Introduction
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Introduction |
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What you are reading is a collection of works from around this globe written by me and many other weirdo's who have chosen to invite Eris Kallisti Discordia into our lives in the vain hope that we can bring about the raising of universal consciousness of this infernal rock we live on. Actually, this rewrite of my web site came about because I was asked to write an article on Chaos Magic for a new Australian magazine called Spellcraft. One of the editors of that magazine was obviously running short of material and this is probably the only reason she approached me for the task. As a courtesy for our readers, here is the article - just so that you're in the loop or you may have missed the article. Mind you, Nothing is True so what you are reading is the final draft before it was sent to the editor. What actually appears in print is one of those mysteries Eris. Chaos Magic 101Few realise that we have our very own Pope here in Australia. Rev. Pope Kael is the pope of “The Discordian Illuminati! of Australia.” DIA for short. He is also fast approaching saint hood for his services rendered to humanity in aiding the spread of the Chaos and Discordian faiths. His business card describes him as a:-
Now don’t be daunted by these grandiose titles. In the words of DIA’s most holy and revered saint, Douglas Adams “…He’s really just a regular kind of Guy!” Wanting only the very best for our readers, I thought that I should approach this supreme authority on Chaos Magick and Discordia in Australia to explain it in theory and practise for beginners - EDITOR Well thank you for that wonderful introduction; you almost make it sound like I’m some sort of authority in the grand scheme of things. Oh, by the way, did you realise that 101 is the binary representation of the number 5? Sorry, I’m probably getting ahead of myself there <grinz>, and Doug may also have said “he’s just one hoopy frood” which resonates better with my real personality. The real problem I have with discussing Chaos Magic and Discordianism with a group is that there is no “paint by numbers” system. I prefer to discuss it one-on-one with people because I need to approach the discussion from the perspective of the other persons ‘reality tunnel’. I could start by saying that "If you immediately know the candle light is fire then the meal was cooked long ago" and you would probably think I’m quoting a verse inscribed on the wall of some Buddhist temple (or I’m a raving lunatic), but it actually comes from Season 3 Episode 20 of Stargate SG1 the Sci-Fi TV series. But this quote is probably the simplest statement I can find to easily sum up what Chaos Magic is really all about. If I was to use a more universal semantic, it would go something like this – If I was to tell you what Chaos Magic is, I’d be influencing your reality tunnel and you would probably decide against taking the journey yourself. I could also say “In the beginning, Eris created the heavens and the earth from the Primordial Chaos, and from this division she created the first “Strange Attractor” and a small Mandelbrot of Order was made manifest.” And again, this probably only makes sense to people who have studied Chaos Theory (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaos_Theory) But what is Magic anyway? Is it not a science like electro-magnetism? 400 years ago, this subject was the exclusive domain of Alchemists and Philosophers, but now it is an integral part of our life yet 99% of the population still don’t understand it. Although I have a solid understanding of Electromagnetism, I prefer to simply flick the switch to turn the light on, and this is the same approach I use with Chaos magic. The more I use it, the more I understand it, but I don’t need to understand it to use it. I don’t think anyone really knows when Chaos Theory evolved into Chaos Magic, but it is said by a few disrespectable sources that it was first dreamed up by a couple of weirdo’s at a bowling alley some time in the late 50’s. If I may quote from “The Book of the Law” (see http://www.principiadiscordia.com/) – “We are a tribe of philosophers, theologians, magicians, scientists, artists, clowns, and similar maniacs who are intrigued with ERIS the GODDESS OF CONFUSION and with Her Doings.” What is The Principia, you ask? It is the Magnum Opiate of Malaclypse the Younger, a.k.a. Mal 2 or Greg Hill. This work is often erroneously attributed to either Kerry Thornley a.k.a. Lord Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst, Richard Nixon, Timothy Leary, Oberon Zell-Ravenheart and Robert Anton Wilson or a combination of the above, by deeply suspicious minds. In it is explained absolutely everything worth knowing about absolutely anything. In fact, I could write pages and pages of stuff about Chaos Magic and the key initiators who energised the egregore, but Phil Hine published “Oven Ready Chaos” (see http://www.dia.net.au/oven_ready_chaos.pdf) and therefore saved me the trouble – ROFLMAO! If someone was sufficiently vain and stupid enough to explore Chaos Magic, I would suggest the best approach is to read The Principia Discordia and then follow up and read “The Illiminatus! Trilogy” by Robert Anton Wilson. Yes, these books are still in print and can be obtained easily through Amazon.com. Chaos Magic brings together many diverse forms of esoterica (yes this is a real word even though Microsoft doesn’t have it in their dictionary), but the particular flavour I like is Discordianism - This is the veneration of the goddess Eris and her infinite beauty. So who is Eris I hear you ask? She is a Greek deity referenced in a number of works circa 700BC, and her principal areas of alignment are Chaos, Discord and Confusion, Strife and Turmoil which when we take a closer look at it are the 5 main practices of modern society and hence probably the most active Archetype of our modern era, but no one has caught on yet. The story of Eris goes something like this:-
So how would I identify a Chaos Magician? He’s probably the guy
who casts circle with a light sabre. But as for being Discordian, we are better
described as the proverbial “fence sitter” when it comes to magical evocation.
If a magical operation is too ordered, it’s my job to add a little chaos and
vice versa and one of the best tools in my magical arsenal is to use laughter as
the key operating energy. Another thing about Chaos magic is its simplicity. There are very few magical numbers or symbols common to all Chaos Magicians, but the number 5 and 23 are the most common. There is also the number 17, but we don’t like to talk about that one. As for universal symbolism, we have the Sacred Chao, the Apple, the Pentagon and the Pyramid set with the Eye of Horus. As for our tenets, all Discordian’s start their journey as a Pope of the Discordian church and as a Pope we have the following mandate;
As a matter of course I suppose I should also include Eris’s rebuttal to the “Myth of the Apple of Discord” just so that your readers have both sides of the story.
Well, that about covers it as a primer, so if anyone has an uncontrollable need to find out more, they can either pour a complete circle of salt around themselves & their computer, face the east and chant their personal mantra so they can ensure that no harm befalls them & their pets, place this magazine in their oven, add some nutmeg & egg whites, whisk & bake for 40 minutes – or you could contact me on kael@dia.net.au. In Light, Life, Liberty, Lechery and Laughter (Law of Fives)
Rev. Pope Kael Hail Eris, all hail Discordia! |
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