Greetings, fellow psychonauts.

I was on this forum a few years ago and registered again recently. It seems like it was so long ago...I don't even remember the username I used back then! I first explored with DMT about 10 years ago and it's been somewhat a part of my life since then. After a pretty intense honey moon with it when I discovered it, I have only very rarely used it as a means to breakthgouh, and mostly just sometimes to explore medium-low dosages, to ride the dmt wave while staying anchored in my body.

Bit of context: I am an art student and would like to work in illustration/concept art. Strangely, while my art making techniques have grown recently, my imagination has somewhat gone stale. After some reflexion about imagination and art practice, I've decided I wanted start using DMT a bit more regularly and get comfortable with the idea of diving into hyperspace again. I feel like it could be beneficial to my creativity since psychedelics are one of the reasons I've always been inspired and motivated to be creative in the first place.

While I am also into other psychedelics (mainly LSD and Mushrooms) I feel like DMT is probably an easier substance to fit into a productive creative life (that, and the fact that I just LOVE the visual/sensory characteristics of the molecule).

I am also interested in various occult traditions and am interested in how the DMT experience informs occult practices. I feel like balancing (and incorporating) reason and subjective, mystical experiences is always both a challenge and a very gratifying work.

Anyways, so here I am again, ready to explore and share


ps.: I've tried doing the questionnaire to become a full-fledged member, and the website crashed on me after the +-100th question ... I'm not sure I can find the strength to go through these questions again hahaha... Anyways... Is full membership attainable without the questionnaire?

Hey ParadoxEngine!

Welcome back!

You mentioned the occult, I wonder if you could go into moar detail about that, it's something that I'm interested in. Which occult traditions have you studied, and what have you learned? I'm curious.

As for the questionnaire, it's not essential, the quality of your posts and your attitude is moar important.

Anyways, looking forward to seeing moar of your posts!

I suppose I have many ties to Thelema, being initiated in the OTO. While I enjoy parts of the thelemic mythology and its ritual practices I can't say I am 100% invested in it in the most strict sense. I am both interested into animist spiritual systems, paganism (both as religious traditions and archetypal system), western hermeticism and alchemy, luciferian/left-hand path philosophy and traditional witchcraft (no, not ''Wicca'' ).

I am very much interested in the works of Andrew Chumbley and Austin Osman Spare.

I find myself being drawned more to systems from european descent, although I am somewhat interested in everything mystical/magical.

Very interesting ParadoxEngine!

So you're initiated into the OTO, eh? I wonder what that's like.

I think all the different spiritual systems you mentioned are intriguing, and I think there's something there in all of them.

May I ask why you specifically differentiated Wicca from traditional witchcraft? Just curious.

Well, I can't speak of everything, of course, but honestly, the OTO can be much more casual than some people would expect (at least in our lodge XD ). I see it mostly as an occultism-inclined book club with some group rituals and ceremonies here and there.

Well, it's important to know that most occult traditions are somewhat founded upon myths. Wicca's founder, Gardner, came up with that story about how he was thought in some witch coven....but in reality, his system is mostly inspired by Crowley/freemasonry initiatory systems and European pagan religions. In the end, Wicca ended up being quite similar to a religious system, with devotion to divinities and all that.

Traditional witchcraft is a bit more vague as it relates to a modern system of witchcraft that claims to be truer to actual European medieval witchcraft. It is not one single system, but a collection of practices, currents and mythos that are informed by both folk lore about witchcraft (a lot of them coming from writings about and during the witch-hunts, like the Devil and witches sabbath), archeologic evidence and texts, and from little known local spiritual practices still alive today. Most often than not, traditional witchcraft is not about religious practice, but about witchcraft practice. Aside from the more practical workings, traditional witchcraf is less religious than Wicca, but more mystical, or gnostic. Then again, as I said, there is many movements and not all of them share the same methods or goals.

More often than not, traditional witchcraft (often called ''The Craft'' ) practitioners don't distance themselves from the darker aspect of the world and self. The Wiccan motto ''Do what you will, so long as it harms none'' has little relevance to people of the Craft, and they will often criticize Wicca for sanitizing what is supposed to be an adversarial practice. That is not to mean that all traditional craft traditions are of the edgy satanic kind... Instead, though many would refute the label, traditional craft is closer to a ''grey'' system of magic.

Some of the most well-know modern currents are the Clan of Tubal Cain and the Cultus Sabatti.

If you are interested, Xoanon, the publishers of Cultus Sabatti's documentations have this article about their view of the Craft:

http://xoanon.co.uk/cultus-sabbati/