<rant>
As a non-theist I find it ridiculous that Western LHP would somehow hinge on becoming a god. Yes, it's a helpful shorthand, but it's far from enough to warrant being the defining characteristic for what LHP means -- despite being terribly fashionable at the moment.
I spent a good while looking at LHP literature as well as academic studies and the two things that stuck with me about LHP are
attitude and
methods. Attitude because those who lean towards the left are individualistic, they very clearly have opposing views to the "mainstream" on how to deal with deities, spirits, magic...
Take your pick depending on the tradition you work within. My personal worldview pulls me towards animism and Paganism despite my rational self clinging to materialism, for someone else it's Christianity or Hinduism or, yes, even Satanism (just think of all the LHP people who dislike LaVey).
People like us seem to always be in opposition to
something, it's what makes us tick. It doesn't matter if you call it defiance or the path to enlightenment (which, curiosly, Setianism sort of strives for), it's safe to say we like to live dangerously.
That's what we share, not some sort of metaphysical mumbo jumbo about specific ways of attaining something that may or may not exist.
Sure, feel free to call me a heretic at this point. But this is what I've seen and heard here and elsewhere. The narrow-mindedness of many has made me stick mostly to myself because it's nobody's business how I or any other practitioner conducts their rituals or which philosophies they adhere to (or vehemently refuse to adhere to) -- we all flout our own boats and to hell with the rest. And because there's a limited way of actually floating a boat, we end up with the same goals and the same experiences.
That's why LHP can be characterized as it's own thing and not a subtype of whatever religion you want to place your origo on.
In which sense arguing theology within LHP is... highly questionable at best. Argue attitude all you like, but good luck agreeing on the metaphysics.
Which brings me to methods. Or really more the lack of methodology. Why is LHP so often defined as the opposite of whatever RHP is? Because LHP is best understood as the lack of things. There are no rules, there are no gods bossing you about (there may be gods, but they aren't the bosses), there are no morning prayers, no holy books, not even a clergy...
There's also a lack of fear, or at the very least a celebration of it. "Nothing is true. Everything is permitted." Or maybe everything is true, but it doesn't matter, because everything is
still permitted. If it doesn't get you killed, or jailed, or sent to Hell (and what if you were?) and if it does the job -- which for most if not all of us is self-improvement -- then why not do it, and have a little fun on the way?
But there's no one to drag you up when you sink instead of swimming. That's the danger and the fascination with LHP, because why would you let someone else keep you afloat if you know how to swim on on your own?
It's a challenge, and I know I function
only if there's a challenge; anything else slowly kills me inside. I think LHP stems from that very specific spiritual (and intellectual) drive, and with most it's something that either is or isn't there -- people don't
start to follow LHP, they wake up on that path one day and have no interest in turning back.
And unless they go insane or fall into thinking someone else's map is the terrain itself, just walking that path is likely to get them to the destination.
(Yes, I
am a heretic.)
So, my advice to
@Deidre and honestly anyone else who struggles with finding their place in the universe is: stop stressing about it. None of it matters, just do your own thing, and count yourself lucky when you find someone who does the same. More often than not you'll find you have more in common than at first you realise.
</rant>