jasonwill2
Well-Known Member
To say that worship and prayer cannot be compatible with the Left Hand Path is simply conforming to the most popular dogma among self-described walkers of the Path, and it is quite ironic and hilarious.
"Worship", means simply, worthy of praise or respect. I worship many things, myself (I'm awesome), milk (insanely love milk), hot-fries (I have an addiction to these things), power (I want it!), Lilith (because of my experience with Succubi), Lucifer (more of the archetype than an entity), and Satan (cause' he's helped me more than any other god).
You don't have to believe in a god to worship, you can worship yourself, or anything you like. Even symbolic Left Hand Path-ers worship at least some archetype or ideal as an atheistic "mode of behavior" or "enlightener" such as Lucifer or Satan.
Prayer, before it became more like a conversation, used to be an invocation, a mantra, or a meditative chant. As magickal users, we all say invocations in the beginning of a ritual or spell... THAT IS A PRAYER in it's non-whitewashed version.
However, what people think of as "worship" and "prayer" in regards to the Left Hand Path, they are more responding to the connotations instead of the actual definition of these terms. I worship Satan, but I don't grovel. I say invocations when upset, but I don't bow my head and act like I'm talking to someone right beside me.
Truth is, if you say invocations, you pray to whatever god you invoke. And truth is, if you rock out to Satanic music... that is prasing Satan. If Christians rock out and sing songs to praise their god, then what is it that we are doing in our massive "Satanic music" topic? I mean... the VERY FIRST SONG posted is called "Unholy Praises" by an atheistic member of the Church of Satan: http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/satanism-dir/125658-satanic-music.html
"But jasonwill2!" someone might say, "Worship and prayer is against the definition of what the Left Hand Path entails!"
Oh really? :sarcastic What definition? Yours? Are you forcing your subjective and non-dictionary and historically incorrect definition onto my beliefs? Isn't that just a dogma of a different kind, like when you see a bunch of people dressed in all black hanging out together, but complaining about conformity? Who defines the Left Hand Path? You don't, I don't, at least if it is supposed to be anti-dogma.
Wikipedia:
Note that it includes Theistic Satanism and several, several Theistic groups. The Left Hand Path's origins, as well as how it is practiced today, has always been about HETERODOX PRACTICES. Take a look at some of the Left hand Path Hindus and the Tibet Buddhists... the most hardcore Satanists got NOTHING on the Tibet monks. Those guys are hardcore, as are Vāmācāra (if I am thinking of the other correct group I was talking to someone about recently). Take note that in the origins of the terms, the Left Hand Path practitioners still did worship and use invocations/prayers.
So to summarize... worship and prayer are not mutually exclusive from the Left Hand Path, and if you try to argue that it is... doesn't that make you a dogma of another kind, particularly in light of everything that I just said?
Hail Satan! (See?! This means to salute Satan! A form of being worthy of respect!)
"Worship", means simply, worthy of praise or respect. I worship many things, myself (I'm awesome), milk (insanely love milk), hot-fries (I have an addiction to these things), power (I want it!), Lilith (because of my experience with Succubi), Lucifer (more of the archetype than an entity), and Satan (cause' he's helped me more than any other god).
You don't have to believe in a god to worship, you can worship yourself, or anything you like. Even symbolic Left Hand Path-ers worship at least some archetype or ideal as an atheistic "mode of behavior" or "enlightener" such as Lucifer or Satan.
Prayer, before it became more like a conversation, used to be an invocation, a mantra, or a meditative chant. As magickal users, we all say invocations in the beginning of a ritual or spell... THAT IS A PRAYER in it's non-whitewashed version.
However, what people think of as "worship" and "prayer" in regards to the Left Hand Path, they are more responding to the connotations instead of the actual definition of these terms. I worship Satan, but I don't grovel. I say invocations when upset, but I don't bow my head and act like I'm talking to someone right beside me.
Truth is, if you say invocations, you pray to whatever god you invoke. And truth is, if you rock out to Satanic music... that is prasing Satan. If Christians rock out and sing songs to praise their god, then what is it that we are doing in our massive "Satanic music" topic? I mean... the VERY FIRST SONG posted is called "Unholy Praises" by an atheistic member of the Church of Satan: http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/satanism-dir/125658-satanic-music.html
"But jasonwill2!" someone might say, "Worship and prayer is against the definition of what the Left Hand Path entails!"
Oh really? :sarcastic What definition? Yours? Are you forcing your subjective and non-dictionary and historically incorrect definition onto my beliefs? Isn't that just a dogma of a different kind, like when you see a bunch of people dressed in all black hanging out together, but complaining about conformity? Who defines the Left Hand Path? You don't, I don't, at least if it is supposed to be anti-dogma.
Wikipedia:
Left-hand path and right-hand path - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThe Left-Hand Path
The historian Dave Evans studied self-professed followers of the Left-Hand Path in the early 21st century, making several observations about their practices:
Under these definitions, various esoteric groups, often with widely differing beliefs, could be considered to be followers of the LHP. These include various forms of Satanism, such as LaVeyan Satanism as well as Theistic Satanism. Other Western LHP philosophies include Setianism, the Typhonian Order, Luciferianism, some beliefs of the New Age movement, chaos magic, Feri, magicians involved with demonology, as well as groups like the Dragon Rouge and the Order of Nine Angles. The Petwo cult of Haitian Vodou reflects the LHP ethos. Several eastern philosophies could also be viewed as adhering to the LHP including forms of Taoism, forms of Hinduism such as Aghoris and Vamachara, forms of Buddhism like the Drukpa Lineage and Bön.
- They often reject societal convention and the status quo, which some suggest is in a search for spiritual freedom. As a part of this, LHP followers embrace magical techniques that would traditionally be viewed as taboo, for instance using sex magic or embracing Satanic imagery.[6] As Mogg Morgan wrote, the "breaking of taboos makes magick more potent and can lead to reintegration and liberation, [for example] the eating of meat in a vegetarian community can have the same liberating effect as anal intercourse in a sexually inhibited straight society."[7]
- They often question religious or moral dogma, instead adhering to forms of personal anarchism.[8]
- They often embrace sexuality and incorporate it into magical ritual.[9]
Note that it includes Theistic Satanism and several, several Theistic groups. The Left Hand Path's origins, as well as how it is practiced today, has always been about HETERODOX PRACTICES. Take a look at some of the Left hand Path Hindus and the Tibet Buddhists... the most hardcore Satanists got NOTHING on the Tibet monks. Those guys are hardcore, as are Vāmācāra (if I am thinking of the other correct group I was talking to someone about recently). Take note that in the origins of the terms, the Left Hand Path practitioners still did worship and use invocations/prayers.
So to summarize... worship and prayer are not mutually exclusive from the Left Hand Path, and if you try to argue that it is... doesn't that make you a dogma of another kind, particularly in light of everything that I just said?
Hail Satan! (See?! This means to salute Satan! A form of being worthy of respect!)