My Notes on Western Esotericism

Even though my wife isn't saying anything I know she is unnerved by some of the books I am reading that have the worlds "Occult" on the front with pentagrams and all seeing eyes. We were at a book store and I brought her a book on the symbology of the Tarot and she looked at me like I was going to bring an evil spirit home with us. I do not know why this stuff fascinated me when most of the major religions have just as fantastic and mystic properties as some of the fringe beliefs. From what I am understanding a lot of what is listed below was proto-christianity, first drafts of major religions, or just splinter groups from major beliefs. It is just fascinating to me that we can think of one belief system as true, others as not true but understandable, and others as fucking crazy. What seems to separate the things below is the belief of secret knowledge as well as the use of symbols.

So here I am still making my way through a range of topics that seem to fit unsorted in a drain basin at the bottom of religion, science, philosophy, mythology, and straight up conspiracy theory. If /u/raoulduke25 or /u/padsboltssaints15 has anything to add or correct me in my understanding with some of these topics, I would be happy to listen and talk with a cup of coffee in some shed int he woods.

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What I think I know -- and I am sure I am wrong about most things.

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The Occult - An umbrella term for esoteric philosophy with a shared belief of secret and hidden knowledge. Includes things ranging from Magic, Alchemy, Spiritualism, Mysticism, Divination, and any other philosophy that has a secretive or hidden truth for believers.

Gnosticism - A proto / splinter Christian philosophy where by the world was created by a false god and existence is a horrid simulacrum of the true way of thinking. Christ was given to the world as sort of a treasure map for followers to eventually realize the truth and escape the false existence.

Alchemy A mixture of proto-science / philosophy / mysticism which was one of the front runners for technological development in an age where that thing wasn't really supported. Involved the transmutation of elements but also involved the transmutation of the soul from lesser states to pure states. Now is used as a placeholder for mystic sciences and making health potions.

Kabbalah - ???? / Jewish mysticism?

Hermeticism - ???? / I should really figure this one out since this name appears over everything I read.

Freemasonry - an ancient order of thinkers / builders that used mysticism and intrigue to spread their prestige thought but is now just a fraternity of people who love the idea of being apart of a secret order that probably does nothing more than eat dinner once a month.

The Illuminati - See Freemasonry above but even less of an organization. Now more a meme than anything substantial.

Rosicrucianism - ????? / Mystic Christianity with some weird looking cross that would probably give my father a heart attack if he saw I was reading about it.

Magic - ???? I have seen it referenced and people been referenced as magicians but I do not know what this means. From what I understand it could mean a leader of an esoteric philosophy or practitioner of ritual magic.

Divination - The practice of making predictions about the future using material objects. Tarot, augury, scrying all fit into here. I listened to a conspiracy podcast (don't ask) and an idea was raised about how companies use big data from your browsing history as a form of divination to commercial habits.

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Books I am reading or have read:

Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll - Interesting book on the occults influence on 20th century rock music. Not to terribly in depth for anyone who knows some of the more famous stories of Led Zeppelin, Ozzy Osbourne, Mick Jagger, and David Bowie.

Occult America - A really cool and also focused view on mysticism in the foundations of American history. Western esoterisimc is huge with the Dark Ages, rEnaissance, Enlightenment but this books starts in the 1700's and works its way slowly though the centuries examining the foundations of spiritualism, Mormonism, The Shakers, and all manner of christian sects that mixed with esoteric philosophy.

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EDIT: I think it is hilarious to mention that it was heavy metal's use of occult images that led me to investigate the meaning behind them. I guess my youth group pastor was right.

Couple choices you need to make. Do you care about isolation? Are you gonna be listening to grindcore on them during class? If so you want closed backs.

If you don't care about isolation, open or semi open backs may be preferable, as they will generally give you a better soundstage. The reasons for that and the exceptions are manifold, but it's a pretty good general statement.

You say you want over-ear? I have these and these and I recommend both. The second link, make sure you select the style (under the price) to be 250 Ohm Pro. Just an older model that didn't get the refresh the others did. nbd. Still awesome cans.

How much money do you WANT to spend on headphones? I mean, you said you could spend up to $250, but wouldn't you rather spend $30 on headphones and $220 on something else like more music or concert tickets? If you spend $250 on cans, you're gonna hold them to a standard that will result in wanting to spend even more to see how much better they are. In /r/headphones there are no survivors, only junkies with good really advice. (Mine: Don't get hard into the headphone hobby. Buy a pair that is really good and love them and use them a ton, but for fucks sake stop there.)

Or don't. Whatever. Your money.

This past year is the first year I listened to more "non-metal" than metal since I got into metal when I was a sophomore in HS and regardless of what I was playing they sound great. I went on a weird kick where I listened to Yo-Yo Ma pretty heavily and loved how Sakura Sakura (and the entire Japanese Melodies album) sounded. I'm also a really big Ryan Adams fan and think the subtleties of such a stripped down performance were really accented well. But honestly my favorite album of the year was an alt. country record by Sturgill Simpson and it sounds unbelievable. And then of course, my favorite album of all time, Grace, featuring this song is always very very pleasant to experience through those headphones.

I don't know if that answered your question, but you got quite an overview of most of my listening. I left out some pop stuff though. No matter what you listen to through those headphones, they'll sound fantastic. There are some cheaper options though:

• ATH-M20x, $35-$45 USD
  
  
• ATH-M30x , $50-$60 USD
  
  
• ATH-M40x, $70-$80 USD
  
  Pretty much anything from AT is going to be good. They kind of specialize (imo) at making great sounding headphones without being expensive as all get out. There's another cheaper headphone that is roughly $20 if I'm remembering right. I'm not sure what your budget is, but I think the M40x are the best for the money. They have a detachable headphone cable which is incredibly convenient.

What exactly are you calling generics? Do you mean the earplugs that you can get at any pharmacy and the venue well sell you for cheap or the earplugs meant for music but aren't custom molded by an audiologist? Are you including the generic ones mold yourself? Anything is better than nothing but the ones meant for music are the ones you should be after since they reduce the volume enough to protect you but not as much as the generic pharmacy ones which are just meant to block out all noise so they make music sound muffled. Etymotics are the recommended earplugs for music but I don't like stems so I other these cheap fender ones. I've been wanting to try Alpines since I hear good things about them and they're versatile enough that you can change the cores to fit to the sound level of the venue. If you can afford it, custom molded earplugs by an audiologist are the best solution but I don't hear too many good things about the generic ones that you can mold yourself.

> But I want to give a shout out to Big Business. I've been enjoying their songs, but they were even more impressive live. Just tons of energy and talent. They played a headliner quality set. That said, it's tough to open for Sleep. It's hard to resist comparing the openers to the headliners, but that would be really unfair in this case.

I loooooove Big Business and I saw them on their solo tour before they joined Sleep (I wish they got to open for Sleep here) and I'm really loving the new album. It's a grower like all their albums but it's weird how it's so accessible.

Get some Hearos plugs btw. I can't find the exact ones I have but I'm ordering these. I only use foam plugs under duress (like when I dropped my Hearos plugs at the Sleep show).

Not sure about metal specifically, but in general I can't recommend the [Audio Technica ATH-M40x's] (https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M40x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR54/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1502021666&sr=8-3&keywords=audio+technica+ath-m40x) enough. Some of the most commonly praised headphones are the M50x's, and the M40's are very similar. The specs are listed on that Amazon link, but basically the range sounds practically identical to a casual listener so there's no need to worry about a loss of frequency response unless you're looking to do some professional mixing. They're also lighter than the M50's so they're more comfortable to wear.

I listen to a fairly wide variety of music, metal included, and I'll tell you that the M40's are a very good value for only being $100. Do your own research and get plenty of opinions, but the M40's are a very good option for the price.

My husband got me this cookbook for Christmas when we first started dating. We didn't know each other that well, but he knew I liked metal and cooking. Some of the recipes are pretty good, and it was fun to read through together.

Been using a few over the last few years:

Etymotics: good for shorter shows but after a while they start to bug me, YMMV

Eargasm: a little more comfortable than the Etymotics over longer stretches of time

EarPeace: the three different filter options are nice and easy to swap out, plus they include a third plug which definitely would've prevented that time I accidentally dropped an Etymotic onto the piss-covered floor of an Oakland bathroom and then spent most of the next band's set walking to the nearest Rite-Aid to get a pair of the shitty ones that make everything sound like you wrapped a blanket of mud around your head

All right metalhead can nerds and audiophiles, I need some new headphones! I posted this over at /r/headphones but got no reply. I figured this might be a good thread to try and grab a response or some opinions, and this sub is more likely to have an opinion specifically tailored to my music tastes and needs. Here's a copy of the format from their advice thread:

> Budget - $250-$300 MAX
>
> Source - MacBook Pro & a VERY basic DAC (will upgrade that later), also have a turntable and stereo setup
>
> Requirements for Isolation - None, Really
>
> Will you be using these Headphones in Public? No
>
> Preferred Type of Headphone - Over Ear, closed Back
>
> Preferred tonal balance - Heavy, tight Bass
>
> Current headphones - Audio Technica Air ATH-AD700
>
> Preferred Music - I listen primarily to sludge and doom metal (Electric Wizard, Conan, Windhand, and YOB for example)
>
> What would you like to improve on from your set-up - The Airs REALLY lack any "oomf" and are very very bass light so I end up using my Focal IEMs. I like their sound stage though. Ive been thinking about making a change to closed backs for the extra bass, but I still want a tight, strong, warm, controlled bass...not a mindless over saturated vibrating bass that loses detail & overpowers the treble and mids.
> I am willing to look in to a basic amp if needed, so that would not be an issue. Im also willing to look at open backs again as well if there is a good contender.

So far my main upgrade options ive been looking at are:

Audio Technica ATH-M50X (I HAVE developed a liking for the AT brand)
Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (250 Ohm)

Thanks for any advice!

I'm an Audio Engineer (student...), so yes. I never used to before starting school, despite knowing full well how bad some concerts can be on your ears but needless to say my education has given me a much deeper appreciation (and sense of necessity, I guess) for taking care of my ears and my hearing. Like a lot of other people, I use ER-20s; cheap, effective, reusable. Perhaps down the road when I've got a bit more cash I can invest in some hearing protection that is a bit more permanent, though.

I have excess wax issues, and have to clean my earplugs (ER-20s are what I'm using at the moment) frequently, but in almost 20 years of wearing musician's earplugs I haven't had any significant issues with buildup caused by the earplugs themselves. I use one of these to help with wax removal, and it works pretty well. I've also used hydrogen peroxide and some other methods to deal with hardened wax on rare occasions. It sounds like your issues are more severe, but try not to let wax issues keep you from wearing hearing protection - cilia don't grow back.

You'll want to keep your ear canals clean, obviously. And try not to shove the earplugs too deep into your ear. I do this sometimes when I'm gigging and the drummer's really wailing on the cymbals, but it can result in the earplug picking up wax from the canal, and in your case could cause impaction. You might also look at MusicSafe plugs - they're double flange musician's plugs, and might not go as deep into the ear canal as the typical triple flange musician's plugs.

You should definitely look into those two:

Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO

Audio-Technica ATH-M50

I have the ones from Audio-Technica and am fully satisfied. Back when I wanted to buy some good headphones I originally planned on buying the DT 770 PRO from Beyerdynamics but before I could order them a friend told me that the Audio-Technica ATH-M50 were currently discounted - so I went with them.

You'll most likley need a portable headphone amplifier like this one if you want to use the Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO with your smartphone.

It has some pretty good reviews. I see there's also a Gangsta Rap Coloring Book and a Punk Rock Fun Time Activity Book by the same Author.

I'll be putting this on my Amazon wishlist and hoping.

Our High Fidelity Earplugs are definitely worth checking out if you're in the market for a set of concert earplugs. They look cool, fit flush to the ear so they don't stick out, and lower volume down on noise while preserving the full spectrum of sound. All our plugs also come with a nifty aluminum carrying case. Let me know if you guys have any questions, I'm happy to answer them.

http://eargasmearplugs.com/products/eargasm-high-fidelity-earplugs

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019M576XW

I feel especially qualified to answer since I am a lady, a metal fan, and today is my birthday. I got Metal Cats which is perhaps the best present I've ever received. Concert tickets would be a good bet too. I always appreciate gifts that are more experiences rather than things.

These are the ones I bought. They're fantastic, incredibly comfortable, and such amazing sound quality

Are you interested in learning more about bands in general? Because if you want that, there's always The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal

Or, if you'd like a bit of a change and want to look at some fucking awesome pictures, there's True Norwegian Black Metal

My wife and I have been using these for years http://vater.com/products/product.cfm?M=287 http://www.amazon.com/Vater-Percussion-Musicians-Ear-Plugs/dp/B002RWKR7K they are very comfortable and don't block too much sound and allow you to hear everything. Since I started noticing considerable hearing loss I have experimented with multiple brands and types of ear plugs and these were the best. I cannot imagine going to a show without them now.

I was involuntarily in the pit for Skeletonwitch, the pit formed around me and I couldn't move away in time, and they were fine. I tuck the strap into my shirt so it can't be pulled.

This book might be of interest to you. It's honestly just pictures, but some of them are really awesome.

These are the best pair I own so far. Having tried HearOs and Entymotics (or whatever it's spelled) I've really liked the low profile of these Eargasm plugs and they do a great job of cutting the dB level without cutting the sound quality.

I've been using the Alpine Musicsafe Classic for the past 6 years or so, and they've never fallen out for me. Much more comfortable than the Etymotic ER 20's I was using previously.

The trick in getting a secure fit is pulling the top of your outer ear to open up the ear canal, then doing a slight twisting motion when inserting.

I'm not much of an audiophile, and I'm pretty poor, so I can show you the lower end of the spectrum!

These are what I use: Sennheiser HD-280 Pros. Comfortable, good range, and durable. Also, Sennheiser has great customer service/warranties.

These ones come pretty highly recommended here. They work great for me.

I have these and they work just fine. They pretty much have to go in the ear to be of any help, even the foam ones to some extent, but they are much too muffled and cut out all the highs to be useful.

You'll get used to it in about 20 min and you'll be able to hear in 30 years, i think that's worth it.

Yeah, I used to play in a band and go to tons of shows with 0 hearing protection. Horrible idea.

In order to prevent this from getting any worse, get some good solid earplugs. It'll let you still be able to go to shows, and depending on the earplugs, you might actually be able to hear the music better! Personally I use these: http://www.amazon.com/Hearos-Earplugs-Fidelity-Series-1-Pair/dp/B000V9PKZA They're comfy, and the music still sounds good.

I use these for both concerts and practices with my band. They tend to roll off the low end a bit (which can be treacherous in practices) but tends to be beneficial when the sound guy at a concert is used to mixing EDM. I recommend them to everyone.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Standrad-Headset-Plugs-Etymotic-ER20-Clear-Stem-Blue-Tip/dp/B0044DEESS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405265099&sr=8-1&keywords=etymotic+ear+plugs

I just made your christmas AWESOME!

http://www.amazon.com/Merry-Axemas-A-Guitar-Christmas/dp/B0013AZRFY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291323956&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Merry-Axemas-More-Guitars-Christmas/dp/B0013AUVLY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1291323956&sr=8-3

Etymotic is pretty good. I can hear the show and normal conversations without needing people to yell. Just don't go in the pit unless you want them tickling your brain.
http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-ETY-Plugs-Protection-Earplugs/dp/B0044DEESS

I have used Alpine earplugs for years, and highly recommend them. The stems are short (used to DJ with them in, they fit underneath my headphones just fine) and have taken them to countless shows. You can change out the tips for higher decibel blocking, and I've worn them for hours at a time without issue.

I needed a low profile option so the popular Etys were too big, and I've never been dissatisfied with the Alpines; definitely worth checking out imo.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0032BYCWG/ref=mp_s_a_1_sc_1?qid=1457672828&sr=8-1-spell&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=Earplugsalpine

I just got mine from amazon. link. Unless you have huge ear canals, these should be the right size. I recommend them.

My wife got me True Norwegian Black Metal for Christmas, which of course has prompted a black metal bender. I've been listening to a lot of Windir, but I don't have much black metal (I'm more into folk/Viking) so if anyone has any suggestions feel free to let me know:)

I love the Alpine plugs

The answer to that question is kind of technical so I'll do my best. First off your phone and your laptop both have an internal DAC (Digital Analog Converter) and a basic amp so why do you need another one?..

Using hifi headphones require more "juice" (learn about impedance) than the phone and laptop can provide. There's also a considerable interference that comes from the internal workings of the phone/laptop that's not shielded. The interference effects the sound noticeably. If you're running a lot of processes on your device while listening to music you'll hear a hiss.

A DAC/Amp like the one I listed above gives the juice your hifi headphones want + shields the craziness happening inside the device from effecting your tunes. That one is designed for desktop use and I use it primarily at my desk at work with my laptop. You can also consider a portable DAC/Amp like the Fiio E11 if you plan on using your headphones with your phone and want portability. In hindsight, I would've bought one of these Fiio E12 models which offers the same sound quality as the desktop model but as a portable.

Thanks for the recommendation!

Right now I'm deciding between Sennheiser HD-280 and the Grado Prestige SR-60i.

Kinda off-topic. Looking at the related products on amazon for stuff suggested here I stumbled upon this definitely getting that one.

I use these ones which are pretty good. They say they have flat attenuation but I don't know much about ear plugs either.

Can't recommend earplugs enough. You don't have to wear them, but at least bring them. Something like these or these if you are in America.

I second this. When I was younger I thought it wasn't cool to wear ear protection (of course I was an idiot). I now have minor tinnitus constantly. If I don't wear ear protection to shows now it gets almost crippling for a week after. Sometimes it gets to the point where I cannot think correctly and all I want to do is sleep so the ringing will go away. Don't make my mistake. I recommend these ear plugs.

hi, i have tinnitus, please wear earplugs okay.

These are good and cheap and come with a carrying case. If you have a patch vest, stick these bad boys in the inner pocket so you never go to a show without them

Etymotic ETY-Plugs High Fidelity Earplugs, Standard Fit, Frost Tip https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015WJQ7A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_6T.3Ab6DC4RT7

I've been using these for several years and they've served me well.

I haven't used those specifically, but I have used a similar pair of silicone ones after I lost my etymotic ones. They worked okay, but they were kind of annoying, didn't stay in. They definitely blocked out noise. But I went back to these because they fit better and don't sound so muffled.

Does anyone have opinions on these?

Check out the Metal Cats photo book.

http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-ETY-Plugs-Protection-Earplugs/dp/B0044DEESS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374531630&sr=8-1

I use these when at shows Hearos High Fidelity Series Ear Plugs

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044DEESS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0044DEESS/ref=mp_s_a_3?qid=1334330617&sr=8-3

https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-Protection-Earplugs-Standard/dp/B0044DEESS I have a couple of pairs of these.

Here's what I use.

Etymotic ETY Plugs ER20 Earplugs

https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-Protection-Earplugs-Standard/dp/B0044DEESS#customerReviews

You can get the orange foam ones to protect your hearing, but I recently spent $15 on Amazon and can't recommend enough.

I didn't do earplugs until I hit my 30s and noticed that 2-show weekends produced ringing well into the next week, but now I put that shit in even while bands are tuning and sound checking.