Chaoism (rituals, moral, mysticism, beliefs, elder)

[Fra.Morelia]

What is Chaoism?
Chaoism is a form of esoteric or magickal practice designed to strip away all of the dross from the various forms of practice and retain what is useful and functional. It incorporates psychology, Kabalah, Hermetic Mysticism, Shamanism, Monotheism, Quantum Physics, and the ramblingsof one man generally regarded as the grandfather of it all: Austin Osman Spare.
A.O. Spare was a contemporary of Crowley's who believed, in essence that the theory wa sound, but it was being drowned out by it's ownpomp and jargon. He created a revolutionary concept called sigilization and brought psychology int the fold.
Chaos Magick is not about transcendence, though one finds one has evolved once one embarks upon his/her deprogramming. Chaoism is about results. Getting what you want, desire, need, etc...
Evolution of the self comes persuing these desires, for if one aspires to the wand, in Chaoist thought, one must weed ones garden.
The term Chaos Magick was not around since the inception of the art, but rather it was regarded as simply a streamlined version of existing forms of the occult. It's first true inception as a (dis)organization was with the Illuminates of Thanateros, an England based group led by Peter Carroll in the mid 70s. The term was coined by Carroll, or Frater Stakistikos (we do so love our pompos names)upon the writing of his second book on the issue, Liber Kaos. This is also when it had begun to take on a life of it's own.
Since then it has spread widely, though is still far below the numbers of Wiccans and Satanists (not to compare the two, you can put the hot pokers down now, both of you )
The IOT and many other Chaoist (dis)orginizations have an office called the insubordinate, whose job is to ridicule and question the leaders constantly in an effort to keep them humble and make serving ones own interests innefective and highly costly in loss of face.
SO, back to this hodgepodge thing. How does that work? If a Chaoist thinks somethig has merit he/she will implement it. I have known Chaos Magickians who have done some amazing things with fictional sources such as H.P. Lovecraft's elder god mythos.
Most Chaoist have a secret agenda of self evolution on the back burner, but that is highly personal and not really a polite topic.
SO, how does one start down this path, you surely aren't thinking? Well, I am glad you didn't ask. It is best started with a training regimen eating up at LEAST an hour of the day. This time is spent staring at fixed points, minimizing breathing, not moving, trying not to think, chanting mantras. etc... This is the warm up act, as it is reasoned if you cannot discipline yourself to do these things you will probably self destruct and take out a number of other folks with you.
SO, what about God? Chaoists are agnostic at best. We appeal to various gods as suits our desire when working with psychological functions, but dn't really believe in any save in the capacity that human faith makes them real.
The basic gist of it is this: when you pray you are doing the same thing as a Wiccan who is doing the same thing as us. We simply attempt to make the process logical and scientific.
There are no moral guidelines. If one has the moral bearing of the common barracuda, one will likely be weeded out. Chaoists attempt to police their own so to speak. Ostracism works wonders for maniacs.
That is the gist of it, I will answer any questions as best I may.

[Mr Spinkles]

What do Chaoists do after this "warm up"? What does it mean to "implement" things that a Chaoist thinks has merit?

[Fra. Yndel]

What can't Chaoists do after this "warm up"? That is my question in return to Mr_Spinkles. The incredible thing about magickal practise is that their are no limits. No one has ever become so advanced that they knew it all and discovered what we can and cannot do, there is always room to push the limits further. It could be possible to do anything, we just do not know until we try it. The exercises that Fra. Morelia mentioned are the simple daily regimen that all new initiates into the Chaoist philosophy do or should follow. It increases discipline and will become the basic building blocks for all of your magickal work. Trancelike states, chanting mantras, and entering a state of "no mind" will be important for your entire life as a magician...you never outgrow these simple acts.

Now as to your second question, here is where it gets fun. Because Chaoism has no set path that one has to walk we are free to "borrow" practises from other religions. If we believe that something another religion practises can be adapted and useful to our magick we will steal it. I have known people who adapted the basic Catholic exorcism ritual to their own method and used it very effectively. I myself have borrowed some things from the old Norse and Celtic mythologies in magickal rituals and it worked quite splendidly. There are even documented cases of Chaoists using fictional material such as books or movies and using them to great effect, I believe Fra. Morelia already made brief mention of this fact with H.P Lovecraft's books.

If you still do not understand at all what we seem to be rambling on about just keep asking us questions and we will do our best to answer. For everyone's information I am not a veteran Chaoist and do not know even a fraction of what Fra. Morelia has forgotten over the years. I am here to learn from him as well.

[Mr Spinkles]

Fra.Yndel keep in mind that I have never even heard of Chaoism before. For example, you say "what can't Chaoists do after warm up?" but this did not answer my question at all....what in the world is "magickal work"? And what do you mean when you say Chaoists "use" something "to great effect"? What are you trying to do with these practices?

Also, does the "Fra." in both of your names have something to do with the Marines or something with Chaoism?

[Fra.Morelia]

Fra. is an abbreviation of Frater, latin for Father, and is used sometimes by some schools/circles, to designate one who has accomplished much. 'Magickal Work' is a term that chaoists do not like, but find ourselves limited to. It is really rather snarky to speak of Magick,but there you have it. What better word is there? Perhaps we should make one up, I d not know.
Much magick is purely psychological, and most will never progress beyond that point. This is a stumbling stone that most new agers,for example, seem stuck at. All they can do is make themselves feel warm and fuzzy. As for exactly what the 'work' is: A Chaoist thinks that the Will can effect change. No, I will not/cannot/whatever prove it is possible. I have proven my ability to my satisfaction, Fra. Yndel has proven his ability to my satisfaction, and I would hope, his as well.
When I implement something I believe has merit, I do just that. When I find something in another faith/paradigm that interests me or might prve useful, even if only in a psychological sense, I implement it. I take itinto myself and and beliefs and use it until it is no longer viable. Then I discard it, consume another paradigm, s it were, and move on.
I have seen some amazing and hellish things that either brand me a lunatic, or a Chaos Magickian. Perhaps the two are inseperable. Mos tChaoists i know are at least slightly insane, but, frankly, it takes a touch of nueroses to eat other faiths and spit out the sour parts. I know this hasn't helped much, but I am trying to figure out how to explain it to someone who believes only in the temporal/scientific. Keep in mind that a chaoists believes in thesupernatural only when it suits him. We are masterful changelings at the least, mercurial and slightly....touched... individuals.

[dannyfrankszzz]

Hi, I've read the posts above. Chaoism sounds interesting. However, it sounds more like just a name for dealing with life from a purely commonsensical point of view rather than from the point of view of a set religion.

P.S. "Fra. is an abbreviation of Frater, latin for Father," - frater means BROTHER in Latin. Pater means FATHER.

[Fra.Morelia]

Bah, I realized after i posted and logged for the day. Fra. Morelia was on the crack apparently
Yes, the general titles are Frater and Soror. Brother and Sister. I realized I had a big sucking hole in my vocabulary a day or two after I posted, but I figured someone would point it out quickly and painfully. I was right
I thought Padre=Father... spanish=like latin, hence latine, hence Pater = Father, Frater=brother, Morelia = Dolt.

[Fra. Yndel]

Way to stick Ye Olde foot in the mouth brother. :smile: I really like what dannyfrankszzz said about Chaoism because I try very much to approach the whole religion issue with as much of a common sense approach as I can. We use the term religion to describe our philosophy so that people that we are talking to know that we try to live our daily life by it and that it is not something that we just made up while drinking with the guys for laughs or attention.