by Donald Tyson
Meditate for a minute or two on the sorrow of Azathoth, who is the ever-turning wheel of both creation and destruction, the revolving vortex at the heart of chaos, which became darkened by the fall from grace of the goddess Barbelzoa.
Open your eyes and go around the circle widdershins to stand before the yellow stone. Strike it gently with the key. Speak the words:
The circle is broken!
Visualize the yellow rays of light that extend on either side of the yellow stone wink out of existence. All the stones of the circle are disconnected as the yellow heptagon vanishes on the astral level.
Walk around the altar counterclockwise so that you stand in the south of the circle, facing the blue rod that forms the base of the altar triangle. Replace the key of Azathoth on the altar, and take a minute to empty your mind and release your emotions. Put out the three altar flames. Take off the lamen and yellow sash of Azathoth. Discard with care the prayers and offerings to Azathoth that may reside on the altar.
[contents]
Way of Yig
The discipline of Yig is one of physical control and self-denial. Yig is the Old Serpent, ancient and wise. All serpents slide along the ground on their bellies, so their awareness is always focused on material matters. For this reason they were linked to the health and life cycles of the body. Through his sphere of Saturn, Yig presides especially over the health of the body in its densest form, the bones. He rules the foundations of physical well-being, and is concerned with the material essentials of life, such as drink, food, and exercise.
The serpent is a symbol of the Greek god of medicine, Asclepius, because the serpent was believed in ancient times to be able to cyclically renew itself, and in this way to defy death forever. Each time a snake shed its skin, the ancients believed that it was renewing its youth, banishing all disease and infirmity in the process. The way of Yig is a way of perpetual renewal.
Masters who walk the path of Yig to the base of the chaos mount must concern themselves with physical exercise, diet, and the health of the body. It is a path that demands discipline and self-control. Physical indulgence or excess cannot be tolerated. It is a path of balance. The awareness remains keenly focused on the condition of the body at all times, to a degree that would be considered obsessive by the uninitiated.
Regular daily exercise is used to strengthen the body and increase physical endurance. This should include both light weight training and aerobic training. Excess of any kind should be shunned, including excess in any particular area of training. If the body complains through pain, it should be heeded, and the exercise routine changed to give time for the injured part of the body to heal itself. However, if possible the training should never be stopped once it is begun. Even during periods of sickness such as colds or the flu, light physical training should be continued, if it is possible to do so without serious health risks.
At the same time this exercise regime is being carried forward, attention must be given to what is taken into the body to nourish it. Wherever possible, drugs, alcohol, and highly spiced foods should be eliminated, or at least reduced. The intake of meat should generally be reduced—this does not apply to those who are already on a meat-free or meat-reduced diet. In place of red meat, fish or poultry should be frequently substituted, to lighten the stress on the digestive system. The aim is to purify the body, while providing ample calories and nutrients to sustain regular physical exercise. Foods that sit heavily in the stomach, such as meat-filled pastries or sausage, should be avoided.
It is not necessary to give up particular foods, but those that demand more involvement of the body should be reduced. Foods that are craved should be reduced, since the body often craves what is unhealthy for it. Sugar, salt, grease, and caffeine should all be drastically cut down or eliminated from the average diet.
A little chilled but unsweetened lime or lemon juice should be taken immediately after rising in the morning on an empty stomach. This encourages perspiration. It is useful to do a simple exercise routine immediately after drinking this juice that consists of sitting postures or stretching exercises. Physical yoga is one of vehicles on the way of Yig. Of all creatures, the serpent is the most flexible, and the flexibility that is the goal of yoga is in keeping with the philosophy of Yig. It is not absolutely necessary for those who follow the path of Yig to learn yoga postures, but those who turn their backs on yoga will have a much more difficult time in attaining the black throne.
Expertise in yoga is not required. It is enough that a set of postures be performed daily without fail, and that they be done with serious concentration of both mind and body. The morning yoga practice should be done without distractions such as music or conversation. It is best to work in solitude and in silence. Silence is the way of Yig. The serpent is voiceless. Listen to your body.
After the morning yoga or stretching routine, it is good to sit and meditate on the greatness and wisdom of Yig in the form of the great serpent that encircles the world. It is this great serpent that defines the boundaries of the known from the unknown, of cosmos from chaos. To cross the path of this serpent is to progress to the black throne.
Those who walk the path of Yig adore this lord as their benevolent and loving father, knowing that Yig is a generous god who showers good fortune on his children. He is also mighty in their defense. Woe to those who injure the children of Yig, who are his disciples on the path of attainment. He strikes with poison those who defy him, and crushes his foes to death in his myriad and bewildering coils, which never cease to weave and flow and slide over each other. Meditate upon the endless movement in the sinuous coiled body of Yig.
The exercises to strengthen the muscles and increase endurance are done later in the day, at a convenient hour. They should be done at the same time each day, and the exercise session should not be omitted. When an initiate begins to walk the path of Yig, numerous petty distractions will arise to beguile the mind and interrupt the training, but these should be strenuously denied and resisted. Those who choose this way of attainment must commit themselves completely to its working, in the realization that the austerities of Yig are the most important matters in their lives. Only through this dedication to the way will they attain the ninety-three steps of the black throne mount.
The way of Yig requires scrupulous physical cleanliness and attention to grooming. Hair should be cut short or worn in such a way that it does not fall loosely. Jewelry should not be worn to excess, but if adopted at all must be in harmony with Yig. Serpentine patterns and chains in silver and jet are appropriate. Black semi-precious stones such as obsidian or jet, and black pearls, are generally appropriate. Black clothing is in keeping with the occult correspondences of Yig, but need not be worn exclusively. All these outward details of appearance are reminders of Yig, and of the importance of following his path with fidelity.
Masters who have committed themselves to the way of Yig may wish to get the seal of this lord of the Old Ones tattooed in black ink on their skin, as a token of their dedication to this path. It also serves to indicate to other initiates of the Order the path that is being followed. A tattoo of the seal of Yig should only be adopted where there is total commitment to the way of that lord, for to wear his seal but to defy and show contempt for his path will unfailingly arouse the anger of the lord, and bring misfortune upon the head of the fool who has wandered from the way. The tattoo, if adopted, should be modest in size and in its placement on the body. In place of a tattoo, the emblem of Yig, which is a knotted cord or noose, may be worn on the clothing.
Once on each cycle of the moon, a Master who seeks to walk the way of Yig may conduct the ritual of opening, in which the North Gate of Yig is unsealed by the agency of Yog-Sothoth, and Nyarlathotep is invoked to act as a guide along the path to the black throne. Prior to conducting this ritual of opening the gate, the disciple of Yig should fast for a full cycle of the day and night, taking only modest amounts of water,
tea, or fruit juices. In this way the body is lightened and purified. A prolonged period of meditation on Yig and his path should be done prior to attempting the ritual of opening, which is conducted commencing at midnight on the night of the waxing half-moon, when the lunar orb is bright on the right side and dark on the left side.
Seven Stations of the Lunar Cycle
If the ritual of opening succeeds, Nyarlathotep will lead the disciple along the way of Yig on the astral level, while the disciple sits passively in his physical body within the stone circle. The disciple will sign his name in the Necronomicon while in his astral shell and will swear allegiance either to Azathoth or to his messenger Nyarlathotep, as he chooses. If the ritual fails to achieve consummation, it may be conducted again on the following waxing half-moon, and so on as often as is required to achieve a successful completion of the path.
The newly ascended Lord of the Order who has successfully walked the way of Yig remains bound to Yig, and should continue to observe the discipline of Yig, although its rigors may be reduced. Those who are true disciples of Yig will not wish to give up his practices, for these will seem the fittest way of life. Just as the seal of Yig, once tattooed on the skin, cannot be casually removed, so the way of Yig cannot be casually discontinued.
The emblem carried by those who walk the way of Yig is the corded noose, which represents the suppleness of the serpent. It may be worn about the neck as a fine cord so that the tail of the noose hangs down the chest, or may be worn on the wrist or ankle. The cord should be black in color, its knots elaborate in design to indicate the subtlety of Yig. Alternatively, a piece of jewelry such as a brooch or pendant that is in the form of an elaborate knot may be worn.
[contents]
Way of
Shub-Niggurath
The way of Shub-Niggurath is the way of sensual experience and sexual arousal, sustained and heightened to such a degree that it alters consciousness. It is best followed with the aid of a partner, since most sexuality is shared with other human beings. Sexual experience alone is not enough, however. To walk this path is to create an environment of sensual pleasure that functions through all five senses, and spans the spectrum of sensation from the most grossly physical acts of sexual release to the most sublime heights of artistic enjoyment.
A living environment must be created that excludes anything unpleasant or discordant. The seeker must submerge himself in sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile sensations that give various levels of pleasure. This should be sustained as far as is possible throughout the day and night. Harsh or violent sense impressions should be avoided. The seeker on this path must strive to steep the soul in beauty of all kinds, particularly beauty of a sensual kind that provokes arousal. An attempt should be made to refine and render increasingly sensitive the aesthetic judgment by an appreciation of art and music. Care should be taken to choose only elegant and attractive clothing, to speak in a gentle yet witty manner, to excite the palate with unusual but pleasant foods and drinks.
The mind must be turned to the fertile goddess. Her image should be before the inner sight of the aspirant, who must carry on an interior communication with Shub-Niggurath as one lover would speak in a familiar way to another. Prayers and blessings should be offered to Shub-Niggurath. Thanks should be given to the goddess when a beautiful image or sensual pleasure is experienced.
On the day prior to the attempt to open the Gate of the East upon the path to the black throne, the follower of this way should rely on the aid of a partner to sustain his arousal without interruption continuously. This can be done with the aid of caresses, embraces, erotic art, sensual music, incense, sensual baths, and oils for the skin. If necessary, the aspirant may sustain his own arousal, but this is more difficult as it divides concentration. Always the image of Shub-Niggurath should be held in the imagination, but in a form of the goddess that is attractive and seductive to the aspirant for her favor. Female disciples will choose to conceive her in her masculine aspect, unless they favor the love of women.
While this sustained arousal is being maintained on the day prior to the ritual of opening the gate, the follower of this path must not sleep. Fatigue of the senses is necessary to open the Gate of the East. Arousal should be maintained to a condition of discomfort that is almost painful. If Shub-Niggurath has heard and heeded the prayers of the aspirant, the goddess will help to sustain arousal, sometimes to a degree that seems almost superhuman. To the follower of her path, she is a lover—not an equal lover, but a superior lover who condescends to share her blessing with those who worship her.
It may seem that the way of Shub-Niggurath is easier and more agreeable than the ways of the other lords of the Old Ones. This is an illusion. It is true that the discipline of her path is milder and more pleasant than that of other paths, but by its very nature it distracts the mind away from the higher purpose of the attainment of the black throne. It is easy to become lost in sensation and the enjoyment of sexual play. To allow the methods of this path to become the goal is fatal to success. All too easily the discipline of sensual arousal may devolve into mere satisfaction.
Because the path is so difficult, consummation of arousal must be avoided. The purpose is altered consciousness through arousal, not through orgasm. To achieve orgasm is to fail on this path. Instead, the desire is heightened in every possible way, the sexual arousal is made as intense and as sustained as the human body can withstand, and is held at this level, but orgasm, which ends arousal, is shunned. Orgasm is a sly deceiver on this path, who steals away purpose and leads the follower of the way of Shub-Niggurath into snares and pitfalls.
The goddess will have a secret image and form that she will use to those who worship her and follower her way. It is unique to each worshipper. In this form she comes as a lover and plays with her disciples. These visits, which occur most often in dreams, but may also happen during states of sustained arousal, are to be welcomed, for during her visits the goddess reveals secrets to those who love her. The followers of her path are often prophets who receive revelations during sleep.
Shub-Niggurath is the same as the Hebrew goddess Lilith, who has many forms both lovely and terrible. She is the goddess Shakti of the Hindus, the source of all manifest power in the universe, as expressed by her ever-fertile womb that never ceases to bring forth new creations. Those who follow her way will have good success if they use some of the same techniques of the worshippers of Shakti on the left-hand path of sensual indulgence. They may also employ techniques of Lilith worship with fruitful results.
The night of the lunar cycle of the moon devoted to the opening of the Gate of the East is the third night following the night of the new moon, when the moon appears in the heavens shortly after sunset as a slender waxing crescent. The ritual is conducted at midnight so that the sun is on the far side of the world, and its influence is reduced to its lowest ebb. Since the hours of the day begin at midnight, the ritual must be commenced at the beginning of the first hour of the third day of the lunar cycle after the new moon. If the mind and body of the disciple of Shub-Niggurath have been perfected, his heightened consciousness will induce Yog-Sothoth to open the Gate of the East, and Nyarlathotep will come to lead the way to the black throne.
If the attempt to open the gate on the path fails, as is often the case on the first attempt, and even on the eleventh attempt for those unfortunates who do not adhere with serious mind and steadfast heart to the regime of the goddess, another attempt may be made on the following lunar cycle.
Those who walk the path of Shub-Niggurath are her lovers. They may wish to have her seal tattooed on their skin as a sign of fidelity to her sensual and artistic way of attainment. Even after they reach the black throne and inscribe their name in the Necronomicon, they remain devoted to her more so than to any of the other lords. To walk the path of a lord of the Old Ones is to become the disciple of that lord, which is why the choice of a path is so important and shou
ld never be rashly made.
The physical emblem of this path is the rose, a flower of intimacy and sensuality. It should be worn by the followers of the discipline of Shub-Niggurath somewhere on their body or on their clothing, if they do not adopt the tattoo of her seal. Either the flower itself may be carried, or a piece of jewelry worked into the form of a rose may be worn. The emblem is a kind of badge of service that alerts other members of the Order to the way chosen by the Master, and should be worn in a place that is visible for this reason.
[contents]
Way of Cthulhu
Of all the lords of the Old Ones, mighty Cthulhu is the greatest warrior. His innumerable spawn, who are smaller off-buddings of himself, are his army, and have the same capacity to reform their gelatinous bodies after injuries, so that they are virtually deathless and in the common course of events eternal. Only when utterly annihilated, as may occur in confrontation with a shoggoth when they are wholly engulfed and consumed, do they cease to exist. Those who follow the way of this lord imitate his spawn and study the art of war and the techniques of battle. They are obedient to his will as are soldiers to the will of their general.
The discipline of Cthulhu requires strengthening the will and hardening the body for combat. Martial arts and methods of fighting must be studied. The particular fighting style that is adopted is unimportant. It is only required that the disciple on the way of this lord steep himself in the ways of battle. In addition to daily training in unarmed fighting techniques, the disciple should study the use of personal weapons such as the knife and the gun, and should become familiar both with their workings and their use.