User blogs

Should we find something to be obsessed about and go all out... all-in?  Do our obsessions find us, does it seem like they seek us out, or is it possible to consciously choose what we focus on to the exclusion of everything else?

Is obsession healthy?  How much is too much?  I assume there are people out there in the world who never become obsessed about anything.  What's that like?  Is it easier to manage one's life?  Does it lack passion or urgency or focus?

There are some things I will always be into, just as there are some things I will never care for.  However, every once in awhile I'll be utterly consumed by a certain idea, activity, or hobby.  Right now, it's old school, paper and pencil, tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons.  

I'm not sure why I become obsessive about certain things, but I do.  Don't worry, I'm still very interested in the Cthulhu Cult, Left Hand Path, Fourth Way, my beautiful family etc.  However, my attention definitely shifted to D&D and similar games a few months ago.  Where will it lead me?  I'm having a lot of fun and my creative juices are flowing... so, does it matter?  Does everything have to be part of my fate or destiny?  Is that just who I am?

One can't have monomania about a single subject for decades, can they?  Doesn't a subject deserve a break every once in awhile?  Don't we deserve some rest from an activity or hobby?

This is just an open-ended conversation with myself.  Me thinking out loud, and hoping that others might listen and have a reaction.  Let me know your thoughts!

VS

Well, my nearly 18 month old daughter likes to watch the Disney Channel.  It keeps her entertained, and hopefully, educated.  Danielle and I don't mind it either.  In fact, sometimes I'm just as wrapped up in the TV shows as Briella.  

So, I was watching the latest episode of A.N.T. Farm when Cthulhu was mentioned.  Not once, but multiple times!  A female goth store clerk referred to him as "Dark Lord Cthulhu" - which means South Park's influence on the meme must still be strong.  At the episode's end, Cthulhu was personified as a red furry octopus costume with a black and white panda head.  

The storyline revolves around the goth-metal band Blood Butcher playing a concert at a Hot Topic like store called Toxic Wasteland.  One of the girls wants to see the band in order to fit in, but knows her mother won't approve.  In the most outlandish, ridiculous, yet clever scheme, the girl and her friends decide to become this fictional kids band, The Happy Fuzzy Friends, to fool her mom.  One of the characters is a octopus/panda hybrid.  Why Cthulhu?  Well, what sort of religious beliefs is a teenage goth girl suppose to have, anyways?  Makes perfect sense to me.

I took these screen shots myself a few moments ago, once I realized that the episode was too new to have anything come up in google images or anywhere on the net.  Thank our slimy green Lord for DVR technology!

It was all quite surreal and cool and just plain bizarre!  Does this mean the Cthulhu Cult will be more acceptable as time passes?  Is man entering a new phase where his evolution is even more possible than before?  Are the stars right at long last?  We shall see...

Awake!

Venger As'Nas Satanis

Ipsissimus

Cult of Cthulhu

www.CultofCthulhu.net

I'm not sure if I can see much difference.  Just took a few more pics this morning, and haven't even compared myself to last month.  I'd rather be surprised to see small changes.  However, I feel as though I've remained more or less the same.  Weight was at 160.5 lbs.  

Strength started decreasing the workouts after my month 3 update.  I was bench pressing 90 lb dumbbells and only got 2 reps.  Dissatisfied with losing muscle/strength, I incorporated some higher rep workouts in my training regimen.  

The diet was fairly easy to maintain - that's my favorite thing about Lean Gains.  Only had a couple cheat meals during the month.  Hunger wasn't much of a problem.  

I'm hoping that month 5 shows a radical improvement... one where my abs are clearly visible.  Not sure if drastic measures are necessary.  Time will tell.  

Awake!

VS

Alright, this is the last installment of Doctor Who awesomeness.  If you've never seen the old series, then check it out.  I highly recommend discovering or re-discovering one of the best science fiction series ever made.  The special effects might not live up to 21st century expectations, but sometimes one is pleasantly surprised by the ingenuity and final results from the 60's, 70's, and 80's.

These are last 12(!) stories which I personally feel are the best.  Why 12 instead of the usual 10?  Well, there were a couple gems I couldn't leave behind.  Mind you, just because a story is in this category, that doesn't mean it's average... let alone sucks.  Being in the top 30 is still quite an achievement when you consider there's about 200 Dr. Who stories which ran between 1963 and 1989.  Picking the top 21 - 32 was just as difficult as 11 - 20.  Perhaps more so, because whatever I leave out isn't going to get mentioned.  This is the last installment, after all.  

Now, I bent the rules slightly with the Peladon stories.  I counted both The Curse of Peladon and The Monster of Peladon as one.  They are very similar and take place only 50 years from each other.  Interestingly, the same thing occurred in the William Hartnell story The Ark (a small jump in time while remaining in the same space), except the time jump was within the story.  The Ark is a decent story, if you're into that kind of thing.

I almost chose War Games over Snakedance because it's significantly better in a few respects.  However, for the 21st century audience, a long, drawn-out black and white story like War Games is more likely to put one to sleep.  Plus, Snakedance is the sequel to Kinda - one of my very favorites.  I was also on the fence about Colony in Space.  I love most stories where Petwee plays the Doctor, but sometimes I just get sick of seeing him in 1970's Britain.  At least, this one is set in a different time and place.

Nor was it easy to choose between State of Decay and Full Circle.  Both are great stories from the E-Space trilogy.  Again, I think today's audience would prefer vampires to humanoid marsh creatures.  So, there you go.

I should also mention that there are a couple Dr. Who stories which I haven't seen in years and years.  They are not currently available on DVD, so it's difficult for me to judge them a couple decades later.  I'm thinking of The Ambassadors of Death, in particular.  

Enjoy my selections.  Feel free to post your own preferences, experiences watching these stories, and go rent/buy/netflicks the following if you haven't seen them.

Hopefully, you guys aren't getting sick of all the Dr. Who posts.  There's this and in a couple weeks I'll be posting a top 21 -30.  After that, the Doctor will be put to rest for a time.  

Meanwhile, let us revel in the great, beloved stories which did not make the top 10.  When creating a best-of-the-best list, some personal choices must be sacrificed in order to capture a more objective view.  With this and the next list, we have more latitude... more freedom.  But with that comes difficult decisions.  Again, you'll notice a preference for the 4th Doctor, Tom Baker with a nod towards the 3rd, Jon Pertwee, and the 5th, Peter Davison.  

Discuss the picks below - why you like them, why you don't, how come "x" didn't make the cut, etc.  Upon reflection, I put the subjective before objective considerations regarding Resurrection of the Daleks and Kinda.  Kinda would probably have made for a better 2nd tier choice.  Oh well, one has to go against the grain, occasionally.  

For the top 21 - 30, I recommend submitting your choices here or on the Doctor Who thread over at the main CoC forum:  http://cocthulhu.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=unsanctioned&action=display&thread=870

Awake!

VS

1)  Who is your favorite Companion?

2)  What is your favorite Doctor Who and companion combinations?

3)  Companion death you are still recovering from?

4)  Best companion introduction?

5)  Best companion exit?

6)  Best companion re-appearance?

7)  Worst companion exit?

8)  Best Doctor Who "scream queen"?

9)  Favorite story series (Key to Time, E-Space, Trial of a Time Lord)?

10)  Best Companions verbal jab/telling off at the Doctor

11)  Favorite Dr. Who monster (I define monster as not human and not the Master)?

12)  Favorite incarnation as the Master?

13)  The three hottest / sexiest companions?

14)  Favorite final story of the Doctor's regeneration?

15)  Favorite first story of the Doctor's regeneration?

16)  All-time favorite story? This is different than "the best"... imagine you could only watch one Dr. Who story on DVD for the rest of your life?

17)  Worst story... the one you'll never watch again, unless some very special circumstances arise?

18)  What actor (at the time - late 80's) should have the Doctor regenerated into after Colin Baker?

19)  Favorite line or bit of wisdom from the Doctor?

20)  Cast your dream lineup: Doctor, companion(s), head villain, monster, companion, gadget/vehicle, setting, and plot device.

Questions provided by Loki Dreaming and Venger Satanis.  Enjoy!

http://cocthulhu.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=unsanctioned&action=display&thread=870

I have been a fan of Doctor Who since I was little.  Every Sunday at 4pm (until it got switched to Saturdays at 10am) on the Public Broadcasting Station, the family television in our house experienced a British scifi invasion geared for kids and, somehow, not juvenile in the least.  Occasionally, it was dark.  Brutal, even.  It wasn't afraid to show the ugly nature of man, as well as, his frequent demise.  Like a Lovecraft story, characters would die, breakdown, go insane, or turn to evil.  That felt like real life to me.  Its mature themes kept me enthralled through my teenage years and far beyond.  

Most of the time, my Dad watched them with me.  Not 25 minute episodes, but full stories... usually 4 episode extra-terrestrial extravaganzas totaling 100 eldritch minutes.  Dr. Who was the crowning jewel of every weekend.  No matter what plans had been made, a niche was carved out for the Doctor.  

He was a remarkable Time Lord with a brilliant mind and keen sense of humor.  The Doctor proved himself over and over to be a bastion of righteousness, skeptical of superstition, open-minded regarding the unknown, careful about  interfering too much, and, best of all, a renegade who escaped the stoic detachment of his race in order to travel the universe.  He's a role-model to many of us.  In the Work, he could be likened to Man #7.

Anyways, some of the Cult of Cthulhu forum members and I were talk about Doctor Who recently.  I wanted to do a Top 10, so here it is.  Hopefully, it won't surprise anyone that the majority of very best Who stories star Tom Baker.  If you're curious about my selections or want to discuss their inclusion, then post below.  Next month, I'll probably do a Top 11-20, so feel free to offer your recommendations.  Without further ado, and in no particular order, here's the list...

1.  Genesis of the Daleks

2.  Talons of Weng-Chiang

3.  Kinda

4.  Face of Evil

5.  Inferno

6.  The Daemons

7.  City of Death

8.  The Caves of Androzani

9.  The Horror at Fang Rock

10.  The Deadly Assassin

Strangely enough, I haven't seen a film (in the theater) this good since the last time I went to the movies.  That film was The Cabin in the Woods - also directed by genre legend Joss Whedon.  

However, Whedon not only writes but also directs the premier ensemble superhero film.  Saw it yesterday, and I'm pleased to report that it was just as sharp, imaginative, epic, amusing, colorful, and action packed as any comic book fan could hope for.  

For reasons I'd rather not get into, I hadn't seen the Iron Man movies, Thor, or The Hulk re-boot.  Very much anticipating The Avengers opening day, I had three nights in which to cram the foundational pieces upon which this magnum opus is built.  Knowing, as I did, that a whole new actor was portraying Bruce Banner, I decided to leave that one out.  I watched Iron Man the first night.  Iron Man 2 the second night.  Thor the night before May 4th.  All good films.  As was Captain America: The First Avenger which I originally saw in the theater.  

However, The Avengers is greater than the sum of its parts.  It could have been disastrous - combining storylines for each significant character while creating and sustaining a cohesive plot, making it entertaining and understandable for those who've seen the foundation films, as well as, noobs who couldn't tell the difference between Spider-Man and Wolverine.  Thanks to Joss Whedon, The Avengers not only succeeded on all levels, but surpassed my soaring expectations!

I'm not going to rehash the previews or go into specific details.  No, I intend to close this brief review or summary with a specific lesson: when extraordinary individuals work together as a team, they can accomplish tremendous, even unearthly, goals.  No one has to lose their identity, no one has to compromise their values or system of beliefs.  It doesn't have to be a full time gig, either.  As hard to stomach as it may be for some, it's occasionally in everyone's best interest to organize disparate and fragmentary elements so that a greater good is born.

This is true of the Work and, therefore, the Cult of Cthulhu.  Alone, an individual can do a lot.  As a team, it's possible to do even more.  There are forces in this world determined to keep us from attaining our true potential.  Unfortunately, overcoming them isn't easy.  That's where our emerald religion comes in.  Collectivism can be a dirty word; an excuse for being lazy, stupid, or afraid.  But what of the times where integration and cohesion have succeeded beyond our wildest dreams?  It is my conviction that the reconciliation of collectivism and individuality will herald a new aeon for humanity. 

Thanks for reading.  Do yourself a favor and see The Avengers!  It's going to be the biggest and best movie of the summer.

Awake!

Venger As'Nas Satanis

Ipsissimus

Cult of Cthulhu

Assuming you're not an asshole, I'd like you to tell me why you're not an asshole.  Why?  It's probably not a question you usually ask yourself.  
Some may think that it doesn't make a difference.  I disagree.  I believe it makes all the difference in the world - and at its root such things can tell us if we're right(eous)... if we're well suited to the Work.  Esotericism needs favorable circumstances, that's true; however, it also requires us to start with good material.  A student of the Work is deemed good material if he has both a positive attitude and aim.  

Attitudes and aims come in all shapes and sizes.  Negative ones discount the possibility of ascending the current Octave.  Those with a negative attitude feel that life is what it is, achieving smaller goals of limited scope is perfectly acceptable to them... especially if they don't have to put in a lot of effort.  That's fine.  Such individuals have little time for Octaves, Higher Forces, or transcendence and, as such, don't have a lasting interest in esoteric pursuits.  

Those who have a negative aim want to achieve whatever it is they want to achieve because they are emotionally damaged in some way.  Such folk would rather harm their enemies, for instance, than focus upon their own shortcomings and how to overcome them.  In other words, they are not good material.  People who say, "The end justifies the means."  have a negative aim.  It's difficult to imagine a lot of external consideration coming from such individuals.

All this goes back to the asshole quandary.  Asshole:  briefly defined as A) a stupid, mean, or contemptible person.  B) the worst part of a place or thing.  C) a worthless or annoying person.

A blatant asshole, like the expression of a negative emotion, is a red flag - easily recognized and thrown out.  A non-asshole can go one of two ways.  He can either not be an asshole because he's trying to survive, perhaps even flourish, in this prison we call a world.  Such a person is just as much programmed to not be an asshole as he is operating from learned behavior.  "When I'm an asshole to others, sometimes others are assholes back to me."  

The other kind of non-asshole is the aforementioned good material which the Work is seeking, those who can find the Way and travel it.  This third type makes effort towards not being an asshole because it's the right thing to do, it's in his nature.  Instead of trying not to attract suffering, he tries to be good, to alleviate suffering.  Now, a lot of us are sucked into bad situations populated by worthless people (worthless from an esoteric standpoint).  Even if not being an asshole is in our nature, there are times when one has little choice in the matter.  Under those circumstances, do the best you can... and find better circumstances ASAP!

For those curious about this, go ahead and try it.  Imagine the difference.  Start with negative emotions.  Instead of destroying the negative - create positive.  That doesn't mean one has to be naive.  It's ok to be cynical, jaded, and skeptical.  Yet, and this is important, one must strive to see(k) the good... no matter how much bad there is around us.

Positivity is defined here as... A) characterized by or displaying certainty, acceptance, or affirmation.  B) Measured or moving forward or in a direction of increase or progress.  C) Composed of or characterized by the presence of particular qualities or attributes; real.

Positivity is active whereas tearing away at the negative is reactive.  Start with the latter, at first, if you find it easier, but always keep an eye on the former.  Being positive is just as cleansing as becoming the void, and it makes those exterior parts of the self, such as false personality, transparent.  That's what we want.  Too much filter robs us of illumination.  Who can do careful, precise work - especially if we're unsure of exactly how to perform it - in very poor light?  Get rid of the filter so there is nothing obstructing or obscuring the view of our essence or soul - the part which needs our attention.

Lastly, I'm not going to sit here typing away and tell you that I've never been an asshole.  I have been, I can be.  It happens to everyone.  That's not the issue.  The issue is that some of us occasionally make efforts not to be an asshole... and for the right reasons.  Without allowing yourself to be taken advantage of, ask yourself if you're truly being a positive force in the world.  Would you rather be a decent human being because it benefits you or because it will benefit someone else?

Awake!

Venger As'Nas Satanis

Ipsissimus

Cult of Cthulhu

Hey folks,

What's up?  Just got off the phone with Zach.  Apparently, we are (and always were) on the same page.  Antagonism is fun and can even be productive... up to a point.  What I'm trying to say is that a little ridicule goes a long way.  He doesn't take it all that seriously and neither do I.  After awhile, endless shit talking is counter-productive.  

SIN has its thing going on, and the CoC has its own agenda.  Probably best that these two siblings are separated... for now, anyways.  Cross-pollination of users or "dual citizenship" is fine down the road, but let's not spoil it by constant attacks.  I'm posting this on the CoC social network because it's time to forgive and forget and move the fuck on.  If this is going to be posted somewhere on SIN as well, that's cool by me.  Thanks for your time.  Happy Walpurgisnacht, everyone!

Let the distractions fall away so that evolution can manifest,

Hail Satan!

Hail Cthulhu!

Hail Thyself!

Venger As'Nas Satanis

Ipsissimus

Cult of Cthulhu

Spring cleaning!  Aye, May Eve approaches, and it needs to be done.  All that stuff piled and packed away in the dark recesses of our house - it is trash, useless, unsightly!  We should get rid of it so that we'll have clean, uncluttered space for when the important things need to shine, front and center.

I've been doing some spring cleaning of my own.  I'm shocked at how much there was to do and how much I had put it off until now.  I got used to seeing things that needed my attention.  What bothered me a year or two ago, I just sort of accepted.  Not only its imperfection but its permanence.  

If something bothered me a little in January of 2011, then why didn't I change it?  Well, I probably put it off until February.  It can surely wait until tomorrow or the next day, right?  But then summer comes and goes.  Now, there's just no fucking excuse!  I lie to myself.  I say, "It's not that bad.  It doesn't really bother me."  Those are rationalizations... buffers.  

Next thing you know, it's January 2012 and everything is still dirty or broken or cluttered.  Things that should have been thrown away, weren't.  Well, spring is here again and I was more or less forced into fixing all the bullshit that got away from me a year or two ago.  Turns out, it wasn't that much work.  And now everything has been improved.  I had unopened boxes and bags of food from over 2 years ago, just sitting in the very back corners of my shelves!

Obviously, this is not just a call for cleaning the house.  No, this is also a Fourth Way metaphor.  Self-spring cleaning.  At any point in time, there are about a dozen loose ends which require our attention.  Because we're busy trying to survive and get ahead in life, we kind of let the little things go - and for far too long.  Now is the perfect time to get our hands dirty.  Get in there and make changes!  You'll feel better afterwards.  I promise.

Awake!

Venger As'Nas Satanis

Ipsissimus

Cult of Cthulhu

Cult of Cthulhu; in this vid, i say i can't see much point in joining groups, but i think that maybe I was a bit harsh with this - there are couple of groups that i would join; altho9ugh i must say that i use this site for blogging; must also look through the forums myself and pick a thing to run with.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XDT94xVr24&feature=channel_video_title
 
IA

Greetings CoC social network users,


At this moment, I am poised to usurp those areas of the ONA which are racist and anti-semitic. Once those portions or Nexions of the ONA are under my control, I will purge the wasteful, negative, hate-mongering B.S. right out of them. I have the blessing of many ONA individuals. The only ones standing in our way are just a few neo-Nazi trolls.

Consider this an extension of my LHP Jihad. Weeding modern satanism out of the LHP was step 1. Breaking the ONA, at least those racist parts, is step 2. Step 3 will be revealed soon...

This weekend, I'll not only ritualize my ONA absorption, but will also be capturing it on video for all to see. After that event, certain aforementioned aspects of the ONA will be purged and the entire organization will be seen, more or less, as a division of our quantum religion, the Cult of Cthulhu.


Awake!

Venger As'Nas Satanis
Ipsissimus
Cult of Cthulhu


www.CultofCthulhu.net

What is power? Power is control, influence, the ability to do. It gives us those capabilities while facilitating our struggle for them. Simultaneously, it either informs or becomes our goal. You might want to read that again since it's a concept that defies rationality. Basically, I'm saying that power is not only the car and the fuel for the car but the motivation to drive some place. That's how multi-dimensional power is just on the surface! Power is generally thought of only as energy, a means. Because power is the ultimate means to an end, whatever end you happen to choose, it is universally acknowledged as the end, in and of itself. Power for power's sake.

I'm here to tell you, that power is more than that. Much more! Have you heard the saying, "power makes its own rules?" Ok, now we're getting a glimpse of how ineffable this concept is.

A full understanding of power is inconceivable. I believe that's what gives power its allure. We are drawn to it, occasionally repelled by it, and juxtapositionally lustingly fearful of it. Yes, lust. Power can give us anything we desire if only we acquire enough of it. And fear as well. Power can so easily destroy us if the powerful wish it (or the power Wills it - more on that later). The lust for power can lead to abuse which has been the ruin of many individuals. Therefore, it makes sense for us to strike a balance. But what kind...?

Is it reasonable to strive for only a moderate amount of power? Not really. Where do we draw a line? Moderate power is arbitrary and reeks of that same middle ground compromise nonsense which the Awakened despise and reject. Should we be selective about what kind of power is sought? Within the slimy green walls of the Cthulhu Cult, we pay attention to the individual, to the self. We observe, dissect, examine, analyse, and come up with theories. Oh yes, very scientific. Then, once we believe that truth itself is wriggling inside our firm grasp like an ooze-covered tentacle... it slips away. Truth and power. Power and truth. They are like cousins, like Cthulhu and Yog-Sothoth; both concepts almost too large or substantive to discuss in ordinary circumstances. Use "power" on the street or talk of "truth" in the gutter; such a one-dimensional comprehension cannot be called understanding without insulting the word "understanding".

The Cult of Cthulhu is concerned with every aspect of power; however, we go after only those facets which are worthwhile; those which suit us and our purposes. Of course, they are usually hidden... sometimes in plain sight. Power over our machine is probably the most valuable. Try to envision self-control writ large or mindfulness on seven different levels. What could be more fundamental to an individual's continued evolution than self-power?

If power had a thousand tentacles, then how many of them could we grab in a single moment? I ask because it's important to know. A lifetime is only a series of moments. Try to grab them all and a Cultist might find that every tentacle has eluded him. Conversely, only focus on one and that may not be enough.

The will to power (German: "der Wille zur Macht") is a prominent concept in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. The will to power describes what Nietzsche believed to be the main driving force in man; achievement, ambition, the striving to reach the highest possible position in life; these are all manifestations of the will to power. ~ Will to power - Wikipedia


I could hardly write an essay on power without at least mentioning Nietzsche. Friedrich Nietzsche was a huge influence upon me as a youth. Just as much as Anton LaVey. One thing that bothered me about the "will to power" was this - not everyone has it. Sure, it seems like everyone wants what they want, desires to get ahead, has passion, ambition, and so forth. But that just isn't true. Not everybody shares that drive which Nietzsche had, which I have, as well as, hundreds of Cthulhu Cultists. In fact, relatively few indiviuals continually seek to become that which is higher. If I'm wrong, then where are all the Super-Men?

This quantum religion recognizes this cold, hard fact: man does not yearn for power and an even smaller minority actively will it day in, day out. Yet, we do! Yes, the Cult of Cthulhu summons up the will to power! Again, let us not forget that focus must be given to the right kind of power. However, the masses... they don't have such need. As a whole, humanity is content to sleep.

Now that we've talked about the "will to power", what about the will of power? Power has a mind of its own, a will of its own, an agenda! Power, sometimes only a taste is enough, has the ability to change a man. Is this corruption? That depends. Is it good or evil? Again, it's relative. Power is a mystical force. What if power activated some dormant faculty? What if power is a key that opened a secret gateway... a part of ourself which is always silent, save for this energizing force? Recognize the will of power!

I do know this: the wielding of it shows us things. Not only the fearful lust for power, nor the claiming of it, but it's use. Wielding power builds certain muscles within us, essential muscles, which otherwise cannot be exercised.

As an visualization experiment, allow yourself to go mad with power for a time. Just to see what it's like. Because you never know.


Awake!

Venger As'Nas Satanis
Ipsissimus
Cult of Cthulhu

Please explain to me the symbolic reasons for the tentacles... slime... and blood theatrics? What do they demonstrate and cultivate in your organization? Also note...why have you chose to title this system a "religion"?

Mister Cage asked me these questions a couple days ago, so that's what I'm talking about here in this blog post.

For starters, some of those elements described... tentacles, slime, blood, etc. are not only symbols. What I mean is that slime doesn't have to be metaphorical slime. It can also be good, old fashioned, cool as Hell slime! Or is slime awesome in its own right because it has underlying impressions already within it?

So, it comes as no surprise that I love monsters, dark things, weird stuff, magic, books, Gods, and tentacled slimy beings covered in blood. What adolescent boy doesn't? Probably plenty... I was into this as a child; an outsider from birth. So was Lovecraft presumably.

But what else could such Lovecraftian trappings possibly mean? Slime is like the primordial ooze from which all life sprang, amniotic fluid, sexual secretions, that which is disgusting and gross. It's like water but thicker and dirtier. Usually, there's a color associated with any kind of slime, ooze, or ichor. That is a greenish hue, most of the time.

What's symbolic about green? Well, it's in the middle of the viewable spectrum which, I suppose, symbolizes balance. Green stands for life, alienage, and eldritch possibilities. Green is a strong, vibrant color with so many variations... just try to think about all the different types of green! Lovecraft used green a lot to describe his entities. It's more plausible somehow to believe that a greenish stone or God came from the stars rather than a flesh colored one or gold.

Tentacles are also extraterrestrial. Space is like the ocean, all that endless space filled with the unknown. Octopus and squid live in the ocean so why wouldn't their tentacles be attached to sparefarers making their way through the universe? Tentacles are sexual, monstrous, and they seem to reach out for people, don't they?

Blood and similar theatrics? Well, who isn't attracted (or repelled) by a bit of blood splattered here and there? Blood is life, death, who we are. It is violent, aggressive, passionate. Blood is change, as are all the Cult's symbols... change. Religions need a bit of showmanship, a bit of show business. Why is the Cult of Cthulhu called a religion? Because that gives it power. Just as the Church of Satan was stimulating to LaVey and his original magic circle, a cult-like spiritual movement devoted to Lovecraft's Mythos works for us. We are disturbing to many and that disturbance (or stimulation, if you prefer) gives us energy.

Is the Cthulhu Mythos only an aesthetic backdrop for The Great Work or is it more than that? Each Cultist should answer that for himself. I cannot. I merely provide The Way.


Awake!

Venger As'Nas Satanis
Ipsissimus
Cult of Cthulhu

"No, don't worry about it. You haven't offended me. I'm fine. Protected by my raspberry cheesecake-ism." He said.

Our protagonist walks down the street, travels through alleys in cyberspace, and journeys within interior arcades of slippery, viridescent self-discovery.

"Nothing can stop me. For I am my own raspberry cheesecake, and that... that is what's made all the difference."

He stares deeply into the face of God, tentacles erupt from all quarters, tongues elongating, speaking in a bizarre guttural croaking and furtive whispers, stained crimson with the blood of non-believers, one hundred and eleven eyes gleam in the foetid light of all three moons. The beast howls to the chartreuse void as the masses drown in His green ooze.

"Ye shall cheesecake with me, Lord. And thy raspberry-ness hath no end in sight. Hail the Ancient Ones, for They are as majestic as all the raspberry cheesecakes of the world!"

Then, as the man finished his ululation, all was silent. Night fell upon them. Cheesecakes of all sizes and descriptions were devoured... most of all, the ones with a raspberry likeness.

_______________

It all started by accident, this meme of ours. Shawn wondered what kind of punishment Zach and the modern satanists deserved. Someone said "a pie in the face"... probably Shawn again. I came up with raspberry cheesecake then Cora'Sahn kept encouraging all of us to continue its usage as we laughed and laughed.

The result? It grew. It became something; its own thing. But why? What is the allure of raspberry cheesecake?


1. Because we felt the need to express our sense of humor.

2. It attracts attention and curiosity while infuriating our enemies. An opponent's pattern or state of mind can be interrupted when one suddenly starts talking about raspberry cheesecake. Adversaries usually can't effectively deal with the nonsensical... especially when nonsense is mixed with serious, intellectual content. Go back and forth between the two. The Cult dares you.

3. This phrase is a built-in key to flapdoodle applesauce inanity. Yes, absurdity is occasionally necessary because logic alone cannot fully conceptualize Dread Cthulhu himself, let alone the entire Mythos. When seen against the illusion's backdrop (the everyday world), our mission appears crazy. Don't let that deter you, brothers and sisters!


In conclusion, if your looking for that ineffable rightness of phrase which persists in eluding you, then feel free to fall back on "raspberry cheesecake" because those two words can literally mean anything you wish. The only liimit is your imagination.

While rarely in bad taste, it can absolutely be overused. Be careful to allocate helpings of raspberry cheesecake judiciously... or not at all! Just think of it - forever banned from using that phrase. No longer will the delicious absurdity of raspberry cheesecake trip off your tongue. Darkness... all of it, always, and forever in darkness!


May the Raspberry Cheesecake be with you... always.

Venger As'Nas Satanis
Ipsissimus
Cult of Cthulhu

According to The Work set out for us by Gurdjieff, systematized by Ouspensky, and elucidated by various Fourth Way Masters... Identifying is when we lose ourselves in the thing being observed. Identifying is always passive. It just happens to us. We see something, and we get absorbed by it. Pulled in. Eaten. Led into negativity. Watch a sports game and your essence or True Self goes away, it hides. Watch a movie and that movie takes the place of who you are outside of life. Argue with someone online and suddenly the argument (or whatever side you're on) has replaced you.... more