The Prince of Darkness is the abyss of dream, crashing as waves against the walls of reality, plunging into the infinite pit of mind, the Infernal flame of desire. The more untamed one’s subconscious the more chaotic that part of their mind will be. The Prince of Darkness is the hero against Chaos, the conscious taming and controlling of the unconscious mind.
The Prince of Darkness is the seed of all power, all wills that remain unbent. Strive ever more, settle for naught but to recover strength. Stoke the black flame to cause fires in the skies and ascend. As Crowley touched upon, attainable goals are actually setting us up for failure. In cases of practicality and the mundane they certainly have their place, yes. In fact, the world runs on attainable goals, yet when people reach them they feel empty, the soul ceases to strive for more even if momentarily. Self-perfection is one such unattainable goal to keep the soul reaching ever forward.
The Prince of Darkness is the wear of river on rock, behold the earth tear before him and give way, an eternally flowing spring of life, primed to consume the hardened stone. There is no stopping the force that is the Prince of Darkness itself, no matter what the other gods and their followers may suggest. The Prince of Darkness is infinitely and eternally in the background of the cosmos, perhaps even beyond. No matter how much the universe or the gods strive for perfection in nature and the perfection of humans – which to them is blind slavery – it cannot be done, for the seed of the Prince of Darkness is still present.
The Prince of Darkness is the recognition of true values, the consistency and belief in one's true morals. The word of the Self is the word of a god.
The Prince of Darkness is the thorn on the rose, bloodied hands striving to find pristine beauty against the pain. Comfort is irrelevant, meaningless in the face of reality. The main view of the afterlife in the Western psyche is likely one of perfect simple bliss: floating among the clouds, no darkness, angels playing harps, a perfectly predictable life. This stems from the first human settlers, such as those who settled and built a civilization around the Nile. The Egyptians often pictured an afterlife much like our own, with their same standing in the world, same jobs, same rituals and routines, the only difference being perfect stability. The Nile would never flood late or early, there would never be a drought or illness, and they could remain there forever in service to their kings and gods. This proved to be the Death of the Stellar Tradition. The Prince of Darkness cannot provide such to the LHPer, there is no eternal stability for to cease is to die. He is also the acceptance of uncomfortable truths, the hardest of which always seem to be of the Self.
The Prince of Darkness is the Serpent of Gnosis, the hero in the garden, the voice of true goodness. Speak unto us truth, great Serpent, whisper the ancient words from your eternal place in heaven. The Prince of Darkness is not some tool created for attention and shock, the Prince of Darkness is something extremely and explicitly real within the universe. To be initiated into the Esoteric LHP is not to pass written tests or achieve superior cultural standing or anything of that nature – it is about Gnosis, true wisdom and knowledge, including that related to Darkness. He made his role for us clear in the garden – if we are to use the common Western tale – when granting us knowledge and divinity to Yahweh’s punishment for freeing us from everlasting tyranny.
The Prince of Darkness is the vibration of music, the bass shaking the innards from their place, drums pulsing in the ears, flutes and violins crying for olden myths. Around an eldritch fire he reads along from the lost poems, tapping his foot with the rhythm. With every new generation there is new music, I cannot imagine this was different in ancient times aside from the sheer diversity of instruments and tools we have now. And every generation the last generation likely complained how the new music is terrible and isn’t music at all.
The Prince of Darkness is the warmth of fire in winter, the body, shivering and abandoned, embraced by flame. Wandering through a snow-covered forest at the turn of the year he brings you to deep forgotten caverns. The first people in the Common Era who found the Prince of Darkness were the outcasted, the great Other. They spoke to him in thick, quiet forests and walked with him beside shimmering lakes. Yahweh offers no protection from the storm, nothing but silence in exchange for submission. The Prince of Darkness helps one learn to protect themselves and not need to rely on others.
The Prince of Darkness is the quest for true wisdom, the hermit embracing their isolation in the midst of sheep. Be not driven by a lack of struggle, do not revel in the acceptance of stasis.
The Prince of Darkness is the awe of the child, the laughter of discovery, the esoteric in the mundane. What adult human being is more free than a child? They seek what they enjoy and learn quickly what they dislike, they care for themselves and are not bothered by the judging eyes of others, they certainly know how to persuade even the smartest of adults as well! All discovery should be enjoyed, and all failed quests for knowledge should be seen as victories, for there are more mysteries at hand.
The Prince of Darkness is the hero of consciousness fighting back the destruction of Chaos, forcing the slavery of order to give way. Each has this power, like the burning center of a distant star. While I no longer feel the need to “save” people as my social worker Self did, I greatly enjoy aiding individuals in seeing this important truth, the possible strength of their will against their nature and circumstance if it is not what their soul needs.
The Prince of Darkness is the blinding brilliance of autonomy, the sharpened double blade which may wound opponent and wielder in equal measure. The greatest achievements and horrors to come stem from the same minds.
The Prince of Darkness is the inspiration of the artist, the muse of the Romantics, the prompter of the author. Create new works and visit upon the old, revel in their eternal glory. Everybody is so extreme these days, swinging violently from one side to the other like a pendulum – “we must embrace the new and shun the old!” or “we must preserve the old and shun the new!" I say mix the old with the new, embrace and shun aspects of both as it suits you.
The Prince of Darkness is the lust of deep passion, the tingling of newborn desire, the first brush of fingertips. If we are to be slaved in matter then enjoy the needs of flesh. If this material world is a type of prison we were enslaved here by Yahweh, we did not choose to come. The key is happiness and joy. Just because we are imprisoned does not mean we cannot make the best of it, there are plenty enjoyments of the senses to be had, and the LHPer revels in them instead of demonizing them. The only reason they are demonized is to make our sentence worse.
The Prince of Darkness is the goat leaping in joy. If god intends to thrive on our suffering, the ultimate blasphemy is enjoyment. Be rapturous, eat of fine foods and consume your favorite drinks.
The Prince of Darkness is the shield against tyranny, opposition of the cosmic dictator. Were we as god wished we would be no more than debased slaves scrounging for scraps of love. Conspiracy theories centering on “Satanic” New World Orders are hilarious to me, for it was never the Prince of Darkness who wanted such an Order. In fact, even in Christianity itself the Prince of Darkness is cast out for not wanting such an order.
The Prince of Darkness is the violent thunder of the storm, the tempest gathering on the horizon, lightning splitting the darkened sky. The unprepared may be swept away yet all kin are washed clean. I’ve enjoyed storms all my life, long before I would have seen any esoteric aspect to such a thing. During the day is my favorite, the clouds blocking out the rays of the Sun, darkening the sky. A storm is not a defeat but the birth of a new obstacle to force growth!
The Prince of Darkness is the fascination with the unknown, the mind reaching out to comprehend infinity. Each failure to understand is a gift, a continuance of the greatest quest. The unknown is mankind’s deepest, most ancient fear, present since we first formed higher consciousness and sat around the fire telling stories about the surrounding darkness. The very term “occult” means hidden, and the occult is what the RHP traditions have fought so hard to destroy. They and their god know power lays in that darkness, power and freedom.
The Prince of Darkness is the euphoric howling of ancient rites, devotees flinging themselves around blazing bonfires in orgiastic delight. The wood cracks and crumbles in offering to lost gods. All gods but Yahweh were bastardized into demons by the church during its vicious conquering of bodies, minds, cultures, and souls. He is the ultimate symbol for these gods many believe to be dead, each and every one of them seeking deserved justice against the imposter demiurge.
The Prince of Darkness is the blasphemy of the heretic, the iconoclasm of the decadent, the thoughts which are impure. Know man that no matter what mask you must bear the destruction of light is written on your soul. Embrace the aforementioned unknown, breathe it in, and do not let anyone stand in the way of you doing so.
The Prince of Darkness is the unending night sky, Draco chasing his tail in eternal delight, the womb of all existence. Facing North you feel your feet leaving the ground, a slight pull there since childhood, he takes your hand.