Arcane Lore: "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Occult but Were Afraid to Ask"

All Rights Reserved © 2002 by Scribe 27

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the publisher.

Writers Club Press an imprint of iUniverse, Inc.

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This book, in its entirety, is being presented as a work of FICTION, and any resemblance to actual people, places or events is purely coincidental. None of the statements made within this book can be backed up by any sort of credible scientific data, so they are obviously fictitious. Don’t believe what you read!!!

ISBN: 0-595-23697-9

ISBN: 978-1-4697-6145-9 (ebook)

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Author’s Note

Forewarned

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

APPENDIX A

APPENDIX B

APPENDIX C

This Work is dedicated to:

The Spirits who guide and protect myself and my family, The Lady Who Lives With Me, A.K.A. St. ‘Ginia the Good, The Chinaman, Runemaster as well as occasional Chauffeur/Bodyguard, Otto the Good, our primary Guardian Familiar. Aurora the Vigilant, the newest addition to our family, Madame Ilsa, who slapped me upside the head, All my Brothers-in-Arms at Righteous Warrior Temple, And my good friend Captain Hook, without whom this book never would’ve been published.

Ride, Captain, ride, upon your mystery ship…

—from Ride, Captain, Ride by Blues Image

It is utterly ludicrous to make someone swear never to reveal things that can be read by literally anyone with the money to buy one of dozens of readily available books in print about Wicca.

—Kerr Cuhulain, from Wiccan Warrior

Sacred cows make great hamburgers.

—Robert Reisner

Is it a joke disguised as a religion, or a religion disguised as a joke?—from the Loompanics catalog, in reference to Principia Discordia

My God! Think, think what you are saying. It is too incredible, too monstrous; such things can never be…There must be some explanation, some way out of the terror. Why, man, if such a case were possible, our Earth would be a nightmare.

—Arthur Machen, from The Great God Pan

‘Tis an ill wind that blows no minds.—Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia

In placing a book such as this in the hands of the public, the writer must calmly anticipate regarding his work every kind of criticism which is likely to arise in the present day.

—Rudolf Steiner, Ph.D., from An Outline of Occult Science (p. 460)

I define occult by its original meaning, the one that mystics and alchemists always intended, and not the meaning given by dictionaries and modern psychics, which is secret or hidden. Rather, I use the same definition intended by the master to the disciple in search of truth—that which is occult is the essential reality beyond dialectics, beyond judging, and above what we have been taught is good and evil, right or wrong. That which is occult is neither moral nor immoral nor even amoral. Occult truth is transmoral. No one is hiding it. In fact we are hiding from it. We are it! It is not secret, it is simply something that anyone who is being honest with you will never dare express directly in conventional language. It cannot be expressed in that way. It is vast and subtle all at once; therefore, like my narrative, it contains all contradictions.

—John Hogue, from The Millennium Book of Prophecy

"Language fails. Words are mere cyphers, and who can read the riddle? These words we use, what are they but vain shadows of form and sense? We strive to clothe our highest thought with verbal trappings that our brother may see and understand; and when we would describe a saint he sees a demon; and when we would present a wise man he beholds a fool. ‘Fie upon you,’ he cries, ‘thou, too, art a fool.’

So wisdom drapes her truth with symbolism, and covers her insight with allegory. Creeds, rituals, poems are parables and symbols. The ignorant take them literally and build for themselves prison houses of words and with bitter speech and bitterer taunt denounce those who will not join them in the dungeon. Before the rapt vision of the seer, dogma and ceremony, legend and trope dissolve and fade, and he sees behind the fact the truth, behind the symbol the Reality."

—Reynold E. Blight, from the forward of The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, by Hall

The search for truth is neither new nor old…nobody is a founder in it, nobody is a leader in it. It is such a vast phenomenon that many enlightened people have appeared, helped, and disappeared.

—Osho

Be a light unto yourself.

—Buddha’s last words (c. 485 BC)

Author’s Note

This book is not intended as an introduction to the subject matter, nor is it a complete overview. It would be preferred that the reader has researched these subjects previously, and thereby formed opinions of his (or her) own, rather than simply choosing to rely upon a single source for all of his (or her) information. I make no pretensions of omniscience—all I can do is tell you that some of these things really do happen, science can offer no concrete explanation for what is happening, and certain powerful interests have actively tried to suppress all rational discourse on said happenings. This is what I know—I don’t understand it all myself, but at least I know that it is (at least partially) true. It is healthy to be skeptical of extraordinary claims. Please do not believe what you read here until you’ve seen the proof yourself.

Forewarned

Is the author of this book MAD??? He purports to be some sort of contemporary wizard, or something! According to him, the reality most people perceive as the world around us is only one wavelength amongst many interpenetrating, but no less real, worlds beyond our limited perception! Furthermore, he claims that invisible beings from these worlds interact with, as well as influence, us many times during each and every day, and that we partially enter into these worlds whilst we slumber! But his ramblings don’t stop there—no, he goes on to state that: we can communicate with these alleged invisible beings; we can persuade them to act on our behalf; and that, simply by using the force of one’s concentrated will, one can create temporary or semi-permanent thought-forms programmed to do one’s bidding!!! That’s crazy talk! He even cites a large number of highly questionable sources in a vain attempt to confer some semblance of credibility upon his absurd digressions—which seem to provide clear proof of a psychotic break with reality! The man is obviously a raving, unconfined nutcase!

—Greyface

1

Step into my Parlor…

Do people think you’re strange? DO YOU??…then you may be on the right track! ARE YOU ABNORMAL? Then you are probably BETTER than most people!

—from The Book of the SubGenius (p. 9)

1A) JUST WHO DO I THINK I AM???

Behold! Thou art The King of Swords and thy future is revealed by The Chariot! Thy sacred number shall be twenty-seven, for thou art doomed to walk the Path of Individuality. Expect to suffer many hardships, young man, for you are not of this world—and the spirits have big plans for you…

—Madam Ilsa (AKA That Crazy Lady up on the Hill)

Who I am is unimportant—in fact, you could even say that I’m a nobody (at least in the eyes of Society)—but let me tell you who I am NOT: I am not some sort of guru or cult leader, and have no desire to attract any sort of following; I am not acting as an agent of the intelligence services, the Illuminati, or the clergy on behalf of one of their disinformation mindfuck campaigns; I am not some unscrupulous con man attempting to fleece the gullible rubes out of their hard earned cash; and, perhaps most importantly, I make no claims of any expertise in these matters of which I speak. What do others think of me? I am well-liked and respected by those whom I consider to be my family, friends, and associates. Many people consider me to be a genius, (whatever that means) and I have a reputation for being very honest. On the other hand, those whom I recognize as my enemies think of me as a very dangerous force which needs to be taken out of the equation. They have stated that I am a danger to Society, and believe that I ought to be locked in a cage, strapped to a gurney, and administered a barrage of toxic meds through an I.V. drip until my brain dissolves into harmless mush. It is best that your knowledge of me be kept minimal—for my safety as well as your own.

1B) DON’T BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ!!!

Roughly 90% of all mass-market paperbacks purported to be about the occult are rife with errors, misinterpretations, contradictions, speculations, and utter falsehoods—in other words, they are mostly lies and bullshit (most relevant books on the subject are rare hardcovers published between 1880 and 1920, although even the good ones often contain an abundance of useless filler material). Sure, by skimming through a stack of these travesties one might be able to glean a few scant paragraphs of significant value, but how could the average ignoramus know what to look for? No, most of these books are actually worse than a waste of time to read—they can be counter-productive and even dangerous. Be aware that the vast majority of individuals who profess a strong interest in the black arts are somewhat delusional, if not actually suffering from an acute mental illness, and their unfounded statements lack credulity (Indeed, the vast majority of serious practitioners know better than to be shooting their mouths off about such things!). If you choose to believe their unsubstantiated words without question, then you are a very stupid person who has no business studying such matters. Blind faith is the realm of fundamentalist zealotry, and has no value to the freethinker. Hence, the first cardinal rule for those seeking to understand the Great Mysteries is: You are prohibited from believing what you read. I have no great interest in influencing the minds of the gullible, but I feel compelled to share that which I believe to be true; nonetheless, I am only a mere scribe who makes no presumptions of sagacity, and even my own honest words should be considered suspect.

Believe nothing except that which you have experienced for yourself, and know to be real! When it comes to the occult, most people (even the seemingly earnest and well-meaning) are liars.

I am more trustworthy than other authors (perhaps?), but most of my research has been conducted in solitude. Although I am very familiar with the teachings of various Mystery Schools and secret societies I have never been formally initiated into any of them (nor bound by their vows of silence). I have, however, learned a few things which I feel may be of value to others who are struggling to understand that which is hidden, and feel that it is important to share these things while I am still able to do so. But be warned—even I may be mistaken in some of my beliefs, but I will never intentionally lie to you. The things of which I speak cannot be reproduced, tested, or proven under laboratory conditions, so many people will scoff and say, No such thing exists! However, I know that they are wrong, and by sharing these words with you I intend to do my best to prove it.

My field of study touched upon all elements of the occult sciences, but focused primarily upon mentalism (communications and projections, specifically). Although I am familiar with the concepts of: astrology (several systems), comparative cosmology, numerology, divination, mediumship, healing, and various forms of ceremonial magic (about a dozen), these subjects failed to hold my interest so they will not be discussed in detail here (if at all). Does that mean that these subjects are valueless? No, it does not—it just means that they did not fit into my own personal system of interacting with the invisible. If something doesn’t come naturally to you, it will be uncomfortable to implement and very difficult to master (although you’d never be on the same level of mastery as a dedicated practitioner with an innate talent). If you are interested in these subjects, many books have been written about them (and a few of them are even worth reading), so feel free to research these matters for yourself.

1C) LISTEN TO THE DEBUNKERS’ ARGUMENTS

There are no rocks in the sky; therefore, rocks do not fall out of the sky.

—Antoine Laurent Lavoisier

In my opinion, most believers in miracles, monsters, and mysteries are not hoaxers, flim-flam artists, or lunatics. Most are normal people whose normal thinking has gone wrong in some way.

—Michael Shermer, from Why People Believe Weird Things (p. 45)

Before I continue, I would like to recommend that you obtain and peruse a few copies of both Skeptic magazine and The Skeptical Inquirer, or visit their respective websites at www.skeptic.com and www.csicop.org. The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, or CSICOP,(psi-cop?) is allegedly supported by the CIA, and is devoted to ridiculing and debunking various claims of contact with the paranormal through scientific means…and even though they are propagandists, what they are doing is not entirely a bad thing. As I stated previously, most people who claim to be psychic, contactees, or witnesses to supernatural phenomena are either con men or loonies, and deserve to be exposed for what they are. However, PSICOP goes way above and beyond such noble work by, in effect, issuing a blanket statement that things perceived as ‘supernatural’ simply do not exist, while merely pretending to put on a show of unbiased scientific detachment to make themselves seem trustworthy. Their presentation of the subject matter is so convincing that I, myself, might have even been inclined to agree with them—if I hadn’t seen evidence to the contrary on so many occasions. These things are very real, and a mob of delusional dipshits being ridiculed by a prominent CIA disinformation project will not make them go away (just more likely to be ignored).

1D) WHAT IS ARCANE LORE?

Arcane Lore is the title I felt was most appropriate for this book, which attempts to present a few of my own observations of the mysterious, as well as a few commonly held beliefs, and a number of significant quotes from a variety of sources. The majority of this work I believe to be factual (regardless of what the disclaimer might state), in stark contrast to much of the drivel currently in circulation. I have claimed these beliefs as my own, and I am not attempting to convert anyone else to my point of view. Indeed, most of my brothers hold widely divergent theological viewpoints, and that is a good thing—after all, no-one has a monopoly on Truth (only hucksters and demagogues claim otherwise). Be advised: even though I happen to believe something is true, the possibility exists that I could be wrong. Aye, it has happened before, and will probably happen again. Because of the subtle nature of paranormal phenomena, it is nearly impossible to conclusively prove certain things to be facts (and, conversely, it is equally impossible to conclusively disprove them—although the skeptics may choose to claim otherwise). I have been researching the occult since having an epiphany at the age of eight, I have a genius-level I.Q., and on numerous occasions various types of manifestation have occurred in front of witnesses who claimed to have seen the same thing—regardless of what some folks might have you believe about me, I’m not some sort of flaky, delusional, starry-eyed, crystal-carrying, New-Age loonie—no, I am a true cynic who believes in the Scientific Method (but the most likely explanation, however implausible, must be given serious consideration) and my brothers all will back me up when I state that, unlike the President of the United States, I do not lie. You may note that I tend to ramble at times, often going off on a tangent or touching on subjects addressed more fully in other sections. This may make things somewhat confusing, and I apologize in advance.

A substantial portion of this particular work is composed of quotes and excerpts culled from a variety of sources. Some of these quotes may seem redundant, but often it is necessary to see something from several perspectives before gaining a clear understanding of it. Most of these quotes have been transcribed verbatim, due to the fact that words have power and the individual authors have expressed themselves with great eloquence. Since most of these concepts are not original, I could’ve chosen to simply rephrase these statements in my own words, but I felt that this would result in a grave disservice to the reader. I have made a sincere effort to give credit where credit is due, and my inclusion of the words of others clearly falls under the fair use exception to the Federal Copyright Act. Please note that just because a particular source has been cited, it does NOT mean that I look favorably upon other things that particular source has said or done. Particularly in the chapter on black magic, the words of a few very negative characters have been included. Why? Because these sources seem to possess actual knowledge (however dark that knowledge may be) whilst more benevolently inclined souls may only speculate upon the workings of evil. Remember, Light may be found in the camp of the enemy. Furthermore, just because a source has been cited, that does not mean that I am endorsing a source as credible. Even flaky mental cases have occasional sparks of lucidity, but that doesn’t necessarily make them any more advanced than you or I.

I am nothing but a humble student, and I make no presumptions of mastery—in fact, I may even be wrong in a few of of my suppositions, but the scary thing is that I seem to know a lot more about this stuff than the majority of New-Age gurus out there, so I guess that qualifies me to write a book of my own. Much of this book is purely theoretical, and it is largely based upon the writings of others. Because its focus is on the unknown, and much of what is stated cannot be scientifically proven, it would be best for the skeptic to view this as a work of fiction. If, however, you are more open minded, feel free to utilize this text as a Grimoire. Either way, it is intended to serve as a light in the darkness which will not fail you (think of inferior texts as dim flashlights with weak batteries). If it does not help you, at least it makes for entertaining reading…

1E) BASIC PREMISES

1.) Just because something cannot adequately be explained or understood by the Scientific Method does not automatically make it subject to ridicule and derision. There is a great deal about the world that we do not fully understand—and anyone who tells you different is either a dimwit or a liar.

2.) Just because something is invisible, one cannot automatically assume that it is not real. Things which are normally invisible to us can sometimes be perceived under certain conditions. We may interact with the invisible world, if desired.

3.) The invisible world(s) surrounds us at all times, and is populated by various intelligent (as well as semi-intelligent) entities. These entities (whether positive or negative) are attracted to our thoughts and actions, which they actively try to influence. If you are perceptive, these invisible entities will give signs of their presence. Powerful entities can influence our environment, if they wish, either to help or to hinder us. It is sometimes possible to communicate with these entities.

4.) Thoughts have force, and can influence things on a subtle level, even if one is unaware of this fact. With training, a sufficiently advanced student can actually create invisible thought-forms to do his bidding (this is the core teaching of most forms of magick). The strength, duration, and complexity of a particular thought-form is dependant upon its creator’s energy level and ability to focus. The creator’s intent can be programmed into the thought-form, giving it a type of artificial intelligence.

5.) The state of Illumination is transitory, as there are many aspects to it. Just because a student is fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of the eternal (or even speak with an emissary of the Great Architect) does NOT mean that he has been anointed by the Gods and thus divinely ordained to dub himself a guru and start bossing his lessers around. Remember, You can never stop learning, and, Man cannot comprehend the true nature of God. Anyone who makes claims of omniscience is either a lunatic or a fraud.

1F) A PINCH OF THIS, AND A DASH OF THAT!

YOU HAVE CORRUPTED THE SACRED TEACHINGS!!! the traditionalists scream. Locked into their rigid cages of dogma, ritual, and superstition, they feel that the introduction of new ideas is nothing more than contamination which must be prevented at all costs! Often, these deluded fools don’t even fully comprehend their own system of choice (perhaps due to the fact that they’ve not yet been fully initiated into the higher degrees), yet they are prepared to defend its purity against any and all perceived outside threats. If they don’t feel compelled to actually attack you directly, you can reasonably expect to be the object of scorn and ridicule for daring to mix belief systems. (At best, you’ll be lectured on the immaturity of picking and choosing which concepts you feel most comfortable with) You cannot reason with fundamentalists of any denomination, so conserve your energy for more productive pursuits. A few examples of this rigid mindset follow:

Eclecticism may be defined as the practice of choosing apparently irreconcilable doctrines from antagonistic schools and constructing therefrom a composite philosophical system in harmony with the convictions of the eclectic himself. Eclecticism can scarcely be considered philosophically or logically sound, for as individual schools arrive at their conclusions by different methods of reasoning, so the philosophical product of fragments from these schools must necessarily be built upon the foundation of conflicting premises. Eclecticism, accordingly, has been designated the layman’s cult.

—Manly P. Hall, from Secret Teachings of All Ages (p. XVI)

…spiritual traditions cannot be used as some sort of Whitman’s Sampler of ceremonial form, mixed and matched—here a little Druid, there a touch of Nordic Mythology followed by a regimen of Hindu vegetarianism, a mishmash of American Indian rituals somewhere else—at the whim of people who are part of none of them.…to play at ritual potluck is to debase all spiritual traditions, voiding their internal coherence and leaving nothing usably sacrosanct…

—Ward Churchill, from Indians ‘R’ Us?

Each part of our religion has its power and its purpose. Each people has their own ways. You cannot mix these ways together, because each people’s ways are balanced. Destroying balance is a disrespect and very dangerous. This is why it’s forbidden.

—Matthew King, Oglala Lakota Elder

To some extent, I actually concur with these statements. As you shall see in the following chapters, many of those on some sort of directionless New-Age quest for meaning are little more than pathetic clowns playing make-believe, and any mishmash of various conflicting belief systems would likely result in a ludicrous mass of contradictions trimmed with gaudy baubles and awhirr with pseudo-mystical theatrics. When in doubt, baffle ‘em with bullshit—the rubes eat that silly shit up (and are willing to shell out big bucks for a good show), but anyone who truly knows would hold such degenerate showmen in the lowest of contempt.

Alternately, however, there have been a few seekers of truth who were sincerely disappointed with the facade of certain strictly regimented belief systems—particularly if they truly possessed certain gifts, yet were being actively dissuaded from asking too many questions (If your mentor is uncomfortable addressing certain topics, it may very well be because he is not familiar enough with them to answer your questions without guessing—in other words, he feels threatened that his ignorance will be exposed!). Basically, what I’m trying to say is that if a given belief system cannot (or will not) provide answers to reasonable questions, then it just makes sense to seek your answers elsewhere; and if you happen to disagree with (or feel uncomfortable with) certain teachings, then you should (within reason) feel free to reject (or alter) them. Most formalized systems would eject you for taking such a stand, so many initiates (the smart ones, anyhow) search for truth in secret. A few significant quotes which seem to support an eclectic world-view follow:

I maintain that Truth is a pathless Land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect. That is my point of view and I adhere to that absolutely and unconditionally. Truth being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization br formed to lead or to coerce people along any particular path. The moment you follow someone, you cease to follow Truth. I have only one purpose: To make man free, to urge him towards freedom; to help him break away from all limitations, for that alone will give him eternal happiness, will give him the unconditioned realization of the self.

—J. Krishnamurti (1929)

As there may be many roads which will ultimately lead us to the same mountaintop, so there are many systems of occult training. The end in view of every system is the same. It is to first evolve conscious lucidity, the rest will then follow.

—Zolar, from Zolar’s Encyclopedia of Ancient and Forbidden Knowledge (p. 81)

The true nexus of the occult movement is devotion to a common ideal, but this ideal is approached by an infinite diversity of paths, as many as the breaths of the sons of men.

—Dion Fortune, from Psychic Self-Defense (p. 224)

Absorb that which is useful.

—Bruce Lee

1G.) THE NEED FOR SECRECY

At one time—even in the fairly recent past—openly being known as a witch would surely have resulted in persecution, exile, or death. In today’s more enlightened age, our religious freedoms are protected by Law, thus one can wear a pentacle, ankh, rune, or other pagan device without fear of being chased down the street by torch bearing villagers—although Christian fundamentalists (Fundies) may still engage in petty harassment (which can range from vandalizing your home to blacklisting you from gainful employment—Good Christians that they are). As long as you’re a law-abiding citizen with friendly neighbors and job security, you can pretty much adhere to any theological dogma that you like—including one of your own creation! However, a few folks still seem to think that paganism is something to keep hidden—almost like they’re ashamed of it, or something! This usually amounts to nothing more than hypocrisy (i.e., the Freemasons who swear bloody oaths of secrecy so the specifics of their rites are not publicized, thus possibly endangering their standing in the community). Then again, no-one likes to be the subject of ridicule—a weapon which the ignorant commonly employ to attack that which they do not understand. And (get this), the things which are most commonly cited as evidence of wrongdoing are these (often horribly explicit) oaths of secrecy!

It is understandable that outsiders would quite reasonably assume that your group must be up to something when the stated consequences for violation of these oaths entail such penalties as having one’s tongue pulled out with red hot pincers or having one’s eyes burned out with molten lead! And what, pray tell, are these mysterious secrets which require such extraordinary measures to protect them? Usually they amount to little more than a silly nonsensical Word of Power (although only counterfeit Words would be divulged to low level initiates), or the fact that adherents might be pledging fealty to a deity other than Jesus (gasp!). In my humble opinion, unless you’re actually undertaking illegal acts, oaths of bloody retribution have no place in a religious ceremony!!! This is Goddess worship, not some plot to distribute methamphetamine or overthrow the government! Bloody oaths are not only ridiculously archaic, but they are also counter-productive due to the fact that they negatively effect a group’s morale as well as its public image. If someone holds a dagger to your throat and commands you "never to speak of these things outside of