"Magic is what it's all about. Magic is something that all of us can make, if we make the effort." - St. Tom Robbins, in an interview in San Francisco, 5/18/2000

"The world is magical but designed to make us believe we are not magi." - Peter Carroll

"A prank a day keeps the dog leash away!" - Jello Biafra

From golden apple throwing to games of Sink, Discordians have a rich tradition of pranking and magic(k). Our pranks are our religious rites, and religious rights are often the butt of our pranks.

Why do we prank? There are many different opinions on this. Some call it an enjoyable passtime, while others treat it as a sacred poke in the ass of society. Rob Brezsny has an interesting perspective on pranking. We at Discordian.com see it as a combination of the two, with emphasis on either side depending on the individual prank. As Mark Dery said in his Culture Jamming: Hacking, Slashing and Sniping in the Empire of Signs:

Part artistic terrorists, part vernacular critics, culture jammers ... introduce noise into the signal as it passes from transmitter to receiver, encouraging idiosyncratic, unintended interpretations. Intruding on the intruders, they invest ads, newscasts, and other media artifacts with subversive meanings; simultaneously, they decrypt them, rendering their seductions impotent. .... Finally, and just as importantly, culture jammers are Groucho Marxists, ever mindful of the fun to be had in the joyful demolition of oppressive ideologies.

Discordians aren't usually much for formal high ritual, having little regard for rules. However, just because we aren't Thelemic or Dianic doesn't mean we don't have our own kinds of magic(k). As always, when working with chaos, results can be extremely unpredictable and any of the pranks, 'spells' and rituals listed below should only be performed when you are seeking adventure, rather than reliable results. That said, enjoy what's been collected below.

We at Discordian.com are always interested in the results you've achieved, so if you try anything we have listed, send us a note telling what happened. (Your letters may be posted here in the future).

Also, feel free to mail us with anything like this you've done. If we like it, we'll post it.

Pranks We Haven't Tried (Yet)

Fag Burning - nothing to do with homosexual people. By Jester.

The Denny's Stunt - stage a musical act in Denny's. By Jester.

FakeDope, or, How To Get Arrested for Oregano. By Jester.

The Happiness Police will *make* you smile. By Jester.

Pranks We Have Tried

What are you doing for February's celebrated love fest? Join St. Mae in having a Happy VD. If you don't live in the San Francisco bay area, consider hosting your own Cupid Crusade.

The Ownership Liberation Front - wouldn't it be funny if I stole your money? Created by Craig.

Magic(k) Stuff

Invocation of Eris - an extremely well crafted rite to ask Her Wot Done It All for a little favor. By Hicutus Confusus Episkipos.

Sacrament Expansion - get married to someone you'll never divorce. Created by Rob Brezsny. (Copyright Rob Brezsny 2000 - used with permission.)

A Prayer for You - a juicy prayer to be recited in times of need. Created by Rob Brezsny. (Copyright Rob Brezsny 2000 - used with permission.)

Mailing Magick - try this at home, kids! Contributed by Saint Unsure, the Perpetually Pleased.

TechnoPagan Blessing for a Leatherman Tool - hey, blessings aren't just for useless things like crosses and ritual knives. Bless your real tools!

What is Chaos Magick? Chaos magick is the system of using belief as a tool to achieve specific ends. It is a diverse and fascinating study of what we can do if we literally put our minds to it. If you are at all interested in the occult, check this out. There is a lot of philosophic crossover with Discordianism. In fact, chaos magick is sort of the next step beyond Discordianism. Discordianism is self-liberation. Once you've liberated yourself, chaos magick can answer the question, "What now?". This link is taken from the alt.chaos.magick FAQ.

Chaos Magic: One Magicians Perspective is another extremely well written essay on basic chaos magic(k) tenets. Taken from the Illuminates Of Thanateros' American website.

*Note: there are a huge ammount of good sites on chaos magick. If you're interested in more information, you should have no problem finding it.