Church of the Churchless

I just thought I'd add some more attention to this new link I added to a blog called "Church of the Churchless". It contains some very interesting reading and alot of it resonates well with me. Its based on a more eastern approach whch I of course like but it also critiques some of the traditional ideas.

Melek Taus

This post will be written in Swedish because it deals with a swedish radio show.

Idag rapporterade P1's "Människor och Tro" om Yaziderna. En folkgrupp och religion som ofta kopplas samman med ockultism och Satanism av både utövare, experter och motståndare. Mycket missförstådda är de och det här programmet klargör en del av dessa missuppfattningar. Det torde vara klart att dessa människor har en egen religion som inte är egentlig Satanism. Hursomhelst är det mycket intressant. Radioprogrammet kan fungera som en kort introduktion tll ett ämne som är mycket invecklat. Programmets hemsida hittar ni här, och inslaget börjar ca 8 minuter in.

Copper Wimmin

This is a song that someone, who I am starting to get closer to, recomended to me. She said it made her think of her and me and when I heard it it really hit me. The vocal delivery is beautiful and the lyrics hits me straight in the heart. This might be one of the strongest songs I have ever heard actually and I would like to recomend it to anyone out there.

I know you've been hurt
Many a' time before
Your heart bleeds rivers
Deep enough to drown
Thought I could be the one
To swim against the current
Swim against the force
The force that pulls one down

But no matter how hard I try
I can't seem to win this fight
I seem to be further behind
Than I was when I met you

I know that you choose
Where you want to be
Choose the heart of gold
And not the one for free
Choose the heart of the past
Belonging not to me

But no matter how hard I try
I can't seem to win this fight
I seem to be further behind
Than I was when I met you
No matter how hard I try
I can't seem to win this fight
I seem to be further behind
Than I was when I met you

Stairway to heaven

Made by blackgarlic.

Iconoclasm

I have a document where I copy quotes I come by from around the internet. I just read through some of them and came by this one which I found interesting:

I really think many of you put way too much stock in the word Satanism, and being "Satanic"! Quit being a Satanist and grow yourselves outside the title. The very philosophy of this very base religion is to cast off that which has no value and grow oneself. I submit that the title "Satanism" has no value.

Satanism stagnates because the people who wear it as a title are stagnant in the title. Satanism is personal to each individual, thus if there is nothing new its because we are lazy and have not sought anything new. If you truly have followed an idea to its fullest conclusion, cast it aside for something fuller.

Quit being Satanists. Religious titles are nothing but food for our egos. It is when you can mold yourselves into any idea that you can really begin to expand. I meant what I said: Become Christian for a while! When you can become your own antithesis at will you will be astounded at what you find.

This post was made by someone going by the name of birdland at the 600 club forums. I actually find this very educating and its an approach I naturally take to this myself. Allthough I have to admit it often shows with me wantng to fit into a label or category. Things would be so good if that were to happen. It would truly be the easy way. However it never happens and I know it probably never will.

I often find myself reading things and really liking one or a few ideas and try to justify the rest based on these ideas. Of course it never happens but I always understand that. But every time I pick up a book Im ready to plunge deep into it and I try to be as open as I can and I hope I will find that philosopher or thinker that resonates with me 100%. As I said above that has never ever happened and if it will I might be scared to confront it. How freaky would that be.

I think Im to strong of an individual to ever accept just one perspective without adding my own thoughts and incorporate other ideas and traditions into it.

I just read the newest chapters of Michael Aquinos unfinished history on the Temple of Set. It dealt with the Ronald K. Barrets policies that he introduced to the temple once he became a high priest why it happened and why it chocked the temple and made it lose so many members (from around 200 to just 31 active Setians in 1982). It was an extensive test much based on litterature study from a fixed and set reading list. He might have had good intentions and I understand how he wanted to produce something special of the members that he was the leader of. But as Aquino put it, its hard to herd a group of cats. This approach seemed to me to be about molding everyone in the same way. The initiation wasnt being personal anymore but collective and the importance was with a fixed set of books.

This is the way I feel strangeled by labels. They are to often so exclusive that they become limiting. I just heard a interview with Peter H. Gilmore of the Church of Satan. Despite my main philosophy being more in terms with Anton LaVey than with the Temple of Set I just cant deal with the LaVeyans praise of their dead leader and past accomplishments (and indeed history revisionism as well). Nothing new has come from that organisation in years and years and even Anton wrote just 5 books. Its static and meaningless and afraid to include new influences. In this way I find the Temple of Set way more beneficial and interesting. Although because of my disagreements with their core philosophy I could never be a member of their organisation.

In my first serious search for philosophy end religion I took a stand against Christianity. I was never raised in a very christian way and I wasnt constrained by direct influence of christian rules but I somehow felt the need to break free from its chains. This was the most important charachteristic of Satan as I saw it back then (and still do but in another way - or more evolved way of thinking).

In the past few years the motto of "questioning all things" had gone from questioning Christianity to questioning Satanism. This is what I think the aove quote refers to. By changing the outlook one can learn alot about the label one wears. Now I didnt choos ethe christian perspective since Im familiar with that already. I instead coose to go deeper into eastern metaphysics and I learned more about Satanism that way when I compared the to than I ever did by re-reading The Satanic Bible, The Diabolicon or whatever other book/essay there is on Satanism.

My main problem with Satanism is the claiming of a symbol (or symbols) of change, of chaos in its metaphysical meaning, of becoming but never actually do anything. Well Im sure alot of people are actively seeking to develop but to many are just parroting words written down a long time ago. But that might be the nature of the beast. People are lazy and want comfort and taking the easy way. This is why I can see the logic in this point that the Cavacante la Tigre blog recently described.

16 random things about me.

This is something I wrote for facebook. A friend wrote me 16 random things about her and the rules was to write her back with 16 random things about me as well as send it on to 16 other people. Given my nature I gave this alot of thought instead of just sitting down and writing 16 things off the top of my head. I think it turned out in a way that can be compared to a tattoo only less permamnent. Its a print of where I am just now and what is going through my head. Its pretty short and has no real structure but I thought it would be a good idea to re-publish these on my blog to keep it alive. So here we go:

1. I am often so caught up in my own "thing" that I cant understand how others cant even understand me - even if I dont demand that they have to agree with me.

2. Because of the above Im much of a lone wolf, for good and bad, and very few people really know me (if anyone these days).

3. I almost never read fiction. I tend to be bored with it and not think it has any significant value. I prefer books on philosophy and whatever connects to that.

4. I am an elitist but I cant live up to my ideals because they are too high and Im to lazy.

5. I think ignorance can be a blessing because that often means that youre happy. Knowledge on the other hand tends to be a heavier load and more often leads to unhapiness. Of course I always seek knowledge and tend to not be as carefree and do not take things in a very easy and relaxed manner.

6. I still love pro-wrestling. Its easy and it speaks to the most basic human instincts and it works as an escape from reality for me. Or as a return to an easier reality.

7. If I had to choose I would rather be mute than deaf or blind.

8. I wish I could start all over again and embrace the things I may not have dared to embrace in the past.

9. I strongly dislike people who claim that they listen to any kind of music. It usually means that they listen to anything that the radio burps out for them to consume. If asked if they like death metal, jazz fusion or opera they either dont know the genre or say they dont like it.

10. I on the other hand have a diverse taste in music but would never say "I like everything" or alike because I dont want to be categorized with those people I described above. The stuff thats been playing the most for me recently has been Rome (neofolk), Giuseppe Verdi (opera), Anthrax (thrash metal), Wardruna (folk), Weather Report (jazz fusion) and Black Sabbath (heavy metal/hard rock).

11. I cant really go out to bars/clubs because if I do after a while the music sounds distorted in my ears and I can never really hear what others are saying even if they are standing right next to me. I think its combination of loud music and so much other sounds. I think my ears have a hard time concentrating when there is to much and to loud sounds.

12. I dwell on things for way to long even if there is no reason for it. I really wish I could move on easier but I cant and I have to accept that.

13. I have a few dreams I'd like to come true but I am at the same time afraid to loose my comfort. The ironic thing is that much of what I want to get away from is the comfort and predictability of my life.

14. My main philosophical foundations for metaphysics tend to lie with Heraclitus work "fragments" and it is added to by concepts from eastern metaphysics (mahakali in vamachara tantra, sunyata in buddhism, tao in taoism), nietzsches worldview and ancient myths of now dead religions (ginnungagap in ancient norse tradition for example).

15. Despite me drawing influence from theistic religions and systems I myself am an atheist who like to describe the world in a theistic language to personalize it. Nietzsche also did it with Apollo and Dionysus.

16. I am to serious to often. Hey, take a look at the points above and tell me otherwise ;)