Pizzagate Summary: What Is Spirit Cooking And Who Is Marina Abramovic?

In essence, Pizzagate claims that Comet Ping Pong, a pizza joint described as "a dive," is at the center of a network of satanists and pedophiles, including some of Washington's most powerful people. Oddly, GQ Magazine lists owner James Alefantis as one of the 50 most powerful people in Washington. Some of the emails between Podesta and those associated with Pizzagate seemed bizarre in the extreme. Conversations about lost handkerchiefs and food items seemed totally misplaced and contextually disjointed.

Internet detectives claimed that the odd language was code commonly used by pedophiles and those interested in sadomasochistic sex as a screen for their activities. Posts on Alefantis' Instagram account were seen by many to be very disturbing. In one post, Alefantis is holding a child and the message is tagged #Chicken, a slang term often used by pedophiles to describe children.

Abramovic is a performance artist known for her gory performances and occultist rituals. Abramovic is connected to Pizzagate through the WikiLeaks emails because she invited both John and Tony Podesta to a "spirit cooking" dinner at her home. Back in 2014, long before Pizzagate, the Guardian reported on Abramovic's often disturbing visions of art, something she claims is designed to shock her audience out of "normal thinking."

"Marina Abramović did a terrifying experiment. At a gallery in her native Belgrade, Serbia, she laid out 72 items on a trestle table and invited the public to use them on her in any way they saw fit.

"Some of the items were benign; a feather boa, some olive oil, roses. Others were not. 'I had a pistol with bullets in it, my dear. I was ready to die.' At the end of six hours, she walked away, dripping with blood and tears, but alive."

"Some of the items were benign; a feather boa, some olive oil, roses. Others were not. 'I had a pistol with bullets in it, my dear. I was ready to die.' At the end of six hours, she walked away, dripping with blood and tears, but alive."

That story goes on to claim that Abramovic's performances frequently showcase her cutting herself and slamming into walls. Abramovic is well connected. Among her celebrity friends, she mingles with Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and Kim Kardashian.

The WikiLeaks emails revealed that, in her messages to Podesta, Abramovic mentions "spirit cooking." Spirit cooking is an event and central ritual started by Abramovic some years ago. She claims it to be a central element of her artistic expression. The origins of spirit cooking can be found in the preludes to production of the "Cake of Light" material, a sacrament in the religion of Thelema which was founded by Aleister Crowley who was believed to be a satanist.

The Cake of Light is a ritual sacrament consumed during occultist rituals and its ingredients are said to include honey, oil, menstrual blood, breast milk, and sperm. Spirit cooking is said to be a modern version of the Cake of Light ritual.

Abramovic denies any links to the occult and satanism. She recently told Art News that Tony Podesta has been collecting her art for many years and that the spirit cooking dinner was a perfectly ordinary dinner, a thank you to people who had supported a crowd-funding appeal.

"It was just a normal dinner. It was actually just a normal menu, which I call spirit cooking. There was no blood, no anything else. We just call things funny names, that's all."

Of course, it is easy to write off Pizzagate as just another wild conspiracy theory, and most of the media does. In many ways, Pizzagate shows that people are so disenchanted with politicians and with the rich and powerful that they are prepared to believe anything that shows them in a bad light.

We may never get to know the real facts about Pizzagate or about Abramovic, Podesta, or Clinton's links to the scandal. Those who believe that Pizzagate has uncovered a satanic pedophile ring will see any claims to the contrary as an establishment cover-up. Those who stand accused in the Pizzagate affair will doubtless continue to dismiss the allegations as a mad conspiracy theory.

[Featured image by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Images]