Left Hand Path

Left Hand Path is a term used in occultism for one kind of spiritual path. It is the opposite of the Right Hand Path, which is what most people think of when they think of religion or spirituality.

The use of this term in occultism came from a term used in Hindu Tantra, Vama marga in Sanskrit. This ancient form of tantra used the breaking of rules (taboos) as part of the practice. Rules about diet and sex were broken on purpose. For example, rules against eating meat and drinking alcohol might be broken. Such a practice might require eating meat and drinking alcohol while having sex in a graveyard or cremation ground.

People who follow the Left Hand Path in the West are not interested in giving up pleasure or the world in order to be spiritual. They are not interested in worshiping God or following rules made up by others. They seek to gain power and freedom by breaking through taboos, fears and restrictions.

Many people link this term with Satanism and black magic, but they are not the same. The Left Hand Path is sometimes described as amoral.

Related pages

• Thelema
• The Satanic Bible

References

• Evans, Dave. The History of British Magic After Crowley. Hidden Publishing, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9555237-0-0
• Grant, Kenneth. Cults of the Shadow. London: Muller, 1975.
• Hine, Phil. Black magic and the left-hand path Archived 2008-01-02 at the Wayback Machine.