#don’t be mistaken I am not a monarchist

[regent-overthinker]

If we have to deal with monarchies in the world we at least deserve One Queen regnant,

[wxlfbites]

The Church of Satan

I can only imagine the amount of criticism and hate I'm going to get for this, so I just want to preface this post by saying that in 2015 I considered myself a LaVeyan Satanist for a while. I was a teenager and felt like what I was reading was exactly how I felt, it gave me a sense of justification for the views I had. I am not just some random, misinformed individual who only read anti-satanism propaganda. In fact, I've still actually never read anti-satanism propaganda. My opinions have been formed based exclusively on what I've read on the Church of Satan's own website. These are of course, my own opinions and people are allowed to disagree... I just think it might be something to think about if you're considering becoming a satanist.

THIS WILL BE AN EXTREMELY LONG POST

Firstly, I'm addressing the membership the Church of Satan is now implementing. ~ While the Church of Satan says that you do not need to become a member in order to consider yourself a satanist, it is clear that they encourage you to do so. It has registration and payment based memberships that allow you access to confidential information, rituals, and online chat groups you are otherwise not entitled to. Their website claims these memberships have always been in place, but I do not remember any such kind in 2015. ~ It is their policy that affiliated members are discouraged from exchanging member-exclusive information with non-members. They also express that if you are a non-member of the church, you should not expect members to keep up extended exchanges or promotion of your wares. Further, your membership is subject to rejection and retraction at their discretion and they openly state that when you apply for a membership, they gather information on you to ensure you are someone safe and trustworthy to allow in. ~ Whether or not it is intentional, they use guilt tactics in order to persuade people into becoming members. To quote some of these phrases on their own website: "Those who proudly carry our red cards identifying themselves as members have the strength and dedication to implement the tools traditionally associated with Satan". "Look to your other possessions and expenses (most people spend far more than this on general entertainment) and we’re certain you can do this if it means something to you to become a member." "We’ve discovered that most individuals can muster these funds if membership is something they truly desire." ~ They describe your membership card as a key that you must show and scan to other members to prove your affiliation. They make a few references to the underground secrecy that members may or may not choose to maintain, and so to protect their identities as members, these... calling cards if you will.. are used to discretely confirm ones membership in the Church. ~ They do not tell you where the money for your registration fee goes. In fact, they say: "That is up to the administration. It will be applied to whatever is most required at the time it is received. If you feel the need to know in more detail, then don’t join." Implying you don't have the right to know exactly where your money goes? ~ Their membership application includes inappropriate questions that no organization, religious or otherwise, should ever ask. These include: " Are you satisfied with your sex life? Describe your ideal of a physically attractive sex partner." "How many years would you like to live?" "In what organizations do you hold membership?" "Are you a smoker? If so, to what extent." "Do you drink alcoholic beverages? If so, to what extent? State preferences." " Secondly, how does satanism compare themselves to other religions and philosophies? ~ The Church of Satan declares themselves to be "a formidable threat to those who would halt progress in the name of spirituality and theism of any sort." "We are a group of dynamic individuals who stand forth as the ultimate underground alternative, the “Alien Elite.” ~ They state things like "Our members and officials will not serve as teachers nor as entertainers—we have neither the time nor the inclination.", "It is our policy not to spoon-feed information to students who are too lazy to do research." and "Your schedule is of no importance to us." so it's no surprise that the satanic texts they do not provide in full on their website, including the Satanic Bible, - which is there main text and one they highly encourage you to read - cost money. ~ They believe themselves to be the only form of satanism, stating: "People who believe in some Devilish supernatural being and worship him are Devil-worshippers, not Satanists.", "Anton LaVey was the first to define Satanism as a philosophy, and it is an atheist perspective." and “Theistic Satanism” is an oxymoronic term and thus absurd." ~ Statements like: "we stand in opposition to theist religions and their

inherent hypocrisy.", [regarding the word Shemhamforash] - "So, Satanists use it for traditional blasphemy’s sake.", [regarding someones question about their experiences with demons] - "Satanists do not believe in demons or other supernatural beings, nor do we believe in spells. Seek help from local mental health professionals to assist you to get over these delusions.", "We Satanists are all anthropologists to some degree and can find that not upsetting people who think in such simplistic and erroneous terms of “belief equals goodness and truthfulness” might be worthwhile to smooth the proceedings in which one is involved. Trying to teach them that they are mistaken in such a belief may not be worth one’s efforts." are pretty much self explanatory as to the lack of consideration satanism has for other religions as being true for others.

~ This statement: "Knowing this, if you choose to affiliate with any pseudo-Satanic or anti-Satanic groups, you may well find yourself disaffiliated from the Church of Satan. Forewarned is forearmed." might sound harmless at first glance, but this kind of reminds me of an isolation tactic where cults discourage their followers to read or engage with opposing or differing opinions because it might open their eyes to the truth of things?

Finally, here are some statements that I personally don't find are morally or ethically okay?

~ In terms of kids worrying about their parents approval the Church says: "Satanism teaches that, so long as you live with your parents, you are in “their lair” and must show them respect". Which... is literally the same shit abuse victims hear all the time..... (example "you live in their house, they're your parents and you should love and respect them no matter what")...

~ "There can be no more myth of “equality” for all—it only translates to “mediocrity” and supports the weak at the expense of the strong." is a statement I just .... wish I were making up at this point.

~"The emotional drive to “change the world” is a common stage of early adult development typically beginning around age 16 and lasting until around age 24. Usually, individuals who become aware as to how the world actually functions—rather than being lost in a fantasy wherein they will be some sort of savior figure—come to realize that idealism (such as changing the world) is less important than the principle of getting what you want for yourself.",

Also! Um.. they are fully aware and okay with people who uphold discriminatory political views....

To quote their website regarding politics: "Our members span an amazing political spectrum, which includes but is not limited to: Libertarians, Liberals, Conservatives, Republicans, Democrats, Reform Party members, Independents, Capitalists, Socialists, Communists, Stalinists, Leninists, Trotskyites, Maoists, Zionists, Monarchists, Fascists, Anarchists, and just about anything else you could possibly imagine."

And to justify this, they say: "Members who demand conformity from other members to their particular political fetish are welcomed to depart.”, "For a Satanist to expect, much less demand, consensus on any given issue, beyond basic advocacy of individual liberty within local laws, is an enterprise which is probably as masochistic as it is insane.", "Some naïve idealists seem to think that the Church of Satan as an organization risks irrelevancy if it does not become an advocate of certain political positions—usually their own pet issues which are assumed “must” be shared by other Satanists. This fear is based upon the assumption that the Church of Satan needs to change the world or risk “fading into obscurity.”

Again, all of this information comes directly from the Church of Satan website itself. It it not "propaganda". It comes from their own mouths. You're free to disagree with my interpretation and views of the above. But if you do agree, I'd love to know.

The things above make me uneasy. They give me huge cult vibes and are actually disappointing to read as someone who once considered themselves a satanist. As an omnistic pagan now, I do believe that all religions hold truths within them and can say that there are certain things within satanism I do agree with. But overall, I feel like calling satanism a religion is a stretch and should be joined with caution if it's something you are really interested in. I am only one person, I can't tell anyone what to do. But if you were considering becoming a satanist but hold values and views that the things in this post opposed or were opposite to, then maybe satanism isn't right for you. It's definitely not right for me.

I hope this post was educational at the very least. I hope that it might help people make a decision either way if they were interested in joining the Church.

[skydogblog]

Welcome! Dobro Paw-shallow-its!

За Дружбу Между Народам

To Friendship Between Nations - traditional Russian toast.

“ Russia has always been a curiously unpleasant country despite her great literature. Unfortunately, Russians today have completely lost their ability to kill tyrants. ” —

Vladimir Nabokov

Russia, it seems to me, is a country which, at the current time, operates a totalitarian government “under diplomatic cover”.

Greetings! Welcome to Skydogblog – Beyond the Pale

We will be talking about Russia – its culture, history, language, and literature – especially its authors and especially Vladimir Nabokov.  Discussion will also be about current events and especially its politics, current and past.

Current events sometimes overtake us.  So I’m going to post my take on the recent fire in a Siberian shopping mall which took the lives of 64 people, 41 one of them children.

After that will be a little explanation about the blog itself.

It is perhaps indicative of the Russian milieu – a catastrophe born of some significant degree of stupor combined with negligence and shocking lack of ready equipage to deal failed safety mechanisms.

This will be put at the feet of Putin; at the feet of the ultra-conservatives who worship at the feet tradition.  Because tradition dictates in Russia, a certainly chauvinistic society, that men drink vodka for every celebration, deal, or just because.

A society of alcoholics; where life is a joke until it’s not.

Early on in the 90s Putin went after independent tv stations, newspapers, whatever because he was incensed that they would investigate him for corruption.  Even though he was and is involved up to his neck - Putin himself does not consider it corruption.  He considers himself the ruler, backed by a “mandate” of nearly incredible voter turnout for him.  He is, by all accounts, the new “Tsar”, the new “Stalin” the new “Lenin”, if you will.

However, having failed to extradite the “guilty” parties and, in one instance at least, managed to kill one of them in Britain.

After a number of years though he only goes after dangerous people, people with credibility who can provide details clearly which would portray Putin as indeed, another Stalin, writ large.

He did not back off out of compassion, he ignores the Russian independent media now.  They can say whatever they like.  They can call him names, make snarky remarks their headlines and even publish hard-hitting investigative journalistic books, which I will list here as good reads.

All of these media outlets can say and do pretty much as they please because IT DOESN’T MATTER ANYMORE.

Putin has succeeded in making Russia a modern day totalitarian state with all the amenities of a modern civilization.

Diplomatic cover means what it sounds like.  In Russian embassies around the world, esp. here in the US, post FSB (KGB) agents to their embassies who operate under diplomatic cover, in other words, unless we catch them “spying” there is little we can do other than expel the suspected individual.

“A legal resident spy operates in a foreign country under official cover (such as from his country's embassy). He is an official member of the consular staff, such as a commercial, cultural, or military attaché. Thus, he has diplomatic immunity from prosecution and cannot be arrested by the host country if suspected of espionage. The most the host country can do is send him back to his home country as persona non grata.[3] “

p. 12, Shulsky, Abram N.; Schmitt, Gary James (2002). Silent Warfare: Understanding the World of Intelligence (3rd ed.). Potomac Books, Inc. ISBN 9781574883459.

 I find Nabokov is especially relevant because he was deeply rooted in Russian culture; Tsarist Russia and the Revolution.

Nabokov is considered by many to be one of the greatest American authors.  No less a personage than John Updike called him the best modern author writing in English.

His father – also named Vladimir – was instrumental in facilitating a peaceful revolution in 1917 and was the leading framer of the liberal constitution embraced by the short lived provisional government.

His father was an attorney and volunteered a great deal of time to frame a constitution which included universal suffrage, universal healthcare and free education.  He rallied the troops when the occasion called for it.   The constitution he wrote was used by the Provisional Government in the days following the Revolution of 1917.

Eventually pushed out by Lenin and his gangs, Russia was, for a brief shining moment, the most progressive nation of the  face of the earth.

His father died shielding a fellow party from a right wing assassin.*

Pretty much all of Nabokov’s best works have characters that suddenly die or disappear.  Lolita deserts him exactly half way through the book.

 A word about the name of the blog – Beyond the Pale.

From pale (“jurisdiction of an authority, territory under an authority's jurisdiction”), suggesting that anything outside the authority's jurisdiction was uncivilized.

I found this phrase to be especially meaningful as many in the West would consider Russia to be “beyond the pale” – a political and cultural wilderness.

Nabokov wrote Pale Fire after Lolita was published.  I have always contended that Nabokov did not write Lolita, Humbert Humbert did.  The title itself is a somewhat humorous aside and a tribute to her as well by Humbert – the book itself is really about Humbert.

Pale Fire – the title by itself could also indicate wild fire – a fire beyond the pale, the flames of reality (See Zelazny’s Lord of Light – the sermon of the Budda), “time is the fire in which we burn” – Star Trek.**

This blog will be about Russia, it’s history, culture and it’s current “foreign policy” - I use the quotes because currently the only policy Russia has is whatever passes through totalitarian mindset of Putin.   I don’t believe it’s a coincidence there is such a conjunction of names - Putin or Ras-putin?

 I write about this because I am concerned that many remember only the halcyon days of the 90s when Putin was supposedly going to institute democratic reforms.  He later back tracks and decides against being politically aligned with “liberals” (read: the West), turns against them and turns Russia back to the “bad old days” of conservatism.

 *In March 1922, Nabokov's father was fatally shot in Berlin by the Russian monarchist Piotr Shabelsky-Bork as he was trying to shield the real target, Pavel Milyukov, a leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party-in-exile. This mistaken, violent death would echo again and again in Nabokov's fiction, where characters would meet their deaths under accidental terms. (In Pale Fire, for example, one interpretation of the novel has an assassin mistakenly kill the poet John Shade, when his actual target is a fugitive European monarch.) Shortly after his father's death, Nabokov's mother and sister moved to Prague.

 **Names are not important... To speak is to name names, but to speak is not important. A thing happens once that has never happened before. Seeing it, a man looks upon reality. He cannot tell others what he has seen. Others wish to know, however, so they question him saying, 'What is it like, this thing you have seen?' So he tries to tell them. Perhaps he has seen the very first fire in the world. He tells them, 'It is red, like a poppy, but through it dance other colors. It has no form, like water, flowing everywhere. It is warm, like the sun of summer, only warmer. It exists for a time upon a piece of wood, and then the wood is gone, as though it were eaten, leaving behind that which is black and can be sifted like sand. When the wood is gone, it too is gone.' Therefore, the hearers must think reality is like a poppy, like water, like the sun, like that which eats and excretes. They think it is like to anything that they are told it is like by the man who has known it. But they have not looked upon fire. They cannot really know it. They can only know of it. But fire comes again into the world, many times. More men look upon fire. After a time, fire is as common as grass and clouds and the air they breathe. They see that, while it is like a poppy, it is not a poppy, while it is like water, it is not water, while it is like the sun, it is not the sun, and while it is like that which eats and passes wastes, it is not that which eats and passes wastes, but something different from each of these apart or all of these together. So they look upon this new thing and they make a new word to call it. They call it 'fire.'

"If they come upon one who still has not seen it and they speak to him of fire, he does not know what they mean. So they, in turn, fall back upon telling him what fire is like. 'As they do so, they know from their own experience that what they are telling him is not the truth, but only a part of it. They know that this man will never know reality from their words, though all the words in the world are theirs to use. He must look upon the fire, smell of it, warm his hands by it, stare into its heart, or remain forever ignorant. Therefore, 'fire' does not matter, 'earth' and 'air' and 'water' do not matter. 'I' do not matter. No word matters. But man forgets reality and remembers words. The more words he remembers, the cleverer do his fellows esteem him. He looks upon the great transformations of the world, but he does not see them as they were seen when man looked upon reality for the first time. Their names come to his lips and he smiles as he tastes them, thinking he knows them in the naming. The thing that has never happened before is still happening. It is still a miracle. The great burning blossom squats, flowing, upon the limb of the world, excreting the ash of the world, and being none of these things I have named and at the same time all of them, and this is reality — the Nameless.

The Tsar’s Winter Palace Livadia - in the Crimea - where Putin vacations and has a Dacha