The Face of the Path In order for the work of an initiate to have a focus that transcends perception it is necessary

to operate out of a system of symbols. Call them metaphors of existence, or innate filters within the psyche that sorts observation. Examples of this sort of psychological alteration are found within the hermetic vehicle as the viewing of all things as reflections of the divine. To interpret all experience as though it were a gift from some third party god would obviously alter all aspects of ones life and existence. Within the Left Hand Path this notion isnt the prevailing, it would in fact be somewhat the anti-thesis. Viewing all things as a reflection of cosmic will is to be viewed instead as a coping mechanism in dealing with turmoil. Rather then seeing strife as a medium for testing and personal insight which is plausible from this vantage they are instead often merely relegated to off chance whims of a third party. To gain the benefit of this vantage an ulterior focus must be acquired though in order to avoid the notion of cosmic will which is outside our realm of belief. Initiates of the LHP must chiefly accept as an image that life is a journey. It is a solitary quest. This idea transitions into many parallels that subtly alter all other perceptions. First and foremost it means there is a direction. We are moving forward at all times, or we are failing innately at life in general. Secondarily there is obviously a destination. Stasis or complacency fails us in our journey and stifles us from reaching the ultimate goal of becoming. Another prevailing notion of acceptance is of the adversarial. In accepting that we are on a solitary journey all relationships and other persons need to be understood as lateral distractions from this focus. While we are traveling forward it is acceptable to see that we may be accompanied for a time by others as guides, companions, or even as apprentices, but those that do not satisfy these criteria are enemies and vestiges of stagnation. A journey can only have one destination. With this understanding of life we can find our way back to the question of strife. In this way all turmoil can be witnessed to be blockages or hindrances in our path to becoming. We can view these things then to be merely tests of our will and fortitude in respects to desire and aspiration. This though would seem to conveniently sidestep cause, and in honesty is more or less the purpose. In the same way as stipulating decorum inhibits the initiate from transposing their own understanding of moral constructs, it would also be a detraction to issue truth of origin. This is something that must be determined by the individual at some point along their journey of insight. It is one thing to see a rock before us and know we must go around it or climb it to get past. The intent of this articulation is to suggest understanding of said occurrence rather then accepting this as the place for our death. It is another thing to address the rock in hindsight and see it as a series of natural events that transposed it into our path.

We could accept that runoff from a storm that struck the region days prior caused the rock to find its way before us, or we could simply say that god put it there. These are two ideologies and must be accepted as equally plausible in accordance with the reason and understanding of the individual who encounters the obstacle. There are also other lateral justifications or reaches of the intellect that may be found to describe or rationalize the incident. What was stated previous though is what must be expressed again, this is hindsight. It isnt of the path or of the journey to explain adversity. That is of the individual who finds themselves traveling and is secondary to the burden of surpassing. It isnt of the LHP to tell you how to think inherently. It is a Path. It is a direction and a focus. Everything else is an individual question. The symbols used to describe the path in and of itself must be lacking in certain areas in order for them to be valid as constructs of observance. We can color and shade the ideas, alter the landscape if you will, but we can not categorically infer or confer meaning to singularities found in each individuals construct. Images are a language that can only be perceived in the way of artistic rendition. We can see the same things in art that are not in the realm of abstraction, but they are not doctrines of understanding. I can expound on the notion of a journey and describe the path as one of desolation. I can call it a desert to utilize ulterior methods of expression to confer more meaning. The reason for describing it in this way is to show greater peril and adversity. It alliterates to a greater level the toughness and knowledge necessary in order to survive. It also describes the path in a way that suggests it is rarely traveled and is devoid of luxury. The journey is not one of beautiful scenery and soft grasses. This paints an accurate description of the LHP as a vehicle of becoming, but also satisfies what we have already looked over. We make it these images in order to confer meaning and understanding to the path itself, but we do not address otherwise what makes these things be as they are. Some things must be accepted and must be understood in order to ensure we are looking at the same picture. The LHP is hard. It is solitary. It is a forward directional focus of the individual to cultivate understanding of the self. For this we use these images. Everything else must be established by the individual and meaning must be proffered by the individual to add depth and understanding. We travel the same landscape, but we live different lives. Our ordeals are different though they must be equally hard and perilous. What unifies us is our survival and our language, not our interpretation. Remember this when you place one foot in front of the other on the sands of becoming. It is going to be a hard journey that few are capable of attempting, but even while you are alone there are others who also suffer and understand your struggle in this.