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Voice of the Imagination, whole no. 24, August 1942

Page 11

SUPPLEMENT   VOICE OF THE IMAGI-NATION #24

SOME NOTES ON THE BLACK ARTS
By Alojo

Occultism, and the arts, science and crafts connected with it, is generally misunderstood by the laymen, and not really comprehended except by those who have been willing to devote a considerable amount of their time to the studies and researches required. Indeed a person who dabbles slightly in any or all of the branches of the occult arts will generally emerge even more befuddled than the average person, who carries within him the inherited race-memory of things he dimly perceives but does not understand. The seemingly mad whirl of Black Magic, White Magic, Satanism, Witchcraft, the Black Mass, Voodoo, Invocations, Demonology, Black and White Magicians, that confronts the casual inquirer is pratically guaranteed to leave him startled, confused, and without any clear understanding of that which he started out to seek, whether it be along the White or the Black Path.
Since time immemorial, beyond the comprehension of the feeble Fifth Race memory, back to the days of the glory of the Atlantean Empire, the conflict between the Black and the White Schools has existed, sometimes flaring into open conflict, but generally confined to a silent but no less deadly clash of interests. Between those who work only for the self, and those who work for the whole, there will be strife until the final dissolution of the Universe. What exists in the world today is but one brief instant in a struggle between the Powers of Light and Darkness that extends over a period so great that it staggers the imagination.
This paper could not possibly even begin to be a comprehensive treatise on White and Black Occultism in the brief space allotted to it. What we must do, then, is attempt to state as nearly as possible the facts, and clarify some general misunderstandings.

DEVIL WORSHIP AND THE BLACK MASS
"Devil Worship" is in itself a misleading title. A more accurate one would be "The Worship of the Negative Principle." Satan, Lucifer, Mephistopheles—all are differeing manifestations of Negation. And an UNSELFISH worship of these principles would be no different from an unselfish worship of the Positive Principle, as allegedly represented by the Christian churches. It is only when these principles are propiatiated for selfish reasons that evil results.
In fact, there are few church-goers who are not to some degree practicing a selfish worship. They pray to God for favors—personal favors. Some even pray that a rival may go out of business, or that their slightly nefarious acts may go undiscovered, or in time of war for a victory for "their" side. If one were to accuse these pious individuals of "Devil Worship" (to use the term loosely) they would indignently deny it. Yet what they are doing is worse than the open avowel of the Satanist that his motives are selfish. He is at least honest about his motives. Many a pillar of the church is not—and his act is doubly infamous thereby.

Arthur Eward Waite says, "In Egypt, in India, and in Greece, there was no dealing with devils in the Christian sense of the expression; Typhon, Juggernaut, and Hecate were not less divine than the gods of the over-world, and the offices of Canida were probably in their way as sacred as the peaceful mysteries of Ceres." The worship of the representatives of the Negative Principle was selfless and impersonal. It occupied as important a place as the worship of the Positive Principle and it was not until personality entered into the scheme that its downfall 
began.
It would probably be safe to say that nowhere does there exist today a worship of Negation which is pure and uncontaminated by selfish purposes. Yet there are uncounted worships of lesser dignitaries than the Devil. According to Theda Kenyon, "a greater authority than any synod mentioned him (Satan) as an Archangel; and a medieval savant called him 'the great Second Best.' To the Persians, he is the 'Prince of the Powers of the Air.'" In the allegory of the ambitious Archangel who was cast out of heaven to beome the Ruler of the Powers of Darkness is concealed a great chapter in the past of mankind.
Yet how is Satan worshipped today? The worst picture is painted by Huysmans in "Le Bas." With this as the absolute nadir, one may find almost any degree of depravity and perversion among those who kneel before the shrine of the Black Goat of Mendes. Some take this course as an outlet for pure love of evil. Others use it in hope of gaining power of one sort or another. It is an evil time indeed when one of the two great powers of the Universe finds itself with only such as these to worship it. Such is the result of thousands of years of oppression,  misinterpretation and persecution.

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SUPPLEMENT VOICE OF THE IMAGI-NATION #24 SOME NOTES ON THE BLACK ARTS By Alojo Occultism, and the arts, science and crafts connected with it, is generally misunderstood by the laymen, and not really comprehended except by those who have been willing to devote a considerable amount of their time to the studies and researches required. Indeed a person who dabbles slightly in any or all of the branches of the occult arts will generally emerge even more befuddled than the average person, who carries within him the inherited race-memory of things he dimly perceives but does not understand. The seemingly mad whirl of Black Magic, White Magic, Satanism, Witchcraft, the Black Mass, Voodoo, Invocations, Demonology, Black and White Magicians, that confronts the casual inquirer is pratically guaranteed to leave him startled, confused, and without any clear understanding of that which he started out to seek, whether it be along the White or the Black Path. Since time immemorial, beyond the comprehension of the feeble Fifth Race memory, back to the days of the glory of the Atlantean Empire, the conflict between the Black and the White Schools has existed, sometimes flaring into open conflict, but generally confined to a silent but no less deadly clash of interests. Between those who work only for the self, and those who work for the whole, there will be strife until the final dissolution of the Universe. What exists in the world today is but one brief instant in a struggle between the Powers of Light and Darkness that extends over a period so great that it staggers the imagination. This paper could not possibly even begin to be a comprehensive treatise on White and Black Occultism in the brief space allotted to it. What we must do, then, is attempt to state as nearly as possible the facts, and clarify some general misunderstandings. DEVIL WORSHIP AND THE BLACK MASS "Devil Worship" is in itself a misleading title. A more accurate one would be "The Worship of the Negative Principle." Satan, Lucifer, Mephistopheles—all are differeing manifestations of Negation. And an UNSELFISH worship of these principles would be no different from an unselfish worship of the Positive Principle, as allegedly represented by the Christian churches. It is only when these principles are propiatiated for selfish reasons that evil results. In fact, there are few church-goers who are not to some degree practicing a selfish worship. They pray to God for favors—personal favors. Some even pray that a rival may go out of business, or that their slightly nefarious acts may go undiscovered, or in time of war for a victory for "their" side. If one were to accuse these pious individuals of "Devil Worship" (to use the term loosely) they would indignently deny it. Yet what they are doing is worse than the open avowel of the Satanist that his motives are selfish. He is at least honest about his motives. Many a pillar of the church is not—and his act is doubly infamous thereby. Arthur Eward Waite says, "In Egypt, in India, and in Greece, there was no dealing with devils in the Christian sense of the expression; Typhon, Juggernaut, and Hecate were not less divine than the gods of the over-world, and the offices of Canida were probably in their way as sacred as the peaceful mysteries of Ceres." The worship of the representatives of the Negative Principle was selfless and impersonal. It occupied as important a place as the worship of the Positive Principle and it was not until personality entered into the scheme that its downfall began. It would probably be safe to say that nowhere does there exist today a worship of Negation which is pure and uncontaminated by selfish purposes. Yet there are uncounted worships of lesser dignitaries than the Devil. According to Theda Kenyon, "a greater authority than any synod mentioned him (Satan) as an Archangel; and a medieval savant called him 'the great Second Best.' To the Persians, he is the 'Prince of the Powers of the Air.'" In the allegory of the ambitious Archangel who was cast out of heaven to beome the Ruler of the Powers of Darkness is concealed a great chapter in the past of mankind. Yet how is Satan worshipped today? The worst picture is painted by Huysmans in "Le Bas." With this as the absolute nadir, one may find almost any degree of depravity and perversion among those who kneel before the shrine of the Black Goat of Mendes. Some take this course as an outlet for pure love of evil. Others use it in hope of gaining power of one sort or another. It is an evil time indeed when one of the two great powers of the Universe finds itself with only such as these to worship it. Such is the result of thousands of years of oppression, misinterpretation and persecution.