X-mas in the Devil's Name

So if you know anything at all about Pagan occultism you know very well that X-mas is nothing more than a cheap rip off of the Winter Solstice celebrations that occur on or around December 21 of every year. In ancient cultures this is the night when the sun was renewed (how ironic that the xians believe the "son" is born on December 25. It lends further irony that most scholars and archeologists believe that Jesus, if he ever existed at all, was most likely born at some point much closer to the Vernal Equinox than the Winter Solstice.
It's always fascinated me that Pagan traditions are always given the Devil's name until the church bastardizes them and makes them "christ-like". For all of their belly-aching about the "evil blasphemers" they have certainly done more than their fair share in the past. But having said that who really cares? We know the true meaning of this season, and modern Pagans of all stripes should have no inhibitions about celebrating this holiday. Of course we are allowed to skip the midnight mass, and the nativity scenes, and the seemingly endless auto-play of "Joy to the World".
But once you omit the insulting xian trappings the holiday season is PURE PAGAN! The ever green, the holly, the candles, the gift, the good food, the good drinks...Even Santa Claus can be seen in a Pagan light...Santa is the Holly King (Duh!) and each of the eight reindeer represent one of the Fire Festivals (Sabbats).
I remember as a child I always loved the statues of "Santa" dress in long (usually red, green, or gold) robes with a holly wreath on his head. Every year I would ask if we could buy one to decorate the house, and every year he would say no...it's not what X-mas is all about. Little did I know at the time that this was actually a depiction of Kris Kringle (whom we know as the Holly King"). It's strange for me to look back on my life and remember the natural attraction that I had to certain things as a child, and now as a grown man realize that they were Pagan even though it was unbenownst to me at the time. In doing so it's really no wonder that I have ended up where I am today...a member of the Tribe of the Damned. :-)

So what is the call of the night on Yuletide's Night? Well by now you may know that I have a love for alcohol, and one thing that I remember very well from last Yule (despite the good drinks) is the Glogg! If you haven't tried it before, and you're any kind of drinker at all you have to try it! It is delicious (although potent, but what's the point if not?). Glogg is a traditional Scandinavian Yule/Xmas spiced wine. Granted I'm a drinker and finished off most of it (the rest of the coven members weren't big drinkers) but we all found it delightful. And since it is served hot it's great for the cold winter's night we are celebrating! So here will give you the recipe that we used last year:

One bottled red wine (I use a sweet wine personally)

Half a liter vodka or brandy (for those of us in america this is about 2/3 of a fifth sized bottle)

2-4 teaspoons ground cinnamon (or to taste)

One orange peel

One cup granulated sugar

five whole cloves

3/4 cup raisins

3/4 cup alomonds

Mix all ingredients in a large pot or crock pot and simmer for 30-60 minutes. DO NOT BOIL!

NOTE: Sissies may want to omit the vodka/brandy hehehe.
Others who prefer a stronger drink may want to add more, but I assure you the mixture is quite strong as is!

Yuletide should be a celebration! It is a celebration of polarities, this is the longest and darkest night of the year, yet we are celebrating the return of the sun and it's waxing strength from now until the Summer Solstice. Tonight the darkness is of heavy focus for those of us (myself included) who have a darker nature. This is the longest night of the year, and the one night that sympathetically offers the most dark energy available on any given night. With that said, in an effort to balance you practice one should not shy away from at least acknowledging the coming sunlight. Personally, I have always had a certain degree of personal and psychological turmoil during the lighter months. And in recent years I have tried to curb that by embracing the lighter side (to a degree) as well. It does help if you are of a darker nature and find yourself on edge when darker hours are scare to try and celebrate and enjoy yourself during the lighter months, however this is not to say that it is always easy. This is all the more reason to savor the dark engery available at Yuletide, you may need it in the months to come.

The Yule season is only just beginning, and I will have more suggestions as time goes on, but for now I'll leave you with this.

Ave Satanas!

Ambrogio

The Devil Incarnate

So who is the Devil? An archetype? A symbol? An actual living god? For me the answer never has been so black and white, one or the other, yes or no. I believe that the Devil IS an archetype, but that he also exists in a literal sense. The reason for the distinction is because I draw the line before uttering the word "god", at least in the literal sense. I often use the word loosely for lack of a better term when describing any number of ancient entities. But when it comes to a specific definition I feel the need to set certain boundaries. As a panthiest I believe that nature is god (again in the loose sense) and god is nature. So in the loose sense you could indeed refer to the Devil as a god...much like his styles "His Infernal Majesty", "Prince of the Powers of the Air", etc. But in literal interpretation I'll put it like this...The Devil is what many mystics refer to as "the All" that being everything encompassed inside and outside of this world. An infinite body that sustains everything in the cosmos, and the balance that must be present for it all to coninue on. He is viewed in a way that is much more in harmony with nature than that of other religions and spiritualities in that he is much more a wild beast, than a spiritual parent. In other words he embodies man's natural inclinations (and indeed that of the universe) rather than restricting them, setting limits, and establishing criteria for personal conduct.
The Devil is the first revolutionary, the first to rebel against the establishment for our eternal quest for freedom, knowledge, and empowerment. While I do not view the Hebrew god as a literal being or anything else other than an obstacle to our continued advancement and evolution, I am not exactly referring to Yahweh when I say "the establishment". I'm speaking more of his fan club. It could just as easily be the fan club of Ahura Mazda, the basic equivalent of the Hebraic god in pre-islamic Persia. The adversary of Ahura Mazda (known as Satan in the jewish/christian/and islamic contexts) is known as Ahriman or Angra Mainyu as he is referred to in the Zend Avesta. And his minions are referred to as Deavas (demons in the hebraic contexts). The purpose behind mentioning this very ancient text is to show that the Devil regardless of name or likeness has existed well beyond the history of the christian church, and that Adversarial Spirituality is NOT just the inverse of Abrahamic faiths that many suggest it is today.

Getting back to the point...the fan club of Yahweh/Ahura Mazda to be exact. They are the establishment in which the Devil revolts against. The Devil did not create any of us...he is a sustaining power in the universe, NOT the creating power. Creation is left to natural process and evolution. The All (the Devil) does not intervene in human or natural affairs specifically called upon. He is not a busy-body unlike the other false deities described amongst white-lighters.

For the purposes of time, space, and personal convience, I will spare you all the rest of the detail I could go into about who, what, when, where, and why the Devil is...you can go elsewhere for that at this point, the resources are numerous. This latest entry is about not the Devil Himself...but the Devil Incarnate. And who is the Devil Incarnate? While the basic principles are that which is described above, if you are looking for specific entities this largely depends on your gender and you personal inclinations. For myself (being male, and largely male focused in my practice) the aspects are: Satan, Lucifer, Belial, Leviatan, Set, Pan, Ahriman, Hades/Pluto, Cernunnos, and Baphomet.
For women such aspects include Lilith, Hecate, Az-Jeh, Ihstar, Astarte, Astaroth, Ereshkigal, Persephone (though not in her lighter form as Kore), and the Whore of Babylon. In the feminine aspect Baphomet is also acknowledged as he is portrayed with both male and female traits, but is often used to a lesser extent in the demonic feminine practice as he is generally thought of as male.
When you take gender and personal affections/inclinations into consideration you can look at the entities described above (both male and female) and get an idea of the Devil Incarnate. The Devil Incarnate is the entities above manifesting themselves in human men and women. However, the balance amongst these entities being incarnated into a human person is not strictly limited to ones physical gender! Men should not fear absorbing and incarnating themselves into a feminine aspect of the Devil if they are so inclined. This inclination does not necessarily suggest effeminate qualities, or insult his masculinity. It merely affirms that certain aspects of his person are more in line with qualities assocaited with entities in the feminine aspect...this includes nuturing, psychic tendencies, preference to lunar energies verses solar energies etc. Let it be clear that while certain aspects are referred to with specific gender qualities the Adversary in ANY form is neither male nor female! The aspects are personifications which simply refer to the qualities of specific aspect in question. Active aspects are male, passive aspects are female. Neither is superior to the other. Let me say that again...NEITHER IS SUPERIOR TO THE OTHER! While we have our personal preferences they are equal. AND TRULY EQUAL...this is not lip service equality, this actual equality. We all have masculine and feminine qualities of the Devil to a greater or lesser degree, and they are both regarded with same amount of affection and respect PERIOD...regardless of masculine or feminine focus in your personal practice. If you reject one you reject both!

On a personal note, tonight I performed a rite to become the Devil Incarnate. The specific rite is copyrighted so I will not give the specific text or procedures here, but I will tell you that the rite was ecstatic, invigorating, and energizing, and I highly recommend performing similar rites on a regular basis. And I do suggest repeating a Devil Incarnate rite as part of regular nightly rituals. It certainly doesn't hurt anything and they are fucking fun so why not?!

If you are unfamiliar with rituals to incarnate yourself as the Devil I suggest reading "The Demonic Bible" by Tsirk Susej. I may not agree with everything he has to say, but the rituals are great and provide excellent inspiration for writing your own rituals tailored to you own needs and beliefs.

AVE SATANAS!

AMBROGIO

In Honor to Lucifer...

I bleed in the river,
Late autumn has come,
The swansong for the sun,
A flame drowning in mortem.

The leaves wither away, deep red and orange,
And Lucifer saith "Death kills me not"
For light hath begun me, and darkness shall keep me,
The grave shall uphold me, lift me up to the heights of the heavens.

If I shall be gone, the Earth be without,
And the Earth is without, yet I am still here.
My horns stand proud and strong here still,
And Death I fear here not!

The Angel of Light I stand before you,
Yet the Angel of Death is as I appear,
I am Lucifer and Azreal both,
The Lord of the Living and Lord of the Dead.

Who shall therefore, discourage my being?
For I am the life you love, and the death whom you fear.
Whom amongst you shall dare to deny me; Lord of life, and the realm of the dead?

At Midsummer's peak you praise me and worhsip,
Yet from Samhain there on you cower in fear.
How dare you acclaim me in that which is comfort,
Yet seek to abandon me upon shedding a tear?

For I see the weakness, your heart-blinding fear
And I slew it about, and kill what is dear!
Are you yet of feeble mind, and cannot behold the mystery?
I am life and I am death for all throughout your history.

Therefore seek me above and below,
My light rises high above heaven's glow
Yet still my feet sink far below,
To the depths of hell you soon shall know...

In honor of Lucifer,

Ambrogio Notte


As an added bonus I present a song...both dark and beautiful by Cradle of Filth entitled Nymphetamine Fix.

The Night of Pluto Cometh!

Most people here in the West know Pluto only as our former AND most distant planet in the solar system we have today. It is not uncommon knowledge, but still less well known that Pluto was the Roman equivalent to Hades, the Greek god of the Underworld. And tonight, Scorpio 10, 2011 (November 10) is his night. The Night of Pluto. The Night of Pluto refers to the full moon of Scorpio (November) this would be the FIRST full moon if on the off chance their is a BLUE moon of Scorpio. Just to be clear this is the full moon OF Scorpio and NOT the full moon IN Scorpio. In this case Scorpio refers to the period according the our modern calendar that is known as October 23 thru November 21. The Night of Pluto is the first full moon after Samhain. You should take note that THIS YEAR that is the Moon of Scorpio, but this is not necessarily the case in all years. But such an explaination could get complicated and for that reason I'll just leave it at that for now. The Samhain festival rarely goes beyond Scorpio 5th in any tradition, but in many ways the full moon of Scorpio can be seen as a continuation of the Samhain festivities and it brings finality to it. The Night of Pluto is a celebration of death (and thus the dead) and darkness. We have fallen to the depths of the dark season at this point, and while it won't peak for well over a month yet (Capricorn 21 - or December 21, again this is referring to the date THIS YEAR) we are undeinably treading in the season of death. Winter is on it's way, and in many locations has already come. For example we have already had snow in Iowa this year! This doesn't happen every year, but we Iowans are hearty and we can handle it! But in any case winter has come or is coming and Pluto is there to greet him...in fact, Pluto IS him! Winter is the season to death and the Underworld and Pluto is the god of the Underworld...do the math. This is the first of usually three, but possibly four full moons (although this is rare) where the god of death is at his peak from a lunar perspective. These full moons usually occur in the months of Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, and Aquarius, although they RARELY if ever occur in all four. Typically they will occur in just three of the four mentioned months (sun signs).

It is significant to recognize that the energies of the moon follow the path of the sun, and in this way Luciferianism/Paganism may be seen as patriarchial and not matriarchial (although neither is wrong)!! There are many partiarchial aspects to Paganism that are sorely neglected because of the Xian abuse of patriarchy in the past. But, DON'T MAKE THE DARK GOD PAY FOR YAHWEH'S SHORTCOMINGS!

In celebrating the Night of Pluto I suggest drawing down the moon. Remember that while the Moon is thought of as a mostly feminine body there are always it opposites at work as well. So whether you are feminine exlusive, masculine exclusive, or some variation of the two the Moon (just as the Sun) DOES NOT diminish in power or in value! The main thing on the Night of Pluto is to observe in some way. Even if your specific focus is on a god or a goddess...masculine or feminine, make sure you observe and set at place for the other side (male or female depending on your own focus) if you choose to focus on either the god or goddess side in particular. Whether you are simply observing the Night of Pluto, drawing down the moon, or casting a spell for your own (or another's) gain, balance should be essential. Focusing on one or the other is not only disrespectful to the opposite aspect, but it will inevitably throw you off balance and lead to obession. And neither imbalance nor obsession is ever desireable!

Personally, I always include Nanna in my Full Moon rituals. Nanna is one of the very few male lunar deities to be associated with the moon in any aspect let alone the full aspect. Thus he has a very powerful energy, particularly for men who seek the lunar mysteries.

And just a reminder to always remember...

If you look closely to the heart of the Moon in full, you will see the eyes of the grandest things. The eyes of a wolf, or a bear on a mountain who howls and yearns for the dreams of Akasha…
With trance like gaze I look upon you and see the mystery of a million years;
I cry unto the wolf, and hold sight unto the bear…
They hold for me a billion answers to one hundred thousand questions…
Where do I stand? I cry unto the wolf…
And why am I here? I call unto the bear…
The primitives of the Moon are close here at hand, and the times of the earth keep spinning…
For what is here beyond your gaze, and I am adept to your children? Or am I a speck in your majestic eyes with no scale, no need, no wonder?

Darkest Blessings,

Ambrogio Notte

The Pyramid Dilemma

Any witch or warlock worth his or her salt is perfectly aware of The Witches Pyramid. This is alternatively know as The Four Cornerstones of Witchcraft or The Four Cornerstones of Magick depending on the specific tradtions of the sorcorer in question.

For those who are unaware it poses the question how you found this sight to begin with, but I digress and will give you a brief overview here.

TO KNOW: This is the first level of the Witches Pyramid. It refers to the knowledge of you desires. In short what you want.

TO DARE: This is the second level of the Pyramid. It refers to the gumption that is necesary to perform the work necessary to achieve your desires. In short...DARE TO DO IT!

TO WILL: This is the third level of the Pyramid. It refers to the personal will that must be applied to any magickal working to make it happen. In short, you have to want it, desire it, and never let anything convince or even suggest to you that it will not happen. And this brings us to the fourth and final level of the Pyramid...

TO BE SILENT: This is the fourth level of the Pyramid and it refers to having a flar for secrecy as it concerns your magickal practice. In short, SHUT THE FUCK UP!
And this is where the Dilemma presents itself...

Just how far in keeping your fat trap shut should you go? I personally take it to an extreme. With the exception of this blog I speak very little about my occult workings. The majority of people that I associate with on a day to day basis have no idea that I am a warlock, a Luciferian, or know which side is above and which side is below, or what the fuck that could possibly mean to begin with. And that is the point, mystery is essential to witchcraft, and how the hell is it going to remain mysterious if you run off at the mouth about it like some annoying Jehovah's Witness that I despise for banging on my door at 8 am on my day off while I'm trying to catch up on my fucking sleep?!

Having said that, why is mystery essential? Well it's not that the procedures itself should be secret, if that were the case then we are all suffiently screwed already and might as well throw in the towel. Information on witchcraft has NEVER been more accessible (with the possible exception of antiquity) than it is now. The reason for this mystery and secrecy is necessary because if you are open about your own personal workings it will then open them up to scrutiny, and thus the possibility that the will may be shaken. If this happens then you can rest assured that your magick will not work, and if it does then it was bound to happen with or without any magick at all.

Further, with all of that said now as well there is another question. Should you be open to scrutiny at all? The answer to this is a resounding YES! The point behind any magickal working is transformation and personal advancement. If you are closed to new ideas then the only possible outcome is utter stagnation! So here is the real dilemma, and I must confess I don't have a real and definitive answer for this...how far is too far? Where do you draw the line when it comes to your secrecy? If you stay completely and totally silent (as I often do) then you rarely run the risk of you will being shaken and you afford yourself the luxury of observing those who surround you unobstructed by various assumptions they may have of you if they knew of you work. On the other hand this intense secrecy will inhibit your ability to get close to anyone as well as their ability to get close to you. This may work out just fine if you intend to be a hermit for your entire life, but what if your like most of us and desire at least some incling of a relationship with those who surround you? While some of us are more hermit-like than others, very few of us wish to be entirely devoid of personal relationships of any kind with other human beings. And to take it a bit further as our personalities, tastes, and desires change we may want relationships with new people while maintaining (or perhaps abandoning) those that we already have. So where should we draw the line? The best answer that I can give to this question is that we should try to find some semblance of moderation. I feel that it is always best to aire on the side of caution in these matters, so I generally start out slow. Try to get a feel for the individual (or group) in question and an idea of where they stand on such topics. If you get the immediate impression that they are unreceptive or perhaps even hostile to anything even remotely "new age" or "occult" then you're probably best off to leave well enough alone and move on. If on the other hand they appear to be at least somewhat open minded then you can test the waters further. I dont recommend coming out right off the bat with "I'm a warlock!" Or witch as the case maybe. While this may be workable with someone you can simply drop from your life without further hassle, it tends to get a little messy if, for example, they are a co-worker or someone else you must maintain at least some minor form of relationship or civility with over the medium or long term.

So first things first...start off slow, and I do mean SLOW...even corny and cliche if necessary. Ask them their sun sign. If they start freaking out about the forces of devildom, then you probably know not to take things any further and drop them from the radar immediately. But many people are more than willing to discuss this, even though it has become one of the worst pick up lines EVER! Whatever you do just don't tell them you're a perfect match! The point here is to subtly bring up the occult and get feel for where they are and then proceed from there.

Ultimately you must decide how, when, and where to proceed. It is a tricky question and one that you should never take lightly. Given the toxic attitudes that many people have towards the occult a heavy dose of caution is always best. It may not be ideal, but sadly it is often the best that we can do.

Darkest Blessings,

Ambrogio

The Heartbeat of the Earth

Even at this time of death in the Northern Hemisphere the Earth is still alive...can you hear the heartbeat?

Listen closely in the barron forest and you will hear his breath,
Listen closely to the wolf that howls upon the snowfallen peak,
Here you will hear his voice,
Listen closely in the moonlit snow and you will hear his hoof fall as he dances with his lover.
He brought the leaves their sunkissed glow on the wings of Demeter's Autumn.
His blood fell fresh upon the Earth and bid it's light farewell,
He fell deep and dark from the heights of the Sun to bring Demeter's Harvest.
His light falls fast beneath the horizon to bring Demeter's Slumber.
With chill he stills the garden's growth, with snow and blow he succumbs to demise.
In abborhent shades he gives his kiss in honor of the ghastly dead...their spirit alive, yet their flesh decayed.
But with the promise to rise again as the Prince, the Father, and the Elder.
Listen deep and listen close, for his spirit never ends. As it shall be the light shall grow, and ever more in awesome glow...








Darkest Blessings,

Ambrogio Notte