HruOr clarifies some basic misunderstandings regarding Western magick.
Question:I’ve read that traditionally, the magician was supposed to be able to direct entities or forces that were positive or negative, to achieve his ends.
HruOr: In the western traditions this is often the case. But what is left unsaid by most grimoires deals with the preparation and state of training of the magician himself.
The Abramelim is the exception that points up the rule. In this text, translated by S.L. Macgregor Mathers of GD fame, the magician is specifically told that the spirits will turn on him unless the preliminary work on one’s self is done properly. All too often, even among modern magicians, this concept of training the intent and striving for psychological clarity is ignored or down played.
There is also the difference between entities, who have consciousness of their own, and forces. Magickal forces are usually colored by their use, but are neutral–as are all natural forces–in themselves. Entities are a different story; they have the sentience to choose, as humans do, whether they will be exclusive, “evil,” or inclusive, “good.”
As with “evil” humans, “evil” spirits can be recognized by their appeal to the five defilements: greed, hatred, self-importance, jealousy and ignorance.
Just as humans with these concerns do not make good friends, so too do spirits, even “Gods,” who have these traits do not make good astral companions. A magician who works with and through consciously “evil,” or exclusive, entities will achieve only evil, that is more separate-ness and exclusivity.
Question:Likewise , in studying certain Wiccan texts, it is recommended that one utilize the thoughtform of Lucifer (to gain by deception).
HruOr: Ah, yes, the old Light-Bringer riff. Well, I don’t know what kind of Wicca you are into, but anything that suggests spells “to gain by deception,” is probably a good thing to stay away from.
In Leland’s Aradia, much is made of Lucifer as the twin brother of Diana, the Moon-Goddess, but this is ultimately mis-leading, as Leland’s witches are really more like 19th century agarian revolutionaries than traditional Moon-Goddesss worshippers.
Their use of Lucifer is the same as the satanists’ use of the Devil–as a means of shocking and polarizing. In the Olympic Spirits, first mentioned in the Arbatel of Magick of 1565, we catch a glimpse of the Bronze Age deities which gave rise the Old Gods of the “Wise Ones.” Lucifer is here quite correctly equated with Mercury, who as god of thieves has the appropriate ambiguity to gain by deception.
Question: I believe we will attract the types of forces/entities that reflect our true motives/personalities, but do you think one can utilize negative forces without harming himself, others, or adding a big load to his karma?
HruOr: We do indeed attract into our lives the forces and spirits that reflect our true personalities.
True Story: I went to the grocery store one day in a very wide open state of mind and was shocked to see this creature hovering above a guy at the check-out counter. My wife and I ducked down behind a rack to watch this guy. He raged to himself the whole time he was in line, then was very nasty to the check-out girl. The thing about his head was loving it, sucking it all up. It seemed that the creature was nourished by the person’s anger and resentment.
Three weeks later, I was watching the news when the guy at the check-out counter appeared in hand-cuffs on his way to court. Seems he was suspected of being a serial killer with victims in three states. The implications of this are vast and quite disturbing. One of the worst child molesters I have had the occaision to interact with, (I’m a therapist in my day existence, another long story) believed quite sincerely that he was in daily spiritual contact with Moses.
The point being that evil spirits will tell you what you want to hear, but it will all be couched in terms of the defilements listed above. You can work on your negative forces, the content of the Shadow in Jungian terms, but working with consciously evil entities, human or otherwise, creates memories that don’t share well with the universal mind.
The idea is that karma is just a measure of the lack of ability to share infinitely with all Mind in the Multi-verse.
Question: Do you feel the energy associated with the concept of Lucifer is a viable source of magick?
HruOr: Yes, if you think of it as the planetary spirit Mercury or a more Promethian version of the Light Bringer. However, words are tricky, and you may not, within yourself, be able to separate Lucifer from its more exclusive connotations.
Question:One more thing about the evil issue. It’s said you carry heaven and hell within you. I guess what I’m trying to ask is do you think negative forces/aspects of the personality can be manipulated in an impartial manner? Do you think of these aspects as something to be eliminated by purification or something to be integrated?
HruOr: This questions borders on psychology, and yes I recommend therapy as an addition to magickal studies. I know too many un-balanced “magicians” to think otherwise.
Buddhist psychology tells us that suffering comes from attachment, to both good and bad experiences. This attachment, to our individual selves, our things, our emotions limits our concepts. As long as we “hate” our negative traits and “love” our good parts, we limit our understanding that all of this is simply part of the Self.
Once that level of impartiality is attained, then those negative drives can actually be transformed. Greed becomes altruism; hatred turns into compassion, and so on.
OK, the sum of all this seems to be that magick is a technology for evolution. The exclusivity and separate-ness engendered by the defilements, “evil,” is anti-evolutionary and therefore actually a perversion or inversion of the very idea of “magick.”
Satanism is an extention of political expressions into the spiritual realm. Beware of anyone who does not understand this.
Light in Extension,
HruOr
LADY SEKHMET’S COMMENTARY: Sincere thanks for your wisdom. One point I would like to stress is that Sekhmet is not evil. She was sent to earth by her father RA to battle evil and evil doers. Beware of those who would mislead you to believe otherwise.
Tags: HruOr, evil, western, magick, evolution, karma
