ecstasy

    The esoteric purpose of the Cult of Ecstasy is secretly encoded into their name. The word "ecstasy" comes from the Greek phrase "ex stasis", or "out of stasis". This Tradition was founded to literally break out of Static Reality through exploration of all aspects of human potential. Their mission is simple but easily misunderstood: If Static Reality is enforced by restricting possibilities, it is the duty of all ex-stasis mages to explore other paths. They confront, head-on, what the rest of the world fears -- the shadows of the inner landscape.
     Many other Traditions see the Cult as an irreponsible mob of self obsessed sensualists who require favored "vices" to perform magick. In truth, they are a force of freedom and consciousness in the world of enslaved Sleepers, liberators who utilize the power and forbidden tools of illumination. The Cult of Ecstasy continually and unhesitatingly offers opportunities for break through to a suspicious and ungrateful world, gleefully casting their magickal pearls before swine. They live true to the credo that they neither force nor prevent the Awakening in others. In their heretical deviation from the political, social and personal orthodoxes of their times (orthodoxes that constitute the true "Political Correctness"), the Cult of Ecstasy has contributed more to the collective Awakening of mankind than any other Tradition.
     The Cult of Ecstasy has confounded mages of the Technocracy time and time again throughout their colorful history. Like tricksters, they shatter seemingly monolithic paradigms from within. Thought they have lost many battles to the Techronatic juggernaut, they have also infiltrated the institutions that are the corner stones of Static Reality, then chipped away from the inside. When holy warriors forced sword point conversions from the pagan worshippers of Pan and Dionysus, the Cult of Ecstasy simply went underground within the Church. They covertly encouraged sacramental dubauchery, ecstatic worship, and the greatest heresy -- Goddess worship -- through the establishment of the Cult of the Virgin. Though the Church managed to desexualize their Priests, twisting remaining sexual interests into perversions, the flames of Cult of Ecstacy freedom continued to burn brightly in global liberation theology.
     Virtually all members of the Cult of Ecstasy access the consciousness-altering portions of their minds and exalt their spirits through exploration of physicality. Through dance, food, theater, and sexual delight, they celebrate the union of their sacred physical beings with the sacred transcendence of eternity. The Technocracy has gained great power and robbed mankind of one of the greatest sources of potential for Awakening by demonizing sexuality. The Cult of Ecstasy serves as a reminder to a frightened, sexually-repressed populace that free-flowing sexual energy is always a healing force, and that sexual energy is only made damaging by binding it up, cutting it off, or bringing it where it is not welcome.
     Conventional mages have propagandized that the Cult sanctions all forms of sex. Much to more "conventional" mages disgust, this includes "deviant" practices as well -- domination, body alteration, s&m, and others. Many Cultists acknowledge the thin line between pleasure and pain and see a transcendental Path through both. True to their credo, however, the Cult does not sanction forced sex.
     Most members of the Cult respect psychadelics but reject tranquilizers, stimulants, and prescription drugs that mask illness without curing it. They refer to psychadelics as opening up or running toward drugs, believing that judicious use of psychadelics can impel humans towards great revelations, insights, and joys. Alcohol, nicotene, barbiturates, and cocaine, however, are called closing down or running away drugs, because they numb the valuable pain and joy that are such essential parts of life.
     The Cult of Ecstasy reveres music above all forms of consciousness exploration, even though they scarcely understand the magical effects of music. Music seems to defy clear categorization. Some members theorize that music is part of the fundamental vibration that summoned reality and life into being. Perhaps understanding the chords and rests of music will bring an intuitive understanding of the chords and rests of Universe. Perhaps these sacred harmonies hold the keys to ascension.

Primary Sphere: Time