CYPERT'SPACE

Reclaiming, Reprogramming, & Repossession

To placate the then OHO of the OTO, Frater Baphomet embraced the image of the Crucifix as an image of the Holy Phallus. The consequence of this realignment of symbols was sufficient to confuse many that studied the OTO system into believing it a purely Christian school of mysticism and not a modern Mithraic academy.

Likewise, the "V" gesture used by Churchill to symbolize "Victory" was transformed by the hippies of the 60's to symbolize peace. (I don't know where the "V" = "Peace" business comes in. I can see "P" being a symbol of the phallus and "V" being the extension of the Phallus as it is understood by those who view the Tetragrammton through a Spermo-Gnostic lens. And the Phallus is described as being "Peace & Power" in some documents on the subject.... But this stretches the imagination.)

In a similar vein, gay people took the word "gay" to mean "homosexual." Straight people took the word "gay" and redefined it to mean "lame" as a rebuttal. To this end, gay people started using the term "straight" to me "sober." (and being sober is far worse than merely being gay.) Now, militant homosexuals have taken the word "fag" to mean "incredibly cool" or "spiffy" or "very nice." (And all this time I thought it meant "cigarette.")

Black people took the "N"-word and use it to refer to one another, replacing the "-er" at the end of the word with an "-a" to make it more palatable. Eventually, this use of this disgusting term will cause the word itself to lose much of its power. I don't know if this will end racism but it will require racists to come up with new terms to use and the resulting taxation of their mental abilities will keep the bed-sheet clad buffoons from building bombs.

Now, I, Frater ARVN, known to the Outer as Victor T. Cypert, take it upon myself to reclaim another often-abused symbol. This symbol, a number, is the pride of Deadheads and dirty neo-hippies everywhere. It is, of course, the "secret code word" used to signify pot-smoking. It is "4:20."

Now this number, "4:20" is said to be a police code used in some parts of Northern California to signify that someone has been caught smoking marijuana. I've checked this rumor out and I haven't been able to verify it. I have heard other rumors: that it was used by a group of high-school students in the 1970's, that it was created by Jerry Garcia to denote the time he awoke during the day and had his first toke, that it was the best time of day to get high, that it signifies Haile Selassie's visit to Jamaica on April 20, 1966 etc. All of these rumors remain unsubstantiated.

But the symbol persists and redefining it would be a real son-of-a-bitch. I mean, I couldn't suddenly start using "4:20" to mean "I'm going off to church today and I hope that the Spirit of the Lord possesses me and I am given the gift of tongues." It just wouldn't fly. It's too complex. Also, the term "4:20" is freshly rooted in the American psyche at this moment - - and what is new is not easily changed. Yet I can alter the "legend" of the origin of the number itself. Since no other definition holds water, any attempt that I make in this direction will be just as valid.