Cult of Ecstasy

*Life is a gift, but most poor bastards never get past the wrapping paper*

Consciousness is both a playground and a trap. Infinite in possiblity yet limited by necessity, the human mind is the seat of everything real… at least as far as human beings are concerned, anyway. And so, the Ecstatic Tradition expands reality by expanding consciousness. If you rearrange perceptions, they believe, you also rearrange potential.

To members of this “cult,” magick flows from altered consciousness. A mind unfettered is a mind released from limitations and thus capable of anything. Because consciousness depends upon limitations in order to function, though, a mage must be able to slide in and out of an open state. Thus, Ecstatics have crazy eyes and eccentric manners that seem compelling yet frightening.

Despite their image as snuggly hippie-kids, Ecstatics can be the scariest mages around. For starters, they’re intense and unpredictable. Many are not, as the saying goes, good with boundaries, and they tend to say and do inappropriate things, like kissing enemies and laughing at pain. They’re reckless by normal standards and often pull stunts that unAwakened folks could not survive. Passion is a sacrament they indulge to exciting and often uncomfortable extremes. “Extreme,” in fact, is a good way to sum these mages up. They are, by definition, ex: outside, beyond, no longer a part of what has come before or after.

Often linked with the 1960s – perhaps the high point of this group’s influence – ecstasy is among the oldest Paths on Earth. Primal humans, according to Cult lore, ate psychedelic mushrooms and thus opened the conflux between spirit, animal, and Homo sapiens. Even now, Ecstatics see themselves as living gateways between flesh, spirit, and imagination, bound to all three and transcending each; in honor of their ancestors, many employ entheogens – drugs that “open the god within” – not as vices but as tools of sacred illumination.

Since those origins, Ecstatic mages have lived beyond the bounds of respectability, devotees of a Left-Hand Path that embraces sex, drugs, music, dance, pain, pleasure, risk, and even death in the name of divine madness. Seers and shamans, rake-hells and prophets, these mages run with Sleepers who aren’t afraid to go beyond. And yet, largely thanks to their reliance on extremity, Council Ecstatics have powerful ethics. The Code of Ananda – the Cult’s commandments – forbids these mages from forcing their Path on unwilling partners. “Passions,” the Code declares, “are the seat of the Self, and if they bleed, so too does the Soul.”

More than their esoteric peers, Ecstatics enjoy the company of unAwakened folks. Challenging Sleepers to shake off that sleep, these mages favor art, music, and bohemian and neotribal subcultures – environments where they can reward courage and inspire creativity. For a while, especially during its psychedelic heyday, this Tradition wore its “cult” moniker with pride. Recently, though, many Ecstatics have begun to feel limited by that flippant name. Cults have deluded, sinister implications in the popular imagination, so the group starts to favor its old title, Sahajiya (saHA-jee-AH, or “the Naturals”), as the new millennium dawns.

## Organization

Informal and nomadic, this Tradition’s loose structure reflects its focus on individual transcendence. It has several subsects but few leaders as such. Cultists tend to congregate at festivals, raves, concerts, and other tribal gatherings, mingling with “sleepwalkers” who tread the line between Sleeper culture and full Awakening. For the most part, this group favors influence over organization. Each Ecstatic is encouraged to follow his or her own Path, so long as that Path doesn’t violate the sacred nature of other people. The only rigid element in the Sahajiya Path is the Code of Ananda and its emphasis on compassionate respect. Everything else is negotiable.

## Sects and Factions

As not all Cultists are loners, many of them gather in Sects. Plenty of them are even previous to Sh'zar, and one can recognize a member thanks to their purposes, distinctive marks, tattoos, or oaths. Sects are more common in countries with a lot of tradition, folklore and long history, but they are pretty much present everywhere.

There are too many Ecstatic sects and cults across the world, most of them just composed by Sleepers who want to experience the Divine Pulse, but there are others who have direct ties with the Cult of Ecstasy and conform its rather loose ranks. These sects have particular initiations, rites and goals, and many of them use secret languages and codes to maintain their own secrecy.

### Historical Factions

The historical factions are, simply put, those factions that pre-date Sh'zar and the establishment of the Code of Ananda. These factions have very stable, ancient, and ritualized styles. Although they exhibit some measure of innovation, for the most part the ways of the Historical Factions are set in stone. Whether through Taoism, Greek indulgence, or Voudoun faith, the Historical Factions gain their strength by standing on the shoulders of those who have come before. These tend to be among the most "serious" Cultists, who actually understand their place in history, and how ecstasy has long been considered a path to enlightenment.

#### Erzuli Jingo

Primarily female Vodounistas aligned with the Cult of Ecstasy from the days of their African forebears. These mages practice Voudoun faith and devote themselves to healing the minds of others by clearing their dreams with the help of their Loa, Madame Ezuli. Their magic involves astral travel and spirit channeling, and occasionally curses and other sorts of black magic. The Jingo call their arts with ecstatic dance, frenzied religious experiences, and fire. Since the Jingo have lost much of their power lately, younger members have taken that loss out on others.

*Specialty Sphere*: Spirit, Life

#### Fellowship of Pan

Inheritors of the legacy of the Cults of Dionysus, these Ecstatics believe that a human must embrace their primal nature in order to find Ecstasy. They believe mankind is at its purest when in the grip of its unconsciousness, such as when drunk or making love or art, and tries to capture and harmonize with this unconscious beat. They excel at healing, soothing minds, and inspiration. The Fellowship is rather loosely organized and for an Ecstatic Faction that's saying a lot. Currently their membership has boomed with the addition of Maenads and the Astartites.

*Specialty Sphere*: Life, Mind

* **Kiss of Astarte**: A modern pagan sect with a Dianic foundation. Many of these are lesbians, and some even have ties with the Black Furies. Their rituals focus into healing, rejuvenation and retribution. They have some similarities with some Verbena, but their rites are Ecstatic both in form and content. Specialty Sphere: Spirit
* **Maenads**: A fierce and violent lot, even with their impressive and old legacy, the modern female followers of Dionysus have learnt to be more subtle and discreet than their ancestors. Still, every full moon they reunite to dance, revel and scream under the night, and even if some of them try to direct their rage killings into deserving targets, that is still quite subjective and many members fall into Jhor or Madness. For this very reason, there is a growing movement inside the Tradition to have the sect declared as *barabbi*. *Specialty Sphere*: Mind, Life

#### K'an Lu

Taoist ecstatics dedicated to perfecting the self. The K'an Lu seek to perfect themselves, they aren't seeking to heal people or moving others towards enlightenment. They follow a decent portion of the Code of Ananda, but they seek to Ascend and free themselves from the Karmic cycle. They work to untie the Yin and the Yang principles within themselves to perfection. Few Cultist could stand the rigid structure of the K'an Lu's practice, though a few of their Taoist beliefs have made their way to the Western World. The Faction seems to be dying out and they are hunted relentlessly in their homeland of China by the government. Even so, they are considered one of the greatest masters within the Cult.

*Specialty Sphere*: Time, Prime, Mind

#### Vratyas

Nepalese ecstatics who practice the deepest secrets of Tantric magic and live in seclusion. They militantly defend their ways from outsiders, including other Cultists. It is said that Sh'zar learned from the Vratyas, and that they possess a love for humanity as great as the Joybringers and a willingness to destroy as great as the Euthanatoi. They are taught from birth (and with magic even from conception) the secrets of the human body and how to unlock its utmost potential.

*Specialty Sphere*: Life, Mind, Prime, Spirit

### Dissidents Against Ananda

These factions stand in active defiance of the Code of Ananda. The Code is based on a belief that the world is fundamentally good, and that an Ecstatic must not harm others, beliefs in which the Dissidents find numerous paradoxes. They do not really reject the Cult of Ecstasy; the Cult's philosophy is based on surpassing what came before, and the Dissidents believe they know how to improve the Cult for the future. The Dissidents can be violent, passionate, and wild, and also very dangerous to themselves and others. They are considered by the rest of the Cult a necessary evil, as even being shunned by the others they show a fierce loyalty to the Tradition.

#### Aghoris

The oldest of the Dissident factions, descendants of the Shakti Cults outside of Bengal. They were some of the first to join with Sh'zar in an alliance. They believe in the philosophy of total self-destruction, to shatter all illusions of karma by destroying the biggest falsehood of all: "the Self". Unfortunately, since they believe all life is united as one, the Aghoris harm others as readily as themselves. They use Tantra, blood loss, human ash, flagellation, castration, whirling and physical exhaustion. The Aghoris live in rural areas near places of death, and often have strict or strange eating habits.

#### Acharne

An all-male sect that practices Ecstasy through psychological and physical torment. The Acharne seek to perfect their will by beating it into submission. They focus on mental suffering and physical mutilation. Originally stoic societies in Greece, the Acharne drifted to Britain and America, giving rise to the "Hellfire Clubs". This mystery cult torments its initiates through all manner of suffering and losses. Once inducted, they drink the blood of their cabalmates and form powerful bonds. Torture and suffering are favorite foci, though blood-drinking, hard-core drugs, and Greek symbols are also used.

*Specialty Sphere*: Mind

#### Hagalaz

Norse pagans who adhere fiercely to the old beliefs, the Hagalaz wage war on modernity and Christianity. Named after the rune of change, they live in a perpetual state of change and chaos, forcing the world to see everything from a new perspective. They believe the old Norse culture was better in every way, more flexible, fairer and productive. The Hagalaz seek to overthrow the practice and Christian morals, and challenge modern society through frenzied magical practices based on ancient Norse gods. The Hagalaz keep close to heavy-metal subcultures, which share some of their core beliefs. As during the '70s they opened their ranks to all kind of thugs, misanthropes and neo-nazis, now they are almost in a state of civil war between the more traditional Spae-crafters and the new viking wannabes and anti-christian fanatics, with the Tradition considering the latter borderline *barabbi*, to the point they have been declared outlaws by the more traditional Hagalaz.

* **Freyji**: Worshiping this female deity who was wife of Odin, these Hagalaz turn to her to call down curses, reveal the future, and improve fertility rites.
* **Sons of Wotan**: Necromantic berserkers said to be able to continue fighting even while headless. They throw themselves near-suicidally against enemies like the Technocracy, believing that only the valorous will make it to Valhalla.
* **Sutr**: As Loki priests, the Sutr use rune-carving and traps to defeat their enemies. Tricksters and fire-bringers, the Sutr learn how to dip into Marauder-like Arts to summon ancient Bygones to fight for them.

### Progressivists

These factions bring the Cult into the modern age, innovating old philosophies into modern tools and new subcultures. However, in embracing the pleasures of the present, many of these factions throw themselves headlong into addiction. The Progressivists are growing in numbers, certainly, but many wonder if a bunch of stoned teenagers or ravers are really helping the cause of Ecstasy. Nevertheless, the Progressivists are pursuing their Kamamarga everywhere, whether through parties, raves, anarchistic revolts, or philosophy.

#### Joybringers

Percentage-wise, the largest faction of the Cult of Ecstasy. Joybringers are what most think of when they conceptualize the "stereotypical ecstatic." The Joybringers seek to teach others the simple pleasure of existence. They believe that mankind is inherently good. By medicating humanity in pure bliss, the Joybringers feel that they can achieve peace and eventually Ascend. The Joybringers help humanity on many fronts, such as combating AIDS and homelessness. Indulging in drugs, sex, and simplified Tantra, the Joybringers appeal especially to the youngest generations of Ecstatics, but its members are the most vulnerable to addiction.

#### Dissonance Society

While they share many beliefs with the Joybringers, instead of a peaceful accord this sect wants to overthrow society and start again new. They are anarchists and philosophers, debaters and terrorists. The Dissonancers use practical foci, such as psychology, double speak, probability, violence, herbalism, and mass protest. They are part anarchist, part philosopher and despite their image they are first those than warriors. Even with their differences, they agree on one thing, and that is that it is time for a change. When they cannot get their goals peacefully they are not above beatings and riots to get their points across but their activities are not all physically violent. More than one corporation has found their bank accounts empty and their computers databases wiped.

#### Klubwerks

The youngest Ecstatic sect who seek to unite humanity via total abandon through music. Like the Fellowship of Pan, the Klubwerkers seek to unite with the underlying, subconscious beat of humanity. However, they use very different methods. They seek to unite mankind under the auspice of total abandon through music. Their shows are not just performances: they are rhythms that unite the audiences into a single communal entity, and even the musicians are caught up into the beat. Hundreds of people can be swayed under the Klubwerker's influence and powerful effects yet coincidental effects can be created.

### Political Factions

Cultists are activists, taking people to their boundaries and beyond. Some Cultists see the act of cultural rebellion as more important than the quest for personal perfection. These Factions tend to uphold the Code of Ananda strongly, ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to find their ecstasy, and nobody is oppressed. This Faction contains the most "socially acceptable" groups of the Cult, whether they be protecting children, trying to clean up the Cult’s public image, or discussing religion and philosophy.

* **Children's Crusade**: This group's political agenda is simple: the protection of children. While the Cult dives into drugs and sexual bliss, they strongly oppose subjecting children to these things. Kids are not mature enough to get anything out of it, quite frankly, and they suffer emotional scars or worse as a result. The crusaders fight to stamp out child slavery and prostitution; even the Technocracy turns a blind eye to the crusaders, which has allies in almost every Tradition.
* **Cult of Acceptance**: This political movement attempts to "clean up" the Ecstatics' image by pushing for social change. Legalization of marijuana, decriminalizing some sexual acts, education about consensual S&M, and even opening art or dance schools all fall under the Cult of Acceptance's aim. They hope to offer new possibilities to the masses and that people will get over their social stigmas and open their minds to new practices.
* **Silver Bridges**: The Silver Bridges seek to "bridge the gulf" between religion and ecstasy. While Hindu Tantra works as a fine focus, most religions have a hard time swallowing the Cult's practices. To counter hyper-conservative factions of Christianity and Islam, the Silver Bridge recruit allies among these religions' "fringe practitioners" such as flagellate Christians and Sufi Muslims. They hope to bust apart the orthodoxy and remove the stumbling block of conservatism, so religions will evolve to accept new forms of expression and enlightenment.

### Other Sects

* **Fifth World Tribe: Los Sabios Locos**: This sect incorporates Native American shamanism, hippie anarchism and powerful music into a gestalt that could shake the roots of the modern world. In time, they hope to bring it down and replace it with a cleaner, spirit-oriented culture. These Ecstatics have friends among the Changing Breeds in general and the Garou, Corax, and Nuwisha in particular. Its members go off on frequent vision quests across mountains, deserts and beaches.
* **Ka'a:** The Ka'a project their essence from their bodies after hours of Tantrik exercises, dance, and herbal drugs. These women are quite bisexual - they often choose female lovers to achieve a state of ecstasy, then go off to find male partners to add to it. A secret cult, these Tibetan mystics seem perfectly ordinary on their own. They meet once a month in remote sanctuaries, in groups of three women whose menstrual cycles always remain in synch. When together, the Ka'a raise power and leave their bodies behind, then drain Shakta from distant Sleepers and carry it home as Tass; this essence fuels mental and physical healings. To prevent discovery, the mages change their forms and become dream lovers, usually to strangers. Interestingly enough, Ka'a never become pregnant when using only magick to make love. Their paramours, however, awaken feeling listless and drained (but cheerful nevertheless).
* **Khlysty Flagellants**: This Russian Christian Orthodox sect believe that in order to be forgiven one must sin. After indulging in forbidden pleasures, they punish themselves with ritual penance, being by flogging, fasting or exposure to the elements as a way to achieve ecstasy. They are known by their extreme stamina, longevity and resistance to pain.
* **Bongo's Rangers**: A Discordian sect based on the unraveling of consciousness and the use of high-tech and magic to overload all kinds of stimulation. They believe that to reach the Lakashim, one must divert the stream of consciousness in unexpected ways, so they stage raves, drugs and endless stimulation to Sleepers in order to undermine society and speak gibberish that most of them don't even understand. Incoherence is the main point of this sect.

## Initiation

Five Steps to Ecstasy: 1: Surrender your fear; 2: Focus your intentions; 3. Open yourself; 4. Attune yourself; 5: Repeat Step 1. To help a new Ecstatic into Step 1, a mentor challenges that person to leap beyond his fears and then use his intentions to fly instead of fall. Diksham – the mentor/ student covenant – provides a safe space for the initiate to learn magick and control. Often, mentors and students become lovers, opening a channel of intimacy and trust that goes beyond mere sex. That’s not a rule, though, and compulsion is considered the worst sin an Ecstatic can commit.

After initiation and initial training, a mentor often pulls away from her student, trusting him to find his own way. She’ll provide advice or secondary helpers, but she refuses to become a crutch. In order to grow along this Path, a mage must shape his own triumphs and mistakes.

## Focus

“Get out of your own way” sums up the Ecstatic paradigm. To touch the Lakashim (“Divine Pulse”), a person must blow open the doors of inhibition and fear. Magick is the communion between a focused mind and the Lakashim – a dance of possibilities directed by crazy wisdom. To perform it, an Ecstatic guides Ojas (life force) energy with conscious but flexible intentions. Ideally, a mage operates in a flux state in which neither time nor inhibitions block the life force – aware of what she’s doing and yet open enough to do anything.

The Cult’s infamous substances and stimulations are meant to blow open mental doors and blast away obstacles to Enlightenment. That’s the theory, anyway. In reality, those same tools can become obstacles in their own right. Smart Ecstatics, then, keep shifting their tools around to avoid stagnation and dependence on “the same old shit.” Crazy wisdom is the core of this group’s many practices, which include everything from gutter magick, yoga, and martial arts to cybernetic hypertech. And so, paradigms include Creation’s Divine and Alive, Everything is Chaos, It’s All Good, and quite often Everything’s an Illusion.

## The Nine Sacred Passions

"Feelings are not good or bad, they just are." That fits what the Ecstatic stance is about. All emotions have a positive and a negative, and the only thing that is really bad is the lack of passion. Emotions are a link to Divinity. As they know what damage can cause uncontrolled emotions, they believe in self-discipline embodied in the Code of Ananda. Feelings are not inherently bad, it is what you do with them.

In her book of the same name, Tali Eos defined Nine Sacred Passions that she felt lie at the root of all other emotions. These are: Joy (or Wonder); Love; Empathy (or Sympathy); Lust (or Ambition); Grief (or Sadness); Fear; Jealousy (or Envy); Hate; and Rage. The concept was not new, but her book defined their meaning in Ecstatic lore. To Eos, each passion has a constructive and destructive side. Joy can blind you as you stumble over a cliff, while Envy can drive you to achieve something that you might not have bothered with otherwise. Even Hate is necessary, as some enemies deserve it. Eos' list has never been considered infallible; Cultists have debated her concepts since the founding of their Tradition. Still, most mentors pass the idea on to their students. Although the Cult believes in breaking down barriers, it helps to know where those limits are before setting out.

## Glossary

* **Ananda** — A moment of bliss that surpasses the boundaries of worldly perception. To most mages, a moment of sublime awareness that comes with Awakening or a successful Seeking. To the Cult, a step on the road to Ascension
* **Chakra** — Energy paths and points along the body, radiating outward from central points of power. These paths, or meridians, focus mystic power when a Cultist performs the proper exercises. The points, which can correspond to endocrine centers or vital organs, serve as junctions between the physical body and the mental or spiritual self.
* **Code of Ananda** — The Cult of Ecstasy’s code of behavior that governs responsibility in the pursuit of ecstasy. The Code exists not to set boundaries, but rather to dissuade Cultists from pursuing paths that lead to destructive behaviors or damaging experiences. Schisms in the Cult most often come down to whether a given cabal or sect upholds the Code or eschews it.
* **Congrex** — A sacred communion between partners — not necessarily sexual, but any sort of close (mystical) bond. Often achieved through mutual participation in activities of heightened awareness, sensitivity and passion.
* **Dakini** — A woman of Tantric power, whose passions are so strong and whose wisdom is so profound that she burns with spiritual energy. Traditionally, only flames clothe a Dakini, for her enlightenment is so profound that no outer trappings can contain or augment it.
* **Diksham** — The bond between teacher and student.
* **Divya** — “Super-consciousness,” a Master mage.
* **Dreamline** — A magical missive to call to other Ecstatics in emergencies.
* **Jambo** — A meeting of Cultists to discuss serious Tradition matters. (Of course, as is likely at any Cult gathering, various paths to ecstasy inevitably spring up.)
* **Kamamarga** — Paths of Ecstasy. The tools and techniques for inducing ecstatic awareness. Foci and practices that open the floodgates of magical consciousness.
* **Krishna** — The eighth reincarnation of the Hindu god Siva (Shiva), and a supreme deity in his own incarnation.
* **Kundalini** — The “coiled serpent.” The power that rests within until awakened through spiritual action (often Tantra). To Cultists, the potential for magic. Aroused, the kundalini uncoils into Shakti.
* **Lakashim** — The World Heartbeat. The constant ebb and flow of energy that resonates through all living things. This divine pulse floods awareness during moments of ecstasy and brings the ecstatic into communion with all life. From a moment of such cosmic connection, magic flows. In essence, the flow of Prime through all things.
* **Mandala** — A design or pictogram of lines, circles and triangles, used to focus thought and as a meditation aid. To the Cult, a traced or drawn mandala acts as a conduit for Lakashim and a way to focus magical energy.
* **Mantra** — A repetitive phrase used to focus spiritual energy. “Om” is a common and powerful phrase, rounded and simple. “Hare Krishna” forms the basis of a mantra of prayer to Krishna.
* **Muse** — The Avatar. More generally, the Greek goddess-figures of inspiration tracing back to the eighth century BCE. The muses come upon artists and poets in order to grant them inspiration, but they also demand great strides of creative effort.
* **Ojas** — Life force. The energy that flows through Lakashim. Ojas refers to the personal wellspring of life, channeled through the chakras.
* **Okox** — Spirit communication. Ecstatics perform okox through possession and communicative trance, with the human consciousness expanding or fleeing to allow a spirit entry through the human mind.
* **Rasarnava** — A 12th-century Tantric manuscript dealing with the transmutation of metals — Indian alchemy.
* **Sahajiya** — Old form for Cultists of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
* **Shakta** — To the Cult of Ecstasy, the male counterpart to the energy of Shakti. In counterpoint, this energy is focused and controlled. Fusing Shakta with Shakti leads to the whole energies of creation.
* **Shakti** — The Hindu goddess of energy or power. Also, a term for the creative power that springs from that goddess. Raised through Tantric practices, Shakti leads to spiritual liberation. This energy is unfettered and wild.
* **Siddhu** — An Indian mystic; a wandering holy man.
* **Siva (Shiva)** — A Hindu god, often considered the male counterpart to Shakti. To the Cult of Ecstasy, Shakta.
* **Tantra** — Post-Vedic documents dealing with religious rites, temple construction and refinements of health, but also metaphysically explaining practices of spiritual development and magic. Tantra creates a set of opposed practices through which a person can achieve spiritual liberation. The term means “loom,” probably stemming from the interconnected nature of its opposing practices. Dakshinacara is the right-hand path, which stresses liberation through service to a higher power and refusal of the mundane, physical shell. This path revolves around mantras, meditation and mortification. Vamacara is the left-hand path, which focuses on ecstatic communion with the inner energy of Shakti or the outer divinity of other beings. Ritual copulation, dance and yoga form the core of the left-hand practices.
* **Vedas** — Hindu sacred scriptures
* **Yantra** — “Instrument.” A very complex and linear form of mandala used as a meditation aid. Following the form of a yantra, combined with yoga, helps to focus the postulant on the steps to enlightenment.
* **Zeitgeist** — The spirit of an age. Cultists who are familiar with spirit-talking can communicate with spirits that form out of ideologies so potent that they take on an image of a specific period of history.