Our Lovecraftian World: Is The Kingdom Opening? Pt.8

In the opening of his 1926 tale The Call of Cthulu Lovecraft wrote: "The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. 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 some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position theirin, 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."

Lovecraft's protagonists are nevertheless driven to this "piecing together," which becomes a primary plot device in many of his works. When such vistas are opened, the mind of the protagonist-investigator is often destroyed. Those who actually encounter "living" manifestations of the incomprehensible are particularly likely to go mad, as in the case of the titular character in The Music of Erich Zann. The story features an insane mute vilola player virtuosos sixth-floor aparment, whose window is the only one high enough to see over a wall on a mysterious disappearing Parisian street-a wall whose other side contains unexplainable horrors. Those characters who attempt to make use of such knowledge are almost invariably doomed. Sometimes their work attracts the attention of malevolent beings; other times evoking the spirit of Frankenstein, they are destroyed by monsters of their own creation.

The death of Howard Phillips Lovecraft on 15 March 1937, caused his writer friends to offer their condoloences in a very big way. The friendships and almost 100,000 letters Lovecraft had formed and sent were well remembered. This initial wave of grief was the beginning of Lovecraft's true fame. Like so many other people involved in the artistic sphere of life, his contributions were only acknowledged posthumously. Weird Tales which had never granted Lovecraft a cover illustration in his life, went into a frenzy of reprinting his old stories and searched for new ones. August Derleth and Donald Wandrei, two of Lovecraft's close friends founded Arkham House to publish his works in book form. The first Arkham House edition, The Outsider and Others, compels prices of $3,000 and higher these days.

One effect of Lovecraft's posthumous fame was the introduction of Lovecraftian lore and concepts into occult practice. The Hollow Earth believers is the unusual starting point that Lovecraft's star in the occult sky took off from. Morris Doreal of the White Temple, referred to a "Yog-Sog-Thoth, as the gateway to the cycle below" in his deciphering of the Emerald Tablets published in 1948. Other occultists found Lovecraft's work through the stories of August Derleth. Derleth not only made his own additions to the "Cthulu Mythos," as they came to be known, but he also transformed Lovecraft's alien, insanely amoral beings into the evil "Great Old Ones" who are opposed by the protective "Elder Gods."

Sorry that is all for the day-we are close to the end of the directly "Lovecraftian" part of this series, as far as the man himself goes. It seems like every other word I type is a typo and I am still not feeling quite myself. Thanks to all of you who are commenting on this series and giving links!

Anadae Effro had sent me a wonderful image that would really go with this series that I tried to save to my pics and post here, but I couldn't do it-going to try to find the image on the net (I am pretty 'puter incompetent-as well as other things!) and if I do will post it for this article. Justin Russell from the wonderful Semioticology blog (BTW-fantastic new article there!) sent me this-( Edit on 14 October: the link Justin provided is excellent but after researching the site for a matter of hours now I thought I had better also say that there are very disturbing images at the site -and I found some extremely emotionally disturbing-I do not have a strong stomach or psyche- but folks may not want to go to this link unless they have an actual interest in the subject -just thought I should do a little "extra" warning in case!) Here is the LINK --in the comments section under article 2 of this series which I consider the most important article in this series, because it is about something which is still happening-every day-around the globe. The material at the link may be hard to look at and I have just barely started going through it myself. It concerns "The Reality of Protected Child Abuse and Snuff Networks" and of course may be extra disturbing to those of you with young children-or any kids at all.

I just have never been the kind of person (although I wish I was many times) who can shut my eyes and mind and pretend things aren't there -real "monsters" -that I wish like hell weren't there! Peace and be well to anyone stopping by! PS-I notice that the site at the link mentions donations. Speaking for myself -I would happily donate to that site, the Rigorous Intuition forum places that speak the "Unattractive Truth"-but I feel Truths that need to be told and also purchase work that my blogfriends have published and other books people have suggested here and there-WHEN not IF-but WHEN- I WIN my disability case! Sorry-goin a little nutso with the bold/italic thingy tonight;-) -We just heard today that the date of the actual hearing on it will be December 17th, 2009-so I will be asking my blogfriends and others to make a "spiritual" donation to me on that day for nice thoughts and victory.

I actually did not want it to come to this. I have struggled with my various struggles starting big time in 2001. That is when the back pain part really took off late that year. I thought I would always be able to work-hold down a job-of some sort for the rest of my life. It wasn't to be-in the summer of 2007 I just couldn't do it anymore-by then I was probably taking 300 Percocets a month to keep my back pain at bay-and this of course is just one of my "three challenges" as I have come to call them. I may do an article here or there about it before and after December 17th-although I do not like talking too much about myself -as I am rather boring! But I would like ideas and thoughts about some issues confronting me -especially one that has gotten quite strong lately of feeling absolutely worthless. Perhaps also if anyone has heard even a crazy-as long as its not illegal way to make a little money that I can physically do. Sorry to go on and on-I do that sometimes and can't stop-all the best to anyone stopping by!