I
might begin by delineating the methods of occult practice into
two broad groups. I term these groups the occult path and
the mystic path. The individual or school
who follows the occult path believes that there are very
important reasons for his being incarnate in the physical realm.
Because he is alive in the every day world, he asserts, this is
where his immediate concern lies and he must not ignore the
responsibilities of incarnation. With these ideals in mind the
occultist therefore focuses his magickal acts on bringing power
down from 'above' into physical things and situations in order
to transform them, to purify them and manipulate them to bring
them into line with divine law. In this way the occultist
believes he is taking part in the divine plan of transmuting the
physical world into a spiritual condition.
The mystic, on the other hand, has a view quite opposite to the
occultist. He believes that the physical realm is an illusion
and that nothing can be gained by remaining involved in it.
Therefore he seeks to remove all attachments to the physical
world, and everything that springs from it, in order to raise
himself up into the higher worlds where he hopes to enter a
state of perpetual bliss in unity with God.
Neither of these approaches is right or wrong. There are
different reasons for adhering to one or other of these paths
according to ones life mission. In fact it is said that most
mystic must begin as occultists and that eventually all
occultists will accept the mystic path. Suffice it to say that
traditional mystery schools in the eastern world are primarily mystical
in their approach to spiritual discipline. Alternatively in the
western tradition we find the main stream schools have a more
occult inclination. In this way we can say that it is the
western cultures karma to be involved in and to conquer the
physical reality. In the east the karma of that race is to
reject the physical world and unite for eternity with godhead.
These facts are quite visible in every day life as we see
western culture obsessed with the technical age and eastern
culture motivated by more spiritual desires.
In this way we can see that the western mystery tradition, its
training methods and the subjects of investigation which most
concern them, have been carefully designed for the western
initiates type of psyche and the eastern systems for the mind
set of Asian cultures. For this reason it is often said, and we
quite readily agree, that it is very difficult for easterners
living in their natural environment to follow the occult
tradition, just as it is for a western initiate to attempt to
follow the eastern path. Besides being difficult in serious
cases it can be quite detrimental to the aspirants health to
apply himself to methods which do not suit his mental
conditioning.
Nevertheless within the western tradition we find schools which
advertise themselves as part of the western mystery tradition
but who are primarily orientated towards a mystical approach. In
the east we find a similar but opposite situation in certain
schools. It is believed that many individuals and some schools
in the west who found themselves cleaving to a mystic approach
did so in a time when the western tradition was a firmly
entrenched underground movement and more difficult to discover.
During these times many westerners seeking enlightenment had to
make do with the few books that were available on the subject,
which, unfortunately, were mainly descriptive of eastern schools
and their methods. Therefore a generation of westerners grew up
thinking that enlightenment came from the east and it is to the
east that one must go in order to find it. The western mystery
tradition did not really resurface again until the late 1960s
during the end of the hippy era. The Beatles, although they had
heard of the western tradition, were still convinced that the
only real path was to be found in the east. So a-hunting for
Gurus they did go.
It was a revival in the Golden Dawn tradition and in Wicca which
began with the closing down of the '60s, increased slowly during
the '70s and '80s and has picked up in gigantic proportions in
the '90s, which has brought the western tradition out of a long
slumber into the public eye once again.
Now, if we agree that our concern lies with the western 'occult'
schools then we might leave any concern about eastern systems to
those for who they were designed. In this case those individuals
who have made the mastery of the western system their life long
goal advise students of that system to put aside any curiosity
in eastern methods until a much later date. To try to study both
leads one to make comparisons and such attempts at comparison
will only lead to confusion.
The western schools of occult knowledge have, therefore,
concerned themselves with discovering and developing arts which
are most practical for their particular path. For this reason
magick and alchemy have ever been the two primary subjects of
interest for occultists. Alchemy is primarily a science which is
concerned with uncovering the inherent purity or spiritual
nature in physical things and this sacred chemistry gave birth
to modern chemistry and physics which are so important to the
modern world. Our concern here at the moment is with magick as
the backbone of the western occult fraternity tradition. So let
us explain just what magick is.
A famous adept occultist, Aleister Crowley, once described
magick as being "the ability to create change in
conformity with ones will". Most modern occultist have
accepted this description as being quite accurate but we feel
the idea will need some explaining to the novice. Crowley was
trying to point out that any change that we could effect
in accordance with our intentions was an act of magick. But we
might suggest that although this is true it is only the more
extreme changes that one wills and which manifest almost
immediately which the average person might consider magickal
phenomena. For example according to the above rule if we desire
to boil water in a pot and we put it on the stove and apply heat
a pot of water will boil. We will to have boiling water and it
is so. In the more extreme if we will it to rain and we carry
out the necessary magickal practice which makes it so then we
have performed what might be considered by most an act which is
more magickal. Nevertheless Crowley pointed out that there is no
difference in the methods and laws which we must put into motion
in order to boil water or to create rain from a cloudless day,
for example. The only difference is the degree of will required
to effect one or the other result. Therefore if the later is
magick and both acts are governed by the same laws then the
former must be magick also. Both acts are therefore "changes
which have come about in conformity with ones will".
If we can understand and agree with this much then we might see
that everything which a magickian does as part of his profession
include acts designed to enhance his will power so that he might
effect more incredible changes, and are designed to enhance and
focus the will. Through the ages magickians without the aid of
modern technology have invented, tested and tried many and
various practices, including the use of ritual, of magickal implements,
of divination, astrology, invocations, potions and meditations,
with the desire to enhance their will power in order to improve
their chances of creating extreme change. Therefore for the
practiced magickian Will, or Intent, is the all powerful
magickal tool.
Will, therefore, being such a powerful tool, a tool which when
honed perfectly can conjure a storm, quite an angry beast, heal
the sick or transport the Magickians body through the air, for
example, must need great skill, cunning and care to enhance and
control. For this reason occult schools have, down through the
ages, designed very precise techniques for training the aspirant
in magick.
The first rule was that they considered that where possible it
was more effective for magick to be taught within a school type
situation. In fact ancient occult schools were the model upon
which civil education was built. The Sages of old knew that the
Will was most effectively trained and focused under the guidance
of strict discipline, for, they said, the Will has become weak
as a result of mankind's mental laziness. Under such conditions
these ancient Sages instituted strict rules by which their
schools and their activities would be governed. All training was
given in a series a graded steps and a hierarchy of authority
was established according to these grades of accomplishment.
Today we can see that those schools who are most successful in
their training methods are those who maintain strict discipline
and integrity within their ranks. Alternatively a number of
great schools have collapsed under the weight of their higher
ranking members stupidity and ignorance where a once strict
regime of study, practice, examination and government had been
undermined by laziness and corruption.
It is often asked why the ancients felt a need to establish
schools against a preference for solo, or one-on-one training in
isolation? The answer is to be found in the complex mechanics of
magickal relationships and in the practicality of working in
this area in groups. Firstly, more magickal power is raised and
can be directed when needs be within a closed secreted group.
This is effected through the use of group ceremonial which is implemented
at the beginning of each new grade in ceremonial Orders. In such
situations the ceremony is performed, primarily, for the benefit
of the candidate, where the entire group focus their collective
power on the candidate in order to use the ceremony as a
catalyst for change. The law which governs thus collective
effort reads: 'the whole out-weighs the sum of its parts',
i.e. more power can be raised by five individuals (for example)
working together than if those five worked separately on trying
to bring about the same goal.
This law is the basis for three quarters of the motive for
working in groups. On a grander scale, but with the same
mechanism in mind, many groups working in the same tradition
with the same general or specific goals can effect the
collective conscious of the human race in a significant way.
This is where the idea of service to the race comes to the fore.
There are two levels to occult training. 1) the training of the
individual and his guidance to a higher state. By so doing, 2)
groups of advanced individuals form strong focus' of energy
which effect the collective consciousness of the racial mind
thereby aiding in the evolution of humanity. But the process
relies on the work of each individual and his or her own
progress. Without this individual progress the collective
suffers. Thereby advancing ones self automatically advances the
race, but each individual must combine his energies with his
brothers and sisters in the work within intent or their forces
are not combined.
The second important reason for training in groups rather than
one-on-one is that alone, teacher and student are more likely to
fall into error or laziness or to undermine the degree of
success in a training through lack of ability. A single student
can be more effectively trained when a number of individuals can
pool their particular skills, rather than the student having to
rely on the teacher ability to be master of every arte in order
to help him attain the best he or she can be.
There is also the issue of safety. There is, we agree, safety in
numbers. An effective magickal apprenticeship is always open to
destructive influences. When a number of trained individuals of
varying authority and skill are keeping an eye on a
teacher-student relationship there is naturally less opportunity
for foolish or dangerous situations to arise, and if they do it
is more likely that help will be easily forthcoming.
With all of the benefits that can be gained from group training
there are, nevertheless, many pitfalls which must be given due
attention. In order to ensure success in all of the benefits of
group training as we have presented them above, groups heavily
rely on the integrity, humility and hard work of their members.
Unfortunately too many groups allow uncommitted to enter their
ranks and it is quite true that it only takes one bad apple and
integrity is quickly lost. Experience proves that even initiates
are more easily enticed into lax behaviour than they are into
the Light. The only safety device that can effectively check
this weakness is a strong leader who is in constant touch with
the running of every aspect of the group, who is quick to prune
off the rotten branches in order to keep the rest of the tree disease
free and skillful enough to notice the best fruit and give it
preference.
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