Discordians and Chaos Magic
I Tell
You: One must
still have chaos in one
to give birth to a
dancing star!
-Nietzsche
When people ask me, “What the heck is a Chaos Magician?”, it's in my nature to reply that too many years of watching “Get Smart” reruns have taken their toll on me... but, now that I think about it, there may be some foundation in fact in this (no, that's KAOS, not Chaos). Actually, it's very difficult to come to any exact definitions of what a Discordian is, because the nature of the faith itself precludes one from lumping all of us together in one homogenized brew... what you're getting is One Magician's Opinion, which is a “good thing”, because the world might become a more dangerous place if us Discordians could actually unite and agree on anything.
The basic tenants of Discordianism can be derived as a mixture of the philosophies of Thelema (Crowley), Tao, and Monty Python. “Do What Thou Wilt shall be the whole of the Law” is perhaps the more elemental foundation of Discordianism, but it's important that one comprehend fully what this means.
“DWTW” is NOT a formula for anarchy, and is NOT meant to be interpreted as “Do what you like”, but is an understanding that “any true will is in harmony with the facts of Existence. In other words, “Do what thou wilt” is to bid stars to shine, seeds to grow, and water to reach its own level. The nature of the universe is too large and complex to be predicted by any model smaller and less complex than itself... as a result, “rules” and “formulas” are not natural laws, but an artificial trapping of humanity for the convenience of those who love to quantify, label, and pigeonhole. Reality is much more complex and meaningful, and Discordians rejoice in the variety and unpredictability our universe provides. We tend to be a very tolerant and fun-loving bunch of “sacred knowers”, even as we're playing practical jokes on you like replacing your after-shave with Buck Lure.
Chaos can be best described as that state of existence between what was and what will be. Chaos Magic, as a result, is a very “here and now” way of looking at things... as a result, in typical left-handed path fashion, Discordians should not to be too concerned with horoscopes, tarot, and the usual paganistic future-predicting tools. “Every Man and Every Woman is a Star”, another Crowley-ism, suggests that as people, we control our own futures, not Taurus rising in Virgo (not a pretty picture) ... to us, the notions of fatalism and pre-destination are like giving up. Rather than CAUSING Chaos, Discordians are generally more concerned with the CONTROL of it, as Chaos (change) is one of the only true natural forces we as people can directly influence. Rituals aren't as important as results, and magic becomes reality through the application of will, not chants and candles. However, it is important to Discordians that the mind ‘be’ in the proper state to effect changes, and this is often accomplished through the use of music, marijuana, or other stimuli of the Magician's preference to initiate belief... Discordians theorize that belief is a central tool of magic, not a by product.
Chaos Magic is perhaps one of the more “scientific” of pagan philosophies, sharing many of the tenants of Chaos Science, and as a result we're sometimes labelled (shudder.. we HATE labels) as being unspiritual. In a way, that's true, because while we believe in the Goddess (usually.. but we reserve the right to define Her in our own terms), we see no direct relationship between magic and morality... like energy, magic is neither “black” or “white”, but the individual using it is responsible for it's ultimate consequences. The primary deity of Chaoticists is Eris (or Discordia), goddess of chaos, discord, and confusion. Eris can best be described as that natural force responsible for change, and it is the nature of things that both requires the disorganization of existing structures and beliefs in order to make room for newer ones... in this regard, Eris is responsible for life itself. As in all faiths, the individual is responsible for developing his/her relationship and meaning with our god/dess, though I might suggest that all pagans get on Eris's “good side” if they want to be kept informed of her whereabouts. On the other hand, since many of us Discordians are known to associate with Witches, Wiccans, Druids, and other right-handed types, we enjoy sharing the fellowship of our fellow pagans... we're pretty good at raising energy, not to mention raising hell at the party afterwards (yeah, we're the “black sheep”, but we like it that way). I'm fortunate enough to share spirituality with the Arawn’s Grove collective, which is a mixed bag of Witches, Shamans, and the usual collection of non-alligned pagans. There's nothing that says Discordians can't be nice people, and if you DID say it, we don't recognize your rule, anyway... so there. Many Discordians, however, do develop a very strong theological base, although individualist and private they may be in expressing it.
Discordians believe in the control of the future's direction through the application of Magic in everyday life. Man is the only creature at odds with his existence, in that his power is measured by how well he can influence his environment. “Love is the Law.. Love Through Will” means that we can strive towards those things important to us as individuals as a result of our own magic upon our world. Like the rocks, and the trees, and that funny little green bug that eats the zucchini plants in your garden, we all have a right to be here, on our own terms. Through Chaos Magic, we create that place for ourselves... and if happiness is the ability to dream, success is the ability to turn those dreams into reality.
Hail Eris!
