“One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre
In Hindu mythology, the cosmos undergoes a cyclical process through four consecutive ages, This cycle is known as the Mahayuga and each of the four stages is known as a yuga.
The first age of the cycle is the Satya Yuga (सत्य युग) (also known as the Kṛta Yuga – कृत युग). It is the “Age of Truth”, when man is ruled directly by the gods and human goodness and decency is at its highest. During this age, the goddess Dharma is depicted as a cow standing sturdily on four legs.
The second age is the Treta Yuga (त्रेता युग). “Treta” is Sanskrit for “a collection of three arousing things”. During this period there appeared three incarnations of Vishnu: Vamana, Parashurama, and Rama. During this age, man’s spirituality decreases and his adherence to proper behaviour starts to diminish. The bovine form of Dharma is depicted as standing on three legs.
The third age is the Dvapura Yoga (द्वापर युग), which means “two ahead” in Sanskrit. During this period, there are only two foundational elements of religion: truthfulness and compassion. Dharma is depicted as standing on two legs.
The fourth age is the Kali Yuga (कलियुग) – the “Age of Kali”. The demon (not the goddess) Kali (कलि) is the lord of this fourth and final age. Kali is the enemy of the tenth and final incarnation of Vishnu, Kalki. It is an age of suffering, pain, and confusion. During this age, the goddess Dharma is depicted as standing precariously on one leg.
We are currently in the Kali Yuga – something that should come as no surprise to any even semi-competent observer. How, then, should we live our lives in this corrupted (and corrupting) age? Some assert that we should actively fight against it; others, that we should embrace the age and give in to its pervesions. We at Stygian Faust advocate a third position. It is possible to engage in the decadence (but not the degeneracy) of this modern age without becoming irrevocably corrupted by it. We do this by remembering that this degenerate age will end and that, when it does, men and women of honour and nobility will be needed to build a new culture on the ruins of the old. This website aims to help people navigate this turbulent time and emerge on the other side as the founding generation of a new age.
