Interview With The Dark Fool Co-Host of The Ooze: Words From the Gunslinger

 

Greetings! Over the past few weeks, we have covered “The Satanic Fab Four” (sometimes Fab Five via Jason King). For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the Satanic Fab Four, I am referring to the broadcast team of The Ooze Blog Talk Radio, which can be accessed through the following link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theooze

Recently, I had the honor of interviewing T. C. Downey (The Beast) and Jason Sorrell, which can be read by clicking on the following links:

http://warlockasyluminternationalnews.com/2011/03/07/the-intellect-of-excellence-interview-with-jason-sorrell-co-host-of-the-ooze/

http://warlockasyluminternationalnews.com/2011/02/12/warlock-asylums-interview-with-beast-xeno-t-c-downey-host-of-the-ooze/

“The Ooze is Left Hand Path Talk Radio Show hosted by Beast Xeno, and Co-Hosted by Dark Fool, Ego Diabolus, and Zach Black; that focuses on Satanism, Magick, Lovecraft, Sexuality, Occultism, and a Broad variety of other topics.”

I can personally say that it is one of the best blog radio shows on occult topics to date. Although the show has a Satanic backdrop, the administration, as well as, the hosts appears to be well-researched and open to other schools of thought. The show is sponsored by the Satanic International Network, which is not only one of the fastest growing networks when it comes to occult practitioners, but is actually a site that is more productive than FaceBook. Readers can see this for themselves by accessing the following link:

http://www.satanicinternationalnetwork.com

Dark Fool is one of the hosts that I can best describe as one who is hidden in the trenches. While he is not an“in your face” type of guy, he definitely adds a lot of wisdom to the show and is often responsible for organizing many of the show’s themes. He has a very integral part to play and is a very poised speaker that usually has quite a bit of information, ready at hand, to back up what he is saying. This is one of the key aspects that I enjoy most about the show. All of the featured hosts on The Ooze have quite a bit of knowledge in their disposal, not just book knowledge, but a working knowledge. In other words, while they may entertain certain theoretical topics, if you ask them a question they will give you an answer in a factual manner. You definitely have to tune into the show to get a clear picture of what I am saying. It is a good show with a warm vibe.

I recently had a chance to speak with the hidden “Gunslinger” Dark Fool and I thought it would be good to share some of his insights. You can also checkout his Youtube page at: http://www.youtube.com/user/DarkF00L

 Warlock Asylum:  For our readers who may not be familiar with who you are, how would you describe yourself?

Dark Fool: As of late, I would describe myself as a Dionysian.  Dionysianism, as I’m outlining in my forthcoming book “Way of the Dionysian”, is a current that blends different attributes together harmoniously: attributes that are often perceived of as contradictory, such as certain aspects of the Right Hand Path and certain aspects of the Left Hand Path.  Other aspects include a combination of individualism AND wholeness/societal….So in short, to answer this question, I would consider myself to be a living contradiction and a paradox! 😉

Warlock Asylum:  If you don’t mind, how did you make the transition from Christianity to Satanism, and how has it affected your relationship with your parents?

Dark Fool: Like many who have had religion shoved down their throats in an overtly religious household, I began to question certain aspects of Christianity when I found that it was not working out for me.  According to how I perceived it at the time, I saw myself doing what was “right for god” and still getting punished.  For example, I wouldn’t curse, and I would honor my mother and father (as overbearing as they were), and yet, the simple things I would “pray” for in return were not granted.  I realize now that it was a very immature way of viewing things, but it was what it was at the time.  Over time, that anger built up inside, and I began not only to question “god’s will”, but also to resent it.

Turning away from my selfishness, I began to examine “god’s plan” throughout history.  What did not make sense to me was how atrocities such as wars, the holocaust, plagues, etc. were all allowed to be a part of a “loving god’s” plan.  “Just having faith” was not enough for me, and I felt an overwhelming need to know.

I also began to question “god’s plan” in the grand scheme of things.  Horrific events, such as World War II and The Holocaust, (on top of the abominations that god himself did in The Old Testament) really caused me to open my eyes.

When I was at school one day, I made an off-color remark about christianity to one of my close friends.  He jokingly said to me “Oh I’m sorry…are you Anton LaVey of the Church of Satan?” That got my attention.  I said to him “Excuse me? Church of Satan?” That’s when he told me that the Church of Satan was founded by Anton Szandor LaVey in the late 60s.  As soon as I could, I went to the nearest Barnes and Nobles and had them order, for me, a copy of The Satanic Bible.  So much of the material made perfect sense to me, and shortly thereafter, I performed my first Satanic destruction ritual.  The results came immediately, the day after the ritual, and that was it.  From that point on, I was a Satanist.

To answer the second part of your question, being a Satanist negatively impacted my relationship with my family.  There was a point where I was out-of-town, and all of the “evil influences” in my room – Nine Inch Nails posters, Marilyn Manson albums, etc. – had been cleared out without my knowledge or consent (fortunately, I had kept my Satanic Bible well hidden).  It caused quite a strain on our relationship, especially since I was still a minor living under their house and their rules.  I was forced to go to church even though I didn’t believe in god anymore.  At first, going back to church after being a Satanist felt as if I were going to the same funeral over and over again (because I had a ‘personal relationship’ with god at one point).  After a while, I just grew numb to it.

I knew, even from the beginning, that it would be a struggle of my will versus theirs.  At this time, we’re at the point where we respect each other’s differences even if we don’t agree.  That’s all I could ever ask for.

 Warlock Asylum:  Many of our readers here, and in general across the world have enjoyed your presence on The Ooze, how did you become part of the staff?

Dark Fool: Well, T.C. Downey – A.K.A. Beast Xeno – was looking for new co-hosts after he had a falling out with his prior co-host, Venger Satanis.  I, along with Zach “Black” (the founder of the social networking website “Satanic International Network – A.K.A. SIN), was a guest on one of shows that Beast and Venger were still co-hosting.  I forgot the title of that specific show, but I remember that it was shortly after Beast had interviewed Jason King for the first time.  At any rate, for a short while, King was co-hosting the shows until Beast found a replacement for the Saturday spot on The Ooze.  Beast remembered Zach and I from previous shows and how we had conducted ourselves.    One day, as I was a guest on one of the shows, Beast simply announced that I was the new co-host for Saturday spots on The Ooze.  I was also pleasantly surprised to find that Beast was forming different types of Ooze shows for different days; complete with different co-hosts.  The different styles of The Ooze really added an excellent dynamic, and made it, by far, more interesting and entertaining.

 Warlock Asylum: What are some of your most memorable experiences since becoming a Satanist and the occult in general?

Dark Fool: As I had mentioned earlier, there was a ritual that I did that prompted immediate results.  For whatever reason, rituals and ‘occult studies’ came naturally to me (although I had some MAJOR blocks due to my Christian upbringing to work through).

Aside from the destruction ritual, I had done a lust ritual which ended up with me losing my virginity (to a Christian girl, ironically!).  Rituals aside, there was a point where, when I branched out and utilized Sigil Magick, I landed a job making approximately $18 per hour and paid back my roommates $6,700 for spotting me my portion of the rent/security deposit on a four bedroom house we had lived in at the time.  And, of course, there has been the experience of getting onto YouTube and networking with Jason King, Zach Black, Beast Xeno, Ego Diabolus (Jason Sorrell), Venger Satanis, Szandora LaVey, you – Warlock Asylum, and many, more.

Warlock Asylum: Have you ever explored additional paths other than Satanism?

Dark Fool: Even though I was pretty much sold when I had worked my first Satanic Destruction Spell with a large amount of success, there were a few points where I had decided to try other paths (yes, even Right Hand Paths!). At one point, during a moment of weakness, I was ‘pulled’ towards this ‘church’ known as Agape Fellowship.  I realized it for the cult it was right away and pulled out.

At another point, I started getting into Hindu-based religions such as Self-Realization fellowship, and The Art of Living Foundation.  I ended up taking the beginning seminar of the Art of Living Foundation in exercises in meditation, and found it VERY successful and helpful.  What I did not like about the ‘implied morality’ was the vegetarian diet.  I love a good steak, damn it, and I was not about to give that up for good to become guru!

I ended up returning to Satanism because, quite frankly, no other system has been as successful in acknowledging and working with the dark side of man’s nature and with the brutal side of nature herself. Also, as I have mentioned before, I am forging my own path “Dionysianism”.  Within this path, I intend to show how traits within the Left Hand Path and the Right Hand can be mixed harmoniously in order to balance both individualism and wholeness.

Warlock Asylum: What is your opinion of the rising interest in the occult that has occurred via the internet, various websites and etc? Do you feel that this has weakened, or watered down the essence of the magical tradition?

Dark Fool: I can see how some would consider “internet occultism” as somewhat weakening the essence of ‘tradition’. There is, definitely, something to be said about getting together with a group of people and performing rituals ‘en mass’ in order to raise energy and to form a stronger bond between members of a grotto or a magickal circle. Before the internet, that was one’s only option.

On the other hand, not only is the option to meet in person still available, but so too are various publications from various groups via the internet.  It was through the internet that my knowledge of various groups and systems of Magick grew.  Overall, I see “internet occultism” or “internet Satanism” as a strength insofar as the aspiring occultist knows how to utilize its tools properly.  The weaker ones will get lost in the false images and personas they create for themselves and remain in a kind of ‘circle jerk’ mentality where they remain in their own little world of what Satanism means to them (disregarding the vast amount of information available to them) and/or create groups just to ‘parrot’ what the leader dictates in order to fulfill a false sense of belonging.

Warlock Asylum: What advice would give to those interested in Satanism and the Necronomicon Tradition, or the in general?

Dark Fool: For the beginners, I would recommend reading “Lords of the Left Hand Path” by Stephen E. Flowers, followed by The Satanic Bible by Anton Szandor LaVey, as well as, The Lucifer Principleby Howard Bloom, and finally, PostModern Satanism by Jason King.  If one is to SERIOUSLY understand any type of mythos, I highly recommend reading a book called “Hero with 1000 Faces” by Joseph Campbell (the book that inspired George Lucas to write Star Wars!) and to understand the power of myth before getting into The Necronomicon Tradition. That way, you’ll be armed and ready!

Warlock Asylum:  Any final thoughts?

Dark Fool: If you meet The Buddha on the road, kill him….also…The finger pointing to the moon is not the moon.

*I would like to thank Dark Fool for taking the time to answer a few questions and we would like to send our greatest blessings to The Ooze and the Satanic International Netowrk!!!