Give it up for one of the strangest (possibly problematic) unwitting consensuses in history.

how did you find yourself here?

it’s dangerous.    you shouldn’t be here. 

for your own safety... we think you should leave.

Currently (finally) reading Holy Heretics, and this quote in particular, as well as quite a few statements before this point, have really highlighted for me the pursuit of Chumbley & Co. and led me towards finally organizing my thoughts on certain aspects of their final products that I've mostly kept to myself hitherto.

I've read quite a few books by the Cultus Sabbati group now, as well as plenty of others such as Paracelsus and Alm, and while I'm reading Acher's work, I find myself reflecting, even without intentionally doing so, on the chthonic Greek initiation rites I had put together. Perhaps due to the non-dualistic perspective on cosmology I have, after their first draft, I started unraveling those rites and leaving almost "placeholder slots" in them where I had previously affixed Greek-specific rivers, deities, and mythological references. Now, when I'm reading this book in particular, it becomes even more obvious 1) why I was so intent on unraveling my own views on those rites and my cosmology in general (and in turn, how useful that ended up being), and 2) how Chumbley's works, and a few of his peers, appeared to crumble in their pursuit of a homogenous, one-size-fits-all-or-does-it concept.

"But now, to the best of our ability, we use symbols appropriate to the things Divine, and from these again we elevate ourselves." This sentence in particular feels like a perfect summary of where/why the Cultus' books fell short for so many I've seen attempt "decoding" them.

In the pursuit of transcending and "encoding" their work, a lot of the symbols, names, and concepts they latched onto and blended lost their ability to be used effectively in their presented form. Often, my peers would relate back to me that DBoE rites, if worked through to the letter, took many more hours than anticipated and that time seemed to just fall away and be absorbed into the working, and then when they inevitably restructured and reworded them to their needs/desires, they had an increased impact, reliable results, and took a significantly less amount of time. Truthfully, Chumbley & Co.'s works are the outer emanations of an inner, closed group, so it can, and really imo should, be argued that those extra bits and bobs and the declared so-called "ciphered" way of writing is done intentionally and that these results may in fact be what they'd intended all along. There can be a multitude of reasonings attached, but my ending note is the same:

The symbols used, in any system, must be adequate to the practitioner's understanding and relation to the divine in order to be usable in the pursuit of transcendence and unity with that which is beyond.

Cultus works just so happen to be the first that come to mind for me, especially given how quickly I have seen folks discard them entirely. A mish-mosh, rushed undertaking of DBoE will likely leave you in a room surrounded by just thoughtforms and archetypes rather than with a powerful eminence of divinity. And while this was more than likely the intended affect, it is still worth reflecting on for those like me who seek out experience with multiple different paths and systems.

It is something I have seldom verbalized, but that I carry with me when developing or seeking the understanding and knowledge necessary to undertake new ways of thinking and organizing the world around me. And, quite honestly, I think it is better put in this way than in the multitude of articles and entries I have seen that cryptically and obliquely describe Chumbley's works as "ineffectual" or "overhyped."

It is a matter of perspective, at the end of the day. Perspective and perhaps willingness to embrace the essence, rather than the presented, Crooked Path around you.

A New View into Dark Academia with The Cloisters

The Cloisters by Katy Hays dips into a new side of dark academia for me, one which has spurred a wave of curiosity from deep within, and that is art history. Art history is one of those subject that I wanted to take at school but my subject choices didn’t align right for that to happen so getting that art history immersion through Ann (just one letter off!) and this mesmerising read was truly a…

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12.10.23 (thursday) - finished some posts today and decided to get ahead on my reading for the next book club entry that I'm making for patreon - we're finally going to be talking about tarot cards after reading through the introductory section of the Pictorial Key To The Tarot!

i wish that i had the stamina for note-taking and referencing that i did even a year ago; I've got a headache after only 3-4 hours work (with breaks) when I would have been able to be do way longer before T_T

currently reading: Pictorial Key To The Tarot by Arthur E. Waite

Today I learned the 79th Psalm is insanely OP.

Hell Week Celebration: Dark Occult Studies Academia x Sam Golbach

“Hell is empty And all the devils are here.” -- William Shakespeare

TW: character death mentioned and explicit language (including the use of triggering names of individuals)

They call him insane. They call him punk. They call him rebel. They call him a clown, a weirdo, a nobody. 

But, Sam knew he wasn’t crazy. 

That face in the fire that took his best friend haunted him. Sam knew he wasn’t at fault for the fire or the death of Colby. Something else was controlling him. 

He dived into biblical mythology, folklore, demonology-- anything to figure out what that face was that he saw as Colby screamed and burned to death.

The slam of a large manila folder startled Sam and the handcuffs jingled around his wrists. The attorney representing the State of California stared down at him with beady brown eyes and a smile that made Sam recall the images of the angel Gabriel (mischief and maker). 

“You’re in deep shit, Golbach.”

“Let me go,” he snarled, pulling at his handcuffs, “I need to stop Him!”

“The only one you need to stop is yourself,” the attorney sneered, “Why did you kill your best friend, Golbach? Jealousy? Rage? Lover’s quarrel?”

“Colby and I never saw each other that way,” Sam answered quickly, “and I didn’t kill him. He did!”

“That’s not what witnesses say! You killed Colby, and to cover your tracks you set the house on fire.”

Sam began to laugh, rolling his eyes back in his skull, “You cops have no idea what is in this world and that will limit your perspective on every murderer, rapist, and pedophile who walks through these doors.”

“Counting yourself in that Golbach?”

“And the sinner shall inherit the earth, Mr. Attorney Man.”

Those who think they can become great Adepts and Magicians wielding what they imagine are occult 'powers' in a few short months are unlikely to have the stamina, faith and determination needed to master the TRUE arcanum of Occult Science. No, REAL progress requires consistent effort, continuity and dedication, both in our occult studies, exercises, and in our meditations upon them.

Occult Studies and Meditation (via Occult Mysteries)

we havent used this account in years

reintroduction i guess. were austin, were 18, were a did system interested in alchemy, mythology, anthropology, occult studies, writing, nautical science and history, and honestly just about everything else. my name personally is rand and im especially interested in occult studies, d&d, writing, and mythology. others in the system have different specific interests.

collectively were reading flatland: a romance of many dimensions and bowie (someone else in the system) just finished treasure island and phantom of the opera. if anyone has any good occult study books or stories with interesting occult elements i would love recommendations!

very interested in meeting other systems in academia, or other people who understand systems in academia, or things like that. excited to be here

Look what we're cooking

a concerning amount of witchblr will be like "um actually new years was stolen by europeans from the ancient god scroobus mcdoobus" and then you actually try to research scroobus mcdoobus and it turns out he was invented in the 1940s by a conspiracy theorist who powdered every meal with ketamine and thinks that queer people are reincarnated fish

Unveiling Ars Goetia of the Lesser Key of Solomon: Secrets Revealed!

  Have you ever been intrigued by the ancient texts and mystical entities that have captivated humanity for centuries? 

 The Lesser Key of Solomon offers a unique glimpse into the arcane world of demonology, with Ars Goetia standing out as a prominent chapter.   

  Ars Goetia, a section of the Lesser Key of Solomon, introduces us to powerful demons each with unique attributes and lore. 

 From King Bael, the first spirit mentioned, to Marquis Ronove, these entities have fascinated scholars and occultists alike with their mysterious nature.  

  But these demons are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the rich tapestry of the Lesser Key of Solomon. 

  Join me as I delve deeper into the realm of Ars Goetia, exploring its history, the significance of each demon, and the enduring impact it has had on the world of occult studies.  

    “As an Amazon & Ebay Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.”

  Your Donations Are Graciously Accepted To Help Me Keep All About Paranormal Online! All About Paranormal is not intended to be for profit, but does carry expenses with domain cost, books, decks, etc. The links I use are affiliate links, I earn a commission for referring you, and the price you pay doesn't change. If you liked my work, please buy me Coffee.

 

Maybe I should try to get back into occult shit by doing a card by card tarot study

Day 5 Daily Reading Series

Atom Bomb Tarot (Thoth system) by bluefluke the creator of the Paychonaut Field Manual. Excellent material 10/10 recommend.

This digital reading was created with the Trinary Web App on the Chaos Tarot website, and I’ll include a link. By far the best online magickal tool and sigil generator imo also 10/10 recommend. And it’s free which is pretty difficult to find these days.

Today’s message indicates a need find a to make your work mesh better with the rest of your life. Things aren’t working right now in some fashion and changes need to be made. Mental health and/or financial issues are both likely contributing factors to your unhappiness at the moment. There’s a lot of possible answers as to how this change can be accomplished and they’re all highly personalized. However, as the 4 Noble Truths so aptly illustrate a formula exists, though it’s not guaranteed to be easy or comfortable and significant changes in perspective may be needed. Part of the formula revolves around how happy you are in your day to day lives with your chosen vocations. What your days look like defines your entire life, so if every day is stressed out and miserable you’ll wake up 10yrs later a very unhappy person. Quality of life is everything and far more important than having the biggest house or the most expensive car. As far as guarantees go we’ve only got this one life to work with, make happiness the main priority, don’t waste even one day.

The biblical creature Leviathan, summoned forth by god at the end of days just so he can smite them to show off. He made this big beautiful serpent, great and mighty, so that he can slay it and show that he is greater; mightier. Not cool dude.

Leviathan falls into many interesting categories of Satanism and, surely, D(a)emonolatry; a demon of the sea or element of water, the Prince of envy among the Seven Deadly Sins and each prince presiding over them, or perhaps another form and facet of Satan himself.

A lovely being; one to fall down a research rabbit hole about at the devil’s hour.