The last time I posted an update on Nine Keys of Abyssal Darkness was about six months ago. I therefore thought I’d say a bit about that here today. Doing so helps me take stock of where I’m at, in addition to satisfying others’ curiosity re: current progress. There’s also some links to previous blog entries in here, for those who may have only started following recently…
I mentioned previously that I was considering doing “I read this book, so that you don’t have to” -type posts. The current post is of this nature. Its focus is a book entitled The Black Path, which describes a supposed left-hand-path variant of Sufism. I’m under the impression there are controversies both with the group described therein, and the work itself. Regardless, I found many ideas in this book spoke to my own spirituality. Hence my desire to mention a few of them here.
Having observed discourse circulating on Twitter re: “closed practices” for awhile, I thought I’d pitch my opinion on the topic. I do not by any means reject the concept as such – in some instances, it’s appropriate to apply. However, I have several concerns about how the concept is applied, and the implications of becoming overly hung-up on it.
One type of ritual-working that I perform quite often is a Rite of Banishing. This entry discusses the general concept of such rituals, how I perform them, and why I perform them. The process presented in vague terms here is detailed more fully in my book, Nine Keys of Abyssal Darkness. Those curious to know more about the life-path that led me to Tenebrous Satanism may also find something of interest in this entry… you see, I used to want to write fiction…
As stated in my bio, I am a passionate fan of black metal and similar genres of dark music. Therefore, from time to time, I like to share songs that I think especially capture the spirit of Tenebrous Satanism. “With Hearts Toward None II,” by Mgla, is one such song. What I find striking about this song is how vividly it conjures up a vision of a totally malign divinity. If such a being truly exists, how can one nonetheless live in affirmation of life? I find the sheer bleakness of this song compelling to meditate upon, because of the confrontation it forces with this question.
Recently, I witnessed some fellow walkers of the Sinister Path lamenting the decline of honor in today’s society. Seeing this got me thinking, perhaps it would be of interest for me to share my own take on honor. A large portion of this post accordingly consists of excerpts from my forthcoming book, Nine Keys of Abyssal Darkness. But I have also added some additional commentary, in connection with further reading I’ve since done, and thoughts thus stirred.
Not uncommon is the individual who feels drawn toward occult matters, yet struggles with suspending disbelief during the actual performance of ritual. I myself did not have the easiest time with this issue when I was younger. Certain measures, however, can help such individuals still find success – i.e., so my own experiences suggest. This post therefore contains some reflections on how I’ve designed Tenebrous Satanism’s ritual magick format to grapple with this issue. Everything alluded-to below is presented in much more detail in my book, Nine Keys of Abyssal Darkness.
In a few recent conversations I’ve had on social media, some interesting issues have come up re: “What is Satanism?” In particular, if atheistic Satanists “don’t believe in” Satan, what do they believe that justifies associating themselves with the name? To outsiders, it may well seem that the theistic Satanist “really believes in something,” whilst the atheistic one is “just” trolling – either for one political side, or the other. So is atheistic Satanism “just” slapping Satan’s name on your preferred form of progressive, reactionary or libertarian politics randomly? Such a question leaves me feeling it might be beneficial to walk folks through the logic of “a Satanic ethos”…
In the Tenebrous Satanism glossary, I specifically mention “Harboring absurdly strong opinions about books that one has not personally read” as a trait of homo hubris. I thus associate such behavior with maladaptive arrogance, and feel the world would be better off with less of it. In recent years, however, it seems more and more otherwise-intelligent people are treating it as some kind of virtue. This post is about what may be motivating that, and why Satanists should oppose it.
While it’s still early in 2022 here, I wanted to share a few reflections about “New Years resolutions.” On one hand, the concept deserves some of the mockery it receives, given how unseriously people often approach such resolutions. On the other hand, though, this mockery is itself counterproductive, insofar as its implicit message is that trying to improve yourself is futile. As a Satanist, I see value in resolutions, insofar as they can promote such virtues as zeal, wisdom and perseverance. Resolutions can only foster these positives, however, if approached in the right way – which many people fail to do. Read on for my thoughts on correcting this.