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Post by Kai'zen on Jul 30, 2011 3:20:56 GMT -6
Me and Brother loki have been planning to start some form of LHP organisation here in New Zealand for a while now, I have spoken with Venger and we have decided to set up as a CoC grotto. The only Satanic/Left Hand Path presence I've been able to locate in New Zealand is an out-of-print magazine, a fifteen year old scandal and a small and to my knowledge inactive tribe of Traditional Satanists calling themselves the "Meridianus Nexion" which can be found here: meridianusnexion.50webs.com/As you can see they have very little material posted on their site, which seems fairly rudimentary. I thought I might find some inspiration looking through what they had to say and I did. I thought it would be a good idea to try and find some vestige of a "theme" for our yet-to-be grotto, so as to make it slightly different from the rest of the Cult, my reasoning being if we are the same as the rest of the Cult, we may as well be the rest of the Cult, rather than forming a grotto. What I came up with was to an extent inspired by what I found of the Meridianus Nexion's site. >Much evidence exists to suggest that New Zealand was inhabited before it's natives arrived only a few hundred years ago from the Pacific Islands. Meridianus uses this as a justification for this country as a "sinister homeland", but racism aside, there is much evidence to this end. The idea of some Antediluvian civilization existing here before us makes for an interesting idea and one that is usually reserved for the larger landmasses. >The Native Maori people have a rich magical tradition, which unfortunately has decayed since the European colonisation and has been corrupted heavily by the Christian missionaries during the early stages of settlement. >Lovecraft mentions "strange lights in the woods near dunedin", while he is clearly unfamiliar with the Otago region's Arboreal situation, a significant portion of "The Call of Cthulhu" is set in New Zealand, or in R'lyeh itself, which we are told is off the coast of New Zealand. If anyone has any ideas they are welcome to contribute, as will I.
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Post by I AM the Way on Aug 1, 2011 13:42:55 GMT -6
Sounds good. Like the theme and direction taken. I think this will be a huge step forward for yourselves and the CoC. If I can help, please let me know.
Awake!
Venger As'Nas Satanis Ipsissimus Cult of Cthulhu
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Post by boksmutant on Aug 1, 2011 20:54:05 GMT -6
rezal, that's pretty sweet. I have something going with Dudetyson in regards to a "Grotto", but as you said it might as well be the COC if it doesn't have something that separates it.
If R'lyeh is close, than that would give you an advantage for starting a grotto, could be a theme, just an idea.
But keep us posted on your progress with it, anything to further the Cthulhu's tenties:)
Hail the Cult!
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Post by Ny'obstaresh on Aug 3, 2011 16:43:59 GMT -6
I made several vague attempts at bringing together some form of grotto here in NZ, but they all failed due to personal hinderances and unfortunate and unstable locality. However, for a long time I was indeed the only NZ member on the forum. It might be easier now that there are others seeking a similar goal. Id be happy to help develop some ideas for a NZ grotto, so PM if you wish to discuss such things and bounce some ideas around.
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn!
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Post by Kai'zen on Aug 3, 2011 20:50:36 GMT -6
Thanks for the response! I see we have the beginnings of a membership, which is rather heartening.
Loki suggested: "I am thinking more of attracting them via the COC art scene and other artist outlets and find those who are disaffected by the current state of occult and satanism in NZ." Back when it was just the two of us, which I agreed with as a good plan.
Another idea of mine for propagating a membership was to distribute copies of Cult of Cthulhu and Liber A:O.
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Post by lokidreaming on Aug 3, 2011 23:46:58 GMT -6
LOL; that so hit the funny bone as that perfectly decribes the NZ satanic and occult scene very well.
LD
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Post by Ny'obstaresh on Aug 4, 2011 19:32:20 GMT -6
As ideal an approach as that may be, I think you may be disheartened by the lack of real artistic ambition in the satanically-inclined portions of our country, as miniscule as those portions may be.
The lethargy of those who are magickally inclined is also remarkable here.Everyone's inclined to believe that most occult groups are silly here - I guess it comes down to a kind of arrogance. But there aren't many who take this thing seriously, especially when you're talking about worshipping the supposed "creations" of a sci-fi/horror writer from the 20's. I've investigated the scene rather thoroughly, having a life-long interst in the occult and a rather free childhood, and I've met with nothing but disappointment.
I'm not saying it can't be changed, I'm just saying it'll take some work.
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn!
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Post by dudetyson on Aug 4, 2011 20:12:42 GMT -6
It's very encouraging to see more and more people in the CoC doing some kind of on-the-ground work, gathering people together. Between Cora'Sahn, Boks'/my bizarre activities, and now this New Zealand grotto, we might actually get a real offline membership.
I have a dream, a dream of a Left-Hand Path that is neither addicted to flamewars nor shut off in self-isolation...
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Post by lokidreaming on Aug 5, 2011 1:12:50 GMT -6
I myself have nothing much good to say about the NZ occult scene, but due to my experiences there are some really well grounded people out there and maybe most of those well grounded people think the same also of others and in a way already give up before they get a game plan. I always wanted to do something to help the NZ occult scene as I can see the potential of it.
LD
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Post by sin on Aug 5, 2011 7:38:58 GMT -6
DO IT.
Let me know if you need any help from my end too. Having run a COC grotto for a number of years, I can give advice when requested. I did add some preliminary grotto docs and an outline, if you wanted to created your own grotto grimoires, and add material relative to your grotto theme. It can be found on the Cult Wiki.
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Post by Ny'obstaresh on Aug 7, 2011 3:07:50 GMT -6
Thanks, Cora. In discussion with Rezal, I made the following statement. I post it here for your viewing and feedback.
Well, it seems to me that the obvious place to start would be focusing on what we have around us that we can work with. NZ has a beautiful natural environment (as I'm sure you're well aware, living in Motueka, and indeed, having eyes..), blessed in abundance with bush and beach incomparible in beauty to many places around the world. So it seems to me that the best way to form a foundation for a grotto would be to choose one or two of the Great Old Ones to primarily work with in the grotto. This helps to form the principles and foundation ritual work of the grotto. Based on our environment, the likes of Yog-Sothoth, Shub-Niggurath, Dagon and Tsathoggua seem like the obvious choices, but this can be further explored later. The essential elements inherent in the thoughtform of that specific Great Old One would also dictate or at least indicate the kind of people who would be inclined to join. It is my personal belief that grottoes should have a consistent approach to ritual and worship amongst all the members. For example, turning once again to our environment for clues, a shamanic/tribal approach to magick within the grotto would seem logical. The "civilization" of our land is only really recent - we should be wild like the land, drawing power from our blessed abundance of bush, mountain and marsh, and feeding it and nurturing it to our own ends. Let us not forget, too, the large percentage of occult types around here are environmentally-inlcined and more likely to be sympathetic to our cause if we use this to our advantage.
Well, that's where I would start at any rate. One thing that should be established though, amongst all members of the grotto, is a consistent belief as to the existence of the Great Old Ones, i.e. is Cthulhu really trapped in R'lyeh somewhere in the ocean? Can Yog-Sothoth impregnate women in rituals? ETC. Consistency keeps us strong.
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn!
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Post by lokidreaming on Aug 7, 2011 3:56:35 GMT -6
New Zealand is one of those really powerfully mystical places in the world and the maori mythology is one of the most powerful in the world.
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Post by Ny'obstaresh on Aug 7, 2011 4:52:49 GMT -6
The land here has a very strong energy of its own. I've always observed that there are a lot of places in the Waikato that remind me of the descriptions of Dunwich. Lots of hills there certainly have a fascinating "aura" of mystical potential, the surrounding farmland and marshes adding a lot to the Dunwich feel of the geography. New Zealand is an excellent place to culminate our powers.
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn!
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Post by dudetyson on Aug 7, 2011 11:36:24 GMT -6
Don't the Maori have an octopus god of lightning and death who came from outer space?
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Post by Ny'obstaresh on Aug 7, 2011 17:48:15 GMT -6
No, not exactly. People get a lot of the Polynesian gods confused, and then pop culture and personal bias and wishful thinking fill in the blanks. I'd take the majority of the sources currently widely available with a grain of salt. The Maori have no written language, so much of their law oral or preserved in pictorial carvings. At any rate, even if the Maori did worship a space octopus, they still weren't the original inhabitants of New Zealand. It is widely accepted now that NZ's indigenous people were a red-haired race whom the Maori fought and ate when they came to NZ, and who have subsequently become extinct. I'm against using the Maori culture in ritual work. The focus should be to work with what we already know and show that the assimilation of other religions is unnecessary as our belief system stands on its merit. We should work with the energies within us and around us, from the land and sea and stars.
Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn!
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Post by sin on Aug 8, 2011 8:14:14 GMT -6
Sounds like a good plan, a foundation.
Use your environment and commit to devotion and ritual as a method of refinement.
Good plan.
I suppose the next step would be to decide on your A:O, their attributes, and the best methods of devotion rituals. Any ideas?
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Post by sin on Aug 8, 2011 8:15:27 GMT -6
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Post by lokidreaming on Aug 8, 2011 23:32:15 GMT -6
dudetyson, Where did you get the octopus thingy and new zealand link please? To my knowledge NZ Maori or polynesian legends don't have one., LD
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Post by sin on Aug 9, 2011 6:37:12 GMT -6
The link I provided also has the legend of the octopus. References are provided at the bottom of the page.
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Post by sin on Aug 9, 2011 6:39:52 GMT -6
I also found another reference as follows: "Significance for Maori The general Maori name for cephalopods is whekekorako. There is little information on the significance of these animals to Maori. A tradition tells of the explorer Kupe chasing a giant octopus known as "Te Wheke a Muturangi" from Hawaiki to Raukawa Moana (Cook Strait) where he killed it, placing its eyes on the tapu (sacred) rocks known as Nga Whatu (The Brothers), an area hazardous to navigation. Elsewhere there is reference of some species of octopus being captured by hand and used as bait for line-and-hook fishing or in crayfish pots. Return to Page Top Key References Jackson, G D. 2001. Confirmation of winter spawning of Moroteuthis ingens (Cephalopoda: Onychoteuthididae) in the Chatham Rise region of New Zealand. Polar Biology 24: 97-100. Jackson, G D, Shaw, A G P and C Lalas. 2000. Distribution and biomass of two squid species off southern New Zealand: Nototodarus sloanii and Moroteuthis ingens. Polar Biology 23: 699-705. Orbell, M. 1995. Illustrated Encyclopedia of Maori Myth and Legend. Christchurch, Canterbury University Press. Smith, P J, Mattlin, R H, Roeleveld, M A and T Okutani 1987. Arrow squids of the genus Nototodarus in New Zealand waters: systematics, biology, and fisheries. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 21: 315-326." Website: www.treasuresofthesea.org.nz/octopus-and-squid
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Post by sin on Aug 9, 2011 6:40:50 GMT -6
There is a wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Te_Wheke-a-Muturangi"In the traditions of the Ngāti Ranginui people of Tauranga, Te Wheke-a-Muturangi was killed by their ancestor Tamatea, and is not associated with Kupe. New Zealand ethnologist David Simmons has suggested that this may be the more authentic tradition, and that the association with Kupe is found only in problematic sources (Simmons 1976)."
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Post by sin on Aug 9, 2011 6:43:48 GMT -6
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Post by Kai'zen on Aug 9, 2011 20:05:52 GMT -6
Yes, I remember being told the legend of Wheke by my grandfather when i was little. Thanks for jolting my memory a little Cora.
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Post by Kai'zen on Aug 9, 2011 20:32:01 GMT -6
Ny'Obstareth and Loki, you both seem to be pretty disillusioned with the state of Satanism here. Many people probably won't like what I have to say, but here in Motueka in know almost ten Satanists, none older than 19, out of 7,125 people who live in our town. Most of them have tried to involve themselves with "serious" Satanic organisations before, but aren't taken seriously because of their ages, after a while, most move on to something more "sensible", because they haven't been cultivated Satanically. Ten out of seven thousand, doesn't sound like a lot? Assuming those figures were consistent across the country there could be roughly five and a half thousand potential satanists in a country you can run over from east to west coast in a day. Five and a half thousand people willing to worship an Octopus Monster from space.
Am I suggesting we indocrinate children? Certainly not.
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Post by boksmutant on Aug 9, 2011 21:36:47 GMT -6
From what I'm hearing perhaps a balls out(tits out) approach could be beneficial. Something shocking comes to mind, like R'yleh. Don't we all sorta agree that the city is in the pacific somewhere?
The area your in has the advantage of forging "artifacts" that might be from the city it's self. Who's to argue when an object pops up:)
Awake!
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Post by lokidreaming on Aug 9, 2011 21:37:43 GMT -6
OOPS!!! Guilty as charged myself!!!
One aspect of how I have changed since being a member of the COC is that my ageism is nearly non existent and gone into reversal; ie those that state there have so much years of experience and nothing concrete to show for it.
I will do what I can, like to inform you my rep in NZ is shot to hell due to me having a fallen out with one of my friends and he has he has got ties with the BOP and Rotorua branch of Satanists.
The only way I know how from my situation is keep trying the pagan scene which I have got one foot through the door at the moment.
The best base to start off with is to start off with your group and spread from there.
How about a facebook group for the NZ grotto? and add members of your group who are interested? Tried myself last year, but failed.
So happy the way things have turned out and are going to turn out
LD
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Post by lokidreaming on Aug 9, 2011 21:40:12 GMT -6
@vs @cora'Sahn
Cheers for the link and apologies to DudeTyson.
It is amazing how ignorant one can be of there own localities.
I was shocked two years ago to be informed by overseas occultists that we had maori sorcerers who practise magick and that they are Chinese ones as well.
I'm going, I am from NZ and am Chinese and this all new news to me
LD
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Post by lokidreaming on Aug 9, 2011 21:44:47 GMT -6
I would like NZ and Australia align up together one day as I am in frequent contact with a few of them and their community is very strong and earth based and shamanistic.
Lets just say, compared to Australia, our community is a joke.
I know...I know....more upbeat in my postings!!!!
LD
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Post by sin on Aug 10, 2011 11:38:10 GMT -6
I was thinking the the Dude had an EXTREMELY valid point, take advantage of the local lore and legend, build your grotto with a pre-existing foundation. You may attract occultists, not just Satanists. I don't cut myself off at the wrist by reaching out to like-minded folks, I reach out to all folks. I like to connect with all kinds of minds. I have Christians in my grotto, shocking I know.
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Post by Ny'obstaresh on Aug 10, 2011 17:53:08 GMT -6
Sounds like a good plan, a foundation. Use your environment and commit to devotion and ritual as a method of refinement. Good plan. I suppose the next step would be to decide on your A:O, their attributes, and the best methods of devotion rituals. Any ideas? I mentioned before the Great Old Ones I thought to be most appropriate, considering the nature of NZ's environment, to form a foundation to work on were Yog-Sothoth, Shub-Niggurath, Dagon and Tsathoggua. My personal associations and interpretations for each God is as follows. [glow=red,2,300] Yog-Sothoth[/glow] - Keeper of the Gate. Lord of Change. The First Sorcerer. Worshipped on hilltops under the stars, preferably within a stone circle. The stone circle itself is representational of his form. I've always felt that a more shamanic approach is the best for working with Yog-Sothoth, considering His favour is useful when seeking entry into different astral and dimensional planes, and this is one of the key methods of Magick for the Shaman. I am not at all suggesting a traditional approach to Shamanism, or indeed any 'types' of magick I mention herein. No, I suggest we reinvent it. [glow=red,2,300] Shub-Niggurath[/glow] Hermaphrodite deity of ecstacy and wilderness. God/dess of Lust and Passion. Giver of Abundance and Fertility. Worshipped under the shade of forests during the day, and in open fields beneath the stars. Ecstacy, excess and the senses should be aroused and empowered during the Black Goat's rites, with music, drink, food and pleasure. Style of Magick? Sex magick, ecstacy (not the drug. Although..), sensory overload (to achieve gnosis, etc), dance and festival, etc. [glow=red,2,300] Dagon[/glow] Keeper of Secrets. Giver of Prosperity. Father of the Deep Ones. Worshipped on the shores of beaches and marshes and in seaside caverns. Times of worship should be scheduled to fit within specific dates of the Lunar cycle. Strong link with Gold. I'm not entirely sure on the best way to approach Magick when working with Dagon. In times past my workings with Him have usually been improvised and I guess somewhat tribal in nature. Hmm.. ideas? [glow=red,2,300] Tsathoggua[/glow] The Sleeper of N'kai. Devourer of Sacrifices. Master of the Formless Spawn. Worshipped in deep caves and caverns, and in swamplands. To be especially exalted when Saturn is in the sky. Time/space travel and telepathy are within His domain, as is lucid dreaming and meditation. Again, my approach to working with Tsathoggua has always been very primal and tribal. Lots of dirt and drumming and chanting in grunts and squeals. But if anyone else has other methods they use when working with Tsathoggua, please share. As far as devotion rites go, I guess the primary God we work with will dictate the style and intensity of of said workings. But all should serve to liberate and empower the individual and the group. Obviously. Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn!
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