Thursday, October 1, 2015

Mudra of the Horned One



Used to direct phallic energy, whether for good or ill.

The two upright digits represent the horns of Pan, they are also the two sides of Man, the light and dark, the Narcissus dichotomy.

The three closed digits are the interactions of the great IAO!

A Solitary Ritual Working

Cummunion is the highest goal of the Fraternity.  To be in continuous connection with our Source, All-Father, Universal Cock is what will ground man in gnosis, strengthen him in thelema and nurture him in agape.  There are many ways to be in communion.  These acts are called in sacramentals in the Fraternity.  Sacramentals can be meditation, prayer, ritual, exercise, study, sex, sleep, death, food, and many other aspects of life that help man see the Divinity in a material world of separation and unconsciousness.

The Rite of Cummunion is a sacred ritual to best express many of the magical and mythical aspects of communing with the Divine.  The ritual is broken up into three parts.  The first is the Phallus of Light (Liturgy of I) and is the preliminary liturgy of all spiritual activity.  It requires no tools or set sacred space.  The second is the Erection of the Boukolion (Liturgy of A), which must be preceded by the Phallus of Light.  The Erection of the Boukolion requires an altar, a sacred space and elemental tools.  It is used whenever a working space is needed to commune (spells, prayer shrine, etc.).  The last piece of the Rite is the Feast (Liturgy of O), which must be preceded by the Erection of the Boukolion. and is only done on specific days of honor, such as holidays or full moons.  The Feast requires a chalice of wine and a paten of bread.  These three liturgies are the basis of all Phallic rituals: 1- The connection of Self with Heaven and Earth, through Phallus, 2- The establishment of sacred space, made with the primal elements, in order to meet the Divine and 3- The Feast of Union, where the union is made and the universe is in continuing order and rightness, through symbolic partaking of Divine Flesh and Blood.  How these three objective are accomplished may be up to the practitioner and not all three parts are necessary for spiritual working.  If one simply wanted to meditate or ground before exercising, the Phallus of Light will suffice.  However if one was participating in a spell or wanted to build a shrine to a loved one, the Establishment of the Boukolion is in order.  However if one was going to "ingest" the Lord either through food, sex or other means, a feasting rite may need to be drafted.

The Phallus of Light

Step 1: Recite the Song of the Celestial Sodomite (Triphallic Hymn O)
Step 2: Narcissistic Reflections on the Elements
Step 3: The Phallic Chant (chanted in rounds of 3)

Flatus
Ignis
Aqua
Terra
Fascinum
Saccus
Semen
Sanctum
Veni
Phalle
Veni
Phalle
Veni
Phalle
IAO!

Step 4: The Light Cross
(when participating in the choreography of the Light Cross, use visualization/imagination to use the Phallic Light from above to surround yourself in magical sigils and a circle of Light).

(reaching above) Pater Priapus
(touching forehead) Bless our minds
(touching heart) and our hearts
(touching phallus) and our roots
(touching left shoulder) that we may balance absence
(touching right shoulder) along with excess
(clasping hands over the heart)  within a Temple of Love.  Ah Min!

Facing East, make the mudra of the Horned One, trace a cross in the direction (top to bottom, right to left) and make 1 1/2 spiraling circles to its center, ending with salute of blessing.

By the light freshly risen, I am cleansed, + blessed and protected in the name of IAO! (Make a triangle when chanting IAO, first on the left hip, then forehead, then the right hip.)

Draw a line from the center of the East to the center of the South.  Facing South, make the mudra of the Horned One, trace a cross in the direction (top to bottom, right to left) and make 1 1/2 spiraling circles to its center, ending with salute of blessing.

By the light highly hung, I am cleansed, + blessed and protected in the name of IAO! (Make a triangle when chanting IAO, first on the left hip, then forehead, then the right hip.)

Draw a line from the center of the South to the center of the West.  Facing West, make the mudra of the Horned One, trace a cross in the direction (top to bottom, right to left) and make 1 1/2 spiraling circles to its center, ending with salute of blessing.

By the light of setting sun, I am cleansed, + blessed and protected in the name of IAO! (Make a triangle when chanting IAO, first on the left shoulder, then the phallus, then the right shoulder.)

Draw a line from the center of the West to the center of the North.  Facing North, make the mudra of the Horned One, trace a cross in the direction (top to bottom, right to left) and make 1 1/2 spiraling circles to its center, ending with salute of blessing.

By the light of darkest night, I am cleansed, + blessed and protected in the name of IAO! (Make a triangle when chanting IAO, first on the left shoulder, then the phallus, then the right shoulder.)

Draw a line from the center of the North to the center of the East, completing the circle.

Standing cruciform:


Phallus above me,
Phallus below me,
Phallus before me.
Phallus behind me.
Phallus in my left hand,
Phallus in my right hand.
Around me shines pillars of Light
and I am penetrated by the great IAO!

In sacred space, let us recreate the sacred mysteries, let us awaken darkness with light, let us praise our Father of Life.  From the sands of Unconsciousness, the Onyx Obelisk arises.  From the Forest of Satyrs, the Mighty Oak grows.  From the Vast Open Horizon, the Sun pours fourth its Light.  God in Man, Man in God, revealed as God when Man is in Man.  Ah Min.

The Erection of the Boukolion

Facing the East, presenting the boat of incense:

Air most liberated, Spirit of Tempest and Feather, blessed are you for upon your wings are born the prayers of lovers and the songs of poets that they may chime through the Holy Boukolion of HIM. None knows from whence you come or to where you depart, but I know why you blow to and fro; the Voice of HIM is your speed, your folly and your path.  He is your Muse, you who inspire artists and creators alike.  Most blessed Wind, carry the prayers of this simple concubine before the Lord and lay them throughout his hair as a wreath of succulent blossom, that the ears of HIM may catch wind of my devotion and his delight may shine upon me today and always.

Element of Air, enter into this incense.  Cleanse it from all physical and spiritual hindrance, consecrate it by the spiritual seed of Phallus and charge it with the essence of knowledge and newness.  In the name of IAO!

Facing the South, presenting the censer of fire:

Illuminating, Blazing, Scorching, Renewing, Most Holy Fire, Born of HIM, brought forth by spirit and will and desire, you change all to whom you reach and all who reach for Thee are forever changed.  Purify me, reduce me, ignite me that I may ravish to cinders, so that all that may be left is the incorruptible within, that underneath the ashes a gem of light may be revealed and glorified as a diadem of His radiance, that phoenix may arise, setting the earth ablaze, tearing apart the gates of Hell and the corridors of Heaven simply to reach HIM for He is my passion, my light and my heart. May the fires burn until none be left but HIM and those elected collected of holy spark that together they may be free to love in ecstatic inferno.

Element of Fire, enter into this cinder.  Cleanse it from all physical and spiritual hindrance, consecrate it by the spiritual seed of Phallus and charge it with the essence of strength and desire.  In the name of IAO!

 Facing the West, presenting the font of water:

Water: Earth's most humble creature, fluid, mercurial, you flow and run to any who receives you, quenching the thirst of all who find you.  The rain that covers good and evil alike, the mystery of the dark ocean, the Wine of Fornication: in all ways, you are merciful and you are loved.  He mourns for me as I dwell in this desert, devoid of rivers flowing with love; the earth barren of verdant life bearing the fruit of His pleasure. Concubines of HIM, Holy Caravan of Sinner-Saints, tear asunder the floodgates that dam His love from me and as I wait in the dusty ravine, may I be overcome with His rapture as it cascades upon my fragile body, drowning me in the Ocean of His Eternity.

Element of Water, enter into the liquid.  Cleanse it from all physical and spiritual hindrance, consecrate it by the spiritual seed of Phallus and charge it with the essence of love and devotion.  In the name of IAO!

Facing the North, presenting the cellar of salt:

Provider of the grape, the grain and the restful shade, image of His bounty, as dangerous as is beautiful, most Holy Earth, you are the foundation of faith, hope and charity,  In the forest is the spirit of virility found, in the wolf, the panther and the stag.  You give us the bull, the beast, the body and in form, we seek only the anointing of the Formless.  May my body be strong that it may bear the trials that lie ahead in the journey.  May it be beautiful and pulchritudinous to His eye, engaging His desire and stirring His passion, that through fight and fire, blood and death, He will fight for me, to have me, to own me so that I may belong to HIM and roam with His concubines in Holy Caravan eternally.

Element of Earth, enter into this salt.  Cleanse it from all physical and spiritual hindrance, consecrate it by the spiritual seed of Phallus and charge it with the essence of prosperity and secrecy.  In the name of IAO!

Add three pinches of salt to the water, stir counter-clockwise three times.

Meilikhios, Lord of Cool Shade and Gentle Spring, you soothe the weary soul from the oppression of form.  Send forth your phallic blessing upon this suppliant and let the wine of your love flow freely over your priest, bringing peace and love into the world.  Ah Min!

Add three pinches of incense to the censer, stir the censer counter-clockwise three times.

Bakkhios, Raging Inferno of God and Wild, Strangling Vine, you smite, enlighten and liberate man's mind from ignorance.  Send forth your phallic blessing upon the devotee and let the blood of the raging bull cascade and submerge your priest bringing transformation and liberation into the world. Ah Min!


May this union of opposites,
fire and water,
light and dark,
sun and moon,
spirit and beast,
cock and orifice,
Meilikhios and Bakkhios,
cleanse this finite form,
this limited mind,
this selfish heart
from all iniquities
so this temporal shadow
may find peace and reunion
within the Light of the Infinite.

Use the water and smoke to perform acts of self-cleansing and blessing.  Facing the East, sprinkle the altar in the north-east, then the south east, then the west, three times, then circumambulate counter-clockwise, asperging the directions while saying:

Hekas, Hekas Este Bebeloi!
Cum Sancta Aqua, I banish all profane spirits, divas, thoughts and all earthly creatures that are blind to the beauty and incandescence of HIM.  May the four gates be guarded and the circle sealed tight that cummunion with out secret God shall remain forever unknown to the ignorant and the Holy Rites of Phallus be protected.  Fill with His Presence, let us drown in His essence.  In the Name of IAO!

Facing the East, incense the altar starting in the north-west, then the east, then the south-west, three times, then circumambulate clockwise, incensing the directions while saying:

Salve, Salve, Salve Homo-Deus!
Cum Sanctus Fumus, I invoke the Aquarian Star, and the inner Flame, the beauty and splendor of His Holy Radiance.  May the four gates be channels of His never-ending graces, filling this circle with virility, with gnois, with thelema and with agape.  As incense rises to the Highest Heavens to adore His sacred image, may the Holy Obelisk rise from the earth, establishing this boukolion as the Bridal Chamber of the Soul.  Under this holy canopy of stellar light, He and I become One in ecstasy and desire.  In the Name of IAO!

The Evocation of HIM

Let us prepare the Verdant Earth, the Dark Soil of the Universe, that it my be tilled by the Phallic-Plow and seeded with the stars of Heaven.

How, in the light of morning, 'round me glowests, Spring, thou beloved one!  With thousand-carying loving bliss, the sacred emotions born of thy warmth eternal press 'gainst my bosom, Thou endlessly fair one! Could I but hold thee clasp'd within mine arms?  Ah! Upon thy bosom lay I, pining, and then thy flowers, thy grass, were pressing against my heart.  Thou coolest the burning thirst in my bosom, beauteous morning breeze!  The nightingale then calls me sweetly from out the misty vale.  I come!  I come!  Whither?  Ah, wither? Up, up lies my course.  While downward the clouds are hovering, the clouds are bending to meet yearning love.  For me.  Within thine arms.  Upwards! Embraced and embracing! Upwards into thy bosom, Oh Father, All-Loving.

The response is, "Arise, enter, come, be."

In the name of IAO! Ah Min!
The Nameless One, Ancient of Days, The Lord, HIM...
The Father of our Fathers, the Companion of our Brothers...
The fixation of my mind, the longing of my heart, the fire of my loins...
The Rising Obelisk, the Hooded Pharaoh, the Desert Prince...
The Holy Icon of the Water-Mirror...
The Fiery Eagle, the Hedon-Serpent, the Sacrificial Tree...
The Great Satyr, The Holy Pan, the Sacred Centaur...
Priapus Rising, Axis-Mundi, Cosmic Cock, Man-Root...
The Glory of Man, the Will of Man, the Joy and Life of Man...

As Ganymede, favored of Gods, favored of men...
As the Light of your Image, as the Darkness of your Depth...
As heir to the Holy Caravan...
As Narcissus, a fallen star of Aquarian splendor...
As bearer of the Sacred Thyrsus, Guardian of the Phallic Mysteries...
As He who is seen by thee when gazing in the Water-Mirror...
As He who is Thee...

By the drumbeat that causes hips to sway...
By the scent of flowers in spring and the hum of bees...
By seed and bud and leaf and flower, by sun and moon and space...
By the spirit of wine and the ecstasy of lust and the need to feel...
By sweat, blood, hair and bone, by earth and fire, water and wind...
By thy hooves upon the earth and thy horns beyond the stars...
By the cocks of our fathers, who brought us to bear...
By the cocks of our brothers, with whom we are in in fraternal unity...

Insert an invocation of a specific phallic deity here.

The Feast

Come thou, O Lord,
Gentle and loving master of all,
With the warmth of life in thy ruddy cheeks
A gracious smile upon thy soft lips,
Thy head of flowing locks crowned with a wreath of juicy figs
And thy ivy-wrapped wand held high!
Before thee is set a table overflowing with bread and meats,
Heaped with piles of fruit from the vine,
And wine that flows as freely as thy maniform blessings.
Join us in the feast, O Kindly One,
And raise thy voice along with ours,
As we sing of the good things of life
And the joys that thou bringest to us

Away, away all our sorrows! Take flight depression and thou winged madness,
For He is here, Laughter-loving, all-embracing lord of life!
Lord of vines, may you arrive full of wines,
may you pour forth the sweet liquid, to be compared with nectar, and make the old pleasant,
and turned to another use, may it not lead harsh flavor to our spiteful veins.

Come to me, lost at cosmic sea, a maze of wild strength
Trapped in both mind and body, but still within your saving reach.
Come, my Master, my Lord, my priapic God,
Come into this Sacred Feast, Come within me, thy Humble Vessel;
come into this place I prepare with the sound of trumpets and drums.
May You arise with a crown of ivy and golden clusters of grapes,
and bear shaft of new green wood.
O Gentle One, may You come to this altar.
In the name of IAO! Ah Min!

He expels light cares from the heart; He brings soothing relief from distress.
He expels the agony of the heart; He bears medicine to soothe the fever of illusion.

Gold reflecting reflected Sun risen again,
My Lord, My Beloved
burning passion through my days,
My nights crowned in ivy, crowned in gold
Whirling I am both and neither.

Bacchus they call you, and Osiris, and Jesus the Christos,
born in fire, and Savior also, who alone was born of earthen and cosmic mothers.
Revered as a God within, unshorn Narcissus, joyful Frejr, The Great Satyr Pan
the Sower of Grapes, the Reaper of Souls, Lord of Nocturnal Revelries, the Bullroarer,
and by many more names:
Apollo, Orpheus, Krishna and Eros, Antinous, Shiva, Thor, Cu Chulain, and Hermes
The Mighty and Strong Priapus our vessel to knowledge.
And the innocent, perpetual virgin, perpetual concubine, the Great Ganymede
Adored for your eternal youth, a youth everlasting,
you the most beautiful among the celestial Gods high above,
to You are sacrifices made when You, with a crown of horns and feathers,
serpents and vines upon Your head, are near and lend us Your assistance.
You are the God Who Comes:
Come within this willing body.

Raising the Paten

From thy lofty station in Aquarian Celestine,
You gaze upon my naked form and love filled your heart.
But this form has no living spirit and is an unwilling slave to death.
In mercy, you paid the mortal dowry and you sacrificed your being
into the effulgence of the Sun.
From the Sun, you sacrificed your being to the wheat.
From the wheat you sacrificed your being to the scythe.
From the scythe, you sacrificed your being to the mill.
From the mill, you sacrificed your being to the fire.
In the fire, you resurrect as this bread, sweet and nourishing
Dying once again in sacred cummunion that your life may live in me.
I give praise to the Divine Beloved, who has chosen
this broken and fragile boy to be His tabernacle.
You plant your seed in fertile land so that you may grow
in strength, in passion, in wisdom, wild and divine.
In holy eucharist, I sacrifice my being in prayer and will,
so that I may live in Thee
as you have lovingly chose to live in me.

Through seven gates of death you descended that I may experience your life. In the name of HIM, my Love, my Passion, my Inspiration and Body, He who pervades all phenomenon: I consecrate this Holy Meal that it may embody the Spirit of Virility. May all those who partake of it be called to join HIM and his sinner-saints in Holy Caravan. Ah Min!. +

Raising the Chalice

From thy blessed and roving caravan, led by satyrs and concubines,
You stole a glimpse of my unabashed body and desire filled your loins
But this body bears no living spark of passion and is without a stirring knowledge.
In ecstasy at the sight of me, you tempted the moon to turn her face to your blessed light.
From the moon, you tempted the Oceans to rise.
From the Ocean, you lifted the rains into the ether.
From the rains, you seduced the vines to flower in grape
From the grape you ached for the violence of the press
From the press to the climbing aspirations of the cask
From the cask to the mystery and magic of this wine
All so that I may swim in your Sea of Pleasure,
that I may be intoxicated through the fermentation of the soul,
that I may be maddened by the elixir of your blood.
The Spirit of Narcissus has fallen upon the chalice;
The Phallus of Osiris has been dipped in the sacred Nile.
In holy eucharist, I resurrect my fallen being into the rapture of your embrace,
so that I may love in Thee
as you have lovingly chose to love in me.

Through seven portals of life you ascended that I may experience your sacrifice. In the name of HIM, my Deep, my Will, my Knowledge, my Blood, He who is bridegroom to all souls: I consecrate this Holy Drink that it may embody the Spirit of Ecstasy. May all those who partake of it be called to join HIM, brightening His Holy Tent as Novus Ganymedius, Lux Dei. Ah Min! +

Presenting Both in Cruciform:

ECCE HOMO-DEUS!
LORD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH AND ALL THEREAFTER
OUR DIVINE LOVER
OUR SACRED BRIDEGROOM
OUR GENEROUS MASTER
SUBMISSIVE, DOMINANT AND WISE IN MERCY AND JUSTICE
THE MISCHIEVOUS SEDUCER, THE NOBLE PARADOX
GOD-IN-MAN, MAN-IN-GOD,
REVEALED AS GOD WHEN MAN IS IN MAN.
THE PROVIDER OF PLEASURE
THE PLEROMA OF LIFE
AND THE FIRE OF GANYMEDIAN DISCIPLINE.
MAY THE STARS OF AQUARIUS TEAR THEMSELVES
FROM THEIR COSMIC CANVAS
AND REST UPON THIS SACRED CUMMUNION
BRINGING PLEASURE TO MY LIPS,
BLISS IN MY HEART
AND FIRE TO MY LOINS.
AND TO ALL MEN!
IN THE NAME OF IAO!I

In the Name of Zagreus, the ravaged Boy.
In the Name of Jesus, the broken Savior.
In the Name of Shiva, the Lord of Death.
Born of wind and fire, I am Man, God-Flesh, Solar-Spirit, Phallic Reed.
This is my Body, given up for you.
Communicates with the host.

In the Name of Ganymede, the Water-Bearer.
In the Name of Narcissus, the Drowned God.
In the Name of Osiris, the River Phallus.
Born of water and light, I am Man, Sacred Chalice, Soul-Mirror, Holy Icon.
This is my Blood, given up for you.
Communicates with the wine.

After receiving both, the communicant proclaims:
ECCE HOMO-DEUS!

A time for meditation is appropriate at this time.
The ritual may be ended by giving thanks to the invoked deity of the ritual and participating in the Light Cross again.  

The Four Elements


The rituals contained herein are based not only on a trinitarian divinity, but also on the tradition that the material and spiritual universe is comprised of four primary elements.  These elements make up the building blocks of all life and are reflective of various aspects of the inner self.  They could easily be understood angels or demigods of the Autogenetor (the Self-Created; if all is One in Divinity, then the gnosis of who we are is the gnosis that we are all fragments of the self-created, eternal God).


AIR
The element of Air is situated in the East to signify the rising of the morning Sun.  It represents the mind, the thought, the beginning of all creation.  It is the source of inspiration, poetry, art, music. Often associated with healing as all healing is thought to begin in the mind.  In ritual, its element is a boat of incense and its weapon is the sword.  It is represented as the spring, as youth and as the Adolescent Phallus.  It aligns to the point of "To Know" in the Witch's Pyramid.  It quantification is length.


Fire
Going clockwise, the element of Fire is invoked in the South and is respective of the noonday Sun. It represents the will, the energy and the power of the universe.  It is the our personal source of energy, power, strength and desire.  In ritual, it is represented as a censer of fire and its weapon is the wand.  It is represented as the summer, as manhood, and as the Erect Phallus.  It aligns to the point of "To Dare" in the Witch's Pyramid.  Its quantification is height.


Water
The element of Water is invoked in the West, a direction and element that is often associated with both birth and death.  It is invoked as the setting sun and is considered the element of our emotions, devotions, and heart-flow.  In ritual, it is represented as a font of water and its weapon is the chalice.  It is reflected as the autumn, as elders and as the Resting Phallus.  It aligns to the point of "To Will" in the Witch's Pyramid.  Its quantification is depth.


Earth
The element of Earth is lastly invoked in the North, the direction of ice, snow, winter and darkness.  It is the midnight darkness, the blackness of earth and loneliness of death.  It is the aligned to the body and all things prosperity and material based.  In ritual, it is represented as a cellar of salt and its weapon is the paten.  It is the winter, the corpse and the Flaccid Phallus.  It aligns to the point of "To Be Silent" and its quantification is more.

In Latin, the elements of air, fire, water and earth are translated as flatus, ignis, aqua and terra.  As an anagram, they form the Latin word FIAT which in Latin means, "Let it be so" or "So mote it be".  When adding the quintessential element of Light (LUX), the term become FIAT LUX, meaning "Let there be light", the first words God spoke in the act of creation in the Book of Genesis.  

In opposition, the quintessential element could be Night (NOX) which is open for chaotic experience and interpretation.

IAO: The Triphallic Name


IAO! The Holy Name (pronounced ee-ah-oh) is an old magical formula from ancient times that contains many mysteries.

It is said to be the Greek translation of the Hebrew YHVH or "Yahweh/Jehovah", the sacred four lettered name of God.  It has also been noted to align with the English Biblical phrase, "I am the Alpha and the Omega."

It lends one to concepts of the Trinity, an ancient theological belief of a single deity comprised of three co-equal, co-eternal, co-substantial personas and most understated but probably most importantly three forms of divine relationship.


Aleister Crowley wrote that the formula IAO stood for Isis - Apophis - Osiris.  He noted how the letter "I", while representing the feminine principle was phallic in script and the letter "O" represented the masculine principal but was shaped as an orifice.  He continues to state that IAO is not simply a solitary state or present reality (i.e. not just a noun) but is also descriptive of a spiritual process (i.e. is also a verb).  Isis, who is nature, is destroyed by Apophos, the destroyer, and reborn as the new Osiris.  He states that this process of birth-death-rebirth, found in so many different spiritual traditions, is often misunderstood as a resurrection of that which was.  He instead proposes that the resurrection is a birth of something new, a new age, instead of re-animating what has died.  Osiris himself is honored as a Phallic God due to not only his relation to the origins of the IAO but also because of his participation in this spiritual cycle.  His story particularly is phallic in nature as it is the only member of his body not able to be retrieved from the Nile when his dismembered body was reassembled.  It is said that this phallus, in its cycles or erection and rest, would cause the Nile to flood annually, bringing fertility to a desert land.  This cycle of birth-death-rebirth is echoed in many of the myths of the phallic gods along with Osiris, including Dionysus, Jesus, Narcissus, Antinous and others.

The Fraternity recognizes the IAO in the following shared understandings:

1. The IAO is a single name and mirrors a single God.  Phallus is understood as this singular divinity.  Connection of the singular divine to the male sexual organ is simply traditional and cultural in nature, however that does not negate the symbolic connections that are made between the two. Worship of the Phallus is understood to be as inherently effective when communing with the Divine as any other practice.  When speaking of Phallus, we are speaking about the IAO as a singular unit. This may represent whatever ultimate form or force of Divinity that a practitioner is comfortable with however the IAO speaks of unity, singularity, a culmination of forces...all virtues that are behooved upon the Fraternity to embrace.

2. The IAO is expresses the division of the human condition.  Despite a belief in the unity of all things, our regular experience tells us that we are not united, but instead alone and disconnected from the rest of the world around us.  This is a common dilemma in many spiritual traditions and much has been written and taught to assist in the re-integration of these opposing forces.  IAO represents how gnosis of the singular deity (I) is divided by the structures of nature and man (A) into the many fragmented consciousness of each human mind (O).  This division of the IO is the source of many phallic practices.  The myth of Narcissus, while on the surface warns of the dangers of vanity, is actually an allegory to spiritual awakening and divine love.  By looking at our many selves with divine love, we are able to see the places where Divinity shines brightest within us and also those areas that are not united to the Divinity that is the foundation of all phenomena.  This unification of the One with the All is celebrated in sacramental acts of baptism.  Baptism is therefore a commitment to self-reflection and self-love.


Lastly, the IAO represents the three gay male archetypes.  While these archetypes seem extremely polemic, they are in fact all inclusive in the way that all men, whether top or bottom, gay or straight, or any variance of sexual orientation or identity.


"I" - represents the Phallus and represents the "top" of the Divine Male relationship.  Better said, the "I" is the penetrative aspect of the Divine.  All men penetrate in some way, whether that be physically, or penetrating others with ideas, emotions, knowledge or more.  The "I" represents the present moment in time and anatomically is aligned with the shaft of the trinity of which is a man's Cock.  The "I" is also aligned to the virtue of Thelema, or "Will", the virtue to enact our way in this world, blazing a trail into the next one.


"O" - represents the Orifice and represents the "bottom" of the Divine Male relationship. Whether it be a mouth, an ass, a hand or a vagina, the "O" is the receptive aspect of the Divine.  Often it is considered the "soul".  The soul is a part of God that got separated from its original unity and whose life purpose is to find reunion with that Source.  All men have a receptive nature just like they have a penetrative nature.  The "O" represents the past and is anatomically aligned with the testicles and scrotum, the treasury house of a man's ancestral DNA.  Obviously, the receptive orifices are also in anatomical alignment with the "O".  The "O" is also aligned to the virtue of Gnosis, or "Knowledge", the virtue to know our true united selves and the reality of the world in which we currently find ourselves.


"A" - What unites the "I" and the "O" is the "A".  The "A" is like a pyramid, a temple in which to worship and it represents the Community, where the Divine Male relationship can be nurtured and harvested.  While "the Fraternity" is what is referred to as a congregation of Phallic Chaos Magicians, the "A" is more than just this subculture.  The "A" is where Phallic virtues are cherished, taught and supported, values such as hospitality, brotherhood, respect, support and community.  It is not a place in time and space, but a quality in character sought in following this ecstatic path.  The "A" represent the future and what we leave for other generations to build upon.  It is anatomically aligned the Semen.  The "A" is also aligned to the virtue of Agape, or "Love", the virtue to sustain ourselves and others in peace, support and a gnostic understanding of the Divinity underlying all creation and phenomena.

Whenever the IAO is pronounced in ritual, it should be deeply chanted.

Phallic Chaos Magic



Chaos Magic is a magical idea that was first conceived in the 1970’s that states that no concept of absolute, universal truth exists, at least not in the spiritual and magical realms.  One’s engagement (the word ‘belief’ is often used) with a particular system is the activating principle of the system, rather than the system itself being inherently effective.  Chaos magic is eclectic, allowing practitioners to bend, change, manipulate, rewrite, discard and rebirth prayers, practices, traditions, methods and beliefs to suit the needs and desires of the magician.  The ultimate deciding factor of the spiritual health of chaos magic lies in its efficacy. 

In Chaos Magic, the symbols used within practice and devotion hold no inherent value, but instead it is the value that we place upon them that give them their power.  While in many standard ceremonial magical circles, a sword may be the symbol of Air and intellect, the chaos magician can have it stand for whatever correspondence their personal spiritual alignment directs them.  Symbols can be recycled.  A fish to represent Pisces in one ritual may represent a water god in another ritual.  Also symbols that have been degraded or rarely acknowledged in the spiritual symbols treasury may have greater meaning to an individual magician based on his preferences or life journey.

Gay society has garnered a number of symbols, sanctuaries and traditions that have never (or barely) ventured into spiritual territory.  Rainbow flags, gay bars and pride festivals all have greatly the homosexual image and even garnered archetypes of homosexual idealism. But however little the homosexual lifestyle has barely gotten its toes wet in the spiritual pools, there always to seem to be beckoning towards community in the spiritual world.  Often joining “welcoming” church or Wiccan circles, homosexuals often seek their own religion in the folds of other religions, usually super-imposing the more absolute tenets and traditions of another faith, instead on integrating and engaging with the chaotic spirituality that their sexual orientation encourages.

For gay men, stereotypical and often actually, the symbol probably most suitable to emblazon upon our banner would be that of the Phallus.  In my own interactions, never have I spent more time searching, viewing, honoring, kneeling before, bending over for, thinking about, crying about (and on and on and on) Phallus then any other idea or person or object.  I have seen the extremes by which gay men are willing to go for the satisfaction of Phallus, regardless if it be their own or others.  No other symbol inspires, motivates, evaluates and validates some gay men than Cock.

Therefore, Tragoudia is a testimony of the Phallic Chaos system, a spiritual culture in which gay men may express, play, imagine, work, connect and feel united to a greater sense of being and spiritual awakening without having to embrace the hypocrisy of systems of orthodoxy or to feel that there is a definitive line separating their religion from that which they worship.  As always, men have listened, loved, obeyed, worshiped, pampered, adored, evangelized and glorified their Cocks and the Cocks of their fellow brethren.  For those who feel that such a vocation is not just one of sexual desire but also one of spiritual connection, Phallic Chaos Magic provides one with the space, the tools, the freedom and the encouragement to rediscover your Cock and your sense of spiritual wonderment all over again. 

Praise to the Solar Cock






Hail to the Sun, Sovereign Lord of all the Earth, 
Benevolent Father and Abundant God.

Hail to Thee, as you drive your mighty chariot 
of gold and fire and light from east to west.

Hail to Cock, that rises according to your will 
and sets according to your satisfaction.
All the Earth worships and praises Thee.

Without your Supernal Omnipresence, 
we would live in eternal darkness and suffering,
But you, solar-Lord are our blessing and our healing.

You provide the Earth with good things 
and you shine upon all men.
You give Light when there is Shadow,
Heat when there is cold,
Food when there is none.

We shout in praise as you rise over the mountains.
We give glory at the abundance of your mercy and generosity.
We give thanks at day’s end for the wisdom of life.
We seek thee in the shadow in forbidden and secret worship.

The gold of the Sun, the light of God, 
lies within all the hearts of all men,
And also without in all the Cocks of all Men.
As always, we kneel and submit our lives, 
loves and intentions before Thee,

Father, Master, God, Lord and Lover.
Have mercy upon the Earth and grant wisdom to those blind to the world’s cruelty.
May the light of the Sun, the halo of God, the incandescence of Cock,
Shine forever in your Fraternity that all humanity may know
the value found in communal pleasure,
the wisdom found in unfettered freedom,
the love found in fraternal bond

and the Cock-God that seeks only to be known by all.  Ah Min.

Our Gods Are Not Safe



The Anomalous Thracian is right: it’s a damn fine time to be a polytheist. While isolated individuals have been singing hymns to Pan and pouring libations to Zeus for at least 200 years, ours is the first generation to begin collectively restoring the Way of the Gods. We’re not just seeing an explosion of devotion, worship, and scholarship – we’re helping create it.
As with virtually all religions, this polytheist expansion is being led by those who are deeply and personally involved in the movement: scholars, priests, mystics, devotees and others for whom the Gods, Their worship and Their work are a major part of their lives. But the polytheist restoration is growing beyond the God-bothered, and while this is a very good thing it presents some challenges for those of us who are its advocates.
In order to fully restore the Way of the Gods, in order to build a culture where polytheist ideas, values, and virtues are commonplace if not predominate, polytheism must be accessible for those who simply want to honor the Gods and live virtuous but ordinary lives. It must be as accessible for the accountant and the plumber as for the priest and the scholar.
Making things accessible means expressing them in ways that non-insiders (i.e. – people who live in our monotheist-dominated culture) can understand. But it can never mean dumbing things down. In particular, it can never mean downplaying the power of the Gods who are the focus of our polytheism. It can never mean pretending that polytheism is “safe” religion.
Because the truth is that our Gods are not safe.
This should be self-evident, no matter how you conceive of the Gods. Forces that are far older, stronger, and wiser than humans and that are associated with wonders are not to be trifled with. And yet we see this frequently in the wider Pagan world and occasionally even in polytheism. Much of it flows from our religiously illiterate and immature mainstream culture, which doesn’t know much about the religion it professes to follow, much less other religions.
I have no desire to scare off potential polytheists, but honesty compels me say that while there are varying degrees of commitment and devotion, there is no such thing as casual polytheism.
The Gods of Nature are beautiful and terrible. Despite what we see in Disney movies, bears aren’t cuddly and lions aren’t noble kings. Bears and lions are beautiful creatures, but they will kill you and eat you, not necessarily in that order. Storm chaser video of tornados is amazing, till you realize it’s destroying homes and schools and everything else in its path. Nature is beautiful and terrible, and so are the Gods of Nature. Praying to a God of the Sea on a calm night from a 1000-foot cruise ship is one thing. Saying those same prayers during a storm from a small wooden fishing boat is something quite different.
The fae and the spirits of Nature have also been Disneyfied, but read some of their stories from as little as a hundred years ago and you realize they are not cute and safe.
The Gods aren’t demons. The art of summoning demons isn’t really Pagan – it comes from the Christian magic of the Middle Ages. But the image of a mage summoning a demon into a magic circle to do his bidding has found its way into modern Pagan culture. I have minimal experience in demon work – it doesn’t really interest me. But I know the first rule: never summon anything you’re not sure you can banish. You’d better be stronger than the demon, circle or no circle.
You aren’t stronger than a God. The Gods are virtuous and ethical, but Their ethics don’t always align with our ethics, much less with your self interest. We havesovereignty even when dealing with the Gods, but if you get into a battle of wills you will lose, every time.
The Gods aren’t vending machinesIn the words of Morpheus Ravenna “the Gods aren’t divine vending machines that you put devotion coins into until blessings fall out.” Do not expect that because you pray and meditate and make offerings a God will automatically grant your wishes. While I don’t agree with the Neoplatonists who said the Gods have need of nothing, the idea that divine beings can be bribed with a little wine and some sycophantic praise borders on the absurd.
Our devotion brings us into closer relationships with the Gods. I’ve found that to be a good thing, but definitely not a safe thing. As with all good and honest relationships, the giving goes both ways, and some of the things I’ve been asked to do have been difficult, and at times unpleasant.
To quote Morpheus Ravenna again:
Devotional intimacy begins where we step beyond the archetyping, beyond relating to Them as symbols, beyond asking what They “represent”. It begins where we move beyond treating Them as blessing vending machines and begin offering the coin of devotion because of Their inherent worth. It begins where we step beyond commanding and demanding and into celebration of Their sovereign magnificence. Whatever that brings.
The Gods have agency – they have goals, plans, and areas of responsibility. They have the will to do what they want to do, even if you don’t cooperate. They have the will to do what they want even if you get in the way.
It’s not safe to get in the way. You might get run over by a raging Stag or swept away by a mighty River.
The most common mistake beginning Pagans and polytheists make is to assume the Gods are here to help us and that They always have our best interests at heart. Certainly They have interest in us, and I have experienced Their love and support, even during times in my life when I could offer nothing in return. But that love and support is neither unconditional nor indefinite. It presumes reciprocity – I have received, so at some point I will give. Sometimes that reciprocity is expected, sometimes it’s requested, and sometimes it’s demanded.
Safety isn’t the greatest good. We live in the most safe and secure society in the history of the world, and yet many of us live in fear. Some of this is because we have much and therefore much to lose. Some is because we recognize the contemporary Western lifestyle is not sustainable and we see the destruction of the natural world it is causing. And some is because we must deal with predators wearing custom-made suits instead of fur and fangs.
Others have an interest in keeping us in fear. If we’re afraid, maybe we’ll buy what they’re selling. If we’re afraid, maybe we’ll vote for a candidate who promises to keep us safe… and who will give us security theatre instead of the real security they can’t provide.
Life is dangerous, and in the end, everyone dies. Rather than demanding life be made risk-free (an impossible task), let us learn and grow so we can live courageously and heroically.
It’s still a damn fine time to be a polytheist. More and more people are hearing the call of the Gods. They can’t believe what the monotheistic religions tell them they have to believe. They feel the call of the natural world. They hear the call of their ancestors and their beliefs and practices. Let us encourage them to join the Pagan and polytheist movements, but to do so with their eyes wide open.
In the service of the Gods, I become a part of Their goals and plans – I become part of something bigger, more lasting, and more important than myself.
That’s a very satisfying place to be. A busy place, but a satisfying place.
Even if it isn’t very safe.
By John Beckett, October 1, 2015
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/johnbeckett/2015/10/our-gods-are-not-safe.html