The Cloven Hoof, Issue 111

The Cloven Hoof

VOL. XVI. #6 111th Issue

November/December XIX A.S. Copyright © 1984 C.E. by the Church of Satan, PO Box 210082 San Francisco, CA 94121; U.S.A.

Entire contents by Anton Szandor La Vey

If a person has a bad dream the night before, it exerts an influence the following day which is probably stronger than any other. The same holds true with pleasant dreams. A dream is a profound post-hypnotic suggestion. If we could monitor our dreams, we could control our lives to an extent never before imagined. If the dreams of another could be controlled, that person would be helpless to our every wish. Find out what a person has dreamed about the past night, and you will have power over him or her. Dream books are useless. They are only symbolic interpretations. The only thing of importance to know, is whether or not a dream or dreams results in an emotionally positive awakening.

Everyone has a "low" period approximately eight hours after awakening. That is the worst time to approach them for a favor, but the best time to aggrivate them. The same time, but twelve hours later, is the period of their most crucial sleep. Hence, if you rise at eight in the morning, your big slump occurs at four in the afternoon and your most critical sleep period at four the following morning. If you wish to influence another while they sleep, that is the time to do it.

The best way to influence someone while they sleep, is to speak from a slight distance, what you wish to convey. Speak very softly, so as not to awaken them, and they will pick up your instructions in a dream. People hear better while asleep, than while awake, strange as it seems. That's because conscious thoughts aren't jamming their aural sense. While awake, it's amazing how much we tune out without realizing it. While sleeping, we're wide open to all stimuli and feelings. That's why dreams are so much more vivid than reality, and what makes nightmares, nightmares. Hence, the most vivid dreams that convey all kinds of presupposed significance are often caused by a TV set playing nearby; nothing more. Can you imagine why current events create -- through sleep reception -- collective concern, reaction, and social climate?

Sleeping at night has the presumed advantage of providing quieter hours with less disturbances. Actually, like radio reception, the fewer broadcasts occupying the ether, the more potent each becomes. The myriad broadcast activity of daytime hours, combined with the hustle and bustle of other activities, produces a blur, so to speak, on the dream mind. That's why each nighttime prompting is a powerful influence -- and why wizards work at night and sleep days.

***

The most valuable commodity in the world is stimulation. If you can provide stimulation to others, you can succeed at whatever you wish. A person who is a stimulator is the exact opposite of a psychic vampire. A stimulator energizes. A psychic vampire depletes. It is often thought that some people thrive on misery. They don't. They thrive on the stimulation which misery provides; it just so happens that misery serves as welcome contrast to an otherwise boring existence.

Trendiness Trendiness is seldom stimulating. Comfortable, yes, but not stimulating. Comfort can only run second place to stimulation. Too much comfort leads to ennui. That's why most people can only stand a limited amount of happiness. When their happiness becomes unendurable, they take to fighting among themselves in order to experience a break from monotony.

One who is praised for possessing "charisma" is simply one who is stimulating in a positive way. It's safe to say that a dull (unstimulating) person will not be considered charismatic. Following this analysis, charisma is not necessarily a human quality. Indeed; it could be easily programmed into a robot (and has) who is infinitely more entertaining than those for whom it performs. Perhaps Dr. Frankenstein's creation was "a modern Prometheus" in more ways than one. Considering the epimetheanism of most humans, any Stimulator is ahead of the pack.

The fact that stimulation can be conferred by any number of non-human qualities shatters any delusions of "human values", so dear to the human potentialists. A magnificent painting stimulates. So can a musical composition. Or a dead fly in a bowl of soup, because it is out of context. Likewise, a charismatic person is out of context to more pedestrian types surrounding him. I'm not trying to say that a compelling conversationalist is like a dead fly in a bowl of soup; only that they are both out of context to their surroundings and therefore stimulating.

***

A book which should be read and reread by every Satanist is Class by Paul Fussell (Ballantine Books, NY). It's as accurate a guide to personality typing as The Compleat Witch and as much needed as The Satanic Bible. Class holds a mirror up to anyone who reads it and has the diabolical power of then leaving the reader firmly stuck with what he sees. An outrageous book, its initial distribution was aimed heavily at shopping centers and supermarkets -- precisely the areas occupied by those who would most likely be devastated by it. One almost concludes that Class is a colossal joke, designed to permanantly damage the egos and security of all conformists.

¿NOV SHMOZ KAPOP?

ANNOUNCEMENT

Beginning with the Spring Equinox, The Cloven Hoof will become a quarterly publication. Somewhat limited by its bimonthly format, its delivery will be timed to coincide with the four lesser holidays of the Satanic religion, being the solstices and the equinoxes. Each issue will be in the ever popular four page format, totalling 16 pages of relevent topical subject matter vs 6 under the present subscription policies. That's 166% more for the increased subscription fee of $20.00 ($25.00 couples). While providing what we feel will be a more timely and efficient publication, our prices reflect a fraction of the increases incurred by other publications.

Those who have renewed their subscriptions after July XIX A.S. are required to submit the balance of their fee. New and renewal subscriptions will be at the rate quoted above. This rate increase is due to higher publication fees and postal rates. The Cloven Hoof will be mailed via First Class postage.

All renewals are to be applied as of January 1 of the calendar year. This will eliminate a counterproductive administrative backlog that is the result of our phenomenal growth during the past two decades.

We regret any inconvenience that the above listed changes might cause our members, however they are necessary and, while we have held off the ravages of inflation for as long as we could, even the Infernal Empire has to "pay its dues".

As a result of the new subscription policy, the annual renewal of identification cards is no longer necessary. Those who wish to may cover the expiration dates or simply ignore them. New Active Membership (crimson) cards will not be dated, and will be issued only as required.