The most merciful thing in the world, I think,is the inability of the human mind
to correlate all it contains.
We live on a placid island of ignorance
in the midst of black seas of infinity,
and it was not meant that we should voyage far.
The sciences, each straining in its own direction,
have hitherto harmed us little;
but someday the piercing together
of dissociated knowledge
will open up such terrifying vistas of reality,
and our frightful position therein,
that we shall either go mad from the revelation
or flee from the deadly light
into the peace and safety of a new dark age.
~ H.P. Lovecraft (The Call of Cthulhu)
CTHULHU MYTHOS: The Influence of Lovecraftby Joshua Free
(Excerpted from Arcanum Epica (Vol. I) also available as A Complete Course Curriculum in Magick)
“Though not necessarily a true cultural or religious pantheon by its own semantics, the writings of H.P. Lovecraft reflect the Cthonic Underworld energy currents of primordial mythoi like those of the Sumerians, Babylonians and Egyptians. Lovecraft also demonstrated a certain aptitude in Hermetic philosophy, in spite of the ridiculous debate concerning his possible exposure to such subjects.” (Arcanum I)
“The stories in his archive are usually short and most read like letters of personal correspondence or newspaper articles concerning cult activities or naïve persons dabbling with the incantations of the Necronomicon. Few of the stories relate to each other, except briefly shared names and references (e.g. “Cthulhu” or “Necronomicon”). These references are so scattered that reconstructing a workable pseudo-religious hierarchical pantheon of Lovecraftian deities is practically pointless, though many creative minds have already attempted this (usually for fantasy role-playing purposes) including those recent efforts by Donald Tyson.”
“It might be more appropriate to instead delve into the natures of the source-traditions that we now can explore more avidly then during Lovecraft’s life, nearly one-hundred years ago. The terminology he provided was important for his time and remains so for posterity today, though there are more practical and historical avenues to pursue for seekers. Other writers who were influenced by Lovecraft use this shared paradigm, which was not actually called the “Cthulhu mythos” during his lifetime. This idea came later and included contributions from August Derleth, Robert E. Howard (creator of “Conan: The Barbarian”), Robert Block and T.E.D. Klein (better known for “The Ceremonies”).”“Very little of the literal semantics used by Lovecraft match Simon’s Necronomicon (or Sumerian-Babylonian traditions in general), but the overall theme remains true. This archetypal system concerns the origins of the human species as affected by the “Old Gods.” Lovecraft speaks of an “unholy trinity” of Ancient Ones and their evil followers who seek to bring these entities back into manifestation in our time-space. These energies were present on the Earth Planet in prehistory and the reintroduction of their existence would effective end the living circumstances we know today. This directly relates to the lore of the Gate to the Outside, sealed by the Elder Sign.” (Arcanum I or Complete Curriculum)
“The current editor (Joshua Free), in spite of being known for writing excessively concerning “Necronomicon” topics, will ironically not spend much time covering this specific mythos. The fact remains: the Cthulhu mythos was not based on Mesopotamian lore, nor are the Mardukite interpretations of said lore in any way affected by Lovecraft’s vision – they are one and the same, simply realized differently for literary purposes.”“In Lovecraft’s writing, Azathoth appears as the chaotic element in creation as well as the inherit tendency of all particle existence to “degrade” and perish. He sometimes appears in visions as a serpent, specifically the Great Serpent of the Cosmos (a “green dragon” so large it could swallow the “universe”) interpreted by some to mean the Milky Way and to others as the DNA genetic code underlying creation.” (Arcanum I)
“According to archaic lore, “Azathoth” is eternally playing a flute that emits a “chaotic vibration” which exists at the heart of all things in the Universe making their manifestation possible (consider String Theory). As with many spirits in the Cthulhu mythos it is believed that the name itself is so powerful that it should not be uttered out loud (unless you are intentionally calling forth this energetic current). According to “Liber 9,” found within the Mardukite “Necronomicon Anunnaki Bible” – Azathoth might be able to be equated to the Babylonian diety Samas or Shammash the Sun-God, also known as Utu to the Sumerians.”
“Shub-Niggurath is typically the feminine aspect in creation, representing the mother-head of life, fertility and growth. In some stories, she is an abomination known as the “Black Goat of the Woods with One-Thousand Young.” In one disturbing vision of H.P. Lovecraft, Shub-Niggurath is a gigantic ever-changing organic mass secreting anomalisms of life as a waste product. An optimist might equate this with a living biosphere like the Earth Planet, yet Shub-Niggurath resides in the “Dark Woods” of an interdimensional cavern or Underworld. There is an Ish-Niggarah listed among the ranks of Ancient Ones in the Necronomicon, who may also manifest as a goat. This is simply one possible correlation between Lovecraft’s vision and the historical lore of the Mesopotamian Necronomicon. With Azathoth as the chaotic vibration of existence and Shub-Niggurath as the manifester of organic forms of life, the dualistic nature of creative “god/goddess” could be complete, but it is not. “Liber 9” suggests that Shub-Niggurath may be easily equated to Enki, though some other sources have connected to Ishtar (so, essentially “Earth” or “Venus”).” (Arcanum I)
“These two forms combine to create “potentiality” which requires a palette or screen to actually play out, the third element of the triad. Yog-Sothoth represents the existence of time or time-space and the necessary perceived cycles for existence and life to unfold, develop or evolve. In the quantum paradigm, Yog-Sothoth is the space between and the “gluons” bonding atoms together. In other lore, this force manifests as a massive conglomerate of shifting spheres or orbs of “dark light.” Given what we know of Anunnaki-systems and the correlation in “Liber 9,” Yog-Sothoth can be connected to Marduk and thus the Lovecraftian Creative Trinity is complete.”
“While central to the stories in the cycle (and of course the name derived from it), Cthulhu is not a part of the trinity. This gargoyle-like figure stands over 100 feet tall, has bat wings, tentacles and the head of a squid. According to legend, Cthulhu resides in the Underworld city of R’lyeh, with possible energetic connections to the Pacific Ocean. Like the legends of Baphomet and Merlyn, Cthulhu remains there perpetually, “not dead but dreaming.” Cthulhu is said to influence the dreams of humans and has the ability to cause “men to go insane.” In the Sumerian mythos, Cthulhu translates to Kutulu. These beings hate humanity (which was actually bred and protected by Enki) and the Necronomicon of Simon is actually not a manual to summon these entities, but a grimoire left by the lineage of Enki to ensure the protection of humans against the Ancient Ones.”
Learn more about: Merlyn’s School of Magick & Wizardry.
And be sure to catch the recent interview with Joshua Free during his visit to Paranormal Palace Radio, November 15, 2011, concerning the Anunnaki, Alien Gods and their affect on Spiritual and Religious Traditions. — Now viewable on YouTube!
Just released!
THE NECRONOMICON (Second Edition) is a further abridgement of the same materials.
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