Book_of_Eris.pdf

THE BOOK OF

By ERIS KALLISTI DISCORDIA

Goddess of Chaos and Mother of us All In which the GODDESS explains everything to no one in

particular. This being a Holy Discordian Bible, One of Five predicted by Malcalypse the Younger being

an Advanced Course into The Erisian Mysterees WHICH IS EVEN MORE INTERESTING

THE REVELATION OF ST. VERTHAINE THE GOTH

And lo, there I was, decked out in my finest gothic and leather clothing, sipping a

White Russian at the bar of my favourite goth club, and contemplating the sad state

of the world. I lit up a clove and turned to watch the leatherboys, gothchicks, and

vampyre wannabees do bad Tai Chi on the dance floor. All of a sudden everything

froze, but only I and the music was still active. A beautiful woman in black leather

and rainbow colored hair appeared on the dance floor. I couldn't keep my eyes off

her. Her eyes shone like the sun Each move of her delicate arms told the story of

Creation. She walked up to me and said

"I am ERIS KALLISTI DISCORDIA. I am the Goddess of Chaos. With me all things

are possible. I have come to you to teach you many things, Verthaine. "

I fell on my knees and cried out "I am not worthy!" She looked at me and smiled.

"All are worthy in the eyes of chaos. Stand up my silly goth boy, for I have

something of importance to ask of you"

I stood up, and awaited with anticipation of what a goddess like Eris would ask me

to do. "Your wish is my command, " I said. She smiled at me, and with a twinkle in

her eyes she said onto me:

"Can you spare one of those clove cigarettes?"

And thus I was enlightened.

Discordianism/Erisianism

St. Hugh, KSC, KNS

"If religion is the opiate of the masses, then Discordianism is the alcohol,

caffeine, and something-or-other of the lunatic fringe. "

-Somebody Important at Some Point

Anyone familiar with the Discordians knows the difficulties inherent in describing a vibrant aspect of Paganism

that claims to "have no definition. " With one of the major trends of Discordianism being one of

decentralization and disagreement, is there a way to adequately describe it? To be true to Discordia (the Latin

name of our primary Goddess, Eris), I would have to say 'yes, no, and maybe'.

To start with, there are scores of Discordian cabals across the world and, thanks to the Internet, Discordian

writings and ideas are proliferating. The two most famous Discordian groups are POEE and the Erisian

Liberation Front. Even though many people look at the plethora of humorous writings and dismissit as a

religion, Discordians take their humorous traditions very seriously. . . to a point.

A tradition, or a set of traditions based around the Goddess Eris is by nature paradoxical and difficult to pin

down. But it is, in my opinion, time that other Pagans realize that Eris worshippers are just as respectable as any

other group, despite the fact that we laugh at ourselves and others.

History/Her Story/Eris Comes Out of Her Closet

The foundation of the Discordian movement in modern times comes from the paradoxical writing collection

known as the "Principia Discordia, or How I found the Goddess and what I did with Her when I found Her. " It

tells the story of two young men in a bowling alley who receive the first Erisian Revelation back in 1957 or 58.

(In true Discordian fashion, which year is never cleared up. ) The men go on a search of mythologies and

discover Eris, the Goddess of Confusion, Chaos, and Discord. (Eris is also the Greek word for 'strife'. ) They

surmised that chaos underlies everything, including order and the followers of order. "Look around and you can

see all of the chaos in everything just as much as you can see order. " The two men declare themselves to be

High Priests of their own madness and start a Discordian Society "for whatever that may turn out to be. "

The explosion of the American counter-culture and the revival of surrealism met Discordianism (1960's and

70's) and the result was a Neo-Pagan parody religion of mirth and laughter. During this time the two main

groups of the Discordian Society, POEE 'the Paratheo-Anametamystikhood of Eris Esoteric' and the Erisian

Liberation Front set down the major practices and ideas that have since influenced later groups of Discordians,

most of which were included in later editions of the Principia Discordia. It can also be said (although, many

people will argue against this) that the post-modern magical phenomenon of Chaos Magic developed under

Discordian influences. The main difference between Discordians and Chaos Mages is that Discordians revere

the Goddess Eris, whereas Chaos Mages revere whatever works at the moment. Discordian thought runs a full

spectrum from believers in a literal Goddess Eris to those who hold a healthy agnosticism towards all gods.

Today there are several active Discordian groups known as 'cabals' which continue to develop and practice

Discordian ideas and rituals. POEE is still around, although it is debated whether or not the ELF still exists.

Some of the active groups today are the Church of No Dead Saints in San Francisco, the Discordian Intelligence

Agency, which is scattered in places as far afield as Australia, Germany, and Pennsylvania, and the Purple

Monkey Mafia/Cabal which started in Chicago but claims to have members in LA, Paris, and Seattle. There are

many other groups, too numerous to list here. (Please refer to the list of website links below. )

The organization of the groups within the Discordian Society (or without, as some groups will no doubt claim)

is decentralized. Usually people will either join a pre-existing cabal, or if Eris decides to give new revelations,

will start their own cabal. Within cabals there is usually an 'episkopos', who is responsible for the rituals,

revelations, and organization. Thus it can be said that each cabal may choose its own organization. The major

trend is towards non-hierarchy as episkoposes are known to hand off the leadership mantle whenever they see

fit.

Beliefs? Standards of Conduct?

One of the main tenets of Discordianism is that 'it is a firm belief that it is a mistake to hold firm beliefs'. That

said, it is possible (though highly disagreeable) to pin down a few ideas that are common among Discordians.

One is a dedication to personal 'illumination' by exploring as many belief systems as possible so that a person

will realize the absurdity of taking any idea too far. Another idea is 'if it makes you cry, it is real; if it makes

you laugh, then it is probably true. '

Discordians worship Eris, who is probably the most paradoxical being people could ever worship. If they don't

worship Her then they explore Her in some way or another. They see in Her a symbol of freedom from all

constraints and a license to become the best person one can be. Why should the self be limited to circumstances

of birth and upbringing, or even a single ego? Eris was much maligned and feared by the ancients as the

embodiment of disorder. But from a perspective that sees chaos as underlying everything, Eris is an

embodiment of ultimate creativity. All things need to come apart for new things to grow.

Most Discordians will refer to the story known as the 'Original Snub' which explains a little bit about Eris. In

this story, the Olympians assembled at a feast on Mount Olympus (called Limbo Peak by Discordians). They

decide not to invite Eris due to Her reputation for causing chaos and strife. When Eris finds this out, She

decides to get even with the Olympians by making a golden apple and carving the word 'kallisti' (to the

prettiest) on its side. She sneaks up to the banquet hall and rolls the apple inside. Once the Olympians see this,

they immediately set to fighting each other over who deserves the apple. From this point in the story, the

various accounts diverge. Discordians take solace in this story whenever they themselves are snubbed. They

also use it as an example of active defiance in the face of unwarranted exclusion. The story begs the question 'if

Eris was so bad, how come it was the rest of the Olympians who caused the commotion?' Eris can be seen, in

this light, as the one who makes you realize the inherent capacity for strife you already have. The 'Original

Snub' is said to be the foundation myth of Discordianism, if such a thing could be said.

Another approach to that myth is to see the apple as the world and all it has to offer. To whom would Eris say it

belonged? Kallisti. . . the prettiest one. And who is the prettiest one? We all are. If only we could realize it.

Another important myth is the 'Curse of Grayface', which explains how people lost touch with the happy

anarchy of creative chaos and become shackled to 'order'. Grayface is a humorless person who proceeds to

deceive others into believing that order and seriousness should be the foundation of existence. This myth

explains the origins of negativity and destructive chaos, which according to Discordianism, can only happen

when order is imposed. The Curse of Grayface is as much a parody of other traditions' ideas of "what-went-

wrong" as it is a clear insight into the nature of human mentality.

One thing we have in common with the very beautiful Wiccan 'Charge of the Goddess' is the most famous

'Charge of Eris' which goes:

"I have come to tell you that you are free. Many ages ago, My consciousness left humanity, that they might

develop themselves. I return to find this development approaching completion, but hindered by fear and by

misunderstanding. You have built for yourselves psychic suits of armor, and clad in them, your vision is

restricted, your movements are clumsy and painful, your skin is bruised, and your spirit is broiled in the sun. I

am chaos. I am the substance from which your artists and scientists build rhythms. I am the spirit with which

your children and clowns laugh in happy anarchy. I am chaos. I am alive, and I tell you that you are free. "

To Eris worshippers, this is as evocative to us as the Charge of the Goddess is to Wiccans. With a charge so

powerful, one can probably glimpse why anyone would become a Discordian.

Discordians focus on disorder, which is symbolized by the golden apple with kallisti written on it, as a

corrective for society's emphasis on order. But we don't forget that since chaos underlies everything then order

is also an expression of chaos. Our symbol for that order is a pentagon. The two symbols placed within a yin-

yang type background make up what we call the Sacred Chao [kao or 'cow']. The Sacred Chao symbolizes the

necessity of both order and disorder as expressions of creativity. When in balance, we call it the Hodge-Podge.

"To choose order over disorder, or disorder over order, is to accept a path composed of both the creative and

the destructive. But to choose the creative over the destructive is an all-creative path composed of both order

and disorder. To accomplish this, one need only accept creative disorder along with, and equal to, creative

order, and also be willing to reject destructive order as an undesirable equal to destructive disorder. " (PD)

Those Eris worshippers who have their own profound experiences with Eris, either through revelations, visions,

or divine inspiration, take the letters KSC after their names to signify "Keeper of the Sacred Chao. " KSC's sail

the seas of chaotic thoughts, magic's and emotions while providing illumination to their fellow Discordians, if

they wish. They are Eris's special group of crazy adherents. KSC's are often the catalysts of cabals and many

happen to be the sort of people who can practice Discordian magic and get results. They also tend to be more

esoteric and steeped in 'chaosophy' than most, but communion with Eris will do that.

There is also the widespread notion of the five stages, which is another expression of the ubiquitous 'law of

fives' in Discordian thought. This idea is much like the 'aeonics' idea expressed within Chaos Magic (and they

probably got the idea from us). The five stages are used to help understand and explain socio-historical

developments. The First stage is Chaos , in which everything is in its natural state. Order and disorder are in

dynamic balance. Organization occurs naturally. Authoritarian people hate this stage. It is like Hegel's thesis. It

is the start and finish of every society. (Corresponding deity = Eris. ) The second stage is Discord , which starts

with the appearance of ruling classes and governance. Authority becomes the main organizer of systems and of

beliefs. It is Hegel's antithesis. The underclasses discover that its interests are not the same as the rulers. Society

is thus divided. The third stage is Confusion , in which some attempt is made to restore balance or achieve a

synthesis. It is an attempt to restore nature through unnatural means. Intuition is mistrusted. People try to break

free of authoritarian ideas by using those same ideas. Every revolution becomes a mirror of what it overthrows.

The forth stage is Bureaucracy , what we call the 'parenthesis' that Hegel missed, in which the synthesis does

not reconcile the opposites. Society is exhausted, while appearing to be thriving. Ideas and rules have become

more important than the people who create them. Superior people are ruled by idiocy. The fifth stage is the

Aftermath , and represents the drift back to chaos. It is a transitional period where many people, in desperation

or hope, turn to intuition and magic in order to rediscover their natures. Bureaucracy has collapsed under its

own weight of intellectual ideas and 'paperwork'. Each one of these stages also has correspondences with

deities, tarot cards, planets, the zodiac, elements, and more. They would be too numerous to list here. But

anyone can find them in the PD or in the Illuminatus! Trilogy.

Some Discordian practices include the universalization of pope-hood - every now and then declaring that every

human being is an authentic pope. (We also have mome-hood for those who want that. ) Discordians often like

to canonize themselves and others, and you will find many saint names among us. When cabals gather for ritual,

the only thing that can be assured is that all traditions are fair game and will be used in humorous ways. The

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