Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Slapping Down the P&G Satanic Panic

In more conspiracy-related news, four Amway distributors have been found liable for spreading rumors linking rival soap manufacturer Proctor and Gamble to Satanism. I've been hearing these rumors for years, and while as a real occultist I immediately recognize it as nonsensical, enough people were fooled to increase Amway's sales substantially. Apparently, "OMG IT'S A MOON WITH 13 STARS" proved to be a marketing pitch that sold a lot of overpriced soap over the years. The four distributors have dropped their appeal of a $19.2 million jury award and settled with Proctor and Gamble for an undisclosed sum.

One version of this rumor that I heard mentioned that Proctor and Gamble donated some huge sum of money to the Church of Satan. I'm sure that if he were still alive Anton LaVey would be gratified to know that at least in the popular imagination of multi-level marketers and their clients his organization was incredibly wealthy, powerful, and influential rather than what it really was - a small group of counterculture agitators working out of an old house in San Francisco. The question that should make any reasonable person doubt the rumors is why any large corporation would bother to subsidize a group like that of LaVey and his followers. The upside of doing so is essentially zero, while the downside in terms of public relations is pretty severe, unless I suppose you consider free plastic pitchforks and devil masks an upside.

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1 comment:

OZwizard said...

What is "alive" or "living" in the mirror in my entry hall?

It seems harmless and somewhat oblivious to me. It also seems to be some sort of guardian. It wouldn't move from its place and seemed un-distracted as if set in place or held in place. I asked silently if it was from God but there was no response.

I noticed it during the stress of the holidays and during an "altered state" after I had several nights without sleep and without my glasses ( I have astigmatism.)

I seemed to move out and back into the mirror as if held there. I was very tall, as tall as the mirror plus above the floor, so between six and seven feet tall. It was birdlike or angelic with huge birdlike wings. The wings seemed to move independently and rose and lowered to cover its face which changed back and forth several times from humanoid, to bird, to lion to other unknown creature constantly. The wings rose over its shoulders to cover its face and seemed to help hide it back into the mirror and to hide its face when it appeared to notice me watch it. The wings seemed alive in themselves and reflexive rather than controlled (sort of like a blinking eyelid).

I felt no fear watching it move back and forth from within the wall or mirror. It seemed to be guarding something. There were small fairy-looking or miniature elf like creatures seeming to be "allowed to pass" by i the "mirror" creature". Some of the fairies watched me oblivious also. The "winged creature" appeared to "communicate" with the fairy creatures in a friendly way but it ignored me watching the entire scene.

I pass the mirror and wall several times a day on the way in or out my door or up the stairs. I have tries to acknowledge it being there but I have not tried to observe it deliberately again.

What is this creature?