Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
— From the Code of the Sith

I was recently told that I’m “much edgier than most esoteric Christians.” I wasn’t sure how to respond, since even though I find most self-described “esoteric Christians” milquetoast and on the fluffy side, I have no idea whether that “edgier” assessment is true.

Yet every so often I encounter someone who thinks they can convert me to the “Left Hand Path,” or somehow trick me into becoming a carbon copy of themselves. Problem is their own understanding of the “Left Hand” and “Right Hand distinction: when I ask them to define it, their concept usually ends up shaky and vague, based on a poor reading of Nietzsche’s concepts of “master” and “slave” morality.

That lack of understanding isn’t helped seeing that a lot of these so-called “LHPers” tend toward collectivism, caving to peer pressure, resenting those better off than they, and/or other manifestations of actual “slave” morality, meaning there’s a lot of failure at living out the “Left-Hand Path” in real-time.

Now for the fun part about these conversion attempts: you can’t convert someone who doesn’t yet believe your conception even exists. Just as I do not believe in the “Light Side” or “Dark Side” of the Force, I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE RIGHT HAND/LEFT HAND DISTINCTION.

Now yes, something analogous to this distinction can be found in Catholic Mystical Theology, and Devine’s seminary textbook Manual of Mystical Theology tells us of a “True” or “Divine Mysticism” and a “False” or “Diabolical Mysticism,” each accompanied by tell-tale signs such as odors, effects on bodily health, and so forth. But this isn’t a question of Left Hand or Right, it’s a question of what we choose to do with the universe over which man has been given dominion.

You see, I’ve already described grace as “energy,” and specifically as “the action or working of God,” a description with which official theology agrees. That same theology also makes the distinction of “actual grace” and accepts that God assists in the actions of every created being including sin. The average believer is not taught about this and it will no doubt scandalize them, yet as a part of Catholic teaching it’s explained in detail in Ott’s textbook Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma. Likewise, it can be considered one lens for understanding Luther’s oft-misunderstood admonition to “Sin boldly but let your faith in Christ be stronger!”

Moving from reality and back to fiction, this leads me to agree with what Vergere once said to Jacen Solo: there is no light side or dark side of the Force, there is only the Force.

Translating this from Star Wars speak and into real-world theology, there is no left-hand or right-hand path, because there is no left-hand or right-hand grace, there is only actual grace supplying us with energy to accomplish whatever we’ve set our minds to. This makes the distinction between LHP and RHP not only superfluous but in essence a figment of human imagination. Or more accurately, a human attempt to systematize the way the universe works.

The Divine Mysticism and the Demonic Mysticism are empowered by the same Source, as the same Source created all of us and gave operation to us all; the only empirical distinction is the operation of our free will choosing what we should do with what we’ve been given.

Okay, I’m done. You wannabe demon-lords can resume fapping to anime, whining about your life on tumblr, or whatever you posers are accustomed to doing. I’ve got more important things to do.