Crimson Glory: Midnight [pt1]

Back in 2022 I did a couple blogs on the band Queensryche, and considered whether they were some sort of propaganda/social engineering vehicle sponsored by England's EMI records. In response to these blogs, some had suggested I look into a band called Crimson Glory, who is often compared to Queensryche. This was especially true in the 1980s, when a particular style of music which would later be labeled "progressive metal" was in its early stages.

I've never been a big fan of the "Prog Metal" label because it seems to be less about musical "progress," and more about emulating a band like Queenryche or Dream Theatre. One could take the view that Crimson Glory was indeed trying to embody the particular sound/aesthetic of Queensryche in the 80s, among other bands. But this is not uncommon, many bands model themselves after a certain sound or band during their formative years [they just don't always call it "being progressive"] Queensryche themselves can be heard emulating the Iron Maiden/Judas Priest stylings on their 1982 EP. But in the case of CG being constantly compared to Queensryche, I believe there is more to it than meets the eye.

Before getting into my "wild conspiracy theories", let's look at some of the symbolism and imagery CG have used over the years.

'Crimson Glory' is a highly influential Hybrid Tea rose developed by German breeder Wilhelm J.H. Kordes II. It was released in 1935, following the cross between 'Cathrine Kordes' and 'W. E. Chaplin'. Known for its deep, velvety crimson color and intense damask fragrance, it is a classic rose variety...

"A rose is NOT a rose by any other name... Only the original lineup is CRIMSON GLORY (the rose that is so beautiful that all others pale in comparison)" - Midnight, as quoted by Blabbermouth

Could it be that an aggressive underground 80s Heavy Metal band would name themselves after a fragrant rose? The inclusion of 2 roses on the cover of Crimson Glory's 1986 debut album would seem to indicate, YES.

[Crimson Glory in the 80s]

[Slayer, circa 1983]

[Neil Turbin, circa 1984]

The chrome colored masks CG wore initially were presumbly used as a way to stand out and create an air of "mystery," which they all, especially Midnight, seemed so fond of projecting. Although this was not a new concept in heavy metal, these types of theatrics were typically found more often in glam metal, which the harder 80s bands were usually opposed to outwardly. Slayer, for example, wore make-up initially "in the wicked sense." But when they played outside Los Angeles they got made fun of and took it off. Kerry King later said "it was dumb and we only needed it in L.A." Similarly, original Anthrax singer Neil Turbin got heckled for wearing chainmail on stage. He was not in the band much longer after that. Nevertheless, CG trotted right out onstage with their elagant masks and roses flying about, seemingly without a care in the world what tough guy metalheads might think. This was, after all, PROGRESSIVE metal. It wasn't for the average Joe. This was THINKING MAN's metal...

Sub rosa is a Latin phrase meaning "under the rose," used as an adverb or adjective to describe something done in strict confidence, secrecy, or clandestinely. Originating from Roman mythology where the rose symbolized secrecy, it commonly implies private, confidential, or hush-hush matters.

Between the mask and roses which grace the cover of CG's debut LP, the common denominator is SECRECY [or mystery, if you will]. Masks hide one's identity and the rose is a traditional symbol of secrecy.

There's also the singer's stage name, Midnight [real name John Patrick McDonald II]. Midnight is the MIDDLE of the NIGHT, when people [with day jobs] are presumably deep asleep, dreaming away. In traditional fairy tales midnight is when the monsters come out and when spells get cast by warlocks invoking black magic by the full moon. So while the rest of the band went by their given names, John Patrick McDonald II chose to go by Midnight. Ok, Mr Mysterio!

Some articles out there on the internet say that the group's name was taken from the bible, but I believe this was denied by the band members. In fact, the phrase "crimson glory" does not appear in the King James Bible [at least not mine]. However, that doesn't mean the phrase isn't Christian derived. A book of Christian Hymns for "church, Sunday schools, and conventions" was published in 1938 entitled, Crimson Glory. Did one of the band members read from this book growing up in the church choir? Or maybe one of the band members is simply an anthophile...

TRANSCENDENCE

To transcend means to rise above, exceed, or go beyond normal limits, boundaries, or expectations. This was the title of Crimson Glory's 2nd, and most popular album. It also happens to echo Queensryche's stated credo when they were asked why they "sound so different lately?" The answer was usually something like, "well when we formed the band we always said the only rule was "no limits.""

The album art reflects the music very well. Etherial and evocative, but somewhat vague, naive, campy, and a little too convinced of it's own profoundness. Somewhat pompous, you might say. Not that the music isn't very well executed, but when your peers are on the level of Queensryche and Savatage, the bar is quite high indeed. So for a band like CG to even approach that level is saying something. But I'm not here to judge the music per se, I'm here to comment upon the symbolism. So let's start with this lady swimming around in a giant sperm cell ejected from some green thing hurling through outer space, while shooting light rays out her eyes...

You might recall the hilariously campy "Queen of the Ryche" video by Queensryche, a band you may have heard of recently. The plot involves some Queen from the post W.W.4 future, who uses crystals and computers to enslave the human race. But Geoff Tate figures out how to ricochet her lazer beams back at her, and she is then paralized. He then decides to tear off her awesome mask, unleashing a blinding light which causes the band to wince and stagger back. The words "to be continued..." end the video.

Loyal fans of early Queensryche have been waiting in veign ever since, for the anticipated sequal to the Queen of the Ryche video. I postulate in an earlier blog that this sequal takes the form of their debut album cover for "The Warning," where we see a mysterious face upon what appears to be a tarot card, green light blazing from the eyes.

I used to think this was just some random humanoid an artist drew, but if you look closely, it appears to be wearing lipstick! It also appears to be draped in a cloth or veil of purple, which is a symbolic indicator of royalty [think Prince: Purple Reign or the purple Crown Royal sack]. Is this supposed to be "the Queen" from the video? Note the other tarot cards have what appear to be crown motifs [crown = royalty]. Also note that we are in outer space and that the light projecting ftom the veiled Queen's eyes is green. Now go back and look at the album cover of CG's trancendence, and contemplate the similarities in theme and symbols to The Warning, and tell me what it all means - because I have no clue! What I do know is that they are oddly similar.

Outer space = check
Mystical Lady shooting light rays out of her eyes = check
Green light = check

Lyrically, the first couple CG albums cover much of territory you'd expect prog metal pioneers to tread upon: a good dose of Tolkienish fantasy, war, and of course love. The latter usually involves what seems like different iterations of the lady who wore black in Queensryche's iconic etherial fantasy ballad, "the Lady Wore Black." I mean, it really seems like that particular Queensryche song is what the band was going for in multiple places, which is fine but somewhat distracting in a way. Especially when you hear what sound like lines taken directly from Queensryche's tune.

On a lonely walk this morning
A light mist in the air - The Lady Wore Black

The snow was gently falling
A white mist filled the air - Transcendence

I should have listened to the wind's cold warning
And walked the other way - The Lady Wore Black

I hear the cold wind calling
Something's waiting there - Transcendence

We sat for sometime together in silence
Never speaking in words - The Lady Wore Black

I stand alone in silence
Upon the mountain high - Transcendence

The wind song whispered a warning
Telling me to beware - The Lady Wore Black

They whisper in my visions
They haunt me in my dreams - Transcendence

Am I losing my mind or are there lyrical similarities between the above lines? These were all taken from the same 2 respective songs, mind you.

While the album "Transcendence" is generally considered CG's greatest achievement, the following album is regarded as a sharp nose-dive. Where "Transcendence" covered most of the Heavy Metal bullet points, 1991s "Strange and Beautiful" generally loiters around lines like this:

Come dance with me my virgin child
To the haunting sound of my dark magic lullaby

I'm guessing that the band signing to Atlantic Records had something to do with the dumping of the Lady in Black in favor of the Virgin Child. But to be fair, the album Queensryche put out the previous year had some decidedly tacky lyrics as well:

Skin-tight leather provides my pleasure.
Wake my fear, surge with the pressure. - The Thin Line

On one level it seems Crimson Glory was chasing the coattails of Queensryche into that treacherous terrain known as "80s Metal Bands trying to remain valid through the 90s." Many just couldn't pull it off, and it seems Crimson Glory was one of these casualties. Or more specifically, John Patrick McDonald II, aka Midnight.

I must say though, in defense of "Strange and Beautiful," that it really isn't a bad album - it just very obviously ditches the loyal fan's expectations in favor of potential radio hits. And if I may further digress into opinion, the ballads on that album are FANTASTIC. So much so, the thought occurred to me that Crimson Glory may have fared better as a straight up Glam Metal band! But I'll quit while I'm ahead here...

SAKADA

[Note that the individual rendered in the above image appears to have insect wings, and is emerging from a stylized hole in the ground.]

After Crimson Glory's "Strange and Beautiful" album was recorded, the group was preparing to tour, when Midnight announced that he was retiring from the music business. He re-emerged a good decade later under the Midnight moniker, and released a decidedly acoustic album entitled "Sakata."

Cicadas are loud, winged insects, often mistaken for beetles or locusts, known for the buzzing songs produced by males during summer. They live underground as nymphs for 2–17 years, feeding on tree roots before emerging to molt into adults, which live for only a few weeks to mate.

The country of Greece is known for their dedicated fans of Heavy Metal, and it seems they showed great interest in Crimson Glory and their enigmatic singer Midnight, to the degree that Midnight chose to "re-emerge" like the mythic Cicada in 2005, 14 years after "retiring from the music business." This entheusiasm for Crimson Glory manifested most prominently in the form of a record label, now defuct, called "Black Lotus Records."

The black lotus is a powerful symbolic flower representing self-mastery, resilience, and transformation, embodying the ability to bloom (rise) from dark, challenging, or murky circumstances. It often symbolizes mystery, deep creative power, and the embrace of one's own "darkness" or hidden strength, representing an earthy, untamed spirituality.

There doesn't seem to be much information online regarding Black Lotus Records, but the name itself, symbolizing a flower, is of note in reference to Crimson Glory, for the obvious reason that Crimson Glory itself is apparently named after a flower! Not just that, but the theme of a Black Lotus aligns with Midnight's "emergence" from hibernation thematically, and in the broader sense, Crimson Glory - who seemed to be mostly on pause when Midnight checked out. Sure, they squeezed out Astronomica with an alternate singer, but the tentative plan to re-record vocals on it with Midnight points towards an acknowledgement that the band had him in mind originally for it.

Black Lotus released Midnight's solo record and seemed primed to finance both Midnight's re-recording of vocals over the "Astronomica" album and the new, tentatively titled Crimson Glory album, "Metatron, Lucifer and the Divine Chaos" (later shortened to Divine Chaos).

Metatron is a prominent archangel in Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah) and esoteric traditions, often described as a mediator between God and humanity, the "lesser YHWH," or the transformed prophet Enoch. As a high-ranking heavenly scribe, he is believed to manage divine records, guide souls, and oversee cosmic energy through sacred geometry.

Metatron's Cube originates from medieval Kabbalistic texts and sacred geometry, representing a complex figure derived from the "Fruit of Life"—13 circles within the Flower of Life pattern. Named after the Archangel Metatron, it is believed to map the fundamental patterns of creation, containing all five Platonic solids.

When speaking about the concept of Metatron, it's important to bear in mind that this phrase does not appear in canonised biblical text. It appears in what is referred to as "apocrypha," which are Judao-Christian writings roughly contemporary with the canonized bible, but aren't necesarily considered "official" or "valid" scripture, though Enoch is mentioned in the canonized bible.

The role of "Lucifer" in all of this is unclear to me, but is probably based upon some individual's mish mash interpretation of the above mentioned writings.

A tradition of mystycism, which seems to be rooted in geometry advanced by Greek Mathmetician Pethagoros, gives us "metatron's cube," which is quite an impressive image to ponder. The flower aspect in this context again recalls the Crimson Glory Rose, but also the Rose Cross of the Rosecrucians and Crowley's Rose Cross Tarot deck image.

Anyway, regarding the cryptically ambitious working title "Metatron, Lucifer and the Divine Chaos", we can probably assume that someone here has a keen interest in the occult. There is also a subtle reference to the number 13 here. 13 circles are the apparent basis of the Metatron cube, which brings us to the song "Triskaideka." "Triskaideka" appears on Crimson Glory's most recent album, "Chasing the Hydra." The song seems to be about Triskaidekaphobia, which is the fear of the number 13. [funny enough, I brought this word up in a fairly recent blog concerning the 13th Floor Elevators] I'm not saying there is some kind of profound mystical continuity here, just highlighting the band's obvious interest in occult mysticism - which seems to continue well beyond Midnight's exit from this earthly plane of existence.

Anyway, back to Midnight and his 2005-ish comeback in Greece...

When the interviewer in the above image, possibly from Black Lotus, asks Midnight "where have you been?" he replies "hiding." The interviewer presses further - "from who?" Response: "Everyone." Interviewer: "What for?" Midnight then pauses for a second and replies "well...that's why they call it hiding, cause you don't tell!"

Midnight then gets into his album that was being promoted at that time, "Sakada" - which he explains is an intentionally misspelled version of Cicada, a winged insect that lives underground for many years. Midnight then compares his own 14 year absence from the music scene to the underground life of the Cicada, who create "buzzing songs." This seems to all fit well within the mysterious image Midnight fostered over the years, if somewhat vague in terms of its ultimate purpose [death?].

DEATH OF THE BLACK LOTUS

With all of these plans of re-recording vocals, recording a new album, and a triumphant Midnight reunion upon the horizon, Black Lotus Records seems to suddenly announce they are no-more. All bands are released from contacts, and all plans with Crimson Glory seem to be off. It's all kind of vague and mysterious, as if a great plan was either cut short or completed in secret.

Midnight seemed to rapidly decline after this, being arrested for a DUI in 2007, then fired from the band shortly thereafter due to an apparent chronic deteriorating condition. He died in January of 2009 from a "stomach aneurysm."

I've attempted a few times to sift through Crimson Glory's lyrics for some kind of grand interpretation of all this mystery and references to the occult. Ultimately, I don't think the "big secret" is revealed within the lyrics or even the band's iconography. But the idea that there IS a "big secret" here is a valid one I think, which will be explored in part 2.

Scientology and the Occult

"Dianetics: A New Science of the Mind" was an article by Laffayette Ronald Hubbard [L. Ron Hubbard or LRH] published in the magazine "Astounding Science Fiction" in May of 1950. This issue seems to be one big advertisement for LRH's book "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health", which came out that same month. Why would a "Science Fiction" magazine decide to publish/promote something like this so aggressively?

Hubbard has been quoted as telling a science fiction convention in 1948: "Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion."

[Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health has been subject to continuous editing since its inception so that at present it hardly resembles the original 1950 edition - wiki]

While Dianetics labeled itself a "science", the author LRH later morphed it into a "religion," now known as Scientology. But what do the followers of Scientology do exactly, and how is it related to some article originally published in a pulp Science Fiction magazine at the dawn of the 1950s? The truth is about as strange, sinister, and complex as you'd imagine - if not moreso.

[LEFT: Ronald Edward DeWolf, born Laffayette Ronald Hubbard Jr 1934-1991 RIGHT: Laffayette Ronald Hubbard 1911-1986]

THE GRIFT

He has built up over the years….a great amount of false and imaginary data...I can say flatly that 99% of what my father wrote about his own life and what he had done is false. And since it’s always been an integral part of Scientology itself...I think people should know those facts...my father only knew how to do one thing, which was to destroy people...There’s only 1 good defense and that’s to attack.

They really don’t know what they’re doing, the average people coming in the door at Scientology, until they get to the very very top, they don’t really realize that they step by step…start believing this, all of the various falsehoods.

“I connatate loyalty as the highest ethic. That means follow me, that means total dedication, total loyalty to me L Ron Hubbard.”

My father always felt that he was above the law because he had created the law…he created whatever rules regulations and...there was only 1 sin in Scientology, which is “getting caught.”

I watched it continue to become a criminal conspiracy. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. But I wish to paraphrase - power is very enjoyable, and total and absolute power is ecstacy. Scientology is a power and money game. The definition of "life" in Scientology is what is called "a game," life is a game, same as monopoly or playing Gin and Rummy. It doesn’t have all that much reality to it, which means that you can pretty well do as you please.

The above quotes were collected from the 1982 Clearwater Hearings, in which LRH Jr [then known as Ronald DeWolf] testifies to what can be described as no less than an utter condemnation of his father and the Scientology empire he built, which stands to this day. Much of the scathing accusations contained therein can be largely corroborated by a few minutes of research online, but it is not the purpose of this blog to simply cut and paste bullet points illustrating the corrupt history of Scientology. I'm more interested in the contrast between the apparent reality of Scientology and people's perception of it, and how that has been, and continues to be, aggressively controlled throughout the years.

When most people think of Scientology they think of Tom Cruise and John Travolta. That's very good because I'm sure they'd much rather you think of these 2 smiling faces, than have you perform a not-so-deep-dive online regarding the organization's past - which speaks for itself. It's easy to forget that these smiling faces belong to PAID ACTORS. But even if we assume our buddies Tom and John are NOT acting and are genuine witnesses to the benefits of Scientology - isn't that a little MORE scary?

[Aleister Crowley 1875-1947]

THE "G"-ENERATIVE FORCE

What a lot of people don't realize is that Scientology is black magic that is just spread out over a long time period. To perform black magic generally takes a few hours or, at most, a few weeks. But in Scientology it's stretched out over a lifetime, and so you don't see it. - LRH Jr

You might not be very surprised to find out that Aleister Crowley had a known influence upon the creator of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard. A fairly well documented one, in fact. Crowley taught a sex magic ritual called karezza or Dianism which Hubbard is believed to have practiced. But before getting deeper into that, let's look at some of the more disturbing things LRH Jr revealed at the same 1982 Clearwater Hearing referenced earlier:

...I was born at 2 lb 2 oz, prematurely. My father had rather severely beaten my mother and that’s what caused that, while he was trying to get involved with Black Magic rituals…[LRH tried] at least 2 attempted abortions on my mother, one I observed when I was around 6 or 7...Dianetics deals greatly with Husbands beating pregnant wives. [there were] 270 incidences in the book dealing with pre-natal experiences. Attempted abortions by husbands; women on themselves.

The general focus of the [presumably first edition of Dianetics] book is, I would say, to put it in one word, SEX…According to my father all cancer stems from the 2nd dynamic. The 2nd dynamic is sex. His leap of logic was that Cancer is cells which are dividing and dividing of cells is a sexual thing….so therefore the basis of all cancer is sex. If you’re having big bad problems with sex in early childhood then this is what’s causing your cancer…that [celibacy] can also cause cancer because of your lack of sexual activity. Compulsive sex or too much sex, THAT can cause cancer too…”The Old Man’s casebook” by LRH - claims 8 cases of cancer cured...

[Beginning in 1924, Wilhelm Reich published a series of papers on the idea of "orgastic potency", the ability to release the emotions from the muscles and lose the self in an uninhibited orgasm, an idea that Freud came to call Reich's "Steckenpferd" (hobby horse).]

The concept of incorporating sex or sexual activities into medical treatment and/or magick rituals probably dates further back than we can trace. But in the modern sense, Crowley seems to be the one who popularized it in the early 1900s.

Like Hitler, LRH's lust for power seemed to know no bounds. Inevitably, this lust for power takes one down roads who's toll is the near abandonment of morality and humanity. The latter are viewed as "road blocks," and not as the life affirming instincts God instilled within us. Once one abandons these instincts, there is "only 1 sin in life," which is “getting caught.”

ROCKET MAN

[Marvel Whiteside Parsons, aka John Whiteside Parsons, or Jack Pasons with his wife Marjorie Cameron, whom he believed to be the "elemental" woman and manifestation of Babalon that he had invoked in some sort of Crowleyan ritual.]

John Parsons is regarded as an important figure historically due to his work advancing early rocket propulsion technology. He was also one of the more well known practitioners of Crowley's Thelema Religion, and was a member of the Ordo Temple Orientis [the O.T.O.] In fact, Parsons came to believe in the reality of Thelemic magick as a force that could be explained through quantum physics. Needless to say, he took it all pretty seriously!

In June 1942, Navy records indicate that Hubbard suffered "active conjunctivitis" and later "urethral discharges"...In July 1943, Hubbard was admitted to the San Diego naval hospital for observation—he would remain there for months...On April 9, 1945, Hubbard again reported sick and was re-admitted to Oak Knoll Naval Hospital, Oakland. He was discharged from the hospital on December 4, 1945.

After, Hubbard [who would have been around 34 at the time] chose to stay in California, rather than return to his family in Washington state. He moved into the Pasadena mansion of John Parsons and soon became sexually involved with his 21-year-old girlfriend, Sara "Betty" Northrup.

Parsons wrote to Crowley that although Hubbard had "no formal training in Magick he has an extraordinary amount of experience and understanding in the field...He is the most Thelemic person I have ever met and is in complete accord with our own principles." Hubbard and Parsons collaborated on the "Babalon Working", a series of sex magic rituals intended to summon an incarnation of Babalon, the supreme Goddess in Crowley's pantheon...The Book of Babalon describes the workings as occult ceremonies based on Crowley's teaching, requiring a woman to take part in sexual rites meant to bring about the birth of a spiritual being, sometimes described in Thelemic literature as a "moonchild" – a supernatural offspring "mightier than all the kings of the Earth."

Parsons viewed Hubbard as being unusually sensitive to occult forces and brought him into the project as an active collaborator. He assigned Hubbard the role of "Scribe", responsible for channelling messages attributed to Babalon. One ritual account from March 1946 describes Hubbard speaking in the goddess's voice, portaying her as the "flame of life, power of darkness" who "feeds upon the death of men". In 1969, the Church of Scientology acknowledged that these rites had occurred...

[Marjorie Cameron, as she likely appeared around the time John Parson's met her]

[Marjorie Cameron while obviously embracing the whole "Scarlet Woman of Babalon" thing]

Parsons reported paranormal events in the house resulting from the rituals; including poltergeist activity, sightings of orbs and ghostly apparitions, alchemical (sylphic) effect on the weather, and disembodied voices. [George] Pendle suggested that Parsons was particularly susceptible to these interpretations and attributed the voices to a prank by Hubbard and Sara.

Their final ritual took place in the Mojave Desert in late February 1946, during which Parsons abruptly decided that his undertaking was complete. On returning to the Parsonage, he discovered that Marjorie Cameron—an unemployed illustrator and former Navy WAVE—had come to visit. Believing her to be the "elemental" woman and manifestation of Babalon that he had invoked, in early March Parsons began performing sex magic rituals with Cameron, who acted as his "Scarlet Woman", while Hubbard continued to participate as the amanuensis.

Inspired by Crowley's novel Moonchild (1917), Parsons and Hubbard aimed to magically fertilize a "magical child" through Immaculate Conception, which when born to a woman somewhere on Earth nine months following the working's completion would become the Thelemic messiah embodying Babalon...the purpose of the Babalon Working was "a daring attempt to shatter the boundaries of space and time" facilitating, according to Parsons, the emergence of Thelema's Æon of Horus...Crowley was bewildered and concerned by the endeavor...being "fairly frantic when I contemplate the idiocy of these louts!"

Parsons co-founded a company called Allied Enterprises with Hubbard and Sara, into which Parsons invested his life savings of $20,970 [the equivalant of about $375,000 in 2025]. Hubbard suggested that with this money they travel to Miami to purchase three yachts, which they would then sail through the Panama Canal to the West Coast, where they could sell them for a profit. Parsons agreed, but many of his friends thought it was a bad idea. Hubbard had secretly requested permission from the U.S. Navy to sail to China and South and Central America on a mission to "collect writing material"; his real plans were for a world cruise. Left "flat broke" by this defrauding, Parsons was incensed when he discovered that Hubbard and Sara had left for Miami with $10,000 of the money; he suspected a scam but was placated by a telephone call from Hubbard and agreed to remain business partners.

When Crowley, in a telegram...dismissed Parsons as a "weak fool" and victim to Hubbard and Sara's obvious confidence trick, Parsons changed his mind, flew to Miami and placed a temporary injunction and restraining order on them...Parsons was discouraged from taking further action by Sara, who threatened to report him for statutory rape since their sexual relationship took place when she was under California's age of consent of 18. Parsons was ultimately compensated with only $2,900. Hubbard, already married to Margaret Grubb, bigamously married Sara and went on to found Dianetics and Scientology.

The Sunday Times published an article about Hubbard's involvement with O.T.O. and Parsons' occult activities in December 1969. In response, the Church of Scientology released an unsubstantiated press statement which said that Hubbard had been sent as an undercover agent by the U.S. Navy to intercept and destroy Parsons' "black magic cult", and save Sara from its influence. The Church also stated that Robert A. Heinlein was the clandestine Navy operative who "sent in" Hubbard to undertake this operation.

SCIENTOLOGY

[The Cross of Scientology has been speculated to be inspired by Crowley's "Rose Cross" or possibly a "crossing out" of the Christian Cross. Whatever the case, sufficiently iconic without a doubt.]

[The "Rose Cross" which appears on the back of every card in Crowley's Thoth Tarot Deck.]

The New Jersey Medical association started investigating the foundation and forced it’s closure because they were practicing medicine without a license…this was in 1951. - LRH Jr

LRH's Dianetics fraud empire was starting to crumble, when a Don G Purcell came along and bailed him out, buying out LRH's rights to Dianetics. This was one of the reasons Scientology was created, according to LRH Jr. All of this, while LRH was also going through a very messy divorce, where Sara claimed beatings, attempted abortions, etcs...Hubbard's first wife evidently saw the headlines and wrote to Sara on May 2 offering her support. "Ron is not normal... Your charges probably sound fantastic to the average person—but I've been through it—the beatings, threats on my life, all the sadistic traits you charge—twelve years of it."

LRH then fled to Puerto Rico and then Phoenix, Arizona with somewhere around 5 shoeboxes of $25000 cash each. He eventually went on a campaign to "destroy" Percell and in 1955 got the rights back to Dianetics...To get the medical authorities off his back he then formed a…legal corporation, Scientology.

In November 1952, Hubbard published Scientology 8-80, followed up in December with Scientology 8-8008, which argued that the physical universe is the creation of the mind...In December, Hubbard gave a seventy-hour series of lectures in Philadelphia that was attended by 38 people in which he delved into the occult. In the lectures, Hubbard connects rituals and the practice of Scientology to the magickal practices of Aleister Crowley, recommending Crowley's book The Master Therion. During the Philadelphia course, Hubbard joked that he was "the prince of darkness", which was met with laughter from the audience.

On December 16, 1952, Hubbard was arrested in the middle of a lecture for failing to return $9,000 withdrawn from the Wichita Foundation. He eventually settled the debt by paying $1,000 and returning a car belonging to Wichita financier Don Purcell.

[David Miscavige, current highest ranking member of the religion of Scientology]

According to the Bible, God sent the flood because humanity had become excessively wicked and violent, corrupting the earth to the point that "every intention of the thoughts of man's heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5).

It seems to me that LRH was possessed by his own need to control everyone and everything around him. Morals, laws, rules...these are only blockades in the journey to one's ideal scenario, which is to exercise his TRUE WILL. We often see a caveat accompanying writings which speak along these lines, such as "so long as it does not impede others' free will." But how is that even possible when the "limitless horizon" of the exercising of one's TRUE WILL, unobstructed, is unleashed? One possessed in this way will simply say and do anything which furthers one's goals, whatever they may be. And any scenario which enables this state of mind is nothing more than a temporary vehicle to the next grift.

I suppose what I have put together here is a small glimpse into the "origins of Scientology," which naturally leads to the question "how is it so popular and well funded to this day?" This is something which requires a degree of permission and cooporation of entities and organizations which must have connections within the Government and possibly even the Department of Justice. The fact that such a diabolically corrupt organization is allowed to exist at all, much less proliferate unopposed to this day, is a pretty good example of the perpetual corruption we live with daily and how our society unfortunately nurtures exactly what God saw just before sending the flood.

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The Invasion of Vinnie Vincent [PT 2]

[In 1982, Vincent John Cusano [aka "Vinnie Vincent"] replaced Ace Frehley in Kiss. His persona and make-up, which we are told Paul Stanley came up with, is that of "the Wizard" or "The Ankh Warrior."]

In part 2 of this blog, we will look at the symbolism associated with Vinnie Vincent and possible occult connotations. We will also consider the entire "Kiss Story" as a whole, and see if it fits into my Reap J Lam theory, which posits some type of human sacrifice is required for fame and fortune. It should be understood that I'm well aware we are dealing with plenty of conjecture here and that nothing should be considered "factual" unless I specifically state it as such. Even then, exploring information sources and coming to your own conclusions through independent research is always encouraged.

SYMBOLISM

Stanley Bert Eisen [aka Paul Stanley] supposedly came up with Vinnie Vincent's stage persona, which is both described as "The Wizard" or "The Ankh Warrior" at times.

The first, most obvious symbol here is of course the Ankh, an ancient Egyptian hieroglyph meaning "life." The Ankh symbol is found in ancient artwork depicting Pharaohs/Gods, suggesting immortality. The "wizard" title works well when we consider the "magical" aspect of certain Egyptian mythologies involving such characters as "the Djedi" and "Thoth." The former was obviously borrowed by the "Star Wars" mythology, morphing into the famed "Jedi Knight." The latter being an important symbol/concept in alchemy and occultism in general. Whether we are talking about the occultism of Aleister Crowley or Scottish Rite Freemasonry, Egyptian mythology and symbolism is a seemingly mandatory aspect of their mysterious "Great Work" or "Magick Rituals." But we don't even have to get that mysterious, we need only look at the back of a United States $1 bill to find what appears to be the ancient Egyptian Pyramid of Giza, with a cryptic "illuminated" eye above it.

Given the fairly common appearance of ancient Egyptian symbolism and mythology, why would anyone assume V.V.'s persona was intended to be anything more than a cool looking stage costume? The first thing one needs to do if we want to try and determine a deeper intent behind a symbol, is to note the context within which it appears. We also look for other symbols to compliment, or deepen the meaning of the former. This is how Freemasons hide their symbols in plain sight, often allowing room for plausible deniability. In other words, a symbol is placed in such a way that there are at least 2 explanations for its presence. That way there exists a perfectly rational surface level explanation for the appearance of a symbol, but that doesn't necesarily mean there isn't ALSO an occult one. Of course there may not be, but you've got to look a bit below the surface to find out either way. And most people just couldn't be bothered.

[Is he holding himself up with the guitar or trying to jam the guitar's "fin" into his elbo? Is this some kind of phallic thing?]

In addition to the Ankh symbol painted directly upon V.V.'s forehead, he often wore one around his neck. [he currently sells these on his website for $1000 each!] The positioning of the Ankh placed upon the forhead is interesting considering the "loop" draws a circle around his virtual "3rd Eye." We know that the illuminated Eye in the Pyramid symbol above is highly loaded with occult connotations, especially when we consider it in context with the [Paul] Stanley Ei - sen's "star eye" [see my video "Paul and the Eye of Horus"]

The Crescent Moon printed on Vinny's costume in the image above has notable occult signifficance here. The moon is almost always represented as a feminine symbol, or more literally the womb. It can also represent mystery, dreams, and madness. What do you suppose it means that V.V. has placed a feminine symbol directly next to his crotch for everyone to see when he is onstage in front of thousands of fans? His decidedly androgynous appearance enhances the feminine aspect.

After V.V.'s brief stint with Kiss, the Vinnie Vincent Invasion blasted onto the 80s "Hair Metal" scene, which was going full-throttle. We know that the majority of these men, who were basically trying to look like dolled up women, were doing it for the money and to GET women. But there were exceptions and genuine freaks to be found. And when I say "freaks" I don't necesarily mean "trannys" or even gay men. I'm talking about something closer to non-binary, or possibly even more complex and rooted within the occult.

[Peter Burns 1959 - 2016 The former "Dead or Alive" singer has been quoted as stating: "The operation was a disaster — my nose completely caved in on one side. I'm at home recovering, when I get a call telling me I'm on Top of the Pops next Tuesday. That's why I had to wear that eyepatch. It wasn't a fashion statement, it was practical."]

[Peter Burns towards the end of his life: "The number of surgeries I've had is probably 300. I hope when I'm 80 and I get to heaven God doesn't recognise me."]

[Many have commented upon V.V.'s odd appearance in recent years, to which he doesn't seem to have much of a response, other than being amused at the "mystique" he seems to think it engenders in his fans.]

[The modern popular image of Baphomet was established by Éliphas Lévi in his 1856 work Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie. His Sabbatic Goat illustration depicts a winged, androgynous human-goat hybrid, a deliberate synthesis of binary opposites designed to represent the concept of perfect equilibrium. This Baphomet is a recurring symbol of occultism, widely adapted to represent the reconciliation of opposites, esoteric knowledge, and the summation of the universe.]

The connection between androgyny and the occult goes back many years, possibly even thousands if we consider the decidedly androgynous appearance of some of the ancient Hindu gods. From the Crowleyan/Alchemical perspective, sex is akin to an energy or electricity, having positive and negative polarities. One can imagine how such a view of sex can rapidly cross the line of what is morally acceptable and what isn't - which is probably why our mainstream establishment media and "entertainment" seems to get more crude and less morally sound by the year - whilst always pointing the finger and accusing others of being intolerant.

As pointed out in part 1, V.V. was the first professional guitarist offered a Rhoads V endorsement after Randy died. That guitar is based upon the original Rhoads V, which was dubbed "The Original Sin." Eventually, Vinny had one made into a "double V," which is pictured above. While that's a clever way to depict the letters VV, it also makes one imagine the shadow of a guitar beneath another, like the soul of Randy lurking behind the scenes. It's a morbid thought, but if one considers the idea that Randy may have actually been a sacrifice for Ozzy/Black Sabbath, the symbolism takes on a far more wicked character. Is there some dark, unspoken spiritual continuity here between Randy's sacrifice and Vinny's role in Kiss?

While it's pretty obvious what the dollar sign in Gene Simmon's signature represents, what do the symbols in Vinny Vincent's autograph represent? It looks like there was an attempt to put the Ankh in there in addition to an inverted pentacle. ["inverted" means the point faces downwards, aligning with the symbol for Baphomet]

[The sigil depicted the face of a horned goat within an upside-down pentagram. The classical illustration of the Sigil of Baphomet by Stanislas de Guaita. The Baphomet icon also served as a way to rebel against Christianity during the 20th century.]

While this is all very suggestive, I mentioned earlier that the context within which symbols appear can reveal [or negate] their relavance and meaning. We're going to step back a bit further now and see what a slightly bigger picture might reveal.

[This picture of Peter Criss is often associated with articles discussing his 1978 car accident. I assume it was taken just previous, as he does not appear to be injured yet]

[We are told Peter Criss' car accident occured after the final day of shooting their film "Kiss Meets the Phantom," the plot of which involves the entire band being kidnapped and replaced by imposter robots]

THE CRASH

You may have read how Paul, Gene, and possibly even Ace were increasingly fed up with Peter Criss' less than professional performances towards the end of the 1970s. But I find it odd how the Catman's near deadly car crash in May of 1978 is often glossed over or omitted entirely, while stories of excessive drug use and drinking are typically cited. Turns out, the crash was intentionally kept out of the press...

At the time, the reasons Criss was fired from Kiss were never made public, although it was obvious that his relationship with his bandmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley was not good at the time - wiki

"I was in a terrible car accident which never made the papers. That will show you the power of the music industry. You can keep things out of the papers if you really want to...I went through the window, I broke my nose, I lost vision in my right eye, I had to get plastic surgery on my forehead and around my face, I broke all my ribs and fingers." - Peter Criss, as quoted by kisstimeline.com

"Dynasty" was released on May 23rd, 1979. Almost exactly a year from the day Criss was involved in his near fatal car accident [which is confusingly described as "minor" in some articles I've read]. It's no wonder he doesn't play drums on every track of his 1978 solo album, and only appears on 1 track of the "Dynasty" recording sessions. I would think he needed AT LEAST a year to recover from his injuries! Although he toured with the band in 1979, he didn't participate at all in the recording of 1980's "Unmasked" - though he was still listed as being in the band at that point.

On the surface, it sounds like the ship was moving and the band didn't want Peter's injuries to stop the momentum. But it also sounds like there may have been other factors at work. Between the chaos of the actual events, the clumsy attempts to control public perception, and the time that has passed, it's difficult to know what really occurred between 1978-1980. But I suspect there is more to the story than meets the eye.

[Despite having almost nothing to due with the recording/tour of "Creatures of the Night," Ace appears on the cover and in the video for "I Love it Loud."]

The source of the tension between Ace and the Gene/Paul faction within Kiss allegedly had something to do with the fact that Ace just wanted to rock out and the other guys wanted to be more commercial. This narrative is confused by the fact that on the very album Paul and Gene seemed to cave into the "let's just rock hard without the bullshit" concept, Ace starts to disappear! We are told he was even offered a $15 million dollar contract. That doesn't sound like someone who's on thin ice, that sounds like the red carpet being rolled out! What could possibly have been in that contract that caused Ace to walk away from $15 million dollars?

Paul Charles Caravello, aka Eric Carr [the Fox], was officially announced as Kiss' drummer in July of 1980. That same year Peter Criss completed his solo album, "Out of Control." It was an "out of control" car which seems to have derailed Peter Criss' career in Kiss, only to be replaced by a CARR. Eric Carr would later be replaced by another Eric. Eric Singer, that is. Carr's last performance with Kiss was not as a drummer, but as a backup SINGER on the song "God Gave Rock and Roll to U2," from the album "Revenge." We are told Eric Carr died of a brain hemorrhage on November 24th, 1991, the same day Freddy Murcery died. This was presumably the result of complications from his cancer diagnosis/treatment.

REVENGE

Just what Kiss was getting "Revenge" for in 1991 is not very clear, but I do recall the decidedly "heavy" impression Kiss was trying to project at this time. The 80s glam hair metal thing was ALMOST on its way out, and the heavier Sabbath-influenced Grunge thing was approaching fast upon the horizon. Kiss seemed to know where the wind was blowing, and so came out swinging with the song "Unholy," which Vinnie Vincent was brought back to contribute on. Seemingly to balance things out, a cover of "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" is also included on the album. This song was used in the film "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey," which was originally entitled "Bill and Ted Go to Hell." This is why Megadeth contributed a song called "Go to Hell" to the soundtrack as well.

Given all the fire and brimstone in combination with both the exit of Eric Carr from the earth, the return of Vinnie Vincent, and the sort of campy resurrection of "Heavy Kiss," by way of their "unholy revenge," let us consider what was happening behind the scenes spiritually here...On the surface, Kiss was merely trying to stay relavant by delivering something matching the HEAVINESS of the musical climate of the 90s. But curiously, that storm was still somewhat forming, and if anything Kiss' timing was a tad early - as if they jumped the gun a bit on a plan they had advance knowledge of. This, in combination with the fact that the album really wasn't as heavy or even good overall as those involved with it's production seemed utterly convinced it was, may be why it did not perform as well as its' hair metal predecessor, "Hot in the Shade."

Perhaps what was going on with "Revenge" was of a more ceremonial nature than musical, which brings us to the Reap J Lam theory and the final section of this blog. Can all of the mystery, chaos, and confusion discussed here be explained by simply taking the perspective that we are dealing with satanic forces here which need a sacrifice in exchange for all the fame and fortune? Let's see if the shoe fits...

CAR CRASH

Was Peter Criss' alleged car crash actually a botched attempt on his life? Was Peter Criss supposed to be the sacrifice for Kiss' fame and fortune initially? Might this explain all of the mystery, coverup, and confusion surrounding the incident?

ACES HIGH

Beyond Ace Frehley's musical opposition to the decidely occult themed concept album "The Elder," was there more of an awareness of the malevolent occult forces operarting within the band than we ever considered? Did Ace know that Peter Criss was suppposed to be sacrificed and that it failed? Did Ace know that he might now be on the proverbial chopping block?

When I think of how my life was spared from that near-fatal wreck
If the Devil wants to play his card game now
He's gonna play without an ace in his deck
- Rock Soldiers, by Frehley's Comet

In the song "Rock Soldiers," is Ace telling us exactly what was in the $15 million contract he wouldn't sign? Is Kiss' floundering during "The Elder" era really a scramble to find a suitable sacrifice, in order to hold on to their fame and fortune? Was this the REAL source of all the tension in the group? Clearly, Paul and Gene's necks were never going to get put in the guillotine, which begs the question "why not?"

Ace's lyrics above ring strangely familiar to the plot of Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey [aka Bill and Ted Go to Hell] where they are challenged by the grim reaper to a game where they are to win their souls back.

THE WIZARD

I'm a sacrificial lamb on the alter of desire
You got me clutching for a cross
Yeah, the voodoo that you do is lifting me higher
All my senses have been lost
- Do You Wanna Make Love, by Vinny Vincent Invasion

I don't know how insightful V.V.'s lyrics are, other than revealing his apparent fetish for being dominated by leather clad women [we assume] in a backdrop of hellfire - but if nothing else he's got a clear understanding of the Reap J Lam concept, and flirts heavily with it as many Heavy Metal artists have over the years. But the eternal question from fans is ultimately, "how much is an act and how much is real here?"

Was Vinnie Vincent supposed to replace Ace as the human sacrifice, and is that the real reason he never wanted to sign a contract with Kiss? Is all of Vinny Vincent's otherwise unexplainable behavior over the years really just that of a man trying to run away from demons demanding his soul as fast as he can? Were these demons ultimately responsible for the deaths of BOTH of his ex-wives? Did he think he could play the magician and wield all the power without giving up his life the process? Is that the real "debt" he owes to Kiss, that he seems so determined to REVERSE in the courtroom?

MARK SAINT JOHN

We haven't even mentioned Mark Leslie Norton [aka "Mark Saint John"] yet, who went ahead and signed a 5 year contract in 1984 after replacing V.V. I'm not sure what ever happened with that contract, as he didn't last 1 year in the group. In late 2006 though, he found himself in jail and was brutally beaten and stabbed with pencils by a group of up to 20 inmates. He died on April 5, 2007, due to what the coroner described as a brain hemorrhage brought on by an accidental overdose of methamphetamine. Who knows what really happened there, but cleary Mark Saint John was on the proverbial "Highway to Hell."

Interestingly, it was Grover Jackson of Jackson guitars who recommended Saint John to Paul Stanley. The same Jackson who designed Randy Rhoad's "Original Sin" guitar. The same Jackson who endoursed Vinne Vincent in the early 80s, making him the first professional guitar player to wield and tour with the Rhoads V prototypes originally intended for Randy. Vinnie's double V would seem to be haunted by the shadow of Randy's "sacrifice," which might as well be regarded as the "original sin" here.

PART 1 Related:

Paul and the Eye of Horus

The Reap J Lam Theory

Sources: Wiki, kisstimeline.com, vinnievincent.com, Kiss: Behind the Mask

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