#sinister path

[madcat-world]

Sinister Path - Jorge Jacinto (JJcanvas)

[comiccrusaders]

The Nocturnals Return Down a Sinister Path

The Nocturnals Return Down a Sinister Path

On the heels of the release of Enchantress and Nocturnals: Legend, a Kickstarter campaign to fund the next hard-boiled tale from Dan Brereton’s Nocturnals rocketed past the initial funding goal in less than 72 hours.

The Sinister Pathwill be the first original story centered around Brereton’s band of Halloween-inspired pulp/horror characters since 2008. First published in 1994, the Nocturnals…

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[atthevoidsedge]

Becoming More of Your Self

I was doing my Kenpo X routine with my Rammstein/Eisbrecher custom soundtrack, and while I was in my zone things started coming to me. Images flashed in my mind of people flooding my Facebook wall with propaganda infographics on everything from Monsanto to Bengazi to the Mark of the Beast to Obama's Stormtroopers. Image macros praising Jesus, mocking Jesus, explaining why Jesus is real, and explaining why Jesus never existed. People telling me to "EDUCATE MYSELF" and "WAKE UP!"

There was a time soon after I cancelled my subscription to Christianity I thought I might end up dedicating a significant portion of my life to some sort of political activism in a similar kind of vein. Maybe something focused on explaining the all-too-human origins of the Bible, the completely man-made political power grabs in ancient Rome that paved the way to the Church's rise to power, or the phony anti-logic that holds the ideas of conventional religion together.

After a few years of Internet forum flame wars and comment thread drive-by commentary, there finally came a point I stopped bothering. Not only was I wasting my time arguing with people who had no intention of changing their beliefs, I was being someone I really wasn't. Realizing how little I missed it once I realized I had all but stopped doing it for well over a year made me glad I had basically cut it out of my life.

In real life, I hate arguing about anything. I don't "enjoy" it. It's not how I like to spend my time. So it occurred to me that the counsel I have to offer my peers, mentors, potential Initiates - in or out of the Temple of Set - is not meant for those who are not attuned to the Sinister Path. Everyone's got their reasons for believing what they believe, and if you expect that to change, you've got the deck stacked against you.

I've been doing this long enough I feel I have the insight to offer perspective to those who are sick of what the preachers and churches have to offer yet aren't quite satisfied with agnosticism or atheism as a means of figuring out the meaning and direction of their own lives.

Going your own way, determining your own meaning, and taking the helm of your own ship, without asking for a permission slip from God, the little men pretending to speak for God, or any other external authority is the essence of what is now called the Left Hand Path, or the Sinister Path. (Notice "Evil" has nothing to do with it, except from the perspective of the preachers and churches who stand to lose control of their flocks by it.) It's not for everyone, but it's for more people than currently realize it. Many are already upon it in their own little ways.

In time, more will begin to awaken to their own potential. And they will be more, not less equipped to stop being defined by what others have told them they're supposed to want, supposed to believe, and supposed to be... and start Becoming more of who and what they really are.

-- Brother Virgil

[atthevoidsedge]

Feeling deeply unhappy about my occupation, personal situation, and overall lot in life. It's not a place of despair - I've got something to work with and am making slow progress - but am becoming increasingly dissatisfied and impatient. Sick of being surrounded by people I have nothing in common with in a workplace that has nothing to do with my ambitions. I have family and chosen kindred to reach out to, but they're all scattered to the four winds. And cyber connections only go so far.

Why share? Because people need to understand that taking up the Sinister Path is about more than just declaring yourself a god, making grandiose and foolishly puffed-up claims of elitism and superiority, and engaging with every twerpy little cyber-troll who bothers to challenge you. You will still have good days and bad days. Your problems will still be there, and solving them will involve more than just lighting a candle, saying some ooga-booga words, and retreating into a delusional world of imaginary power.

Persistence, resilience, and mindful Mastery - not denial, but Mastery - of one's emotions are required to endure life's storms and hardships. It's not a one-time thing; every day brings a new challenge. Easy To Learn, Hard To Master.

A 90-minute nap helped a little. Now to grab a bite to eat, take my notebooks and try to map out more of what needs to happen this year.