Lately I’ve heard a few questions about Chaos Magick and the Occult. I’ve had an interest in it for years, and have done a few half-hearted workings, but I am now attempting to throw myself into full-fledged practice.
When I say Magic, people normally think of one of three things: the card game, magicians (or illusionists) that saw scantily clad women in half, or wizards the likes of Gandalf or Merlin. This is not what I mean, and why, to the best of my knowledge, people spell our kind of magic(k) with a K; to differentiate it from fantasy or tricks. When I say “the Occult” people normally think of one or both of two things: Satanic rituals with inverted pentagrams and severed goat heads, or hippy-dippy Wiccans grinding up herbs and invoking the “Mother Goddess.” This is also not what I mean.
I believe that symbols, or, more accurately, the ideas behind them, have enormous power. It’s quite possibly the most powerful force in the universe. Believe something hard enough, regardless of how ridiculous it is and you have the power to command armies that will stop at nothing to help you reach your goals (see: religious fundamentalists of any stripe). Reality is not static. There is no such thing as true objectivity. Belief creates reality. Take the most devout Christian in the world. Someone tries to tell them God does not exist, and he knows the atheist is wrong. It’s not a question of proof, or rational discourse, God is the truth. That’s just one example. Think of your own beliefs. Think of the most strongly held belief that you have. Are there people out there that think the EXACT opposite? Are they wrong? Of course they are. To you. To each of you, that belief, or lack thereof, has power.
We believe what we perceive, and there is no way we could be completely objective unless we were able to perceive everything in existence at all times. How would we be able to function with that volume of information flowing through us? We couldn’t. So it is necessary for us to have finite perception. We draw the conclusions we can with the information we’re given. So, if two diametrically opposite views can be seen as objective truth by two separate people, then what is Truth? There is no capital T Truth because no one has every possible bit of information. Nothing is true. So, if nothing is true, then nothing is false. If nothing is false, then there is no limitation on thought. If there is no limitation on thought, then everything is possible.
When I say “there is no Truth,” don’t take me to mean “there is no fact.” There is objective data that can be observed, recorded, and verified. But the conclusions reached using that data can vary wildly. Think of global warming in this way. There are scientists that believe it is caused by human interactions, those that believe it is a natural occurrence, and those that believe it is a mix (then of course, there are those that believe it is a myth all together, but they use a text written thousands of years ago to guide their and others’ lives, and believe that Jesus spoke English. They aren’t using any kind of verifiable data). Think also of advances in science. Before the 17th century, people believed that maggots spontaneously generated from rotting meat, aphids from morning dew, and mice from stored grain. It’s not that they were stupid, it’s just that they didn’t have all the data. Ok, so maybe they were a little stupid, but I’m sure hundreds of years from now, people will say they same thing about us and the conclusions we’ve reached.
This brings me to an article I read in a book called Book of Lies: The Disinformation Guide to Magick and the Occult. (The Disinformation Company Ltd. 2003) It’s a great primer on Chaos Magick and has really propelled me forward in my study. The article was called “The Executable Dreamtime” by Mark Pesce. I won’t go deeply into it, because I don’t fully understand everything he is saying and I don’t want to misrepresent, or misinterpret his views (there we go again with data vs. conclusion), but here is a bit of it:
“A few weeks before I wrote this essay, I had a private conversation with a neurophysiologist at UCSD … who passed along some stunning insights he’d gathered from his research on the human brain. It seems that we like to perceive ourselves as rational, reasonable creatures, carefully weighing our decisions before we commit, the fact of the matter is precisely the inverse. We arrive at our decisions through emotional sensations, acting “from the gut” at all times. Our reason enters the process only after the decision has been made, and acts as the mind’s propagandist, convincing us of the utter rightness which underlies all of our actions.” (pg 28)
Fucking weird, right? If this is true, then how can there be truth? Every conclusion is made before any data is analyzed!
What does this have to do with magick? Well here’s the conclusion that I have reached, true or untrue. Magi such as ourselves use powerful symbols, ancient gods that have been ingrained in our psyches for centuries, for example, in order to focus an aspect of our desires and execute our will upon the world. This is not a mystical endeavor, thought at times it may seem like one. It is a form of neuro-linguistic programming. We convince our subconscious to act on desires that we may reach difficult goals.
Maybe my article falls apart there for you. It sort of does for me. I’m sure my ideas and conclusions will change in time to come...
Hopefully I can crank out another article this week. Dickie's starting to make me look bad! ;)On to tonight's beer!
North Coast Brewing Company, Fort Bragg CA
Brother Thelonious
Belgian Style Abbey Ale
12oz bottle poured into a wine glass because I don't have a goblet.
9.4% ABV
Pour s a beautiful dark brown color. When held to light it reveals red hues. Creamy tan head, starts out generous and dissipates before long. A thin ring of foam remains around the edges from the considerable carbonation.
A sweet alcoholic nose hits me first, but after a few sniffs there is a strong presence of peanut butter. Not expected.
Big malty character and alcohol in the taste, as expected in such a style. Can feel the alcohol in my nostrils. Get the feeling it’s a little cold for the style. I’ll let it sit for a bit.
It’s warmer now, but I’m still having trouble picking out flavors. Though, I do taste the peanut butter I smelled earlier. Either my palette isn’t mature enough for this beer, or the malt and alcohol are masking everything else.
It goes down fairly smooth despite the high ABV, but definitely not something I could drink multiples of it a row. Maybe two with a decent meal. Half way through, I start a small buzz. This is my first beer of the evening, and I’ve had dinner. Speaking of which, maybe some time soon, I’ll try some beer and food pairings… that would be fun…
I love my hops, but big Belgians like this are quick becoming favorites. Lucifer is another I love.
‘Till next time!
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