which he or she loves? A Pagan warrior then would seem by necessity to understand that his or her contributions will be minor in the greater scheme of things, constrained by the need for restraint, and go largely unsung by a fractious and unorganized community. A Pagan warrior is then one that understands and accepts all of these things, and then chooses the life of the warrior anyway.

Religion And Being A Jackass

2007-07-14T02:35:00.001-05:00

Ran into this over on The Wild Hunt blog, and as such these jerks at Operation Destroy America get the honor of being the inspiration of tonight's blog. Apparently these bigoted little swine decided that it would be ok to try and cram their religious bias down the throats of the US Senate by shouting down and otherwise disrupting the prayer offered by a Hindu guest chaplain. Now, the folks at Wild Hunt covered the reaction to this by the Religious Reich and the political implications rather well I think, so I won't bother going into that aside from thanking the various pundits of religious bigotry for again showing their true colors and desires - that being namely a theocratic government to replace the present (if waning) republican system we have.

No, what I'm going to get into is a bit broader. What I'm going to ask, plain a simple, is what the bloody hell gives these idiots and millions like them the right to assume that they can force others to conform to their religious expectations? I'm not just talking about this incident, but rather about every Christian fanatic that has ever used any form of force to apply their religion to others. I'm talking about the brow beating, the group or public intimidation tactics, the "wolf pack" and tag team conversion attempts, the hard sell street evangelism, the counter conversion attempts, the ever-so-concerned warnings about the "dangers to our immortal souls", the unwarranted gagging of dissenting opinion, the constant lies and slander, and the apologetic deceit constantly shoveled out as "truth". Not to even bother mentioning the countless historic incidents of physical violence, forced conversion, genocide, etc.

Now to be fair, it's not only Christianity that does this (*cough* Islam *cough*) or has done this historically, but talking about here and now, and in the US fundamentalist Christians are the biggest offenders, so they are the treatment. Further, not every Christian is a jackass - many are rather nice. But even the nicest can have a religious arrogance of sorts about them. You know, the kinda thing that permits the kind of jackassery I was talking about about, or simply turns a blind eye and excuses it when a fellow Christian is doing it because, after all, it's a fellow Christian.

Often, Christians will offer one of two excuses for this sort of crap. The first of these is that it's their duty to God to see his will done (or whatever), and therefore they must obey him. That alone assumes a whole bloody lot though. Not only does it presuppose the existence of God as they see him, but it presumes that their religious views about this god are literally true in some sense. And guess what dear reader? There is zero objective proof to back up any of that in the least. None. So, in essence, shmucks of this type are justifying making other people's lives miserable (or more annoying at the least) because they believe their own opinions are the end all and be all of existence. That isn't religion, it's nothing more than arrogance, hubris of the sort was punished by divine vengeance in the Greek myths. Furthermore, if that's the case and the accepted standards of behavior, then what's wrong with returning the favor and giving them the same treatment? Pagan hardcore evangelism and high pressure conversions anyone? Some of the more nutcase Satanist wannabes or Islamic jihadists from going out and hunting Christians for sport maybe? Or maybe a revival of the old Aztec religion and daily human sacrifice? After all, any of the above could use the excuse that their god(s) told them to do it. Oh, but that isn't the One True Christian GodTM. Hubris, pure bloody hubris.

The second commonly used excuse is that of love. The line goes that the Christian so loves the individual (or the world or country or whatever) that they have to warn them of the horrendous dangers "to their immortal souls" that they face if they continue with their "sinful" ways. A lot time people will be placated by this line, and I am no exception as I have been in the past. But they shouldn't be, because it's not true. Why? Firstly because it presumes that the Christian knows what's good for the individual in question better then the individual does, which is really just the same argument as I noted above. Pure hubris, but perhaps slightly less so than the above example. But there's another reason that this excuse is simply so much bullshit.

If you love someone, truly love them, you love them as they are. You don't try to force your own ideas on them, or manipulate them into being someone they aren't. You simply accept them. And if that means letting them go their own way, that's what you do, regardless of how much it may hurt. If they have found a source of love or hope or peace or joy that you don't approve of but they aren't hurting themselves someone that truly loves the individual will deal with it and keep on accepting them. And no, Christians cannot say that non-Christians are hurting themselves, as they cannot prove this to be the case as noted above. They may believe it, but that does not matter in the final analysis.

Finally though, what all of these Christian types are forgetting is simply human decency. How would they feel if someone came into their homes or churches and tried to convince them that their religion was oh so evil? How would they feel if they were praying or simply holding a conversation about religious topics and some schmuck came up and started berating them for it? How would they feel if some guy on the street or one of their friends came up to them and tried to convert them through high stress or social pressure methods? How would they feel if their religion was demonized at every turn, or if they were made out to be evil incarnate because of their religious views? Wouldn't like it very much, would they? No, that would be horrible, the end of the world even! They wouldn't stand for that! They'd organize and fight back (*cough* Harry Potter *cough* The DeVinchi Code *cough*). But it's ok if they do that sort of thing, perfectly fine. Well, don't be surprised oh ye of the Religious Reich if others feel the same way, and decide they aren't going to take it anymore either.

May Nemesis's glory shine on you all.

Seduction (An Addendum)

2007-07-13T01:46:00.001-05:00

A lot of folk may think I hate the character Jareth from my last blog. That's incorrect. I really like him. I think he's pretty damn cool and stylish (in poncy sort of way). Now, to continue.

Just watched Labyrinth again for the first time in years tonight, and I realized something - Jareth really isn't that bad of a guy. Yes, he's domineering and a complete control freak, but in his own way he does indeed seem to love Sarah - he simply wants to control her, like everything else. But the kicker is, as fearsome as he seems, the Goblin King has no real power. It's all illusion and intimidation, sound and lights. I also noticed something else - in one of the songs (Within You), he repeatedly states "I can't live within you". Now think about that, the general longing of that song, contrasted with Jareth's ultimate powerlessness in any real sense. You can't live without someone, you're so afraid of loosing them, that you try to manipulate their every move despite your inability to truly control them. Classic psychological abuse pattern in a way, but also rather sad. Sad that the individual can't have enough trust, enough faith that the one they love will stay with them. It betrays a critical lack of self confidence, and phenomenonally low esteem. I know. I've been there. So, in a way, Jareth is not so much a monster to be hated, but rather someone to be pitied.

And when I came to that realization, I felt very much at peace, like something had changed. I long time ago, something Tobias (a friend on the Cypress Nemeton boards) said made me think that maybe, just maybe, I didn't have to hate the Christian god as I have, as my past has dictated. I think now, that that sentiment was right. I hated him for something he took away from me, but, just now, my girlfriend made me realize that it was within my power to take back all long. I just didn't realize it.

This is hard to say, but I don't think I hate him anymore. I pity him.

Seduction

2007-07-12T05:04:00.001-05:00

I ask for so little. Just let me rule you and you can have everything that you want. Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave! - The Goblin King, Labyrinth

I was pondering over a number of things when I ran across this quote in the sig of one of the members of a forum I frequent. Now, I remember when Labyrinth came out, always liked that movie. But pondering such matters as I am tonight - trust, betrayal, perception, love, God, and the gods - this one little line puts a lot of things into perspective. Jareth, the Goblin King's line there is obviously a seduction, a promise of all the world if only Sarah will bow to his will, give her life to him. The fallacy here is obvious - if Sarah does as the Goblin King says and lets him rule her, it matters little if he says he'll be her slave, because in the end he still rules her. She is still ends up the slave in this arrangement. Anyone with a brain can see this is a false promise then. A pretty lie intended to lure her in and make her give up her freedom of her own free will. A seduction. Further, it is obvious as well that this is not a promise made out of love but of a desire to control, to dominate, to supplement Sarah's will and mold her to the Goblin King's wishes. This is not love. This is tyranny, hidden beneath a velvet glove. In other words, the seduction is a lie.

A lot of times one hears so much about how God, the Christian god that is, loves us and gives us free will and all that, and how any other gods are o-so-dangerous demons out to eat our souls like so much trail mix. Or some such. There's lots of different variations on that theme out there, but who the hell cares really? After you've heard it the first million times, one-million-and-one sounds the same as all the rest.

Lets take a look at this rationally shall we? First, lets examine the Christian god. We know out the starting gate that he is a jealous god, as the traditional rendition of the 1st Commandment states:

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments." - Deuteronomy 5:6-21

Regardless of the oddity that a supposedly all powerful and perfect being having feelings of jealousy (which by the way, is a sin as the 10th Commandment implies) and the obvious reference that yes Dorothy there are other gods, this alone shows us that this god cannot stand competition in the slightest. And certainly the idea of sharing is right out the window. Plus, he's already stated he's a right git - I mean, who the hell punishes kids for their parents' offenses? This is supposed to be just? Let's look further at the character this god exhibits shall we?

And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, - Deuteronomy 10:12

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. - Matthew 21:22

I had planned on digging deeper, but as I was fighting with the search engine trying to find half remembered verses I came across the gem of Deuteronomy 10:12. Combined with the Matthew verse, I don't need to look for any further support do I? Combined, they echo the Goblin King's words almost verbatim. "Fear me, love me, do as I say, and I'll give you the world. Oh, and by the way, everyone else is an evil monster." With the unspoken addendum that if you don't take this "glorious" offer he'll ship you off to be tortured for all eternity in hell, of course.

Now, lets look at the pagan gods. Y'know, the ones everybody and their neighbor swears are evil demons out to corrupt our souls. I'm going to narrow it down a bit, and look only at my relationship with Hekate here, so as to be most accurate. Never once has she asked that I let her rule me, never once has she demanded I do as she asks. Not once. In fact, I've specifically not done as she asked on a number of occasions since my dedication, and she hasn't even gotten cross with me. Nor does she ask that I fear her. In fact, I have found it true that she favors those who don't fear her. And love? She never asked me to love her, I just do - not for what she can give me, but for who she is behind the veils and fearsome reputation. She has never promised me the world either, despite what some of you may think from a certain quote - remember, what's not said is as important as what's said. In many cases, she simply shows me the way, I have to do the work myself. It is the same with that enigmatic quote. She has given me some things, yes, but she has also stated flat out when she cannot or will not give me something asked for. So, in short yon peanut gallery, she does not rule me. It is instead all about us. Because that is what the focus of the relationship is like - not all about her or all about me, but all about us. Further, as I've belabored a good deal on the Cypress Nemeton forums (mainly here and here, also note my current attitudes toward "evil" here as opposed to a few short months ago when I didn't believe there was such a thing rather relativist fashion), she has prompted a good deal of change in me - I am, to use the phrase, a "better" person now than I was even as little as six months ago. Of my own free will, not because someone rules me. And, as a kicker, what happens if I don't take her up on this metaphoric offer, or if I want out later? I walk away, free and clear, no consequences. This she has promised.

So, in the final analysis, one offers an almost precise parroting of the Goblin King's fallacious promises, whereas the other offers only free partnership. Who's the real evil monster here, hmm? Seems rather damn obvious to me, despite the pretty lies. Or, as my ex-girlfriend once quoted "There is something more fearful than darkness, and that is a mask of garish light..."

You have no power over me, Goblin King.

This Site Is Dangerous!

2007-07-10T04:15:00.000-05:00

Kittenwar
This site is dangerous people! Seriously! It sucks you in, consumes your mind, making you vote again and again and again... Warn everyone! The cuteness is too much!

Evolution And Such

2007-07-08T06:39:00.000-05:00

"You will die, and be reborn. Reborn as a hero like those that roamed the Earth of old, before the pale religions of civilization infected the soul of humanity!" - David Banner, The Hulk

"You are a god amongst insects. Never let anyone tell you otherwise." - Magneto to Pyro, X-Men 2

I've been thinking a lot on the topic of evolution recently, both spiritual and physical (Darwinian or otherwise), and the implications of such an idea. Nothing really concrete, but more a bunch of random ideas. Reflecting this jumble of thoughts, this entry will likely be a bit less structured and more vague. But maybe that's nothing new.

I've always liked comics, particularly the X-Men, Ghost Rider, and Dr. Strange. I stopped reading back in the day but still love the concept. The new crop of Marvel movies (X-Men, Spiderman, Daredevil, Ghost Rider, The Hulk, etc) have all been rather good in my opinion - especially the X-Men and Ghost Rider. However, it is X-Men and the Hulk that have been the most realistic I think - not because of the subject matter but because of how the governments and normal people react to the superhumans depicted. Uniformly, they react with fear and hatred, attempting to destroy what they fear...because it's better than them. This I think is the normal state of humanity, to fear and try to destroy that which is different because difference is automatically perceived as threatening. But that's not the only reflection of our world these fictions hold.

It's been said that modern comics, sci fi and fantasy stories, etc fill the place the myths did in previous cultures, and to an extent I agree with this. What I think many fail to recognize is why this may be the case. I think, on a very fundamental level, we as human beings need stories of the superhuman. Not only do such stories provide role models and cautionary tales after a sense, they also provide the hope that we can be something more than what we are. Of course, no one takes such stories seriously these days - no one realistically thinks they're going to wake up one day an toss around semis with mentally generated magnetic fields. Indeed, it's entirely possible that no one in antiquity took stories such as the Iliad & the Odyssey absolutely literally either. It is our modern conceit to think that they must have because they were superstitious ancient people, but this does not make it so. No, it is my opinion that something in such stories speaks to a deep part of our minds, to a part that wants both more control and more involvement in the world we inhabit.

Originally myths of this nature were essentially religious stories - this must not be overlooked. As Christianity came along and relegated these stories to the dustbin of history humanity lost something of itself. All of these varied and differing myths were replaced in essence with the solitary myth of the gospels. A case could be made that the legends surrounding the various Catholic saints filled this void to an extend, but the character of them is fundamentally different than the old stories. In the saint legends, the formula is generally Saint SoAndSo was a pious guy, did a couple of cool things, then keeled over and went to heaven with God. Contrast this with the Greek myths, wherein the hero was often semi-divine to begin with (Heracles, Perseus, etc), did a bunch of cool stuff, died, and in the best of cases was lifted into the heavens and became a god in their own right. Not just hung out in heaven with God/the gods, but became a god.

For a long time, the superhuman was generally demonized by Western civilization. At first in reality with the various witch trials and later in fiction, which is the essence of the horror genre - the conflict between human and superhuman. After all, at it's core that is what stories like Dracula, Frankenstein, and the like are about. But with the advent of the 20th century we have something relatively new, the widespread rebirth of the heroic superhuman. This is not to say that heroic superhumans didn't exist in literature beforehand - Merlin for example. But in the 20th century the concept became, again, truly common in literature. True, most of these stories - comics, pulp magazines, etc - where "supposed" to be aimed at youth but that isn't really the case when you look at it. Especially in today's market, comic based sci fi and fantasy stories are big business.

The question remains though of why. These stories speak to the subconscious I think, to a need and desire within each of us to become something more than what we are, to transcend the tedious roll of everyday life and do something that actually means something for once. To transcend not just our physical limitations but our psychological and spiritual limits as well. In short, to grow, to evolve. In a sense these stories came back because we as a civilization wanted them to come back. Stagnation, after all, can only last so long before change occurs. We know, I think, on a subconscious level but as a civilization that now more than ever we must evolve beyond what we are or perish. Adapt or die. And so the old stories are new again.

What happens next is up to you.

Individual Merit

2007-07-05T08:08:00.001-05:00

One of the things that has always annoyed me is the premise that all people are of equal merit. That may sound like a horrible statement, but think about it a minute - the people that you encounter on a daily basis, are they really and truly of equal value? Is a serial killer for instance of equal value as a altruistic paramedic that spends most of their time on call to help people at a moment's notice? Were the terrorists that piloted airliners into the World Trade Center of equal value to the firefighters that died trying to help people when those buildings collapsed? Yes they were, or at least this is what the Abrahamic religions tell us. I see things a different way though.

In my view, merit and worth must be earned. There is nothing intrinsically sacred about the individual life, this is apparent from even a cursory look at history and reality. People die all the time, even by the millions, and the world goes on turning without blinking an eye. Life, as a whole, continues regardless of the individual and the majority are only remembered by those few that knew them. Only those individuals who make something of themselves, who make a splash, who achieve something beyond the norm are remembered. As above, so below.

In this view of the value of human life then, it is our own merits that give us value instead of some arbitrarily vague standard. Our own strength, knowledge, drive, caring, zest, dedication, courage, spirituality, or whatever. Unlike arbitrary merit, which leads to uniform mediocrity, this view of life prompts the individual to constantly strive to better oneself. It is this type of virtue then that does us merit, and this type of virtue we must cultivate if we desire to go beyond this life rather than fading like dust in the wind if reality proves to be consistent.

That may seem an odd statement, but think about it for a second. In physics or in group dynamics the same principle applies - weak field effects or groups that are impacted catastrophically tend to disperse, while stronger effects/groups can weather the storm. If the individual soul is seen as a matrix of subtle energy (and there is really no plausible alternative if one considers the soul a real "object"), then if the Hermetic principle holds true only a strong soul can survive catastrophic impact. And what can be more catastrophic than death?

So nourish your strengths my friends...

The Key & The Gate

2007-06-26T02:25:00.000-05:00

Yog-Sothoth knows the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the key and guardian of the gate. Past, present, future, all are one in Yog-Sothoth. He knows where the Old Ones broke through of old, and where They shall break through again. He knows where They have trod earth's fields, and where They still tread them, and why no one can behold Them as They tread.
—H. P. Lovecraft, "The Dunwich Horror"

In the Cthulhu mythos, Yog-Sothoth is one of the Outer Gods, the primary movers and shapers of Lovecraft's fictional universe. It is, in essence, the time/space continuum personified, dwelling outside both space and time yet simultaneously co-existent with all spaces and times. Essentially, Yog-Sothoth is omnipresent and by default omniscient, which makes it curious then that in some stories it appears unable to enter the physical world without being summoned. Ah well, poetic license I suppose.

In any case, I was reading one of the myriad vague descriptions of my Lady Hekate that exists on the web the other day, something particularly Wiccan influenced as I recall but still bearing seeds of truth, when I realized something. Hekate is Yog-Sothoth.

Not literally of course - as she certainly isn't a collection of soap bubbles - but she is a goddess of the crossroads, a psychopomp, and a tripartite ruler of the heavens, earth/underworld, and seas. She is occasionally depicted holding keys and such items are reported as having some special significance with her cult in ancient times. It is very easy then to see her as an archetypal walker between worlds, a guide that can open the ways between "here" and "there" in much the same way Yog-Sothoth does in Lovecraft's stories.

But it goes beyond that. She is, following the reoccurring themes of her domains, a goddess of transitions, of change. It is thought that Hekate was a major figure in the practice of the Eleusian Mysteries, a spiritual guide to the initiate, aiding him or her along the path to the ultimate goal of the Mysteries. This is certainly, after a fashion, one of the major roles she has assumed in my relationship with her. As such, Hekate metaphorically is indeed the key and the gate to higher orders of existence.

Due to the fact that Lovecraft got a good deal of his inspiration from his dreams, there are some who see him as a prophet of sorts, couching his unintended message in the metaphor of his stories. In some ways, I can indeed see this as plausible. If that be the case, perhaps Hekate herself arranged for the birth of Yog-Sothoth into the literary ether. Regardless of whether this dubious idea is true, I can certainly see the benefits of a degree of such identification to any practitioner familiar with Lovecraft's work.

Not Alone Anymore

2007-06-24T07:09:00.000-05:00

Very, very recently I was privileged to be witness, albeit remotely, to a very beautiful thing - a joining of spirits. And I don't mean sex, although it could be likened to that by way of analogy I suppose. No, I'm referring to that of my Lady Hekate joining her spirit to that of a young woman that I am acquainted to. One of the young woman's comments during this that stands out most in my mind was, paraphrased, "Holy Cow! I know what this feels like! It's like when during Confirmation, when I was filled with the Holy Spirit!". Indeed, Evangelical Christians typically refer to this as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is, in practice, basically the same thing as the phenomenon I'm talking about - though obviously their baptism does not include Hekate in any way, shape, or form. This event prompts me though to think back on my own joining with my Lady, and on the concept of joining spirits as a whole.

Invocation
Invocation, in this context the ritual invitation of a spirit (generally a deity) into a voluntary practitioner, is the most common form of spiritual union in modern magic and paganism. Phil Hine, one of my favorite authors on the topic of Chaos Magic, gives an excellent overview of such here. Ideally, invocation results in a form of possession for the during of the ritual, with the volunteer's persona subsumed and the deity's persona in control. This is generally done in order to facilitate practical matters - oracular pronouncements, magical workings, etc - in the circles I am familiar with, but worship is also a reason some make use of invoked possession. In terms of joining of spirits, invocation can be a profound experience, but it is at it's core a temporary condition - one to be ended when the ritual comes to an end. As such it is, ideally, dramatic and flashy, but ultimately limited in scope.

Of course, any discussion of possession in modern times must by necessity touch on the Christian concept of demonic possession it seems. Aside from the nauseatingly obvious theology issues, the fundamental difference between demonic possession and religious or invoked possession is that in the former the subject is unwilling. Hence, while it is relevant to this discussion in the sense that a joining that has outlasted the recipient's willing participation could be seen as similar to a demonic possession, the two concepts are really rather different despite their practical similarity. Demonic possession does teach us an important lesson though - anything that outstays it's welcome is very much a problem.

Inspiration
This brings us to the concept of inspiration. Having it's origins in Hellenic and Hebrew traditions, this term often refers to an individual being influenced (literally "breathed upon") by the divine resulting in sacred writings, prophecies, etc. This term is often taken for granted in modern culture, but let's look deeper at it for a moment. To be inspired, to have divine knowledge imparted into one's being - this is certainly nothing to sneeze at or casually push aside as it so often is in the modern world. In a sense, it can be thought of as a low level form of possession. A temporary union with the divine that brings with it knowledge and leaves one breathless. While I can't speak from direct personal experience about invocation, this is a matter I can talk about. Since I dedicated myself to my Lady Hekate about a year ago, I have been privileged to a number of such moments of inspiration. They are fleeting, and not always of great importance in the scheme of things, but the sensation - the sudden realization that you know something that you couldn't possible have known before - well, it really can't be properly described unless you've experienced it. I had some moments like this during my Christian days long ago, but never to the extent, frequency, or intensity that I experience them now.

But there is another benefit to inspiration beyond the obvious I have noted - calm. When you know you are in contact with something beyond you, beyond the stresses of normal life, it produces a different attitude. Things that would normally be stressing or irritating become merely annoying as they are clearly seen as the trivialities that they are. Christianity brags of this as a "peace beyond understanding" as if it is their exclusive property, but it is neither beyond understanding or exclusive. All it takes is contact, inspiration.

So how does inspiration come about? Well, not worrying about such things as fleeting inspiration or the possibility of psychic knowledge, from analysis inspiration would seem to be a benefit of attunement to a particular deity. As Phil notes in his essay Cthulhu Madness "To know the god - to be accepted by it - to feel its mysteries, well you have to let that madness wash over you, and through you." This is the reality of attuning oneself to a god - in essence, joining one's spirit with the deity after a fashion by means of accepting this divine madness. This process can be either slow and gradual, as it was with me, or sudden and dramatic as it was for the young lady I noted above. As to which is qualitatively "better" it really depends on the person I think. We are all aware of the life changing potential of a sudden dramatic "conversion" experience, but I think in the long run a gradual infusion of and immersion in a god's spirit can produce a deeper, stronger bond.

Or perhaps that is my ego talking.

Elevation
So what's the point of all this? What good is it? Well, beyond the occult benefits and the psychological benefits I've already mentioned, it seems that their is an overlooked possibility in regards to spiritual union with the divine - the potential of elevation. Although the exact means are not something I know, in a moment of inspiration the other day I understood that spiritual union with a god is a necessary step of theurgy along the path of evolution of the human soul to a higher state. What the whole of the path is I don't know, but now at least I see the road ahead of me and know where it leads.

One just has to have faith.

You Might Think I'm Full Of It...

2007-06-16T09:37:00.001-05:00

Because I'm going to talk about spiritual things from time to time on this blog. Non-physical magical things, spirits, auras, psychic feelings, stuff that goes bump in the night, and all sorts of jazz like that in general. Stuff that science and materialists in general say does not exist. I'm going to be talking about it like it's real. That's because, to me, they are. And no, I can't prove it - if I could everybody would know it. But I'm not asking anyone to believe me - I truly don't care whether you do or not. All that I'm saying is, if your a hardcore skeptic and you come around here demanding proof of my "claims" and spouting off that it's all bullshit and I'm a fake or whatever, know one thing - I don't care what you think.

I Hate Blogging

2007-06-16T06:34:00.000-05:00

When I first heard of the concept of blogging, I recall thinking "what a stupid word". And it is really. Another pop culture abomination to add to the lexicon. I've also been of the opinion that blogging was in essence pointless narcissism - I mean, in essence it's a journal for the world to read, right? What could be more narcissistic? How stupid. I hate it. I'll never do something so stupid.

And here I am, starting my own blog. So, yeah. I guess I'm just a hypocritical narcissist. I can live with that.