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CHLow: Dark/Light Neopaganism

To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.pagan,talk.religion.misc,alt.religion.christian,alt.satanism
From: Clifford Low 
Subject: Re: CHLow: Dark/Light Neopaganism (Was Re: Dark roygbiv Light)
Date: 5 Jan 1996 07:04:25 GMT

In article <4chbmq$cf0@falcon.sat.net> Mandrake .....the Bard,
mandrake@sat.net writes:

>would frequently invoke the favor of the gods in ritual, and would "sacrifice" 
>favorite items of weaponry for this purpose. Blood sacrifice was rare in these 
>cases, and according to accounts was only done in a case of last resort, when 
>facing a defeat. Further evidence of the existence of object sacrifice may be 

Well, here you've stepped into a quandry. Why would blood sacrifice be
thought of as the most critical of sacrifices. In an emergency, they
don't reach for what they value intrinsically- but what their gods like
to sup upon- blood.

>>We make a big assumption here- that your gods actually give a shit about
>>what you value over what they value. If gods command worship with blood,
>>but you think flowers are more pretty- what kind of reaction can you
>>expect from them? 
>
>   I do my best and I expect the gods to act as they see fit. That's all any 
>of us can do. But, yes, I DO assume that my gods give a s***.

Perhaps then, we should redefine them as "glorified familiars" rather
than "gods". If they do what you want them to and only ask for scraps you
throw them, they're pets. If you are the person deciding what goes in the
food tray, who is in control? Why would an entity of any significant
power submit to your whims, a mere 20th century witch who treats him/her
like a plaything? 

If your gods asked you for an offering of something difficult- like human
hearts- and you would abandon them for such requirements; how can you
assume they wouldn't ditch you the minute _you_ asked for something
tricky? Perhaps they already assessed you as this sort of squeamish
person and have no intention of throwing you any big favors. Someone who
offers little, and seems content with getting trinkets and statements of
shallow wisdom as rewards. Your dedication has it's limits- convenience
and aesthetics. Why wouldn't the tables be turned on you?

>>Also, go check _serious_ books on Greek mythology and archeology, not
>>kiddie ones. Pan was the god of rape and madness; Priapus was more lust
>>oriented, from what I recall. 
>
>   I have chcked out such books and I still assert that Pan was more lust 
>oriented. Of course, rape and madness are things that can come out of lust, so 
>they are a part of him. But, I do not see that as having been the focus of 
>that particular deity. Instead I think he's another one of those who got a bad 
>rap from some of the people who read some mythology and said "eeuuuwwwww, how 
>could he do that !".

Pan was a god who was feared by the Greeks. If he was just Mr. Lust, why
would the Greeks be afraid of him- a people who'd be considered quite
lusty by today's standards. Not people particularly skittish when it came
to messin around.

The word panic comes from Pan, referring to the state he inspired by his
presence. Doesn't sound like Fabio on the Island of Dr. Moreau to me-
sounds like a god of wildness, rape, madness and terror. Pan symbolized
(if we are to use that symbolic thang) things which were out of control.
That can be quite sexy, but more commonly terrifying. 

-CHL

+----------Clifford Hartleigh Low------------+--------------------+
| Email: cthulhu@tfs.necronomi.com           | familiar@intac.com |
+--------------------------------------------+--------------------+
| WWW: http://tfs.necronomi.com/u/cthulhu/   | * VIOLET SHADOWS * |
| Finger/Talk: Cthulhu@lilith.necronomi.com  | TAINTED BUT HUNGRY |
+--------------------------------------------+--------------------+

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