The Star of Azazel - Azazelin Tähti

Smaragd wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 1:14 am Point me to the monastery of Star of Azazel an I’m heading over there to live at once! I will provide its habitants and visitors with the fruits of the garden and take part of the literary work, and that of art, as well as the choir practice. The masses during the day and night will have my presence also.

Packing my bags as we speak in anticipation

Seriously though. I often have visions of a beautiful plot of land that I interpret as a Satanic retreat. But Satanic monastery is where it's at. I don't know how many times in a week I message Fra Silvaeon about how all I want to do is live a spiritual life and how frustrated I am that so much of my energy needs to go to the every day mundanity that is being a functioning and contributing member of society. I don't state it quite that eloquently, though. When I was younger I entertained the idea of being a nun, but that quickly left when I found out how nuns were, and still sometimes are, treated.

My two cents:
I have also kept the idea of monastic life as a tempting alternative for myself, but because of it being only the tempting alternative to reduce and escape the pains of atomized modern lifestyle I thought it wouldn't be right choice for me to take, instead I will drink from this bitter cup and suffer.
For a person who needs highly scheduled timing for everything in life I tend to think that institutionalized places: garrisons, camps, monasteries, elementary school etc. would be the optimal places for me.
I had chosen Stone aspect based on this idea that I needed to train myself in order to find a path to focus my energy levels so that I could organize my life. The conclusion being, of course, that I haven't finished my aspect practices and I am constantly delaying Hermes lodge's book discussions and I fear I can't attend in any practices or reading groups after this one.
The kind of scheduled life which is based on rigidness is of course not good either from satanic perspective and it would be nice to learn to organize and schedule life without monastery.

Already many years I have contemplated on the idea of entering monastic life and believe in the the future it might still happen. The stay would not be permanent yet no less than a year. Most importantly is that I wish to be at a certain level of learning and experience so that the esoteric cosmology is grounded yet vast and can then be lived out exoterically. In advance to spiritual insight, must be some degree of development so that the intuitive connection to the Inner Monestary is deep.

Of all the different philosophies and streams that continuosly shape and challenge my worldview it is important to note I gradually see lesser discrepancies between them. Perhaps more in their form than in their essence, as they are indeed just portions of the whole and think that the brotherhood is an excellent community for bridging those elements. What presents itself as false is yet another aspect of the Other that in duality has it's place so that the intellects discriminatory capacities are sharpened. So to this end I do not see Christianity to be an incomplete theological or even philosophical system. It is more up to the student to discern the right path for themselves and how they apply their understanding of the material.

I can have a LHP mindset and objectives on entering a RHP monastery yet with intentions unifying them within. How an individual contextualizes the subject is a very personal matter. If one only views it as mundane religion than an aversion is quite natural if not necessary. A critical thinker can never sucumb to things they distrust and history has shown us there are many those how preach it that are in no way worthy of our belief. Great challenge would be on how to express certain personal views especially when it comes to adversarial and antinomian concepts. Honesty must be apllied with understanding as not all ears are ready to hear them.

Through years of learning then be able to retreat and solely dedicate oneself to spiritual work would be a fullfiling task. A monastery in a more traditional style where the architecture is highly symbolical yet not necessarily overdecorative could enhance the experience. The shapes of arches the numbers of pillars the age of halls and places of work, study and worship will imprint a particular type of atmosphere where the student can through discipline engulf themselves in their practices. And by applying the triple key, everyday life becomes consciously ritualized. Preferably it will be situated in a rural area with at most a village nearby in a foreign country where the surroundings are unfamiliar to me.

The degree to which a person percieves the scriptures is crucial also. Interpretation can be but is not merely relative. Externally it is fragmented just as it's meanings are layered. The outer form Christianity has taken is like Satan, a two faced being if not a chimera in myriad guises.

Krepusculum wrote: ↑Sat Mar 14, 2020 9:49 pm The outer form Christianity has taken is like Satan, a two faced being if not a chimera in myriad guises.

This image has entered my mind, too. When I pass by the Turku Cthedral, I always see it like some giant, canine, corporeal Satan, petrifiedly awaiting some apocalyptic horde from the Gulf of Bothnia. So if had to draw a picture of Satan, I'd propably sketch some animated version of the Turku Cathedral.

Nefastos wrote: ↑Sun Mar 15, 2020 1:33 pm

obnoxion wrote: ↑Sat Mar 14, 2020 10:26 pmTurku Cthedral [...] petrifiedly awaiting some apocalyptic horde

"This thing, which seemed instinct with a fearsome and unnatural malignancy, was of a somewhat bloated corpulence, and squatted evilly on a rectangular block or pedestal covered with undeciperable characters. The tips of the wings touched the back edge of the block..." (H.P. Lovecraft: The Call of Cthulhu)

That's the thing described to the teeth!

....And buildings, most of all church buildings, are but philosophical summaries.

Krepusculum wrote: ↑Sat Mar 14, 2020 9:49 pm So to this end I do not see Christianity to be an incomplete theological or even philosophical system. It is more up to the student to discern the right path for themselves and how they apply their understanding of the material.

Yes! I came to the conclusion once that it might be that Christianity ”works best” in monasteries, where it is followed ”strictly” and consistently enough. And especially in such places, at best, it also seems that the boundaries of what ”Christianity” actually is, widen. Maybe it goes both ways and Christianity works best either when taken seriously enough, to for example devote oneself to monastery life, or when taken lightly enough, so that the whole church is seen more as a humanitarian institute and not so much as a spiritual one.

Krepusculum wrote: ↑Sat Mar 14, 2020 9:49 pm Preferably it will be situated in a rural area with at most a village nearby in a foreign country where the surroundings are unfamiliar to me.

At least so far I have felt this differently. Based on my – admittedly limited – experiences regarding monastery life, I've felt that it's good that the surroundings are somewhat familiar. The short stays I've had at monasteries have been very intense (though definitely positive and inspiring), and it's possible that having had those experiences in an unfamiliar milieu could have been ”too much to handle” at times, so to speak. I feel it's good to have something surrounding you that makes you feel somehow ”home”. But this is surely different for a different temperament, and maybe would be for me too in some other situation.


At this time of a global crisis, the idea of the Inner Monastery has been on my mind a lot. It is giving me some comfort. In these Saturnal times the ”seriousness” of our world views and practices are put to test, and I feel like concentrating on the ”heart's chamber” helps me stay awake. To resist those other forces trying to pull me into cynicism, despair and the very wrong kind of ”let it burn” mentality.

Beshiira wrote: ↑Sun Mar 15, 2020 5:27 pmMaybe it goes both ways and Christianity works best either when taken seriously enough, to for example devote oneself to monastery life, or when taken lightly enough, so that the whole church is seen more as a humanitarian institute and not so much as a spiritual one.

Why not then dispense with Christianity altogether and join a humanitarian organisation without any "christian veneer"?

I think that for some people this "humanitarian organisation" aspect is a reason not to resign from the state church, into which they were baptized after birth. It's an existing institute that already does undoubtedly good humanitarian work, and if you happen to be a member already, and maybe you don't think that much about the spiritual side; I see the point - why not. Though I would guess not so many people join the church for this reason alone. Maybe some do. (And I understand that this is a simplification of a complex matter.)

Beshiira wrote: ↑Sun Mar 15, 2020 5:27 pm At this time of a global crisis, the idea of the Inner Monastery has been on my mind a lot. It is giving me some comfort. In these Saturnal times the ”seriousness” of our world views and practices are put to test, and I feel like concentrating on the ”heart's chamber” helps me stay awake. To resist those other forces trying to pull me into cynicism, despair and the very wrong kind of ”let it burn” mentality.

Apologies for the off-topic, but just wanted to briefly join the discussion on this current situation of the world. I've somehow managed to enjoy this withdrawal immensely. It feels like we stand at this major hesitation point just after the inhale and we are drawn to look at our miniscule world and frail vessels and perhaps come to terms with the fact that the world is always burning away. Such beauty in those moments, although I do acknowledge the crisis adds propably to a lot of pain and suffering. But the pain will come nevertheless, sooner or later. The agony is so small next to the depth of the eternity that spans over aeons. The pain does not vanish, but is redeemed and made meaningful by the comparison.