Last Podcast on the Left is a show where a bunch of comedy peoples explores weird topics like serial killers, cults, and the occult. After doing an episode on the left hand path, and the right hand path, they wanted to do an episode on chaos magic. So they did like a year of research on it and its associated ideas. This is the first of two podcasts they did on it.
I enjoyed this one, haven't listened to the second one yet. They are usually pretty removed from the weird shit they are discussing, but here they clearly got into it a bit. In another podcasts, a few of them mention how most of the other NYC stand up comics they know are into some kind of occult practice. Is that weird or what? It's amazing, anyway
About 11 minutes into this podcast, they talk about Discordians. It lasts about 3 minutes, and it's funny - you guys should check it out
https://soundcloud.com/lastpodcastontheleft/episode-230-chaos-magic-part-one-the-basics
later in the podcast, they are laughing about how people get really snobby over the spelling of magic, and they say it should then properly be spelled "Madjicke" - I can't remember how they spelled it, but wasn't that a running PD joke? I bet you anything they lurked this place while researching this stuff
I know I used it in The Magicians, I think I've seen it elsewhere.
We totally got crazy with the spelling. Mahadgique was my favorite one, I think. It still makes me giggle. :lol:
There definitely has to be at least one "q" in there to spell correctly.
guess I have a thing to listen to this evening!
One of their descriptions of Discordianism, as a religion
--it's kinda like when you're taking a bunch of serious photos, and at the end of the roll, the photographer goes "Let's do a fun one--just do anything."
or like
If you wrote an entire Bible, and on the last page, it says "JK LOL"
Quote from: Cramulus on March 31, 2017, 01:45:29 PM
One of their descriptions of Discordianism, as a religion
--it's kinda like when you're taking a bunch of serious photos, and at the end of the roll, the photographer goes "Let's do a fun one--just do anything."
or like
If you wrote an entire Bible, and on the last page, it says "JK LOL"
Yeah. It sounded to me like the most actual fun they had in description what they were talking about. It's the secret power of Discordianism. It's not all a joke or even funny, but it's FUN even when you're personally about two steps from hell. That's not a common attribute of spirituality in a historical sense. It's precious for this alone before accounting for the value of any actual wisdom or bits of the Truth.
They were an interesting couple of podcasts! I thought they way they broke everything down made it quite understandable.
The more I think about this kind of stuff the more repercussions it has throughout other areas - the part at the start of the second episode where they're talking about fractals was an interesting parallel to thoughts i've thought before.
Has anyone read Condensed Chaos? Is it worth the read or will it all be the same map =/= territory stuff in different language?
I've read Condensed Chaos. When I was into that kind of thing, it was a good primer.
CM is useful as a sleight of mind. Back in my mushy-headed occult days, I developed some tools that would help me focus, or speak clearly.. just little gestures and phrases that would get me into the right state of mind. To this day, before a job interview or first date, I find myself running through them.. and they still work.
So if you're going to down the occult rabbit hole, CM is probably one of the better places to start. Its emphasis on "do what works for you" keeps you from getting sucked into thousands of pages of reading about traditions that don't matter. But it's also worth noting - most of the goods have already been looted from the occult and carted over to other disciplines.
Quote from: Cramulus on April 03, 2017, 07:36:33 PM
I've read Condensed Chaos. When I was into that kind of thing, it was a good primer.
CM is useful as a sleight of mind. Back in my mushy-headed occult days, I developed some tools that would help me focus, or speak clearly.. just little gestures and phrases that would get me into the right state of mind. To this day, before a job interview or first date, I find myself running through them.. and they still work.
So if you're going to down the occult rabbit hole, CM is probably one of the better places to start. Its emphasis on "do what works for you" keeps you from getting sucked into thousands of pages of reading about traditions that don't matter. But it's also worth noting - most of the goods have already been looted from the occult and carted over to other disciplines.
Thanks Cram! That was a useful overview.
Quote from: Cramulus on March 31, 2017, 01:45:29 PM
One of their descriptions of Discordianism, as a religion
--it's kinda like when you're taking a bunch of serious photos, and at the end of the roll, the photographer goes "Let's do a fun one--just do anything."
or like
If you wrote an entire Bible, and on the last page, it says "JK LOL"
"Discordians CAN be annoying..." :lulz:
Quote from: Xaz on April 03, 2017, 08:50:50 PM
Quote from: Cramulus on April 03, 2017, 07:36:33 PM
I've read Condensed Chaos. When I was into that kind of thing, it was a good primer.
CM is useful as a sleight of mind. Back in my mushy-headed occult days, I developed some tools that would help me focus, or speak clearly.. just little gestures and phrases that would get me into the right state of mind. To this day, before a job interview or first date, I find myself running through them.. and they still work.
So if you're going to down the occult rabbit hole, CM is probably one of the better places to start. Its emphasis on "do what works for you" keeps you from getting sucked into thousands of pages of reading about traditions that don't matter. But it's also worth noting - most of the goods have already been looted from the occult and carted over to other disciplines.
Thanks Cram! That was a useful overview.
I feel obligated to add an addendum
when I got out of my mush-head phase, it took a lot of work to disabuse myself of magical-thinking junkfood.
CM
can be useful
it
can also make you a total shithead
(& these aren't mutually exclusive)
The Parable of the BongA few years back, I met this Discordian who was real deep into chaos magic. He was a pretty heavy dude -- in the sense that he was always talking about fate and death and the mysteries of the universe and what have you. He walked around everywhere with a wooden staff which he had "sigilized the fuck out of". He was okay to hang out with when he wasn't trying to enlighten everybody.
I always wondered why such a powerful wizard frequently found himself bumming spare change for bus fare. Like maybe all those hours spent charging sigils could have been spent pursuing his desires in more concrete, tangible ways.
I bumped into him a year later, and asked him if he still did ritual thing. He said no, he was into "Eastern stuff" now.
"Like what?" I asked
"like Taoist chaos magic"
"What's that mean?"
"It's effortless", he said sagely. "You don't do anything."
somewhere, across space and time, a bong sounded
Quote from: Cramulus on April 06, 2017, 05:13:47 PM
Quote from: Xaz on April 03, 2017, 08:50:50 PM
Quote from: Cramulus on April 03, 2017, 07:36:33 PM
I've read Condensed Chaos. When I was into that kind of thing, it was a good primer.
CM is useful as a sleight of mind. Back in my mushy-headed occult days, I developed some tools that would help me focus, or speak clearly.. just little gestures and phrases that would get me into the right state of mind. To this day, before a job interview or first date, I find myself running through them.. and they still work.
So if you're going to down the occult rabbit hole, CM is probably one of the better places to start. Its emphasis on "do what works for you" keeps you from getting sucked into thousands of pages of reading about traditions that don't matter. But it's also worth noting - most of the goods have already been looted from the occult and carted over to other disciplines.
Thanks Cram! That was a useful overview.
I feel obligated to add an addendum
when I got out of my mush-head phase, it took a lot of work to disabuse myself of magical-thinking junkfood.
CM can be useful
it can also make you a total shithead
(& these aren't mutually exclusive)
The Parable of the Bong
A few years back, I met this Discordian who was real deep into chaos magic. He was a pretty heavy dude -- in the sense that he was always talking about fate and death and the mysteries of the universe and what have you. He walked around everywhere with a wooden staff which he had "sigilized the fuck out of". He was okay to hang out with when he wasn't trying to enlighten everybody.
I always wondered why such a powerful wizard frequently found himself bumming spare change for bus fare. Like maybe all those hours spent charging sigils could have been spent pursuing his desires in more concrete, tangible ways.
I bumped into him a year later, and asked him if he still did ritual thing. He said no, he was into "Eastern stuff" now.
"Like what?" I asked
"like Taoist chaos magic"
"What's that mean?"
"It's effortless", he said sagely. "You don't do anything."
somewhere, across space and time, a bong sounded
Hells to the yeah!
Quote from: Cramulus on April 06, 2017, 05:13:47 PM
Quote from: Xaz on April 03, 2017, 08:50:50 PM
Quote from: Cramulus on April 03, 2017, 07:36:33 PM
I've read Condensed Chaos. When I was into that kind of thing, it was a good primer.
CM is useful as a sleight of mind. Back in my mushy-headed occult days, I developed some tools that would help me focus, or speak clearly.. just little gestures and phrases that would get me into the right state of mind. To this day, before a job interview or first date, I find myself running through them.. and they still work.
So if you're going to down the occult rabbit hole, CM is probably one of the better places to start. Its emphasis on "do what works for you" keeps you from getting sucked into thousands of pages of reading about traditions that don't matter. But it's also worth noting - most of the goods have already been looted from the occult and carted over to other disciplines.
Thanks Cram! That was a useful overview.
I feel obligated to add an addendum
when I got out of my mush-head phase, it took a lot of work to disabuse myself of magical-thinking junkfood.
CM can be useful
it can also make you a total shithead
(& these aren't mutually exclusive)
The Parable of the Bong
A few years back, I met this Discordian who was real deep into chaos magic. He was a pretty heavy dude -- in the sense that he was always talking about fate and death and the mysteries of the universe and what have you. He walked around everywhere with a wooden staff which he had "sigilized the fuck out of". He was okay to hang out with when he wasn't trying to enlighten everybody.
I always wondered why such a powerful wizard frequently found himself bumming spare change for bus fare. Like maybe all those hours spent charging sigils could have been spent pursuing his desires in more concrete, tangible ways.
I bumped into him a year later, and asked him if he still did ritual thing. He said no, he was into "Eastern stuff" now.
"Like what?" I asked
"like Taoist chaos magic"
"What's that mean?"
"It's effortless", he said sagely. "You don't do anything."
somewhere, across space and time, a bong sounded
I had actually decided to put Condensed Chaos on the 'eventually' pile but I just noticed it's available via the reading list so maybe it'll get bumped forward. Not too long either.
I will try and avoid becoming even more of a shithead than usual.