Issue Number 2
Volume I - ii
August 1 02 NLE
Copyright © 02 NLE H☿D
Contents
- Thoths from the Editor
- A Hedge Witch's Take on Luciferianism by Kate Gallwey
- Toward An Understanding of Self Within Predatory Spirituality by Ain Volk
- A Commentary on Pascal's Wager by Konstantine Wagner
- Barry James Lent Artwork
- Manasa: The Forgotten Goddess by Brian Clifton Hinds
- Founding a New Movement: Romantic Impressionism by S Lynne Price
Thoths from the Editor
by Etu Malku
Welcome to issue two of the Green Lion. The hub bub has boiled down it seems and the Order is moving along in its unnatural flow. We have a new Domini III° in the form of Ain Volk and the visual arts are taking over with the Creation of a new Art Movement by Maga Lynn and the affiliation of Dæmonic painter Incipio Barry James Lent! Powerful Majiq is bounding throughout the Order as Brandon Lee Rogers climbs the ladder of success, Re Ishtar visited the ancient mystical site of Machu Picchu and yours truly embarked on a new business venture from the ground up!
A Hedge Witch's Take on Luciferianism
By Kate Gallwey
I have written and re written this many times. I have worked hard to get my head away from the Judeo-Christian traditional upbringing of my culture. I grew up traveling among many cultures and prided my self on the fact that I saw them from an outsider’s point of view. However, stuff rubbed off deeper than I like to admit.
I am not an academic or scholar. I hate regurgitating facts and ideas that come from a book or another person’s head. I have to think and feel the answer before I can write about it. All my books and articles are pure undiluted Kate unless I have quoted someone.So with this in mind I am now openly calling myself a Luciferian. It has taken a bold step for me to do this for the subject is bloody and so entangled with another Path it is scary.
I hate ignorance, labels are important as long as you acknowledge that a label is a temporary thing not fixed. What I am today does not mean I will be the same tomorrow. I am encouraged to grow and develop as a Luciferian, this is not the end of the line.
Call me a witch, not a Wiccan, call me a vampire, not a vampyre*. I can relate to parts of Wiccan and vampyre but I will not label myself such for it is inaccurate. I was a Satanist long ago, it didn't impress me much. Satan is not Lucifer, Satan is the scapegoat, the enemy that takes the other side of the coin to Christianity. Yes, I know LaVey turned it slightly towards an LHP but it is still going to be the scapegoat of all that is 'bad' in society today. Yes, I also know Ha-Satan means The Opposer or Adversary and the fiery aspect of Samael....blah blah...education and throwing up facts to impress is annoying, I understand Satanism, it isn't that hard and going through the filth and degeneracy of human nature is a very valid path but I do believe that it is important to keep going and not stop there. Hedonistic behaviour is a very adolescent phase of growing up.
Lucifer is far less easy to meet and understand and that makes calling oneself a Luciferian far more of a challenge. Luciferians do not worship anything or anyone. I want to become Lucifer, not bow down before him or anyone else.
At first the description is easy. 'A Luciferian is a devourer of life, they seek to self-master by using the world around them to grow in power and strength.' - That comes from our nice Mr Ford who has entertained me for years with his 'Goetias and Howlings' and endless supply of books on fascinating subjects like sex and blood, vampirism and demonology. He loves his archetypes and I do not. So we have had several disagreements over the last few years. Not personally, just me talking to his books. This 'devourer' of life is what called me to look to further in this subject. I spent 10 years in Africa. Life is a constant struggle and the predator devours the prey at every opportunity. My hunter instinct is something I have tried to hide for years. It is not lady like, but I love playing with my prey, I would torment young men and women when I was their age for they were so stupid and I wasn't..... much. I feed off energy, it is like a drug for me. To dance verbally with another with skill is a glorious thing. To hunt the hunters is a fine art form.
Luciferians are independent, yeah so what? Lots of people are independent, the trick is to take it to a god-like level of independence. Make it into a fine art form, another word for it is stubborn. You come to Luciferianism as a fully formed adult that has journeyed through many storms and quakes of life. You know, roughly, who you are and where you came from. But you have a glimpse that there is something more. Once again staying still and relaxing on what you have achieved is not a good idea. Just keep swimming...like a shark, most of us will die if there is not movement.
So you know you have power. You may know how to feed and devour life energy and perhaps there are ritual summonings and instances of 'beyond scientific explanation' floating around in your past. Inner knowings and gut instincts, whatever you want to call it. You look around you and you do not find common ground anymore with those you call friends. Lucifer calls to you to become more and be all that you can be. Ambition, drive, manipulation even selfish pursuit of your goals. We are not that nice if you take away the thin veneer of civilization and see our core.
So we gather as individuals to see if the call will lead us further? We have fought all our lives to fit in when it is so obvious that we do not. We are trying to fit into this group when most of us have never fitted in anywhere. Is it any wonder that most leave?
The challenger is not your guides it is the being inside that wants more, now, if not sooner. We are addicts for the next power trip or for the rush of power that comes with knowing and understanding. Eureka! Moments that give you its own special buzz of 'I get it!' If your addiction is not fed soon, it is time to move on. Or you are staring at a text of occult academia and thinking that they were on far more interesting drugs than you are and you are lost in the lists of gods, that are not gods, that represent all kinds of things that confuse the hell out of you. My attention span is not as long as it once was.
Luciferianism is not a comfortable perch to sit on and preen. It is a constant need for more, greater, bigger, deep, darker, and riskier. We want to go further than those that frolic in the sunshine and shallows. A stable boat will always be rocked by the Luciferian in the room. We have touched the primordial basic being within ourselves and it felt good. The root of our dark desires and passions have shown us where we need to be. To take an orgasm to its height and stay there takes control. No one can teach you control. The door is shown to us but we must walk through it. You have to lose it many times before you can find the light of control. I have not been a fan of the light for many years, I have scorned it as I found my power in the darkness, yet have only recently come to understand that Light is the conscious self controlled, wise part of me. Luciferianism has taught me I need both. Now there is an interesting statement. I have found the Light in Lucifer. The Light-Bearer and Dawn-Bringer. LOL
When I saw duality from this perception all it does is make a good platform to build ideas and concepts on. I can stop fighting yin and yang, good and bad, black and white. Perception likes duality, so does the building blocks of thought in this material world, I can allow it some toys to play with when it is being 'good'. ;)
I am my own god. I am the sole creator of my subjective universe. I form my own honour and shape my world accordingly. I strive to be bigger, better, more than I am today. Another way of putting it shows my 'hippy' education...Every day in every way, I get better and better and better. Full circle shows me completion.
When a label fits I shall lace up that shoe and call it mine. I am Luciferian and am whole, perfect and complete. I just need to believe it now.
*Yeah, ok, specifics here.. My interpretation of a vampyre, with the 'y' spelling is a Goth with fangs and a 'lifestyler'.
Toward An Understanding of Self Within Predatory Spirituality
(Philosophy and Psychology of the Self)
by Ain Volk
The purpose of this article is to explore the basis and application of a concept of self within predatory spirituality.
(Philosophy and Psychology of the Self)
by Ain Volk
The purpose of this article is to explore the basis and application of a concept of self within predatory spirituality.
Consciousness is an illusive reality. At one moment I am conscious and at another moment I am not, For example, there is no true answer to the question 'What is it like to be human?' except at the moment one entertains consciousness to formulate an answer. Once the dialogue ends, consciousness ends. It moves on. At one moment we are conscious and at another moment we are not. Consciousness is illusive. Thus self, as a construct, only exists when we are formulating an answer to a specific question or train of thought. When we are not thinking about the concept of self, for us self awareness does not exist. It is as if we are looking at our image in a mirror. As long as we stand in front of the mirror and give conscious thought to what we see, we consider that we are looking at our self. When we walk away, that self no longer exists.
One's concept of self, spirit, or soul, whatever one calls it, is ever changing. We are not today the same person we were yesterday, or so we imagine. While consciousness certainly takes place within the brain, the concept of “self” is merely a fleeting thought within the brain. Most often we are not aware of self or even our attentive consciousness. Thoughts and ideas pass through our awareness only as needed. We can draw upon memory and analyze any concept at will, provided there is no organic or psychological hindrance.
One must understand that an illusion is not something that does not exist but rather is something that is not the way it seems. The illusory concept of self is dependent upon a consciousness that is ever changing. How I view myself is adaptive to my response to external stimuli. If I am having a less than wonderful day, it is possible I may change my perspective of self. How one views self is subjective to many factors.
If I were to punch you in the nose right now, the empirical self would possibly experience a sensation of discomfort. One might respond by saying, 'You hit me!” This me refers to the physical body that is currently experiencing an awkward feeling. However, the subjective I or self is something quite different from the physical being now experiencing discomfort. The concept of self referred to as 'I' is perhaps pure ego and exists as a varying degree of self perception. It too is ever changing. It is subjective and not empirical as in any sense of being solid, complete, or final.
The goal of this article is not to define consciousness, but rather to explore the concept of self, and in particular, self as seen within predatory spirituality. Thus, like liquid mercury, the concept of self is itself mercurial. It has no set shape or appearance. It flows as necessary for self-awareness and merely reflects that which is around it. The individual who has learned to become more comfortable with transformation of the self does not find these elements disheartening. Could one simply state that any concept of self is flux itself?
The following statement could be said to be true about one's formation of a self concept. Thus within an individual, transformation begins when a person moves from dependence upon any external, personal deific reality, to a realization that one is alone and must depend on herself/himself. This realization leads to understanding the higher sense of self where one is fully responsible for her or his own words and actions. The individual discovers there is no independent source of authority or locus of control apart from one's inner self. The individual is one's own god and answers to self alone. This transformation is huge for most individuals, especially those coming from a monotheistic system of religion. (From Toward An Understanding of Mercurius Consciousness by Ain Volk.)
In light of Mercurial Consciousness, one seeks to draw from the unconscious elements that are brought to the light of the conscience. One may begin to see what many call dark elements of the unconscious. The problem with this terminology is that it must not be confused with Dualism, perpetuating a duality between light and darkness where they are connected as a polarity, or seen as opposites which have good or bad associations. These supposed darker elements within the unconscious are a part of one's own unconscious associations, a part of one's collected unconscious concepts.
It could also be said that this transformation moves a person from unconscious awareness to conscious awareness. The darker images are, in part, mental and emotional constructs that were created from our responses to external stimuli. These elements became a part of our collective unconsciousness. They could be atavisms, which are tendencies to revert to ancestral ways of dealing with personal reality. These ancestral workings may be so deeply imbedded that one is not aware of their existence until one is brought to some form of conscious understanding. There could also exist within the unconsciousness a set of archetypes that one has developed over a life span. These archetypes can include both positive and negative associations that one has filed deep within the unconscious. They may include archetypes and associations given to mankind in general. For example, a wolf is seen as a symbol of strength while a dove is seen a type of gentleness. Often one's own atavisms and archetypes, be they considered images of darkness or light, work together to construct how we feel about ourselves.
I once interviewed a man whose conscious association was Superman. He sought to be strong, honest, and valiant like the hero he imagined Superman to be. Yet within his unconscious was a different self. The unconscious self was hiding secrets that were considered to be weaknesses that were dark, evil, dishonest, and less than noble.
A few years later, that same man still valued the image of Superman as a positive role model and sought, in some small way, to continue taking on the positive images of that persona. The difference was that he had faced what was in his unconscious. The elements he considered dark, evil, and wrong, he now saw as positive and empowering. He had experienced a type of transformation. He saw that the atavisms he had built from his upbringing and the archetypes he saw as good or evil, were neither! He walked away from monotheism and dualistic thinking to become empowered to live as one who was the creator of his own reality. He literally transformed his definition of self. This is but one example of how Mercurial Consciousness works.
So what about the individual who identifies with unconscious associations with vampires, wolves, or dragons? Within monotheism, these are possibly seen as unholy, dark, and evil. For the Awakened individual, they may be sources of positive inspiration. Does this mean that if ones adopts these atavisms and archetypes, the individual will turn into a vampire, werewolf, or dragon?
In today's society, it seems popular to take on an external association with the image of a vampire to gain notoriety and a sense of power. Narcissistic Personality Disorder is common to many of those who claim to be a vampire. Identifying as a wolf may open a place of camaraderie with others who refer to themselves as Otherkin, those who feel their existence extends beyond mere physical attributes. One who associates with draconian imagery may feel at home within the world of fantasy and seek to bring elements of fantasy into daily life.
In predatory spirituality, none of these are applicable. One does not pose as a vampire, wolf, or dragon, even though social media is full of individuals who do.
Michael W. Ford, in his book, "The Bible of the Adversary", offers a definition of Predatory Spiritualism. He refers to it as the act of devouring spiritual energy thus making the Adept stronger from ritual practice. While Mr. Ford refers to himself and others as being vampyric, practicing predatory spiritualism does not automatically transform a human into a vampire, wolf, or dragon. Other examples would include ideas such as consuming blood or being bitten in order to become a vampire. These ideas work well in literature, television, music, art, and movies. These activities have no place within bringing about a true predatory spirituality.
So hows does predatory spirituality correlate with a concept of self?
Predatory Spiritualism is the rational harnessing of specific avatars or archetypes within the Individuation Process of one who seeks to experience an understanding and application of Luciferian Apotheosis. In so doing, the individual seeks to harness the life-energy of these archetypes to develop a spirituality that encompasses the use of energy manipulation, bestial transformation, the devouring of Ka, and the transformation of the Soul. - Adapted from the public statement of Path Kheperu within Herald of the Dawn.
Simply put, predatory spirituality begins with mastering the ego. When this is done, shadows of monotheism, especially duality, fall away. One can begin to look into the unconscious to move elements that exist there into a connection with the Higher Self. The concept of self expands to include an extended or higher understanding of one's self. One moves from unconscious thought to conscious thought in which the self one once knew is transformed into a Higher Self. This means one takes the images long buried in the unconscious, find their proper applications, and use them to strengthen a personal concept of self. This concept of self is mercurial, at best. It is ever changing as long as we live. We are life-long students of the dark arts seeking to refine ourselves. It is our own personal Kepheru: transformation. Combining Luciferianism, vampyrism, predatory understanding, physical training, and magick, we become an enlightened, empowered individual. We do not seek to rule others for we seek first to rule ourselves. Thus our self concept is seen within the Higher Self. We are responsible for our own words and actions and we chose to live life with responsibility and boldness. It is our goal to advance Mercurial Consciousness.
So, what then is one's concept of self?
Stephanie Lovecs (2015) offers what she feels are possible direct steps toward an understanding of the Higher Self as deity.
Some of the qualities needed by the unconscious mind might include:
Conclusion: Your unconscious mind has the potential of becoming a deity. I am my own deity. I am the sole Captain of this Ship known as Self. There is no demon, deity, demagogue, or divine being who can replace me. I must be about my own personal transformation.
Perhaps the best way to view the self I am, is to identify what I am not. This concept of self is still transitory and illusory, for one will grow and continue to become. Yet, I can identify it in this moment of consciousness! It is the state of Mercurial Consciousness that draws one ever forward. I am yet to be completely identified, yet, at this moment of conscious awareness, I am, what I am not. That is the self that I am.
Sources
Michelle Belanger, The Psychic Vampire Codex, 2004, ISBN 1-57863-321-4
Susan Blackmore, Consciousness: A Very Short Introduction, 2005, ISBN 0-19-280585-1
Michael W. Ford, Book of the Witch Moon, 2006, Succubus Publishing
Michael W. Ford, TOPH Edition of The Bible of the Adversary, 2007, Succubus Productions
Michael W. Ford, Akhkharu: Vampyre Magick, 2008, ISBN 978-0-557-02548-0
Michael W. Ford, Necrominon, 2013, ISBN 978-1-304-46296-1
Michael W. Ford, Sekhem Apep: Typhonian Vampyre Magick, 2014, Succubus Productions
Stephanie Lovecs, Notes on Consciousness, 2015, Used by permission
Kate Gallwey, Being A Psychic Vampire, 2015, Catching Dragons
Etu Malku, Liber Spirituale Rapax: Book of Predatory Spiritualism, 2014
J. Gordon Melton, The Vampire Book, 1999, ISBN 1-57859-071-X
RL Sushko, Mercurius Conscious: Experiencing Self As God, 2015
Ain Volk, Toward An Understanding of Mercurius Consciousness, 2015
A Commentary on Pascal's Wager
by Konstantine Wagner
The following statement could be said to be true about one's formation of a self concept. Thus within an individual, transformation begins when a person moves from dependence upon any external, personal deific reality, to a realization that one is alone and must depend on herself/himself. This realization leads to understanding the higher sense of self where one is fully responsible for her or his own words and actions. The individual discovers there is no independent source of authority or locus of control apart from one's inner self. The individual is one's own god and answers to self alone. This transformation is huge for most individuals, especially those coming from a monotheistic system of religion. (From Toward An Understanding of Mercurius Consciousness by Ain Volk.)
In light of Mercurial Consciousness, one seeks to draw from the unconscious elements that are brought to the light of the conscience. One may begin to see what many call dark elements of the unconscious. The problem with this terminology is that it must not be confused with Dualism, perpetuating a duality between light and darkness where they are connected as a polarity, or seen as opposites which have good or bad associations. These supposed darker elements within the unconscious are a part of one's own unconscious associations, a part of one's collected unconscious concepts.
It could also be said that this transformation moves a person from unconscious awareness to conscious awareness. The darker images are, in part, mental and emotional constructs that were created from our responses to external stimuli. These elements became a part of our collective unconsciousness. They could be atavisms, which are tendencies to revert to ancestral ways of dealing with personal reality. These ancestral workings may be so deeply imbedded that one is not aware of their existence until one is brought to some form of conscious understanding. There could also exist within the unconsciousness a set of archetypes that one has developed over a life span. These archetypes can include both positive and negative associations that one has filed deep within the unconscious. They may include archetypes and associations given to mankind in general. For example, a wolf is seen as a symbol of strength while a dove is seen a type of gentleness. Often one's own atavisms and archetypes, be they considered images of darkness or light, work together to construct how we feel about ourselves.
I once interviewed a man whose conscious association was Superman. He sought to be strong, honest, and valiant like the hero he imagined Superman to be. Yet within his unconscious was a different self. The unconscious self was hiding secrets that were considered to be weaknesses that were dark, evil, dishonest, and less than noble.
A few years later, that same man still valued the image of Superman as a positive role model and sought, in some small way, to continue taking on the positive images of that persona. The difference was that he had faced what was in his unconscious. The elements he considered dark, evil, and wrong, he now saw as positive and empowering. He had experienced a type of transformation. He saw that the atavisms he had built from his upbringing and the archetypes he saw as good or evil, were neither! He walked away from monotheism and dualistic thinking to become empowered to live as one who was the creator of his own reality. He literally transformed his definition of self. This is but one example of how Mercurial Consciousness works.
So what about the individual who identifies with unconscious associations with vampires, wolves, or dragons? Within monotheism, these are possibly seen as unholy, dark, and evil. For the Awakened individual, they may be sources of positive inspiration. Does this mean that if ones adopts these atavisms and archetypes, the individual will turn into a vampire, werewolf, or dragon?
In today's society, it seems popular to take on an external association with the image of a vampire to gain notoriety and a sense of power. Narcissistic Personality Disorder is common to many of those who claim to be a vampire. Identifying as a wolf may open a place of camaraderie with others who refer to themselves as Otherkin, those who feel their existence extends beyond mere physical attributes. One who associates with draconian imagery may feel at home within the world of fantasy and seek to bring elements of fantasy into daily life.
In predatory spirituality, none of these are applicable. One does not pose as a vampire, wolf, or dragon, even though social media is full of individuals who do.
Michael W. Ford, in his book, "The Bible of the Adversary", offers a definition of Predatory Spiritualism. He refers to it as the act of devouring spiritual energy thus making the Adept stronger from ritual practice. While Mr. Ford refers to himself and others as being vampyric, practicing predatory spiritualism does not automatically transform a human into a vampire, wolf, or dragon. Other examples would include ideas such as consuming blood or being bitten in order to become a vampire. These ideas work well in literature, television, music, art, and movies. These activities have no place within bringing about a true predatory spirituality.
So hows does predatory spirituality correlate with a concept of self?
Predatory Spiritualism is the rational harnessing of specific avatars or archetypes within the Individuation Process of one who seeks to experience an understanding and application of Luciferian Apotheosis. In so doing, the individual seeks to harness the life-energy of these archetypes to develop a spirituality that encompasses the use of energy manipulation, bestial transformation, the devouring of Ka, and the transformation of the Soul. - Adapted from the public statement of Path Kheperu within Herald of the Dawn.
Simply put, predatory spirituality begins with mastering the ego. When this is done, shadows of monotheism, especially duality, fall away. One can begin to look into the unconscious to move elements that exist there into a connection with the Higher Self. The concept of self expands to include an extended or higher understanding of one's self. One moves from unconscious thought to conscious thought in which the self one once knew is transformed into a Higher Self. This means one takes the images long buried in the unconscious, find their proper applications, and use them to strengthen a personal concept of self. This concept of self is mercurial, at best. It is ever changing as long as we live. We are life-long students of the dark arts seeking to refine ourselves. It is our own personal Kepheru: transformation. Combining Luciferianism, vampyrism, predatory understanding, physical training, and magick, we become an enlightened, empowered individual. We do not seek to rule others for we seek first to rule ourselves. Thus our self concept is seen within the Higher Self. We are responsible for our own words and actions and we chose to live life with responsibility and boldness. It is our goal to advance Mercurial Consciousness.
So, what then is one's concept of self?
Stephanie Lovecs (2015) offers what she feels are possible direct steps toward an understanding of the Higher Self as deity.
- There is sufficient evidence that the waking consciousness does not comprise the totality of our minds--we have unconscious mental processes.
- There is evidence that the unconscious portion of the mind is highly intelligent and capable of regulating its environment (the body) in a very sophisticated manner that includes highly coordinated multitasking, exquisite pattern recognition, and communication and creativity (demonstrated via dreaming, for only one example).
- The action of the unconscious mind is so vast and complex that our conscious mind can be overwhelmed when it comes to even trying to describe all of the coordinated processes and actions involved in even the simplest isolated action relegated to the unconscious mind. Can you describe all of the precise coordinated muscle actions involved in taking a single step from a balanced standing position in the correct order without paralyzing yourself by overwhelming your conscious mind?
Some of the qualities needed by the unconscious mind might include:
- Omniscience regarding all of the information from its environment, the body
- Omnipresence within its environment, at least as far as information-gathering potential is concerned
- Omnipotence in the sense of being capable of coordinating all of the processes within its environment of the body
- Omnibenevolence on the part of the unconscious mind would be necessary in order to keep its environment of the body in optimal health
Conclusion: Your unconscious mind has the potential of becoming a deity. I am my own deity. I am the sole Captain of this Ship known as Self. There is no demon, deity, demagogue, or divine being who can replace me. I must be about my own personal transformation.
Perhaps the best way to view the self I am, is to identify what I am not. This concept of self is still transitory and illusory, for one will grow and continue to become. Yet, I can identify it in this moment of consciousness! It is the state of Mercurial Consciousness that draws one ever forward. I am yet to be completely identified, yet, at this moment of conscious awareness, I am, what I am not. That is the self that I am.
Sources
Michelle Belanger, The Psychic Vampire Codex, 2004, ISBN 1-57863-321-4
Susan Blackmore, Consciousness: A Very Short Introduction, 2005, ISBN 0-19-280585-1
Michael W. Ford, Book of the Witch Moon, 2006, Succubus Publishing
Michael W. Ford, TOPH Edition of The Bible of the Adversary, 2007, Succubus Productions
Michael W. Ford, Akhkharu: Vampyre Magick, 2008, ISBN 978-0-557-02548-0
Michael W. Ford, Necrominon, 2013, ISBN 978-1-304-46296-1
Michael W. Ford, Sekhem Apep: Typhonian Vampyre Magick, 2014, Succubus Productions
Stephanie Lovecs, Notes on Consciousness, 2015, Used by permission
Kate Gallwey, Being A Psychic Vampire, 2015, Catching Dragons
Etu Malku, Liber Spirituale Rapax: Book of Predatory Spiritualism, 2014
J. Gordon Melton, The Vampire Book, 1999, ISBN 1-57859-071-X
RL Sushko, Mercurius Conscious: Experiencing Self As God, 2015
Ain Volk, Toward An Understanding of Mercurius Consciousness, 2015
A Commentary on Pascal's Wager
by Konstantine Wagner
Contrary to the common opinion, I am quite accepting of our distant neighbors, the Christians. Whilst strolling through a hall where a variety of stalls were positioned representing various groups of the community, I was offered a free coffee buy three young girls. Thinking to myself that regardless of what they’re selling, hearing them out would probably be worth a coffee, I gladly accepted. And shortly things took an interesting turn. While sipping by bitter black treat, I was quickly passed up the chain of command until I was dealing with the localized pastor. Yes, these were Christian folk.
The discuss we had did have many curious aspects. The fella was well versed in ancient history (or as well versed as one can be who under Christian restraints). We discussed many different aspects of religion, both localized to Christianity, and globalized; the necessary criteria to understand God, potential interpretations of the teaching, epistemic and hermeneutic aspects of religion, and more. Instead of approaching him as some adversary to be proven wrong, I utilized a curiosity that allowed me to learn and enhance my own understandings; a type of intellectual selective vampirism, perhaps, if we are to still portray things with a ‘dark twist’.
None the less, this isn’t one of those “accept thy brother” motivational writings (I just don’t think it’s fair to discuss the bad without the good; we all have virtues and flaws, after all). At one point it became evident that the guy’s ideas were revolving around the following assertion; We have a lot of indirect evidence that some ‘supernatural happenings’’ happened around Jesus, ergo it is within our interests to investigate these claims, and ergo we should succumb to the Christian faith. This was all familiar, I thought, where have I heard this before? And then it hit me; Pascal’s Wager.
Pascal, in his famous pro-Christian argument, would note that there is a chance that god exists, and that the benefit of heaven is infinite. By application of simple mathematics and probability theory, he very quickly deduces that it is indeed within our interests to ‘succumb to Christianity’. Why? Because as soon as you introduce ‘infinity’ into any mathematical algorithm designed to deal with finite numbers, you have some interesting results. Basically it doesn’t matter what the odds for a Christian god are, as long as they’re not zero, the axioms dictate that we let some John nearly drown us in a river..
So, you may be thinking, how does this actually relate to the guy’s argument? I admit, the connection isn’t obvious, but let us consider it under the following light;(from his mouth) We have evidence that there is a good chance that Jesus existed (this is actually commonly agreed upon by historians now). We have less but equally relevant evidence that the dude was resurrected (500 or so witnesses apparently). Ergo, there is a good chance that his teachings are ‘legit’ and indeed we ought to convert to Christianity, as the reward he promises is not to be discarded lightheartedly.
In other words; from all this evidence, we withdraw a chance for God’s existence, and the rest is all ‘Pascalian’ mechanics. Now, if we buy this type of approach to Christianity, or anything for that matter, ie if we introduce the infinite into mechanisms of decision making that are calibrated to deal with real values based on probabilities, we’re in trouble. Let us consider having a conversation with Pascal. We present to him a religion that sees a reward slightly better than the promise to venture forth into some heavenly paradise. Namely, we present him with some arbitrary left hand system that dictates spiritual self-deification as the ultimate prize available to man.
Now in mathematics, we have multiple orders of infinity. There number of real numbers (rational and irrational numbers together) than there are natural numbers (1,2,3,4….). Surely we can see that the infinite value associated with being a god is of a greater degree than the value associated with the Christian heaven? It’s a no-brainer; being a god vs being rewarded by god. Now by his own logic, Pascal is forced to wager (indeed he does not believe it is sane to not wager), and by his own arguments he is forced to become a left hand spiritualist. Why? Because it doesn’t matter what the chances of him becoming a god are, as long as they’re nonzero, he will have no quarrels (by his own idioms) renouncing the Christian god and hailing Satan (if the specific left hand system does indeed entail that one hails Satan).
But the absurdity doesn’t stop there. One can make up any old story he wishes, and as long as the rewards offered in that story have some isomorphic relation to a higher order of infinity, such as the possibility of becoming some such ‘hyper-god’, or even perhaps the swirly non-being of which ‘hyper-gods’ are made of, one is forced by the logic of Pascal to throw her lot in with whatever it is that is the latest imaginative endeavor! In fact it would really be up for construction what latest trend belief system a Pascal’s wagerer would believe in, if she were honest to the logic that justified the original wager.
Perhaps there are reasons, after all to believe in Cthulhu and the old boys. As aforementioned, the whole shebang results from trying to put infinite values into functions that simply cannot account for some of the properties of infinity. Infinity is not a number, it is a concept, and a bizarre one at that. To study infinity is to study paradox, and to accept that whatever it is, it is truly beyond our current mental capacity to fully comprehend, let alone treat as something that can be used as a number. How do we overcome this? Well, for starters we realize that beliefs aren’t gambling matters. Of course we have to have mechanisms to deal with probabilities (and if we don’t, our subconsciousness is surely going to substitute some in), but that is a completely different topic
Barry James Lent's
Devil's Design
Trinity (Harbinger of the Apocalypse) 72 x 48 inches. Acrylic on canvas.
The Abyss. 13 x 50 inches. Acrylic on cold press paper.
Lord Cerberus. Commissioned painting in the collection of Alfredo Narvaez. Acrylic on canvas. 20 x 20 inches.
Manasa: The forgotten Hindu Goddess
by Brian Clifton Hinds
Not much is really known about this goddess,she is not a mainstream goddess of the Hindu pantheon, however she can be traced to even predating the goddess Kali the purpose of this writing is to show some of her basic traits and a brief discussion of her stories from the left hand perspective. Her origins are unclear one story has her as one of Shiva's love-children that Chandi despised and cast her out or everyone she loved and cared about turned their back on her. she of course she became very angry and has gone out of her way to be recognized as a legit deity.
Manasa is the queen of serpents, the queen of serpentine energy perhaps kundalini herself not Durga nor Kali as the Vedas would say. she is poison and the antidote she holds dominion over it. she is widely worshiped in India during the snake season for protection from snake bites and for granting the Siddhi powers in this world that many say that she reigns. The legend of Shiva turning blue after consuming the poison that was going to destroy mankind he was going to die from it and it was Manasa that gave him the antidote the cured him and thus played a important part to the story of the Hindu pantheon.
She is the aspect of kundalini that needs to be noticed or recognized and in kundalini tantra if she is ignored that power has a way of making itself known to the practitioner,the yogis say that kundalini has its own consciousness "daemon", an example of this is her wanting recognition from a Shaivite and he refused to acknowledge her as a deity, he only worshiped Shiva, so she started to take away what he held dear and to no avail. she said she would bite and kill his son on his wedding night if she didn't worship her. the Shaivite had a snake proof room built for the occasion yet Manasa appeared in the builders dream to leave a opening so she could enter the room and the builder did what she asked.
She indeed bit and killed his son and his son's new wife was heartbroken and when she was taking her husband's body to be cremated, Manasa appeared to her and said if she could get the Shaivite father in-law to worship her she would bring him back o life. The wife begged and pleaded with him to do that and with great reluctance he just tossed a flower to acknowledge Manasa and this made her so happy that she brought his son back and gave him more than he lost back to him.
It is said that when Shiva drank the poison that was going to destroy the world and was dying it was her that cured him but it left his body blue. This is how she applies to the left hand path, by recognizing our serpent nature and honoring it we run into less false egotism,we are less likely to just strike out however when we feel threatened we lash out to protect ourselves when the worlds of the masses attempts to poison us, we have the antidote which is our personal power and knowledge and with the light of our knowledge we have a chance to in a way cure the poison that has people sick.
Founding a New Movement: Romantic Impressionism
I have finally come to a decision on what it is that I do (the above). I add the colors, the shadows and highlights, and extra elements that enhance a scene while remaining true to seeing as Monet did, full-color seeing. I paint en plein air most often but am studied enough to work from photographs of my own as well as ideas sparked from anywhere. There is no slavish copying; copying is far, far away from creative work. I do, however, record and intimately know the taches that Monet spoke of. The student must study for some years and intimately know the landscape before adding his full emotional signature.
Romantic Impressionists are uncanny creatives. We speak to your heart. We sweep you off your feet with the beauty of our paintings. Our paintings hold you forever with only the magic that we can weave.
Chardon Sauvage Bouquet (Wild Thistle Bouquet), 18 x 24, acrylic fingerpainting on canvas
http://slynneprice.blogspot.com/2015/07/founding-new-movement-romantic_29.html
No comments:
Post a Comment