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- CHAOS MONASTICISM,
-
- by Peter Carroll
-
-
- At any time members of the Pact may elect to follow the observances
- of the Monks and Nuns of Chaos for as long as it pleases them. These
- observances come in three forms, the lesser, greater and extreme.
- Their purpose is to renew and strengthen ones dedication to the
- Great Work of Magic. The Observances of Monk or Nun of Chaos should
- not be undertaken for a period of less than one week. There is no
- maximum period but when observances are undertaken for an
- unspecified period they should be ended at some later point in a
- definite way rather than be allowed to fall into gradual disuse.
- Chaoist Monks and Nuns may be fully itinerant and unless otherwise
- specified by choice the monastery is notionally defined as the
- entire planet although some form of retreat may facilitate the more
- rigorous observances. The observances given are to be regarded as a
- minimum to which further observances may be added at will. To begin
- the observances of a Chaoist Monk or Nun the candidate takes an oath
- over a staff dedicated to magic which is then carried throughout the
- period of the observances. The staff should not be smaller than a
- walking stick and although it may be left in a room or building that
- the monk or nun may have entered it should always be close to hand
- and carried from place to place.
-
-
- The general form of the oath and the observances is as follows:
-
- The Oath:
-
- I, Soror/Frater _____ do elect to perform the Lesser/Greater/Extreme
- Observances of a Nun/Monk of Chaos, from henceforth, for a period of
- ____ / for as long as it pleases me, inasmuch that I avow that I
- will: (the chosen set of observances plus any personal additions are
- then enumerated)
-
- The Lesser Observances:
-
- 1, Carry a magical staff at all times.
- 2, Perform a banishing ritual on awaking and retiring.
- 3, Keep a full record of dreams.
- 4, Perform a full magical ritual each day.
- 5, Dedicate any sexual gnosis to magic.
-
- The Greater Observances:
-
- 1, Perform the five Lesser Observances.
- 2, Perform a second full magical ritual each day.
- 3, Visualize the Sigil of Chaos at least once during each waking
- hour.
-
- The extreme Observances:
-
- 1, Perform the seven Lesser and Greater Observances.
- 2, Perform a third full magical ritual each day.
- 3, Visualize the Sigil of Chaos at least once during every hour.
-
-
- Notes and Observations:
-
- The daily full magical rituals might consist of a Mass of Chaos or
- Auto da Fe or some other act of evocation, divination, enchantment,
- invocation or illumination of similar length.
-
- By dedicating any sexual gnosis to magic the monk or nun affirms
- that any sexual act performed during the period of observances will
- be used to cast spells for divination or invocation or similar
- magical purpose. The hourly visualisation of the Sigil of Chaos is
- facilitated by the use of an alarm watch and a powerful alarm clock
- may well be useful for the night time visualisations of the extreme
- observances. The considerable inconvenience of bearing a magical
- staff serves to increase vigilance and acts as a constant reminder
- to complete the other observances. It also serves as a badge of
- office and other members of the Pact should accord the monk or nun
- whatever assistance they require with their work where possible. If
- the work goes poorly and the observances are largely not met then
- the staff should be destroyed. If the work proceeds satisfactorily
- then the staff should be kept as an object or power. It is customary
- to engrave upon the staff a record of the observances performed.
- Thus 127 signified the lesser observances for twenty seven days, 333
- the extreme observances for thirty three days. The Pact tries to
- ensure that the Sigil of Chaos is visualized once an hour somewhere
- on earth.
-
- -oOo-
-