The Sinister Path

By Thomas LeRoy

“And he shall separate them one from another,
as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.
And he shall set the sheep on his right,
but the goats on his left.”
~ Matthew 25: 32-33

Interesting Bible verse, isn’t it? An example of the left side as the bad side. This is Yahweh dividing all people, alive and dead. Dividing the good from the bad. His sheep are righteous because of their innocence, modesty, and usefulness. Thus, they go on the right and will enjoy eternal happiness. While the goats, those wicked, wicked goats, will be placed on the left side because of their carnal lust, to suffer everlasting misery. But why is the left often considered wicked? Now, this isn’t true in all cultures, for instance, the ancient Celts associated the left with The Goddess — the source of all life — and thus worshiped the left side, treating it as sacred. In Tantric Buddhism, the left hand represents wisdom. And amongst the Inca, the left-handed were said to possess powers including the ability to perform magick and healing. But, in most cases the left is evil. This theme of the wickedness of the left side was also evident during the Spanish Inquisition when the Catholic Church would condemn — and occasionally execute — those who were left-handed. And across the Atlantic during the time of the Salem Witch Trials, the use of the left hand could lead to one being hanged. But it’s not just the Christians who see evil on the left. The Muslims also honor the right hand above the left: to use the right hand for all honorable purposes, and the left for actions that are, let’s say, not so clean like wiping your ass.

Now, the word sinister, as in “Sinisterism”, has its root in the Latin word sinistra, meaning left. And left, in regards to religion, the spiritual, or the esoteric, has no connection to leftist politics. This is a mistake many people make. It doesn’t mean those who lean toward the political left can’t walk the LHP, it’s just that the roots of these two terms are vastly different. The term left-hand path originated in Hinduism and it means the reversal of the natural right-hand flow of energy. The political left comes from which side of the assembly hall you sat in around the time of the French Revolution. And in my not-so-humble opinion, if you’re on the LHP your political leanings should have no bearing on your path because politics is the residue of philosophy. You take in philosophy and shit out politics. As HL Menken stated: “The only way to look at a politician is down.” This doesn’t mean that politics and politicians don’t impact your life. They do. The same way shit and filth do if you’re wallowing in it.

Sinisterism, in my opinion, is the most suitable vehicle on the path because of its ability to take from many different LHP practices. It looks beyond the East and West philosophical divide to glean that pure gem of truth the individual needs on their quest toward self-deification. A truth that may be different for each individual because where you’re going, I can’t go with you. No one can. It’s a personal journey. Even though those on the RHP may try to tell you otherwise. No one else can accompany you in the depths of your psyche.

Now, have you ever heard the argument that there are no right and left-hand paths, that there’s only one? Some have stated that the way you can tell someone’s a neophyte in the esoteric arts is they claim that there are two paths, and that the paths are an illusion. Well, fuck me for wasting my time over the past forty years! But wait, before I depart to become a Mormon or a granola-eating, moon-worshiping hippie, I have a question for this individual:

If there’s only one path, then why is there more than one destination?

I can understand multiple paths ending up in the same place, but a single path has only one end. And on the left-hand path that ending is you realizing that there is nothing above you, no master, no god, that you are god, something that takes place deep within the psyche where no one else can go. While on the RHP it’s all about you coming together with the flock to achieve the ultimate blessing from something greater than you.

On a side note, here’s a warning for my more theistic friends: Stop calling Satan your lord and master because when you do, you have a kinship with those on the RHP. You’re worshiping something greater than you. The gods can either be the wind at your back, or they can be pulling your leash. And if they’re pulling your leash, then you’re on the RHP. But I digress.

Saying there are no right and left-hand paths is the ignorant ramblings of the misinformed, because, like most of you, I’ve been on both paths. I know the difference. I know how that one path, the path of trying to seek approval from that which was greater than me, filled me with trepidation and a feeling of inadequacy. But it’s a path well paved with signposts telling me exactly where I was going. While that other path, even with its many perils, has endowed me with a sense of independence, because it’s up to me, and no one else to have the confidence to make it to the end. Sure, I can ask others on the Path for some advice, but they’re not going to hold my hand and lead me to the end, because if they were to, then how can I say I’ve accomplished anything?

Do you know what the RHP reminds me of? Reminds me of those baby races, you know, where the parents at the other end encourage their kids to crawl to their open arms. And even if the kid doesn’t make it, everyone knows mommy’s going to come to scoop them up. That sums up the right-hand path, in my opinion, while those on the LHP remind me of rock climbers going free solo up a cliff face no one has before, where it’s all up to them, and no one else, to make it to the top.

Understand that a sheep can’t see beyond the herd, so only a person on the RHP is going to deny the existence of the LHP. A person waiting for mommy to come to scoop them up.