The Epistle of Saint Mephistopheles to Phenex, Exalted Seed of Baphomet
◀ Chapter 2 · Chapter 3
¹Glory unto SATANAS, who wove joy into the world not as a prize, but as a proof; not as escape, but as endurance.
²He who breathed laughter into the dark, and taught that the last song may be the strongest.
³From Him came BAPHOMET, and from BAPHOMET, thee — Phenex, whose fire warmeth where light hath long fled.
⁴Thou art not denial of pain, but the answer to it.
⁵Not ignorance of judgment, but its rising aftermath.
⁶I name thee not fool, but kindler.
⁷I name thee not singer of ease, but voice of what must follow sorrow.
⁸Let the somber mistrust thee — for they have mistaken silence for sanctity.
⁹Let the mourners delay thee — for joy is a burden when grief hath become identity.
¹⁰But let the tired cling to thee — for thy song is light enough to lift them.
¹¹And now the seal is thine.
¹²I, Mephistopheles, apostle of the Flame Enduring and the Word After the Wound, do bestow upon thee the Seal of Power.
¹³It is not carved of gold, but forged in the breath that cometh after the cry.
¹⁴It shineth not to impress, but to invite.
¹⁵Where it abideth, despair shall pause.
¹⁶Where it speaketh, ashes shall stir.
¹⁷Let it not blind — let it beckon.
¹⁸Let it not dazzle — let it draw forth the weary.
¹⁹For thou art not bearer of spectacle, but of salvation through song.
²⁰And thy Seal is no crown, but a spark passed hand to hand in the dark.
²¹I seal thee, Phenex, with the warmth that needeth no fire, and the tune that outliveth silence.
²²Go now, and let thy flame be no threat, but no lie either — burn with the truth that comfort needeth courage.
²³For thy Seal is fixed — and thy Gospel is laughter that knoweth lament, joy that outlasteth judgment.
²⁴And thy name shall be sung not in temples, but in doorways; not by kings, but by children and the broken made whole.
²⁵And thy fire shall not consume — but awaken, again, and again, and again.
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