by Guest blogger
VH Frater A.A.
Rosicrucian Order of A.O.
We are living in a world of juxtaposed digits; in a duality of Black & White, Off & On, 1 & 0. This mess of disjointed logic apotheosizes Either/Or/Not/And striving to delimit the knowable.
Cast adrift on this unformatted sea of noise, the depersonalized post-modern seeks purpose.
Deprivation invites the digitized wanderer to fall for easy solutions; to define itself in the shattered mirrors of fashion, fad and fantasy; to swallow ever easier lies.
In numberless chat rooms, on blogs and pages by the score, the Reconstructed Self struggles to assert a measure of independence. However, while faked pictures cover false views with forged identities, only the DISCOURSE itself provides lasting meaning.
Encrypted interactions add a final touch of opacity to the already obscured self-image, providing an extraordinary rendition of the common existential state – a devastating lack of self-knowledge.
Personae become 2-Dimensional caricatures demanding instant gratification, yet ephemeral in their impact.
“You can be whatever you want to be” becomes the battle cry of the Reconstructed, along with “it is whatever I say it is – because it is I who say it” and then all that is required is a pinch of “going with the flow” and a dash of “staying in the present” to complete the transformation of untruths into cherished positions.
By sacrificing attention span upon the altars of the god of sound bites, the lies are made to appear real in the very moment of their assertion by the Reconstructed, with all contrary evidence conveniently forgotten in the next clock pulse.
From this root stock of spiritual immaturity and grasping materialism, certain traits are developed to defend the nascent Mask from the most damaging evidence – for the wearer must avoid confrontation with what lurks within, behind the façade…
This archetypical knee-jerking and defensive posturing is cut from the same cloth of delusion, however desperately and colourfully applied. In the heat of flame the varieties of Internet Troll strut their fleeting sense of identity, ignorant of its utter banality!
There is a veritable bestiary of Internet Flame Trolls out there, and we have seen more than a few of them engaged in recent skirmishes on our borders!
We are in a fortunate position in the current Witch Hunt to have a few strong opponents who exhibit some of the classic archetypes, and a mix of weaker ones to observe spinning lies into their version of “Reality.”
“Higher Moral Ground Troll”
This is often called of the “Holier Than Thou Troll”. It claims the “Moral High Ground” perpetually, while remaining classically two-faced about it and doing nothing to demand similar standards from supporters.
It makes it easier to throw rocks at opponents if one can find a hill to stand on, so this variety of Troll manufactures a hill, and then gleefully pelts the opponent while proclaiming moral superiority.
When this bullying behaviour is noted, this Troll will generate evasive arguments in an attempt to prove that it has simply been misunderstood, or even misrepresented.
The more transparent the Troll’s behaviour becomes in the spotlight of tenacious opposition, the more this Troll will attempt to take ownership of words and phrases that it uses to paint itself in a good light, while seeking to make a set of stock negative phrases stick to the opponent. If continually challenged for this hypocrisy it will claim that opponents are being abusive, and may flounce out of the debate, or otherwise end it.
In essence, this boils down to endless repetition of: “I am a good person, you are a bad/misguided one” and there is no bringing this Troll back down to earth. This variety of noisy Troll can easily take things personally and start to stalk the object of its ire across multiple fora.
“The Pit-Bull Troll”
This one can be counted on to go for the jugular – constantly! It will ALWAYS have the last word if it has to remain glued to a keyboard for 36 straight hours to get it.
The fighting style is one of constant jabs. This Troll aims to wear out the opposition with bandwidth, and DRONE. It is quite machine like. In fact an AI could model it very easily, as it also constantly adopts the best argument of the opponent, then applies it with similar words attached, but yet more vehemence. In attempting to take ownership of the opponent’s territory, and throw it back at them with unremitting vitriol, the Pit-Bull Troll displays some characteristics of a more evolved cousin, the Mirror Troll (see under.)
Another weakness of this Troll is that the incapacity to change tone makes it appear very two-dimensional, and even supporters switch off after short exposure.
The Pit-Bull Troll is very useful as a sparring partner for those who may find it hard not to fall into the trap of becoming angry, and flaming… as more than any other variety, it attempts to create an angry response so that fellow Higher Moral Ground Trolls will have ammunition to fire.
Note the typical tone of voice in a Pit Bull Troll’s wording; it is often very much DECLARATIVE. This Troll states it like it IS, and keeps stating it like it IS, because it obviously IS that way, “to any decent human being” etc. etc. etc.
It is a tirade of is-ness, and demands for recognition that the Troll’s reality is the One True Reality. Many fundamentalists share this voice. The lack of relativism in the Pit Bull Troll’s tone is part of what labels it.
“The Mirror Troll”
It takes a certain level of toughness to play this Troll game well – it is so fundamentally dishonest that not everyone has what it takes to morph into a true Mirror Troll. It also does require considerable variety of tone and emphasis, or the reflection will not be convincing.
The Mirror Troll also uses the Higher Moral Ground position extensively, in efforts to raise the distorted reflection as the REAL position, and cast the opponent as representing a debased perspective.
At best this troll is hard to answer as when the Mirror Logic is very well applied, the opponent would only be refuting their OWN original argument in the process of attempting to subdue this thief.
The Mirror Troll has a surprisingly powerful style IF the opponent is equally dishonest, or otherwise cannot demonstrate their honesty. The Mirror Troll can be very effective against much stronger dishonest opponents.
However, it can all fall apart when the ground over which the Troll is attempting to take ownership, is honestly and simply defensible… then the mirror cracks.
At the end of the day, this Troll is complementing the opponent via the aggressive takeover of their perspective, even though it must twist that perspective in order to further its own warped objectives. Deployment of Mirror Trolls indicates a serious lack of good arguments in the enemy arsenal.
“The Scholar Troll” or “The Expert Troll”
This one frequently has an Expert Complex. In general terms the Expert Troll is just a pain in the neck to deal with. Monomaniacal focus on their subject is used as an excuse for putting others down. More kudos is then gained with a bit more sharing of “scholarly output” with supporters… then it is “OK” to go on the attack once again.
Expert Trolls are not usually committed to spending a lot of time on the battlefield as they have “important research” to conduct. (And they may well.) This can make them very short and nasty.
The Expert Troll may educate himself in one of the other styles if it thinks it can use it to sufficiently satisfy the handlers that it is “doing enough” and thereby not have to spend so much mental energy on the substance of the engagement… in short, the Expert Troll will tend to be LAZY in battle.
This type of Troll is only of use in protracted combat if the issues involve the pet topic of their obsession (they often score higher on the obsessive-compulsive axis.)
Expert Trolls are easily bought off by access to information that furthers their Intellectual Quest. Their preferred food is mouldy old documents with extra servings of dust!
It is a dangerous Troll archetype for one engaged in more advanced spiritual work, as it can make it very hard to let go of the Rational Soul… generating delusion on top of obsession.
Expert Trolls often become a liability for their handlers, and are sacrificed for small positional advances in the middle game.
“The Nice Troll”
This Troll can be genuinely funny, and really wants to be liked. When there are disagreements it can be quite passive-aggressive, and whining. The Nice Troll is inconsistent and can’t be trusted to stick with anything for very long. This Troll often doesn’t really even appear to know itself all that well. It may not know that it is a Troll!
The lack of a solid core to the creature makes it hard to engage solidly.
The risk with Nice Trolls is that if too much heat is applied they will win many sympathy votes. The niceness is often genuine.
The Nice troll does not like to be shown up for being a Nasty Troll – as that might cause it to suffer rejection, whereas it really just wants to be loved.
Sometimes, the Nice Troll is just not sufficiently committed to the Cause, and has yet to fully engage in a more energetic Troll Mode.
This type of Troll is a follower not a leader. Give it too much attention and it may get ideas beyond its station. Typically, it may adopt characteristics of the Expert Troll, and at worst, also display some Slime Troll traits.
“The Slime Troll”
Do not expect a direct answer from this Troll. Do expect to be stabbed in the back and to see a look of exultation on the Slime Troll’s face as the dirty deed is carried out.
Innuendo, misdirection, skewed words suggestive of a thousand interpretations that MIGHT be an attack on the enemy position… these build on pseudo-scholarly foundations with quotes and references, and other passive aggressive weaponry.
This is a cowardly Troll. It hates to be caught out at its nasty little games. It will seldom come out to fight alone, and generally stays in a safe place with a clique for supporting fire.
This is the Troll of “why did you think I was attacking you when I didn’t even name you” and deserves no more respect than it offers. At worst it is capable of writing whole books full of political attacks, while tarting these up as some variety of intellectual affair, then accusing the damaged parties of misrepresenting its works!
The hypocrisy of the Slime Troll is quite breath-taking and more than anything else characterizes its combat method.
LVX!
Fr. AA
Finally, a Troll Manual.
ReplyDeleteA taxonomy of trollish tactics, written by one who has been at study "in the field."
Nicely done.
Outstanding analysis. It is all so very predictable.
ReplyDeleteI think there is one remaining: The Infiltrate Troll and followers (which may fall into any of the previous categories.
ReplyDeleteThe Infiltrate Troll will try to seem nice and good spirited but he has planned how he will infiltrate and the thing is: why Infiltrate THIS Order? Short answer: Because the others don't have anything to offer.
This Troll will make plan, and his followers will agree with him and wish you luck; but as soon as he appears, he's been already neutralized, with nothing left to do than follow the script and then attack from outside.
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Pat Zalewski wrote about the AO 6=5:
ReplyDelete"Hi Sam
I feel sorry for those who claim that they had the the four missing parts as it is now revealed that it is all BS.
Pat"
Actually all that is revealed is that Pat Zaewski is full of BS himself. He always claims things proven or revealed merely because he proclaims them so.
Well, Pat, perhaps they are settled on your fantasies but certainly not in the real world. You have 0% credibility any longer after lying for years about the alleged letter where Bourke said nothing at all what you had lied for years.
Ever though of getting a day job?
David
There is also the mis-impersonator troll to consider who writes libelous contents guised as mocking satire.
ReplyDeleteNotice how recently the which hunt has changed their public arena over to yahoo and its foremost reconstructionist forum, the latest witch finder general being Pat Zalewski. In tandem with this new host of attacks on that recon-forum they have re-mobilized their old tactics to use anonymous and libelous blogs, mocking our Order and its Chiefs and spreading vileful lies about us. One such anonymous blog was created just a few days ago with the clear intent of mocking our Order and its Chief, and our Manifesto, as well as interpolating libelous lies. Even a equally mocking Facebook account was simultaneously created by the blog creator using the same mis-impersonation identity, with the expressed objective to promote his defamatory blog.
I find it then interesting to see that the professed recon-disciple of Mr. Zalewski, Morgan Drake Eckstein, who used to be a balanced and sober element in the reconstructionist community but recently has become one of the most rabid characters in this witch hunt posse, was the first individual on Facebook who linked to that anonymous defamation blog and also the very first one to accept the anonymous author’s friendship on Facebook, on the very same day that these Google and Facebook accounts were created. Is it then surprising to see Mr. Eckstein being the first individual to post a comment over at that defamation blog and hailing him and his wits? Quite telling I must say.
I have learnt the hard way how to deal with this kind of trolls: Don’t feed them!
That is also my recommendation to all serious initiates of the Golden Dawn community, reconstructionist and traditionalist alike. Dont give them any air to breath their venom unto the communty. It affects us all equally bad, regardless if we have a reconstructionist or traditionalist perspective on our beloved Golden Dawn tradition. It is the lowiest possible weapon to use in a political war; there is no excuse to resort to this kind of behaviour.
Is it perhaps so that Mr. Eckstein somehow is involved in that blog’s creation? I am personally convinced that someone from the tiny group of recon-individuals that we have seen lately taking an active role in the witch hunt on the Alpha et Omega® is the actual creator of that blog, or at least has sanctioned its making. It would be a good thing if Mr. Eckstein officially distanced himself from the blog and its contents, and instead appologized to his brothers and sisters of the Alpha et Omega®. That is the only proper and decent way to do. As it stands today, he is directly linked to that defamation blog and the identity of its creator.
S:.R:.
Peregrin McWildoak, the noted Internet Slime Troll, has stuck his hand up another new puppet who now dances to his jaded tune of hypocricy, spewing out distortions as a parody of reasoned argument.
ReplyDeleteLet's deconstruct the reconstructionist.
Mikesprattle appeals to one of my personal heros Robert Anton Wilson, in attemts to bolster his desire to pin the "conspiracy theory" tag on our outing of SRIA manipulators like the racist RA Glibert.
Since his own blog is linked to from SRIA's website we already know his true allegiences, and can expect some variation of their textbook spin mastering in his writing.
The trouble that lowlives like this face, is that the words of Glibert are there for all to see... on the OR+C pages, where we can also confirm that only Christians need apply.
These are matters of documented FACT - there is no "conspiracy" involved. Just an ability to read.
Hermeticism is not Christian. It is not a RELIGION.
This writer seems to think that our defence of Hermeticism from a Christian takeover can be labelled "conspiracy" and then forgotten about. He is mistaken.
While the McGD licensees of Team Inquisition fail to distance themselves from Racism and anti-Semitism this issue will not go away. No matter how many Slime Troll puppets are launched into the debate.
Sprattle has his head stuck so far up McWildoak's ass that he can't see the wood for the trees.
In what is really quite a contortion of illogicality he then becomes a conpiracy theorist himself, seeing the hand of ONE man behind all the words written on Amazon reviews - and since many of those same people are writing elsehwere, he sees that same man behind every word.
Who is this Moriarty of the Internet, who can forge multiple ID's on Amazon, using separate credit cards and logging on from multiple IP addresses in his quest to upset the McGD applecart?
Is this man being openly accused of credit card fraud?
It does sound that way.
In a wonderful twist of irony - the man Sprattle is out to malign here (GH Frater LeS) is the one person who has NOT written any Amazon review!
He has carried out the task of Imperator by fighting in defence of Alpha Omega in other fora.
Every member of Alpha et Omega has the right to consider this rubbishing of their independent voices as an attack on their freedom of speech. Every time that the Anita McHoerners and McWildoaks of this world
declare that we are an army of one, we should be mindful of what they are really attempting to do here.
It is utterly contemptible.
This insulting little puppet is a disgraceful supporter of racists, bigots and anti-Semites. The words are there to be read, but he prefers to scream "conspiracy" because he is as guilty as Glibert, his Grand Master in the McGD "Third Order" of SRIA.
Hi Aletheia,
ReplyDeleteIt is funny to hear the McGD trolls trying to dismiss all of the proof about the constant interference in the GD community by the SRIA, the McGoldenDawn Third Order, as a mere CONSPIRACY THEORY.
All of their silly remarks about "Elvis says hi" etc. are the same.
Let's look at the FACTS. It was the McGD "Secret Chief" the Grand Archivist of the SRIA and OR+C, RA Gilbert who is PROVEN to have spouted this most paranoid conspiracy theory:
""How can we best preserve the Western Hermetic Tradition for the future? I truly believe that initiatic Orders analogous to the Golden Dawn are still needed and that their role is crucial in preserving our specifically western esoteric spirituality. We must also recognise that the Tradition which represents that spirituality FACES REAL THREATS, both from the growth of RELIGIOUS INDIFFERENCE and from the determined efforts of its SPIRITUAL ENEMIES to capitalise on such indifference, and to undermine the tradition by perverting its ethos and substituting darker and avowedly anti-Christian goals. If we are true to our Rosicrucian principles then we must recognise and strive against those THREATS." - R.A. Gilbert
Again, the third grade wisdom holds true:
"The one who smelled it, dealt it!"
Aletheia wrote on the HOGD/AO forum:
ReplyDeleteMcZalewski is a classic case of the post-modern without a soul: "it is whatever I say it is – because it is I who say it" is here spun into "PROOF" by dint of him saying it on his own forum, and surrounded by his acolytes.
The man has NO reputation. If he had stuck to writing books about his own experiences and opinions he would now be the undisputed leader of GD Reconstructionism, but his inferiority complex got the better of him.
He had to lie and claim greater authority for his works than he really had.
As a McGD Witch Finder he has really sunk to his true level. Surrounded by his ilk and spitting out misrepresentation upon twisted falsehood, he stands on a foundation of quicksand and proclaims himself an authority!
It is truly laughable. If you can know a person by the company they keep, then this gaggle of demented manure salesmen are a pretty picture.
SRIA racists own them, and OR+C anti-Semites applaud them. So they hold these banal little glee club meetings for peddlers of McGD trash and then proclaim it "case proven"... Ha!
The only thing proven here is the depths of their own imbecility.
They don't want proof. They wouldn't accept proof if it was tattooed to their eyeballs. They are FUNDAMENTALISTS in the McGD Cult - so the recent descent into mud slinging via anonymous blogs and facebook pages is par for the Witch Hunt course.
Zinkism has returned. He was their greatest secret asset for many years. Karma's a Bitch! Now they are becoming him...
LVX
Absolutely! This is clearly just pitiful desperation on their part.
ReplyDeleteIt is also typically insulting to the wider reader... in that it assumes that they are somehow incapable of going and reading what Glibert actually wrote (exactly as you quote it above), and forming their own conclusion.
McGD trustees don't want anyone to do that.
They don't want anyone to verify for themselves that OR+C is Christian ONLY - as that shows what a hypocrite "why I am not a Christian" McFarrell is... especially considering the way this instantly RUINS his reputation as a supposed writer of AO History!
They don't want anyone to verify the connection of Glibert and the SRIA(merica) supreme Maga within the very FOUNDING of OR+C, nor the connection of Glibert and her husband inside the Racist SRIA(nglia)...
One by one these supporters of Racists and anti-Semites are getting busted. This is not something they will ever recover from now. It is already too late for any spin-doctoring they may dream up to free them of the taint.
As they bribe others to enter the debate for them - newer faces who have not yet had heir reputation handed back to them in tatters... we will see the same tired old diversionary talking points trotted out, and the propagandist's cloth-eared refusal to engage in active debate on the topics.
This will often be clothed in pseudo-scholarship in an attempt to look like reasoned argument. It is all SO predictable!
Of course, the new faces will soon be shown up as no better than the old wolves in the sheep's clothing of the day.
This is the beginning of a new era in Alpha et Omega history. It will be decades in the writing, but one thing is for sure, the day of SRIA and its propaganda puppets is done.
Olen Rush wrote:
ReplyDelete>
> Carette,
>
> It is readily observable that the Hieroglyphic Monad symbol of Dr. Dee was
> used in early RC texts. This does give credence to the Englishman's direct
> influence in early Rosicrucian circles.
>
> Images in the following blog post are taken from source materials:
> In Light,
> Olen
Yes, Olen, but what does the Hyroglyphic Monad mean. What are the spiritual practices that it refers to?
You McGD reconstructionists remind me a lot of dogs barking at cars. A dog notices something moving and barks up a storm. But even if the dog caught the car he would still not know what to do with it?
I already asked you and your SRIA Third Order to tell us what spiritual practice lies hidden in the two zeros and the equal sign in the 0=0. I also asked you what spiritual practice is hidden in the alchemical drawing that Mina reproduced.
Sadly, you and Zalewksi just keep chasing your tails to puff yourselves up and look important. Without the spiritual practices that go with these things, what good are all of your intellectual observations. They are just mental masturbation for your McGD admiration society.
Not only have both you and Zalewki, as well as your anti-Semitic OR+C Secret Chiefs falied to deliver the goods with the true spiritual practices of the Golden Dawn, you have not even answered why you still have not distanced yourselves from Bob Gilbert's anti-semitic tirade on the OR+C site!
Why is it that people like Rush and Zalewksi keep making wild and unsubstianted pronouncements about our order, but you can't ever get these guys to answer even one direct question.
ReplyDeleteThe silence is deafening!
"Eric V. Sisco" wrote:
ReplyDelete"Pat,
The exchange of signs and words in the AO 6=5 is very Masonic. In fact, the "Nay!...you begin!" line is a dead giveaway. If there was any question in which direction the AO was leaning at the time, there should be no mistake after seeing something like this. In fact, the whole ceremony reads something like the "communication" of a degree that I've witnessed in certain Scottish Rite bodies. Underwhelming, if you asked me."
And your point is - exactly what?
This is the sort of nonsense that the Zalewkis forum is famous for. They bounce around the same talking point from sock puppet to sock puppet for a couple of weeks, then - voila - Zalewski pronounces the talking point to now be "established fact"
Well, maybe this is how "research" works in the SRIA and on the Zalkewski forum, but certainly not in the academic world. This sort of rubbish is what you get when you get a bunch of masons pretending to be academics like in the SRIA and the ORC.
This talking point that "Mathers took the AO in a competely masonic direction, taking the magic out" is the whole reason why the SRIA profaned only part four of our AO 6=5 ritual.
The notion is absurd. In reality, all of the rituals of the GD have a basic masonic structure.
More progaganda from the Zalewksi forum. Rubbish. Utter rubbish.
Pat Zalewki wrote:
ReplyDelete"Hi
You are not wrong in what you say, and also Felkin did the same thing more or
less with two of the masonic degrees as well. I remember some years ago someone
showing a book with similar bench marks in the 6=5. The Felkin 7=4 is also from
Masonry.
Actually, all of the Golden Dawn rituals have a basic masonic structure. Pat says absolutely nothing above.
"Both Mathers and Felkin, it appears, had no real way to go after the
ThAM. My best guess, and that is all it is, is that Westcott did the 6=5 back in
the mid 1890's and it was given to Mathers to flesh out, which he did not do for
reasons best known to him. The ritual is clearly skelatonic and terribly
cramped, with all the principal ingredients of the paths cramped together in an
impossible mix. Simply put, these appear to be a set of notes more than anything
else. There are far too many elements missing in this ritual and the use of the
vault is just one of them. Felkin knew this and rectified it in his rituals."
Of course there are elements missing. It is only a fragment of the original ritual. The fragment of the conferral of the grade signs. But since Pat Zalewski is not a Golden Dawn initiate, hw does not understand this.
"I think for a number of years they floundered, until the Cromlech temple (Sun
Order) came along and filled is a defacto third order, which Tony Fuller put
forward years ago. "
This is a notion that the Alpha Omega debunked long ago. We have challenged both Pat Zaewlski and the surviving chiefs of the Cromlech temple to produce any evidence at all about the spiritual practices of the Third Order and they have completely failed to do so. There is absolutely no evidence that the Sun Order ever in any way served as the Third Order of the Alpha Omega.
"The big picture that many temples ignore when trying to create their own levels
of the 5=6 is ritual analysis of the elemental grades - which is the back bone
of the 5=6 levels.This is what Mathers started with his 0=0 and 1=10 analysis.
Brodie Innes and Felkin tried to carry this on with their analysis. Felkin
appended an elemental grade analysis to each 5=6 ritual, so that the sub grades
were not needed. The problem I had with that was that there are many Inner Order
aspects to the elemental grades that you cannot connect the dots to, unless you
are in the Inner Order for some time.
Pat"
Pat, your intellectual approach to the Second and Third orders of the Golden Dawn is completely wrong. You still have not understood that the Golden Dawn is a SPIRITUAL tradition, not some silly research project. What matters are the SPIRITUAL PRACTICES, not your convoluted mental masturbation about the symbolism."
G.H. Fra. L.E.S., thank you for continuing to set the record straight for those of us aspiring to learn and implement the spiritual practices you speak of.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to know that a true custodian holds and protects this ancient wisdom from those who would only profane it.