it all started when.....if i could overcome inertia, the first thing i'd do would be to write a book, which would be nothing more than a clever presentation of a whimsical intellectual journey on the web, with Google as my travel agent, one esoteric search leading to another, each path leading to a virtual door, opening into a metaphorical rooms ("it's like a room....."), the walls of which are covered by more virtual doors ("....full or doorways....."), each door opening into seemingly endless vistas of information, bizarre and inspiring.
maybe i should point out that my Google searches regularly tend to spin out of control. they start out well, mind you -- what you will see here is fairly typical: what begins as a search for a fairly precise kernel of information tends to rapidly disintegrate into a gargantuan digression.
which likely explains why i haven't written the aforementioned book. (see? it's not really inertia, after all. and certainly not laziness -- if anything, i'm too BUSY
learning to write the damned book!)
kinda like this......i land at the doorstep of the Partridge Family Temple.
oddly enough, what led me there was reading about Peter H. Gilmore, High Priest of the Church of Satan, who apparently has or once had some association with the Partridge worshippers. the things you learn on the web.
no, i'm not a satan worshipper. i got there, because i was reading about ketamine. and i was reading about ketamine because there's a huge plant outside of my office. allow me to explain.
i was reading
Dale Pendell's latest,
PHARMAKO/GNOSIS: Plant Teachers and the Poison Path.
(
Dale's a great read, even if you don't give a hoot about the powers of plants.) i was reading about
Angel's Trumpets in the "Daimonica" chapter, because there's a huge specimen of this very plant flourishing outside of my office.
as i continue to read the rest of the book, there's a chapter on
ketamine. Pendell talks about legendary scientist and psychonaut John Lilly, who was a user of the scary disassociative drug. he then lists the names of some of Lilly's pals who died. since i have this weird fascination with morbid facts, i decide to see what i can learn about these people, but of the 4 or 5 listed, i could only remember the name of
Marcia Moore, so i looked her up.
reading about Marcia touches on reading about other people who have messed around with ketamine, and one of them is -- wait for it -- the devilish Peter H. Gilmore.
somewhere along this path, i'm led astray by the Lilly's mischievous spirit, who takes me to
Darenet, where i clicked on a link labelled, "New Federally required warning label to be placed on all medical Marijuana." this takes me to a friendly little skull and crossbones.
while i'm there, i can't resist reading about Lilly's 80th Birthday Party (click the pic). all i learned from this published account was that the great man would have benefitted from hiring a party planner.
i think i'm done, but find that i still have this satan guy on the radar. what the hell (ha!), i click on his link, which leads me to
the cyber-HQ of the dark church itself. i mumble some Latin and make the sign of the cross, but i am a Fearless and Inveterate Explorer, and will not be daunted by The Spooky. i click on the "News" link to see what the whackos are up to.
as it turns out, not much. this comes as no surprise to me. i've long thought that evil, in the grand scheme of things, was boring, and i like to think that the devil and his minions are, at heart, slothful creatures. so, the Prince of Darkness's "news" page turns out to be mostly a place to promote events, magazines and movies. kind of a "
This Week in Helltown" thingy. among our finds...
scary books. scary radio. scary B&W films. scary Mexican movies. the devil's own diary (scary!). guys in drag. scary sexy things, because we all know the devil is always horny. scary art. even scary babydolls.
plus, judging by the blurb, a helluva fun party:
"This Halloween season, the Witches of Salem celebrate the power of the men in our lives. Men, dress as your most rebellious and devilish as you cast off the shackles of authority and walk as the god that you are! Women, dress in your most sexy black garters and lace for those you hope to bewitch and ensnare."
billed as "the World’s most exclusive Halloween event!" it's
The Official Salem Witches Halloween Ball!! sounds like the witches know how to party!....
Bewitchments of the Evening Include
* Sumptuous hors d'oeuvres
* Free Tarot readings by practicing Salem Witches
* An eclectic mix of music from Pop to Goth, Industrial to Top 40 with dj addambomb
* A cash bar to serve your favorite potion
* $666 Cash Prize for Best Costume
* 2nd Place Winner will receive 2 tickets to the Vampires' Masquerade Ball (for 2006 or 2007)
At the evening's pinnacle, all Witches and Warlocks present will break the chains of guilt-laden oaths placed upon them by orthodox faiths as they meet the man in black and sign his book, striking new oaths and promises to a more magical life...
damn! this sounds like fun even for an amateur pagan like me! check out the
pics!
"As a special Halloween treat to our esteemed friends at the Church of Satan, tickets are $100 per person for COS members only (regular price: $150 per ticket). When ordering tickets, please use the discount codeword: SATAN"
in the end, just good clean fun.
(note: do not try this at home. this post took me 4 hours to do. --
ed.)
if you like buying things, here's more cool stuff:
