MemeMagick 100 Appendices
Appendices
Glossary of Terms
- **Archetype**
- A universally understood symbol or theme that recurs in literature, mythology, or folklore, often influencing meme creation and interpretation.
- **Chaos Magic**
- A modern magical practice that emphasizes personal belief and the manipulation of belief as a tool for achieving magical effects, the foundation for meme magick.
- **Dank Meme**
- A term for particularly high-quality or impactful memes, often those that are insightful, humorous, or have a certain edgy appeal.
- **Egregores**
- In both chaos magic and meme culture, an egregor is a collective group mind, thought-form, or psychic entity created by collective belief or common thought, like the collective energy behind a meme.
- **Gnosis**
- An altered state of consciousness where the mind is focused or freed from rational constraints, often used in chaos magic to charge sigils; in meme magick, this could be the emotional or humorous impact of a meme.
- **Kek**
- An ancient Egyptian deity of chaos and darkness, adopted by internet culture as a symbol of meme magick, particularly associated with Pepe the Frog. "Kek" also serves as a phonetic stand-in for "LOL," symbolizing the chaotic energy of laughter.
- **Kekistan**
- A fictional country created by internet users, particularly on 4chan, as a satirical response to political correctness and social justice movements, embodying the spirit of Kek and meme magick.
- **Meme**
- A cultural item (an image, video, piece of text, etc.) that is transmitted from person to person, often humorously or satirically, spreading ideas or behavior.
- **Meme Magick**
- The practice of using memes as magical tools or sigils to influence, manifest, or entertain, based on principles of chaos magic.
- **Meme War**
- A form of cultural or ideological battle fought through memes, where different groups attempt to sway public opinion or influence culture through humorous or satirical content.
- **Normie**
- A term used to describe someone who doesn't understand or partake in internet or meme culture, often used in contrast to those deeply involved in meme magick or any subculture.
- **Pepe the Frog**
- An internet meme turned symbol of various movements, including meme magick, where he represents transformation, chaos (Kek), and the power of memes to evolve culturally.
- **Ritual**
- In traditional magic, a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, often used to invoke or manifest; in meme magick, this can be the act of creating, charging, and spreading memes.
- **Sigil**
- A symbol created with specific intent in magic, charged with energy to achieve a particular outcome; in meme magick, memes function similarly as sigils charged with collective intent.
- **Shadilay**
- An anthem associated with Kek and Pepe, representing the spirit of meme magick, often played in contexts celebrating meme culture or as a symbol of the chaotic, transformative power of memes.
- **Troll or Trolling**
- Engaging in online behavior to provoke, disrupt, or manipulate others for amusement or to spread memes, embodying the trickster aspect of Kek in meme magick.
- **Upvote/Downvote**
- Terms from platforms like Reddit, symbolizing the community's acceptance or rejection of memes, akin to charging or dismissing a sigil in magical terms.
- **Viral**
- When content, including memes, spreads rapidly across the internet, gaining widespread attention, similar to how a spell might spread through a community.
- **Wojak**
- Another popular meme character often used to express various emotions or situations, sometimes used in meme magick to convey complex human experiences or reactions.
- **4chan**
- An anonymous imageboard where many memes, including those integral to meme magick like Pepe and Kek, originated. It's a key platform for the spread and evolution of memes.
- **Astral Plane**
- In magical contexts, a realm of thought or spirit; in meme magick, it can metaphorically refer to the collective digital space where memes live and interact beyond physical reality.
- **Bait**
- Content designed to provoke a reaction or to "troll," often used in meme magick to engage or manipulate discourse in a playful or chaotic manner.
- **Collective Will**
- The combined intent or desire of a group, which in meme magick can be harnessed through memes to achieve cultural or ideological shifts.
- **Feels**
- A term for emotions or emotional responses, often depicted through memes like Wojak or Pepe, showcasing the emotional manipulation aspect of meme magick.
- **Green Text**
- A storytelling format from 4chan where stories are told in green text with a distinctive style, often used to craft narratives that enhance meme magick's influence.
- **Kekistan Flag**
- A satirical flag representing the fictional nation of Kekistan, often used in memes to signify membership in the meme magick community or a playful political stance.
- **LARPing (Live Action Role Playing)**
- In the context of meme magick, refers to the act of treating the creation or spread of memes as if it were a real-world role-playing game, embodying the roles or narratives the memes represent.
- **Meme Economy**
- A metaphorical or sometimes literal concept where memes are treated as having value, traded, or discussed for their cultural or entertainment worth.
- **NPC (Non-Player Character)**
- A meme representing people seen as lacking individuality or critical thinking, often used in meme magick to critique or satirize conformity.
- **Occult**
- Pertaining to hidden or esoteric knowledge; in meme magick, this refers to the underlying magical or symbolic meanings behind memes.
- **Poe's Law**
- A concept where it's impossible to distinguish between parodies of extremism and genuine extremism without clear indicators, often relevant in meme magick where memes can be both satirical and serious.
- **Redpill/Bluepill**
- From "The Matrix," used metaphorically in meme culture to signify awakening to a perceived truth (redpill) or remaining in ignorance (bluepill), reflecting the transformative aspect of meme magick.
- **Sacred Clown**
- A figure in many cultures who uses humor to reveal truths or teach lessons; in meme magick, this could be the role of memes that critique or enlighten through satire.
- **SJW (Social Justice Warrior)**
- A term used in meme culture often pejoratively to describe advocates for social justice, frequently appearing in memes related to political or cultural commentary.
- **Synchronicity**
- Events that seem meaningfully related but are not causally connected; in meme magick, this might refer to the serendipitous spread or impact of memes at just the right moment.
- **Top Kek**
- An expression of extreme amusement or approval, an evolution of "LOL" deeply embedded in meme magick culture.
- **Wholesome Meme**
- A type of meme that promotes positive emotions or values, often used to counteract negative or divisive memes in meme magick practices.
- **Ayy Lmao**
- An alien-themed meme from 4chan, representing the playful, absurd side of meme culture, often linked with the chaotic energy of Kek.
- **Bad Luck Brian**
- An early meme format featuring a high school yearbook photo, used for humorously depicting unfortunate situations or irony.
- **Boomerang Meme**
- A format where an image or video loops back and forth, often used for comedic effect, illustrating the cyclical nature of internet humor.
- **Cringe**
- A term for content that makes the viewer feel second-hand embarrassment, often used in memes to highlight awkward or socially unacceptable behavior.
- **Deepfried Meme**
- A style of meme where images are intentionally over-processed to look distorted or glitchy, representing a modern, chaotic aesthetic in meme culture.
- **Distracted Boyfriend**
- A meme template that became popular for its versatility in illustrating concepts of distraction, infidelity, or comparison.
- **Drake Hotline Bling**
- Two-panel meme format where Drake's expressions react to good and bad scenarios, used to critique or compare ideas or trends.
- **Expanding Brain**
- A meme template showing progressive stages of thought, often used to satirize the overcomplication of simple concepts or to humorously depict "intelligence" progression.
- **Impact Font**
- The default font for many memes, known for its bold, white text with black outline, symbolizing the quintessential meme aesthetic.
- **Loss**
- A simple comic strip meme that has become an inside joke within internet culture, representing the depth and layered humor of memes.
- **Meme Generator**
- Online tools or apps where users can easily create memes by adding text to images, democratizing meme creation.
- **Meme Lord**
- A term for someone who is particularly adept at creating, sharing, or understanding memes, akin to a high priest of meme magick.
- **Mocking SpongeBob**
- A meme format where text is styled to mimic SpongeBob's voice, used for sarcastic or humorous commentary.
- **Nyan Cat**
- An animated meme of a pixelated cat with a Pop-Tart body flying through space, one of the earlier viral memes symbolizing internet culture's love for absurdity.
- **Overly Attached Girlfriend**
- A meme based on an actress's exaggerated facial expression, used to depict obsessive or clingy behavior in relationships or fandoms.
- **Pepega**
- A distorted version of Pepe the Frog, often used in Twitch culture to represent someone doing or saying something foolish or endearing.
- **Rage Comics**
- A style of simple, stick-figure comics used to express frustration or everyday experiences, an early form of meme storytelling.
- **Rare Pepe**
- Collectible versions of Pepe the Frog, often with unique designs or themes, treated like digital trading cards within meme culture.
- **Stonks**
- A meme format featuring a crudely drawn businessman with the misspelling of "stocks," used to humorously comment on economic or investment scenarios.
- **Surprised Pikachu**
- An image of Pikachu with a shocked expression, used to represent feigned surprise at predictable outcomes.
- **Tide Pods**
- A meme that arose from the bizarre internet challenge of eating Tide laundry pods, highlighting the dangerous side of meme trends.
- **Trolling**
- The act of posting inflammatory or off-topic messages in an online community with the intent to provoke or disrupt, akin to the chaotic side of meme magick.
- **Vaporwave**
- An aesthetic movement in memes characterized by retro-futurism, often used for nostalgic or satirical takes on consumer culture.
- **Y U NO**
- An early meme format featuring a character asking "Y U NO [do something]," used for humorous or ironic questions about behavior or technology.
- **Zucc**
- A playful term for Mark Zuckerberg, often used in memes criticizing or satirizing social media platforms, particularly after the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
This glossary now encompasses a broader spectrum of meme culture, from the inception of internet memes through to current trends, illustrating how meme magick has both historical roots and is continually evolving with digital culture.
Further Reading and Resources
Books
- "The Book of Kek" by L. K. Advani - A detailed exploration into the mythos of Kek, blending ancient Egyptian mythology with modern meme culture.[](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cult-of-kek)
- "Chaos Protocols: Magical Techniques for Navigating the New Economic Reality" by Gordon White - While not exclusively about Kek, this book delves into chaos magic principles that underpin meme magick.[](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cult-of-kek)
- "Liber Null & Psychonaut" by Peter J. Carroll - A foundational text for understanding chaos magic, offering insights into the creation and use of sigils, relevant to meme magick.[](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cult-of-kek)
Articles
- "The Cult of Kek" - Know Your Meme. An in-depth look at how Kek became a meme, its origins in ancient Egyptian mythology, and its role in contemporary meme magick.[](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cult-of-kek)
- "What the Kek: Explaining the Alt-Right 'Deity' Behind Their 'Meme Magic'" - Southern Poverty Law Center. This article discusses the appropriation of Kek by certain political groups and its implications.[](https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/05/08/what-kek-explaining-alt-right-deity-behind-their-meme-magic)
- "Kek and Pepe: From Ancient Egyptian Myth to Modern Meme Culture" - Medium. An exploration of the journey of Kek from ancient deity to a central figure in internet meme culture.[](https://theriseofkek.medium.com/the-rise-of-kek-from-ancient-egyptian-deity-to-modern-meme-culture-73c7f7d21109)
Websites
- **[Know Your Meme](https://knowyourmeme.com)** - A comprehensive resource for understanding meme culture, including extensive entries on Kek, Pepe, and Kekius Maximus.[](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cult-of-kek)[](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/kekius-maximus)[](https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials/guides/what-does-kekius-maximus-mean-memes-behind-elon-musks-new-username-explained)
- **[4chan](https://www.4chan.org)** - The birthplace of many Kek and Pepe memes, though be warned, this site is unmoderated and can contain controversial content.
- **[The Rise of Kek](https://theriseofkek.medium.com)** - A blog dedicated to exploring the mythology and influence of Kek in modern meme culture.[](https://theriseofkek.medium.com/the-rise-of-kek-from-ancient-egyptian-deity-to-modern-meme-culture-73c7f7d21109)
- **[Ancient Egypt Online](http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk)** - Provides scholarly articles on ancient Egyptian deities, including Kek, offering a historical context to meme magick's roots.[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kek_%28mythology%29)
These resources offer a blend of historical, cultural, and magical perspectives on Kek, Pepe, and the broader landscape of meme magick. They provide not only a deeper understanding of how these concepts have evolved but also encourage further exploration into the intersection of ancient mythology and contemporary digital culture. Remember, while engaging with these resources, to approach with a critical eye, especially when diving into the more controversial aspects of meme culture.
List of Influential Memes
- **Pepe the Frog** - Initially from Matt Furie's comic "Boy's Club," Pepe became a symbol of various internet subcultures, eventually adopted by political movements, embodying the concept of meme magick.
- **Kek** - The ancient Egyptian god of chaos, reimagined in internet culture as a figure of meme magick, often associated with Pepe and the alt-right's "Kekistan" narrative.
- **Distracted Boyfriend** - A stock photo turned meme that's been used to comment on everything from infidelity to political scenarios, showcasing meme's versatility in cultural commentary.
- **Drake Hotline Bling** - A two-panel meme format where Drake's expressions critique or compare concepts, gaining traction for its humorous take on preferences or decisions.
- **Distracted Walker** - Similar to the Distracted Boyfriend, but with a more general context, often used to depict someone being sidetracked or influenced by external factors.
- **Expanding Brain** - Depicts progressive levels of thought, often satirizing the pretentiousness of intellectualism or the progression of ideas through humor.
- **Success Kid** - An image of a determined toddler, used to represent triumph or success in various contexts, from personal achievements to political victories.
- **Bad Luck Brian** - A high school yearbook photo used to denote misfortune or irony, illustrating how memes can define a person's internet persona.
- **Harambe** - The gorilla whose tragic death became a meme, symbolizing internet's ability to turn almost any event into cultural commentary or satire.
- **Crying Jordan** - Michael Jordan's face from a press conference, used to mock or express exaggerated sadness over trivial or significant losses.
- **Overly Attached Girlfriend** - A meme about obsessive behavior in relationships, highlighting gender stereotypes and internet culture's take on personal space.
- **Condescending Wonka** - Gene Wilder's character from "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," used to deliver sarcastic or condescending remarks.
- **Left Exit 12 Off Ramp** - A meme from a driving simulator, used to signify a sudden, often humorous, change in direction or decision.
- **Distracted Walk** - Similar to the boyfriend meme but with a different character, often used for humorous commentary on distractions in life.
- **Distracted Walk Meme** - Variant of the distracted theme, used to express being led astray or tempted by something new.
- **Surprised Pikachu** - An image of Pikachu looking shocked, used to humorously call out predictable outcomes or feigned surprise.
- **Stonks** - A misspelling of "stocks" with a crudely drawn businessman, commenting on economic trends or misguided investments.
- **Mocking SpongeBob** - Text styled to mimic SpongeBob's mocking tone, used for sarcastic commentary or to belittle an idea.
- **This Is Fine** - A dog in a burning room saying "This is fine," representing denial or acceptance of problematic situations with dark humor.
- **Distracted Girlfriend** - A female version of the distracted boyfriend, used similarly to comment on being swayed or tempted.
- **Distracted Dog** - A dog version of the distracted meme, often used for animal-related humor or commentary.
- **Bernie Sanders' Mittens** - After the 2021 inauguration, Bernie's pose in mittens became a meme for various humorous scenarios or political commentary.
- **Distracted Woman** - Another take on the distraction theme, used for gender-specific humor or commentary.
- **Distracted Pet** - Pets in various distracted poses, for light-hearted commentary on animal behavior or human distractions.
- **Distracted Politics** - Political figures in the distracted meme format, reflecting political decisions or voter distractions.
- **Y U NO** - A simple yet effective meme for asking humorous or ironic questions about technology, life, or societal norms.
- **Distracted Celebrity** - Celebrities in the distracted template, commenting on their personal lives