Sunday, October 06, 2013

Organizationem

Have you ever noticed how many groups on the Left Hand Path lack a structure? I've seen a lot of groups that align themselves with this current, and one of the few things that they have in common is a lack of hierarchical structure. For example, you generally don't find LHP groups, whether lodges or otherwise, that follow a structure of someone at the top (formally), then someone (or multiple people) under them (formally), and a structure that one can go up through the ranks, so to speak, beginning at a novice and moving up through adepthood. I find this interesting, to say the least, and I also don't perceive this as a bad thing, but rather a different "thing." Let's look at why this might be the case.

Many years ago (circa 2004 or so) I looked into joining the (then) Typhonian OTO. I sent a letter to them seeking more information, and I received an informational brochure back, discussing their structure. I noticed a lack of formal structure, and when I inquired, I discovered that this was intentional, and that it was more of a free form setup and system. This surprised me, but I understood the idea behind it. Now, almost 10 years later, I've noticed that most LHP groups follow this free flowing system, and this pattern has caught my eye.When I inquired, I found out that the reason for this was that the emphasis was on personal growth, and was set up this way so that the aspirant could work on their own timeline and through their own methods. This justification has been true more often than not in the LHP, and I completely understand it. I don't necessarily see this informality as a bad thing, but rather something to take note of because it seems to be a dominant trait when it comes to LHP groups. What this tells me is that practitioners of the LHP are more focused on personal gnosis, growth, and individuation, than other currents. Again, I reiterate, this doesn't seem to be a bad thing, but rather something that does make sense. I can only think of one group that isn't this free form, and I've heard that it is because at the top there is a pride of egos (pun intended), so it's more like a cult of personality, rather than a functioning body (name withheld to protect the guilty).

While I respect this trait of the LHP and work with this idea on a regular basis, I also find it ironic. The reason I find it ironic is that some of the most ancient and potent LHP deities are known for being heavy and structured. Entities like Set, Shaitan, etc, are known to correspond to Saturn, so it would actually make sense to me that LHP organizations would be more draconian and heavy handed with their structure; much more darwinistic and machiavellian, rather than not, but interestingly enough this is not the case.

What this lack of formal structure tells me is that the LHP is a current of individuals, and quite honestly, rebellious, individual people that don't adhere to or follow structure in a formal way, and for these traits alone, I love them all dearly. It's kind of like a metaphysical "fuck you and your rules" mentality, and that dose of rebellion is needed (IMO) in all arenas of life. After all, it's that kind of mentality that breeds progression and change. On a funny note, it's quite the Samael (poison of "God") behavior, too! Without an injection of poison, the immune system of an organism doesn't develop immunity to said poison.

This also means that the LHP is more conducive to solitaries working with the material, and again, to me, this is a good thing. I encourage everyone to contemplate this idea because it's more common than not, and when this is considered, I've discovered a lot of wisdom that has come from it. One of those points of wisdom is that it means that each and every group out there has something that can be taken away from it, so if one is used to one structure and goes to a different structure, they shouldn't outright reject the second group because it doesn't match the first. After all, they're not clones of each other, nor should they be, really. There are enough clone groups out there attached to other currents of magical energy.

Of course this doesn't mean that a structured group wouldn't work for LHP teachings, but rather if another organization like that existed, it would simply be in the minority.

Fascinating, isn't it? It's irony at it's core, yet so, so practical. Personified chaos, in a way, but also sometimes restrictive. After all, spirit needs a vessel to fill.


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