Warlock Asylum

I’ve known Warlock Asylum for a few years. We’re attracted to similar things but for dissimilar reasons. Sometimes encouraging, occasionally critical, usually thoughtful – he always lets me know exactly what he’s thinking. Warlock Asylum has a path. It’s not like most; it’s extraordinary, even though one can see traces of his understanding throughout our world’s religion and philosophy.

Yes, opposite magnetic poles. Hahaha! One day, we might see eye to eye. That will be a frightening prospect because it’ll mean that we’ve crossed the threshold – something dark and hideous and beyond ordinary man’s comprehension has slithered through the gate… into our world. Ia Ia Cthulhu fhtagn!

_______________

Tell us a little about yourself, Warlock Asylum?

I am just an individual making a way to survive in a world that is sleeping. Many people have become familiar with me by way of following shared experiences. I am part of the administrative team for Papers In The Attic, which can be found at www.warlockasylum.wordpress.com This blog page mainly focuses on some of my many findings while working with the initiatory structure of the Simon Necronomicon.

I am also a poet and musician. The following website features my latest progress in music: www.warlockasylum.info

What is the significance of the name Warlock Asylum?

Warlock Asylum is another way of saying the Mad Arab in terms of a literal definition. The term Mad Arab means “your god that daughter of light” in Enochian. This is a reference to Ishtar, but on some levels, in the deeper teachings of the Necronomicon tradition, Ishtar represents the complete astral body which is developed through Gate-Walking – similar to the Body of Christ being a reference to the astral body. Every Mesopotamian deity in the Simon Necronomicon is a component of the Body of Ishtar or the astral body.

The name Warlock Asylum to me in a dream. I liked how the two words sounded together and I decided that it would be a good name for the musical group. Later, I used this name as an alter ego of sorts when writing for the blog. It wasn’t until later that I was able to make the connections between the name and the term Mad Arab. A lot of my ideas and writings come to me by way of epiphany first. I approach my research based on an epiphany or dream that came to me, to see if it is coming from an authentic source and not a trickster energy, whether mental or spiritual. This is how 90% percent of the articles appearing on the blog came into being. I also write my music in the same manner, minus the research.

When did you first encounter Lovecraft’s work and what was your initial response to it?

I didn’t become familiar with Lovecraft until after I started working with the Simon Necronomicon, and even after that it took me some time to actually read some of his stories. My main focus in working with the Simon Necronomicon was mainly concerned with Ancient Mesopotamian spirituality. Later, I began researching more about Lovecraft after discovering that some of the principles of the Lovecraftian Mythos may hold some key to understanding why certain things were placed in the Simon Necronomicon and how they related to magickal theory and practice in general.

What are some of the Lovecraftian principles you’ve learned from reading his weird fiction?

What I have learned from reading Lovecraftian fiction primarily, is the need to work with on oneself while acquiring knowledge. Many of Lovecraft’s characters were said to go insane because they couldn’t handle the knowledge that was given to them by the entities appearing in his fiction. Yet these same characters never pursued a course of action in conjunction with what they were learning. I have only recently become acquainted with some of the Lovecraft’s work in more detail. Very interesting material.

Assuming you were giving advice to a novice of the Fourth Way, what would you tell them?

There are a lot of unique ideas that can be gleaned by reading Fourth Way literature. Many have made the mistake, however, of logically claiming these ideas for their own without putting the necessary work in to validate what they are reading. Famous Fourth Way writer J. G. Bennett likened this to “stealing” in his book the New Man. The “work” cannot be ascertained by reading Fourth Way literature. You need to be taught by someone who has a good grasp as to what the work is really about. It is then that you will find a lot of the terminology appearing in Fourth Way writings has a different meaning than how the layman would define such terms.

What has your Gate Walking achieved for you? How has your life been enriched by your magical abilities using the Simon Necronomicon?

Most importantly Gate-Walking has helped gain an inner knowing and a confident approach to life in general. It is a very grounded path since most of the “miraculous” occurrences happen in your day-to-day life. One that helped me to appreciate that there is so much heaven on earth, and this is where it always has been.

I have had many unique experiences. I must say that my psychic abilities have grown to a great extent, even people who are not involved in the occult have approached me about some very “strange things” that have occurred in their lives due to my presence, but I always keep in mind that it is not about me. There is only being and through being is life.

What form of magic or occultism would you be using if the Simon Necronomicon never existed?

I would still be involved in ancient Mesopotamian magic. I was heavily involved with this long before working with the Simon Necronomicon. So when I discovered this text, it really felt familiar to me. I should also clarify that the Necronomicon Tradition and the Gate-walking Community is not just about working with the Simon Necronomicon. That is just the beginning, a point of reference to communicate upon, but there are other things that make up our work, and the Initiate is free to explore, like so many have done, other paths of magic and the occult. I am a member of The Temple of Vampire. Other Initiates are involved in things that are unrelated to the Simon Necronomicon, per se.

What’s wrong with the world?

Nothing is wrong with the world but the perceptions of people living in it. “The last thing a person will give up is their suffering because that is what they are most familiar with.”

How do you feel about authority?

Authority in the true sense of the term is a part of the cycle of life. When one is able to transcend authority, they have also transcended the cycle of life.

Explain that. Is the cycle of life something good, bad, mandatory, should we try to transcend it?

It’s neither good nor bad. It’s more in the perspective of how one wishes to lead their life and what they seek to accomplish. If a person were to look at the cycle of life as something that keeps them confined, it means that they are not in control of their lives. They live out events that are randomly selected for them via chance. This is the true herd approach.

The cycle of life teaches us the invisible and visible laws of how things are created and destroyed, how true personal evolution and happiness is achieved. If we look at the cycle of life as a training ground, of how the self works, and align with it, then life becomes a canvas, so to speak, that we can make our dreams manifest into reality. Our approach is extremely important.

What about authority in the ordinary sense of the term, how do you feel about that?

Authority is a beautiful thing. I am speaking of true authority. Just think of how children are affected when the authoritative figures, such as parents, are removed from their lives. There is a certain joy that diminishes from the child’s life. The wisdom that we learn from our elders in the community is another beneficial aspect of authority. Of course, the term authority is often associated today with those who make use of the abuse of power, but this is not the true meaning of authority. Gurdjieff mentions the importance of such authority in his writings, in how a person must work with those already evolved since some aspects of the human psyche will deceive us if we seek our own means of teaching ourselves

Aren’t the Gate-Walking entities fictional, at least to some degree?

Anything that exists outside of your experience is fictional. The Gate-Walking entities are metaphors describing certain causes that have brought us to the present moment, and how they can be used to create the next experience. They exist within and without. These energies are manifested all around us in creation and within our body. We say use the term horizon, in the Simon Necronomicon it says “ziku.” These entities are real only to those who are aware of what’s around them.

What was your impression of the Cthulhu Cult a couple years ago and how does that differ from your impressions on it today?

I am never one to tread on anyone’s system on internal cultivation, in lack of a better word, and I also found the paradigm being somewhat interesting, but also a little confusing. Since Lovecraft is classified as a fictional author, I saw the entities that he describes in his fiction as just imaginary. So I couldn’t understand how using his characters would work in ritual practice. However, I also understood that “fiction” has been the medium used to convey occult truths from times of ancient antiquity. Just look at how magicians and religious leaders revere ancient mythology in their modern methods of spirituality.

I think my differences with the Cthulhu Cult began with my misunderstanding of what they stood for. After quite a few online debates, YouTube videos, and etc, I realize that there are some really strong individuals who use the CoC paradigm to evolve in all aspects of life, such as Ego Diabolus and others. When I first came across the CoC via the internet, I didn’t know too much about its mission and because of such, conflicts arose.

Today, we are alright. I think that the CoC is something that is still evolving, which is good. When the energies continue to grow, so will the members and the wisdom and love of the organization overall. Organizations are systems of exercises to help perfect and develop the real inner being. When viewed from this perspective, one can appreciate that different paths are not in themselves different, but a different set of exercises to help us evolve. Once the Initiate of any system comes to appreciate this simple truth, the idea of debate becomes quite amusing.

What would Gurdjieff or Ouspensky think about Gate-Walking and the Cthulhu Mythos?

I am not sure what they would say. I know that one principle of Fourth Way thought is that “you can never follow a dead man because they are not present to instruct a person on what they really meant.” Gurdjieff and Ouspensky cannot be followed today, but their practices can be employed, if passed down by someone capable. In Search of the Miraculous says, “Doing is Magic.”

How does your initiation process or spiritual journey mesh with the Fourth Way?

True initiation is based upon one principal: “Life is real when I cease to be false.” This is why in Necronomicon physics, the initiation process is also the process of death of falseness.

Do you consider me, Venger As’Nas Satanis, more evolved than the ordinary person, more evolved than your typical adept? Am I a Fourth Way Master or Teacher in your eyes? Why or why not?

You can be whatever you want to be. There is an old Asian parable of a farmer who kept a wide array of animals in a fenced area. The animals, however, kept climbing the fence. The farmer was unable to prevent these animals from escaping the area he had reserved for them. Finally, he came up with a brilliant idea. He hypnotized the animals and told them that they were either doctors, lawyers, and etc. The animals remained content with their new personas and remained in the fenced area as the farmer prepared to take them to the slaughterhouse.

Where Venger As’Nas Satanis fits into this parable is up to you. Draw your own conclusion. The Fourth Way is just an exercise to awaken the human being from a state of sleep and, if possible, the individual can begin doing. The real question that one should consider is if a “title” aids in the process of sleep or being awake. The Fourth Way has no master.
What is interesting about all of this is that Fourth Way teachings come from Sufism and Taoism, yet the average Westerner just stops at Gurdjieff and remains closed to the wisdom of the ages that has always existed, even Gurdjieff mentioned that himself.

Taking organizations as systems of exercise, aren’t there exercises which can be either beneficial or unproductive… and some which are downright disastrous?

A disastrous course of action is to put one’s trust outside of themselves. Yes there are exercises that can deter a person upon their path. What I am about to say is not law, but is a good method of determining what is useful and what is not. Just look at the lives of those involved in an a certain group. Are they happy? Are they finding fulfillment in life? Although people bark at Christianity a lot, Jesus once said that you will know a tree by its fruit.

How should one protect oneself from those strategies which are not beneficial?

By keeping in mind that they are capable of shaping their own destiny. Avoid Gurus at all costs. It is another way of putting “god” outside of oneself. This is one reason why I have avoided some groups. A tradition can only survive, in the true sense of the term, when the student becomes more capable than the teacher. This is the only way that any school of thought can advance. If this fact is not noted by any institution, be it religious or mystical, etc, then one will find a brick wall at the end of the road.

What would you say to those who believe it is necessary to reclaim their liberation by force?

Once one acknowledges their liberation, they are empowered.

Is true understanding always reflected in results which ordinary people can comprehend in objective reality?

The real question is whether or not ordinary people can even perceive objective reality. The majority of people walk around with an idea in their heads as to what the world is. They are constantly taking in impressions of the world around them through the five senses. However, if we limited our understanding of reality based on what is perceived by the five senses, then we must consider or thoughts, feelings, and emotions as unreal. True understanding is always reflected in both the space of the physical reality and the space of our inner reality, where our thoughts, feelings, and emotions are held. If our inner reality is a ghetto, then our physical reality will be a ghetto. Haven’t you ever heard of millionaires committing suicide due to internal conflicts?

What would you say to those who either cannot or choose not to see any results you and other Gate-Walkers have manifested?

That’s an interesting question and one that has come up from time to time. The Necronomicon Tradition is a closed system. It is not for everyone, and in some ways that is a protection. Over the years, I have seen, on occasion, some skeptics suffer mentally because they assumed it to be a form of Western magic – something that’s all in your mind. It is true that the system is reflective of the “mind,” but what some fail to realize is that this “mind”, while it affects conscious thought, is not accessed by the conscious mind directly.

A careful reading of the Simon Necronomicon indicates this, and so there are a lot of safety traps to protect the system and the curious from harming themselves. Here are two quotes supporting this; “In both the European and Chinese cultures, the Dragon or Serpent is said to reside somewhere “below the earth”; it is a powerful force, a magickal force, which is identified with mastery over the created world; it is also a power that can be summoned by the few and not the many.” Another quote from the text that gives a deeper explanation about this goes as follows: “BUT KNOW THAT INANNA TAKES HER OWN FOR HER OWN, AND THAT ONCE CHOSEN BY HER NO MAN MAY TAKE ANOTHER BRIDE.” One has to be selected by the Djinn in order to work with this current on a deeper level. This is about a secret society of the Djinn. I have seen people go through the Gate-Walking initiation and experience very little in the beginning, but later on they experience personal transformation which has really occurred all along the process. This Tradition is not for special effects seekers, but those who are on the road to being, for that is all there really is.

Tell me about a three to five year goal you have.

One of the things that I am working towards is financial independence. Based on the principles that I have learned as an occultist, I find this as one of the focal points of occult practice. It is not discussed in more general circles, which may be due to those who seek occult studies as a form of escapism, but in my study of magical theory and practice, this is a main goal of a true occult practitioner.

I must also state that I am not advocating a superficial materialistic attitude. Being rich is being able to live the life that you feel is most rewarding.

Does greatness require suffering?

The only requirement that greatness ask of us is for us to be true who we are. Draw your own conclusion.

Describe the apocalypse, end times, or any kind of revelations type event.

World is an idea, but the planet will always survive. While on the path to initiation there are many apocalypses for the inner world just as real as “objective reality.” Due to such, the Ancient Ones are here, and they are actively working in society. This is the greatest revelation of all.

.
.
.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 24th, 2011 at 5:37 am and is filed under Interviews and tagged with CoC, Cthulhu Cult, Cthulhu Mythos, Cult of Cthulhu, Fourth Way, Gate-Walking, gatewalking, Gurdjieff, H.P. Lovecraft, initiation, Mad Arab, magic, Necronomicon, Ouspensky, Simon Necronomicon, Venger Satanis, Warlock Asylum. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.