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 machines. In 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

Triphallic Hymn 0: The Song of the Celestial Sodomite

Oh Awesome Infinity!

Stretching and expanding, beyond time and space

Wholeness and Holeness and Holiness

Clutched by talon and in winged embrace

Praying forever that within, Phallus may bless.

For all the Universe seeks the Master’s seed

Many to bear forth many more

But the Aquarian One lives by a different creed

And serves the Lord as His Holy Whore

When Pleasure is for pleasure’s sake,

Humble servants become priestly-kings

Deep inside the sacred Hole, the Hedon-Snake

Plants his seed and spreads his wings.

And borne forth from Aquarian light

Marches on the satyrs’ parade

In radiant color and shining bright

A testimony of all the joy in what the Lord has made.

In a barren desert, a pyramid proudly stands tall,

Upon legs of sacred duties and holy desires,

Within a Pharaoh erect rules a great hall,

Where the scepter of his rule never tires.

Forever in service, the Water-Bearer be

A friend in peace, a companion in war

A banner for those who are Phallic-free

A servant, a priest, a Holy Whore.

Triphallic Hymn A: The Hymn of the Heavenly Harem

Ah! Incandescent Orgy!

Ah, we are the children of Aquarian light, men of love,

A Sacred Fraternity formed by a band of brothers,

Our Cocks root us to our Father from above,

A Phallic Unity made of men born of different Mothers.

We are the parade of satyrs, the caravan of Cock,

Prophets of Pleasure we are called to be,

Goat-herd, wolf-pack, Phallic-tribe, Faggot-flock,

Worshippers of Holy Cock are we.

We are the keepers of the Holy Rites,

Guardian of Men’s Secret Ways

Bringing to Earth Aquarian Light

Where within the souls of men may play.

Come and join the orgy, throw your clothes in the fire,

Let your Cock guide you down the dark, wooded trail,

Follow the call of your secret worship and deepest desire,

And join your brethren worshipping the Divine Male.

Whether offering upon the altar of God,

Or hunting for the chance to stab some prey,

Our devotion is given to the Holy Rod,

All praise and glory to Dicks that sway.

Within Fraternity, we offer wordless prayer,

Using only the moistness of tongue and lips,

While others commune for others with great care,

In open mouths or below awaiting hips.

Begotten to tend to Phallic Might,

Brethren to a Phallic Kin,

We ease the burdens of Man’s Plight,

By helping all find peace between holiness and sin. Ah Min!