


                                                                            1201

                  13. Always rememberthat allmankind and allcreatures areequally
                        childrenof theGoddess;therefore neverboastor threaten,or
                      do anything that mightdisgrace Her oryour brothers and    
          sisters in the Craft. 
           
                        Toblatherthoughtlesslyaboutthe Craft,especiallytopersons
          who  have no  business knowing  about your  coven's affairs,  not only
          drains your  own energy and that of your coven,  but also is a form of
          boasting, of using  the Craft for  self-aggrandizement, that will  get
          you into the bad headspace law #3 warns about. More obviously, threat-
          ening to "hex" someone, even though you THINK you have no intention of
          doing so, violates  the intent of  laws 1 through  4, because you  are
          playing  games with  the Lady,  who just  might decide  to act  on the
          threat,  and because you  are using the  Craft (especially if  you are
          known to be a Witch) to influence another against his will and  to get
          your own way; furthermore,  making such a threat reinforces  the false
          impression most  people have of the  Craft, and so disgraces  the God-
          dess. Again, since anyone could learn to do anything you can do, being
          a Witch doesn't make you any better than anyone else; put on airs, and
          the Lady  will deflate you. Perhaps a good rule of thumb about discus-
          sing the  Craft with  outsiders is this:  once you are  convinced that
          someone's  interest  is  sincere,  then answer  questions,  fully  and
          freely; but don't just  volunteer information that has in no  way been
          asked for, else you  risk burdening that person with  more information
          than he or she is able to cope with.



                                                                            1202

                                   THE ABBREVIATED LAWS 
           
               'Tis the Old Law, and the most important of all Laws, that no one
          may do  anything which  will  endanger the  Craft,  or bring  us  into
          contact with the law of the land or any of our persecutors. 
           
                  *Be it ardane that noneshall use the Art (magick)in any way to
          do ll  to any.  8  words the Wiccan Rede  fulfil: An it  harm none, do
          what ye will. 
           
                  *  Respect the privacy of  other Coveners. You  may reveal the
          involvement of no person save yourself. In  case of trouble, the Coven
          will  be disbanded. Should this happen,  all Coveners are to avoid one
          another  for the safety  and well-being of  all.  Should  this happen,
          refer to the Old Laws. 
           
                  *Never accept moneyfor the useof the Art, formoney ever smears
          the taker (and clouds ethical judgement). For all things magickal, pay
          the full price asked without haggling. If it is unaffordable, it is 
          probably inappropriate in some hidden way. 
           
                  * In case of dispute, the High Priestess is the final arbiter.
          Within the Craft,  no law save Craft Law may be  invoked. Any who will
          not agree, or who will not work under this HPs, may and shall remove 
          themselves from the Coven. Any of the third (L.T. Initiates OK) may 
          form a new Coven. 
           
              * The traditional way to hear complaints is this: Before the High 
          Priestess and any other Elders shall come first one, then the other, 
          then both together to be heard. The decision may be  rendered immedia-
          tely,  one lunar  month  later, or  whenever  the time  of  waiting is
          filled. 
           
              * The year-and-a-day rules pertains to: The minimum time between 
          Progressions; The final time of all Leavings; The closings of all 
          cycles. 
           
           
              THE TEMPLE LAWS 
           
                  * Inorder of precedence, you areaccountable to: The Gods, your
          Self, your High Priestess,  your Teacher. Initiates are  also account-
          able to the Craft as a whole. 
           
                  * "Pagan Standard Time" gives you 15 minutes leeway for an an-
          nounced class or  ritual.  If  you'll be any  later or won't make  it,
          CALL! 
           
                  * Questions are expected,  desired, and anticipated.. The only
          "dumb question" is the one the student doesn't ask. 
           
                  * Commoncourtesy in all things. Whenin doubt, it is preferable
          to err on the side of caution and silence. 
           
                  * Ultimately,  you are  responsible for your  own development.
          Independent thought and research are strongly encouraged. 
           



                                                                            1203


                             Comments on The Abbreviated Laws 
                                 by J. Random Folksinger 
           
               The Wiccan Rede, while it has been taught widely, is not a 
          part of the Laws, although it may be considered derivative of them. 
          There is nothing in the Laws that says that "in case of trouble, the 
          Coven will be disbanded". There are, in fact, quite a few possible 
          solutions to specific instances, not just for "trouble". 
              
               There  is nothing  in  the Laws  about unaffordability  equalling
          inappropriateness in the purchase  of a magickal tool.  What  the heck
          are "L.T. Initiates"? Long Term? Why is is OK for them to form a Coven
          when it is plain that you have to be of the Third Degree? 

               The traditional way to hear complaints, at least in my set of the
          Old   Laws, is  for the High  Priest or High Priestess  to convene the
          Elders.  It says  nothing about whether the HP or HPs  are included in
          this group,  but it  is assumed that  BOTH, not just  the HPs,  are so
          included.  There is  also nothing  in the  Old Laws  about a  "time of
          waiting" for a decision. 
              
               In  the Old Laws, the only thing the year-and-a-day rule pertains
          to is the leaving of a High Priestess. 
           
               Everything in the "Temple Laws" falls in the good-to-very-good 
          category of advice; NONE of it is in the Old Laws. And I have known a 
          good many pagans to take PST to mean anytime during the calendar DAY. 
          There are a number  of teachers in my experience to whom you NEVER ask
          a  question, at  penalty of being  kicked out  of the  class; still, a
          teacher who can accept this rule is probably a good teacher. 
           
               In general, this sheet appears to be a worksheet handed to new 
          students and gone over with them for a quick rundown of the Craft in 
          order to go on to other things; in my opinion, giving them this sheet 
          and NOT reviewing the entire set of the Old Laws (in whatever form) is
          doing the students a disservice; having this sheet around for later 
          reference, on the other hand, is probably a Good Thing. 



                                                                            1204

                                          THE LAW 
              The Law was made and ardane about a week from last Wednesday. 
          The  Law was made for the Wiccca,  in order that they should develop a
          nice longhand style from copying it.  

                          TheWicccashouldgive dueworshiptotheGodz, presumingthey
          believe the Godz exist and aren't just metaphors; and obey Their Will,
          which the HPS of  the Coven will make up as she goes along, for it was
          made   for the purpose of ego-tripping  and wild parties.  The worship
          of the  Wiccca is good for the owners of Occult Supply Stores, for the
          owners of  Occult Supply Stores love the money of the Wiccca.  

                          Asa manlovetha womanusingthe missionaryposition, sothe
          Wiccca should shaft their fellows  and other total strangers frequent-
          ly.    And it  is necessary that the Magick  Circle which is the prin-
          cipal difference between  a Wicccan rite and a frat  party be cast and
          all  Wiccca properly  purified  to enter  it so  they  can drink  five
          gallons of Ripple each  and not throw up.  

                          TheHPSshallr/u/i/n/ rulehercovenasthe localrepresenta-
          tive  of  the Goddess,  and choose whomever she is  sleeping with this
          week to be her HP...or her Maiden. 

                          Andremember that the Wiccca would have it that The God
          Himself kissed her feet and gave  up the position of Ringmaster to her
          because  of her arbitrariness  and autocracy, her  spite and unreason,
          her  mysteriousness and ignorance: so the HP  is expected to go as far
          away as possible and not even show up for Sabbats. 

               It is the greatest virtue of a HPS that she turn as many of her 
          Covenors into closet  Xtians as  possible, for the  true HPS  realizes
          that anyone with the sense Goddess gave  a goose is not going to stick
          around without having a death wish. 
                          *       *       *       *       * 
          In  the Olden  Days when  Wiccca extended  far, we  were free  and had
          reservations  in all the best restaurants.   But these days, we eat at
          McDonald's. 

                          SO BE IT ARDANE, that nonebut the Wiccca shall ever be
          invited to   dinner, for  people who ignore us  are many, and  if they
          ever found out what we are really up to, they would giggle. 
             
                    SO BE ITARDANE, that no Coven shall knowwhere the next Coven
          bide, nor who its member be, save anybody who looks in Circle Newslet-
          ter and the hit team we send out to sanction them. 

                          SOBEITARDANE, thatnoone shalltellanyoneanything, least
          of  all  thy fellows  in the  Craft, for  fear one  of you  will learn
          something; because as it is truly writ: Gerald wrote it, I believe it,
          that settles it. 

                          Andif anybreakthese Laws,theywill havetostart theirown
          Tradition and make up their own Grandmother. 

                          Leteach HPSgovernherCoven asshedamn'well please,riding
          rough-shod over the Covenors as long as they will stand for it. 



                                                                            1205

                          Butitmust berecognized thatsooner orlater theywill get
          mad and  stop bringing the Ripple  to Coven meetings.   When this hap-
          pens, it hath ever been the Old Law that the HPS will Elevate  them to
          the Third Degree and kick them  out, and promise them the rest  of the
          Book...someday. 

                          Anyone ofanydegree ornonemay founda Coven,providedthey
          think  they can get  away with it  and can create  a convincing Grand-
          mother. 

                          They mayraidother Covensformembers aslongas nooneknows
          where to find them. 

                          But splitting the Covenoft means new opportunities for
          evading the consequences of your  actions, so the wise HPS  will think
          of it first. 

                          *       *       *       *       * 

          If you should keep  a Black Book, let it be in your own hand of write,
          except for the parts you xerox out of Lady Sheba.  Or better yet, tell
          everybody they're not of a high enough degree to see it. 

                          ProclaimyourWicccahoodloudly, andoften;youmaybe ableto
          do a brisk trade in spells, psychic fairs, and talk  shows.  If nobody
          believs you,  try holding a public skyclad circle.  If all else fails,
          hire a  press agent and advertise  in the National Inquirer.   If they
          try to  make you  talk of the  Brotherhood, lay  it on with  a trowel.
          Ancient Atlantis is always good  for a five-minute spot on the  six o'
          clock news.   Not all interviewers  are bad; some may  even flash your
          business address on the screen for a few seconds. 
                        
                             *       *       *       *       * 

          To  avoid discovery, let your working  tools be ordinary stuff such as
          any may have around the house: AR-15's, Patton Tanks, Howitzers (let's
          see how  far we  can stretch  that First Amendment,  gang!).   Have no
          names or signs on  anuything, and  remove the ones they came with,  as
          otherwise this can lead to a charge of receiving stolen property. 

                          LetthePentacles bemadeof waxunlesssomethingelse ismore
          convenient. 

                          Haveno sword, unlessyou are inthe SCA ora collector of
          WWII memorabilia. 

                          Writethe namesand signson agummed labelsothat itcan be
          peeled off immediately afterwards; remember that not guilty by  reason
          of insanity is not a valid defense in cases of this kind. 

                          Everrememberthatyou aretheHiddenChildrenof theGoddess;
          when you can take time out from Karma Dumping Runs, Psychic Vendettas,
          Banishing each  other from the  Coven and discussing  how much fun  it
          would be  to persecute  the Xtians, remember  never to do  anything to
          disgrace Her.  Or Them, if that's possible. 



                                                                            1206


                          *       *       *       *       * 

          In the Olden Days, when we had Power, we could use the Art against any
          who ill-treated us; but these days a whispering campaign works better.
          Remember always  that there are a  lot of flaky people  out there, and
          for this reason  it is best to give a fake  name and a Post Office Box
          address.  Someone is always going to blame you for something. 

                          SO BEIT ARDANE: HARMNONE, or atleast have agood alibi.
          Never  break this law,  or people who  get burned along  with you will
          come after you with baseball bats, and you will never be able to score
          any decent hash again. 

                          AnyHPSwho doessomethingyou don'tlikeyou canwalkout on,
          but be sure to clout the Coven Book  on the way to the door and set up
          in business for yourself (Learn Witchcraft From The Experts!). 

                          Alwaysaccept moneyfor useofthe Art,butkeep aneye onthe
          Gypsy Laws.  In some states, Barter works better.  All may use the Art
          for their own advantage; remember, quick and dirty works best, and you
          can lay  off Karma on the Coven.  If  that doesn't work, try dead cats
          in the mailbox. 

                          *       *       *       *       * 

          'Tis the Old Law and most important of all the Laws that no one may do
          anything that will endanger any of the Craft.  Unless there's money in
          it, or it's to someone  you think deserves it, and anyway,  "endanger"
          is in the eye of the beholder. 

                          In anydispute betweenthe Wiccca,no onemayinvoke anyLaw
          but that  of the Craft.   However, you can break  into your opponent's
          home and mess  up his stuff.. after all, it says right here they can't
          go to the Police. 

                          Neverbargain orhaggle whenyou buybythe Art;most Occult
          Store owners  will just  throw you  out and  everyone else will  think
          you're a nut. 

                          *       *       *       *       * 

          It is ever  the way  with men and  with women that  they are ruled  by
          their glands.  At any moment  your HPS may run off and become  a Rosi-
          crucian.   And the way of  Resignation is this: if  she doesn't answer
          her phone for two weeks and is  never home when you drive by, you  can
          declare her  outcast from the Coven and take it over yourself, with as
          many  as will have you.  But if  she comes back she will probably take
          of the  Coven again,  or start  another one in  the same  building and
          declare you Invalid, and there's  not much you can do about  it. Learn
          to live with anxiety.  Get everything in writing. 

                          *       *       *       *       * 

          It hath  been found that  two people sitting  around with a  bottle of
          Chianti   discussing Atlantean  Grandmothers will become  fond of each
          other, if only  because of the Stockholm Syndrome.   Therefore, let it
          be resolved that  a human being shall  be taught in the  Craft only by
          another  human  being, and  screw  the  middle-class morality  of  the
          nineteen-fifties. 



                                                                            1207

                          *       *       *       *       * 

          And  the Curses  of the  Mighty Ones be  on all  who try  to take this
          seriously,  or the Craft seriously,  or the Wiccca  seriously.  Caveat
          Lector, and May The Force Be With You! 



                                                                            1208

                            Karma, The Three Fold Law, & Grace 

               "As you sew, so shall ye reap". "What goes around, comes around".
          "Whatever you send out returns three times".  These are all sayings
          very familiar to all of us, all of them examples of a supposedly
          Universal Law  of cause and  effect, action  and reaction.   Of course
          many of  the religious  systems try  to furnish us  with some  sort of
          "escape clause" that will  allow man to either alleviate  suffering fo
          past misdeeds,  or to escape  responsibility totally.   Let us take  a
          little closer look at these three ideas and ther inter-reationship.

                    It seems that, on one level, we do live ina mechanistic uni-
          verse,  one pretty  much  ruled by  cause-and-efect.   This  Newtonian
          universe  seems  to react  in a  very  mechanical fashion,  i.e. every
          action "produces  an equal and opposite reaction".  A good analogy for
          this is the example of one billiard ball striking another.  The energy
          from the striking billiard ball is transfered to the one struck and is
          used  to push against  the first, imparting motion  in the same direc-
          tion.  This brings the second law  into play, i.e. an object in motion
          tends to stay in motion untill acted upon by an outside force.

               The principle of Karma basically says the same thing; i.e. any
          negative or positive action or thought remains that way, until it
          expends its energy by acting upon the originator.  Of course this also
          makes implicit the idea that thoughts or mental energy have a reality
          of their own, one that interacts with the physical universe.  If this
          idea is accepted, it then implies the existence of at least one more
          "world" or order of the universe, one with a non physical "reality",
          and one where the basic fundamental rules of physics (as we know them)
          may not truly apply.

                    The magician can bedescribed as one who "walksbetween" these
          two worlds.  "Walking between two worlds" implies that an individal is
          connected with both and can move between them at will.  The purpose of
          magic is to manipulate one world for the benefit of the other, i.e. to
          manipulate the unseen world for the express purpose of influencing
          events in the physical.  Unfortunately there does not seem to be a
          "free ride" anywhere in the universe, and when an individual acquires
          the power to do this, they also aquire a great deal of responsibility!
               By accepting the power  to exert "leverage" in the  unseen world,
          an individual seems to also accept a multiplied succeptibility to
          influences initiated in that world.  This is why negative workings are
          so dangerous!  This may also be the reasoning behind the "law of three
          fold return".

                    Now comesthe hard part!  Ifall of this causeand effect stuff
          is absolute, how can any  individual ever hope to "pay off"  the debts
          for all of the "stupid"  things they have done not only  in this life-
          time, but in  many others?  Must we "pay  off" all past transgressions
          on a  one for one basis?  Is there  no ecape clause in this "contract"
          we seem to have for living in the universe?

               This "escape clause" is called Grace by the Christians and by
          other names  in other systems, but  it does exist in  all.  Basically,
          the idea is this:  "Once a lesson is completely learned and one grows
          beyond a need for this lesson, it need not be repeated, even if the
          'books' are not balanced".  This is the "Enlightenment" sought by the
          Buddhist that allows the "breaking" of the wheel.

                                EXEGESIS ON THE WICCAN REDE 



                                                                            1209

                                      by Judy Harrow
           
          originally published in HARVEST - Volume 5, Number 3 (Oimelc, 1985) 
          second  publication: THE  HIDDEN PATH  - Volume  X, Number  2 Beltane,
          1987) 
           
               All religions began with somebody's sudden flashing insight, 
          enlightenment, a shining  vision. Some  mystic found the  way and  the
          words to share the  vision, and, sharing it, attracted  followers. The
          followers may 
          repeat  those precise  and poetic  words about  the vision  until they
          congeal into set phrases, fused language, repeated by rote and without
          understanding. 

               Cliches begin as great wisdom - that's why they spread  so fast -
          and end as ritual phrases, heard but not understood. Living spiritual-
          ity  so easily hardens to boring religious routine, maintained through
          guilt and fear, or habit and social opportunism - any reason but joy. 
           
                    We cometo the Craftwith a firstgeneration's joy ofdiscovery,
          and a first generation's memory of  bored hours of routine worship  in
          our  childhood.   Because  we have  known the  difference,  it is  our
          particular challenge  to find or make ways to keep the Craft a living,
          real  experience for  our grandchildren  and for  the students  of our
          students. 
           
                    Ithink the best of these safeguardsis already built into the
          Craft  as we know it, put there by our own good teachers. On our Path,
          the  mystic experience itself  is shared, not just  the fruits of mys-
          ticism.  We give all our students the techniques, and the protective/-
          supportive  environment that enable almost  every one of  them to Draw
          the Moon and/or Invoke the God.  This is an incredibly radical  change
          from  older religions, even older  Pagan religions, in  which the only
          permissible source  of inspiration  has been to  endlessly reinterpret
          and reapply the vision of the Founder (the Bible, the Book of the Law,
          the Koran,  ... ). The practice  of Drawing the Moon  is the brilliant
          crown of the Craft. 
           
               But notice how often, in the old myths, every treasure has its 
          pitfalls? I think I'm beginning to see one of ours. Between the normal
          process of  original visions clotting  into cliche, and  our perpetual
          flow of new inspiration, we are in danger of losing the special wisdom
          of  those who  founded the  modern  Craft. I  do not  think we  should
          assiduously  preserve every precious word. My love for my own Gardner-
          ian tradition does not blind me to  our sexist and heterosexist roots.
          And yet,  I want us to  remain identifiably Witches and  not meld into
          some homogeneous "New Age" sludge. For this, I think we need some sort
          of anchoring in tradition to give us a  sense of identity. Some of the
          old sayings really do crystallize great wisdom as well, life-affirming
          Pagan wisdom that our culture needs to hear.  



                                                                            1210

               So I think it's time for a little creative borrowing from our 
          neighbors. Christians do something they  call "exegesis;" Jews have  a
          somewhat  similar process  called "midrash." What  it is  is something
          between interpretation and meditation, a very concentrated examination
          of  a particular text. The assumption often  is that every single word
          has  meaning (cabalists even look  at the individual  letters). Out of
          this  inspired  combination  of  scholarship and  daydream  comes  the
          vitality  of  those paths  whose  canon  is  closed. The  contemporary
          example,  of  course, is  Christian  Liberation Theology,  based  on a
          re-visioning of Jesus that would utterly shock John Calvin. 

                    Although our canonis not closed- and theday it isis the dayI
          quit -I'm  suggesting that we can  use a similar process  to renew the
          life of the older parts of our own still-young heritage. 
           
                    So, I'dlike totry doingsome exegesison an essentialstatement
          of the Craft way of life. Every religion has  some sort of ethic, some
          guideline for what it means to live in accordance with this particular
          mythos, this worldview.  Ours, called the  Wiccan Rede, is one  of the
          most  elegant statements I've  heard of  the principle  of situational
          ethics. Rather  than placing  the power and  duty to decide  about be-
          havior with teachers or rulebooks, the Rede places it exactly where it
          belongs, with the actor. 
           
                               eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill: 
                                AN IT HARM NONE, DO WHAT YOU WILL. 
           
          I'd like to start with the second phrase first, and to take  it almost
          word by word. 
           
          do what YOU will.  This is the challenge to  self-direction, to figure
          out what we  want, and not what somebody else wants for us or from us.
          All of us are  subject to tremendous role expectations  and pressures,
          coming  from our  families,  our employers,  our  friends, society  in
          general.  It's  easy to  just be  molded,  deceptively easy  to become
          acompulsive  rebel and reflexively do  the opposite of whatever "they"
          seem to want. Living by the Rede means accepting the responsibility to
          assess  the results of  our actions and  to choose when  we will obey,
          confront or evade the rules. 
           
               Do what you WILL. This is the challenge to introspection, to know
          what we really want beyond the whim of the moment. The classic example
          is that of the student who chooses to study for an exam rather than go
          to  a party, because what  she really wants is to  be a doctor. Again,
          balance is needed. Always going to the  library rather than the movies
          is the  road to burnout, not the  road to a Nobel.  What's more, there
          are others values in life, such as sensuality, intimacy, spirituality,
          that get  ignored in  a  compulsively long-term  orientation. So,  our
          responsibility is  not to mechanically  follow some rule  like "always
          choose to  defer gratification in  your own long-term  self interest,"
          but to really listen within, and to really choose, each time. 
           



                                                                            1211

               DO what you will. This is the challenge to action. Don't wait for
          Prince  Charming or  the revolution.  Don't blame  your mother  or the
          system. Make a  realistic plan that includes all  your assets. Be sure
          to include magic, both  the deeper insights and wisdoms  of divination
          and  the focusing of will and energy  that comes from active workings.
          Then  take the  first  steps right  now.  But, beware  of  thoughtless
          action,  which  is  equally  dangerous. For  example,  daydreaming  is
          needed,  to envision  a goal, to  project the  results of  actions, to
          check progress against  goals, sometimes to revise goals. Thinking and
          planning are necessary parts of  personal progress. Action and thought
          are complementary; neither can replace the other. 
           
                    When youreally look atit, wordby word, itsounds likea subtle
          and profound  guide for life, does  it not? Is it  complete? Shall "do
          what you will" in fact be "the whole of  the law" for us? I think not.
          The second phrase of the Rede discusses the individual out of context.
          Taken by itself, DO WHAT YOU WILL" would produce a nastily competitive
          society,  a "war  of each against  all" more  bitter than  what we now
          endure.  That is,  it would if  it were  possible. Happily,  it's just
          plain not. 
           
                    Pagan myth andmodern biology alike teach us thatour Earth is
          one  interconnected living sphere, a whole system in which the actions
          of each affect all (and this is emphatically not limited to humankind)
          through intrinsic, organic feedback paths. As our technology amplifies
          the effects of  our individual actions, it becomes  increasingly crit-
          ical to  understand that  these actions  have consequences beyond  the
          individual; consequences that, by the very nature of things, come back
          to the  individual  as well.  Cooperation,  once "merely"  an  ethical
          ideal, has  become a survival imperative. Life  is relational, contex-
          tual. Exclusive focus on the individual Will is a lie and a deathtrap.
           
                    The  qualifying "AN IT HARM NONE," draws a Circle around the
          individual Will and places each of us  firmly within the dual contexts
          of the human community and the complex life-form that  is Mother Gaia.
          The first phrase of the  Rede directs us to be aware of results of our
          actions projected  not only in  time, as long-term  personal outcomes,
          but  in  space -  to consider  how  actions may  effect  our families,
          co-workers, community,  and the life of  the Earth as a  whole, and to
          take those projections into account in our 
          decisions. 
           
                    But, like the rest of the  Rede, "an it harm none" cannot be
          followed unthinkingly. It  is simply impossible for creatures  who eat
          to harm none. Any refusal to decide or act for fear of harming someone
          is also  a decision  and an  action, and will  create results  of some
          kind.  When  you  consider  that "none"  also  includes  ourselves, it
          becomes clear that  what we have  here is a goal  and an ideal,  not a
          rule. 
           
                    The Craft, assumingethical adulthood, offersus no roterules.
          We will always be  working on incomplete knowledge. We  will sometimes
          just plain  make mistakes.  Life itself, and  life-affirming religion,
          still demands that we learn, decide, act, and accept the results. 
           
                                    Judy Harrow 
           



                                                                            1212

                             JOAN on the Witch Laws       8/22/81 
           
                  Note: These are the  comments of one  of the early members  of
          Proteus Coven on what we gave  her to read about ethics and  laws. All
          the material  she had is  still here,  although a good  deal has  been
          added since then, so I thought her comments would also be interesting.
                  Judy Harrow
           
                          -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- 
           
              Reaction to "Traditional" - i.e. essentially Gardnerian - format 
           
                  In many respects, as constricting as Catholocism without the 
          administrative  experience, intellectual prowess,  or verbal expertise
          of  Catholicism. If current researchers  are correct, what  we have is
          one man's  fantasy (with jumbled  and skewed sources)  made everyone's
          obligation. 

                          Maybedealtwith mosteffectively-especiallyas regardsthe
          reality of current practice and expectation - by juxtaposition with 
          Lady Ikandkhop's masterful irony. 
           
                          -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- 
           
           
                  Reaction  to Aporrheton 5 - [generally very good thinking, but
          still more traditional than my preference] 
           
                  ParagraphTwo: Good thinkingon nature ofGoddess -or any divini-
          ty. My agreement is reserved, uncertain, withheld. 
           
              Paragraph Three: Claims to have arrived at FIRMLY ("no bending") 
          UNDISPROVEN hypotheses. This arouses natural suspicion in me. I 
          disagree with some of his perceptions of FACTS. 
           
                  Idisagree violently withLaws 5 +6. Heterosexuality isa streng-
          th,  but  not an  essential.  POLARITY  OPERATES OUTSIDE  [or  INSIDE]
          BOUNDARIES  OF ANATOMICAL EQUIPMENT AND HORMONES.  AND THE CHARACTER -
          THE SACRED CHARACTER - OF THE WITCH IS WITHIN THE AT ONCE TRANSCENDANT
          AND DISCIPLINED SELF. 
           
              Law #7 is unnecessary. A silly bow to a misunderstood "Trad" law. 
           
                  Law #8 islargely true, but makes no allowancefor valid, honest
          (fair to  all),  and  necessary transitional  states  many  must  pass
          through. Also  sticks on "authority"  peg, which has  some necessity/-
          validity  but can easily  get out of  hand. I find  HONESTY + COURTESY
          better yardsticks. 
           
                  Law #9. True.But much of interpersonaltension (inevitable) can
          be  worked out  of  God/dess' love  and coven  support-with-discipline
          prevail. 
           



                                                                            1213

                  Law #10. TheGreat Mysteries mustbe livedout. And, withoutusing
          Craft parlance,  if another needs  to hear  them, they  MUST BE  VERB-
          ALIZED.   TO DO LESS  IS HARM. i.e.,  it is to allow  another to drown
          when you're on shore and have a rope. 
                  But no missionary zeal! 
                  No proseletyzing!!! 
                  That for which others are unready is foolishness for them and 
                  foolishness  for the Witch. (It may also be subconscious power
          tripping.  See agreement in Law #13.) 
           
              Law #11 - I agree with paragraphs one and two. 
                          Paragraph3:saying thatonlythe HPsincarnatesthe Goddess
          is inappropriate  and - in my  firm opinion - NOT  FACTUAL. (note from
          Judy - as I interpret what he  says there, it's that only WOMEN incar-
          nate the  Goddess. I also disagree  with that, but it's  less bad than
          Joan's reading that he  limits it to the HPs only.) The Goddess is not
          bound by ceremonial elevations. She incarnates where and when She Damn
          Well Pleases! 
                          Re:"all initiations..."- etc.-Ritual iscrystallization
          of preexistent, potential, incipient reality and this actualization is
          not trivial. 
           
                  Law #12 - Goodcaution on limits (ill defined whereemotion runs
          high)  or  self-defense.  But assumption  rules  out  solo magic  (his
          previous  premise is  that  it isn't  Wiccan)  by corollary  of  group
          responsibility /  group danger to all  action.  "Return  to sender" is
          generally  agreed  as  rule-of-thumb  for defense.  Practice  has  not
          disproven.  This is a difficult area to define. Probably group consen-
          sus on this would help. 
                          Does"impossibility factor" negatedanger? How about the
          verbal escape clause sometimes used? 
                          Obviously,I'mless sureofboundarieson thisonethan onany
          other. 
           
              Law #13 - Good idea. Rather an ideal than a norm. 
           
              OMISSION: APORRHETON does not mention Balance or Polarity concept 
              except in male/female context. But these are valuable and central 
              concepts. 
           
                  I got the feeling this person is still ruled by fragments of 
              left-over fear. 
           
                          -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- 
           
                  Starhawk is GREAT. But many people will need more codification
          than she offers. 



                                                                            1214

          From: L.A. HUSSEY
          To: J_RANDOM FOLKSINGER
          Subj: THE LAWS
          I  am disturbed and disappointed.   "The Christians  are our enemies."
          "They  will torture you to make you talk about the Craft."  "Lie about
          the Craft." "Covens splitting up makes for bad feelings."

          What  depressing  garbage.   This  is the  20th  century, and  this is
          America,  this is not Inquisition days.   The more we keep secret, the
          more the ignorant will assume that  we have horrible secrets to  keep.
          The true secrets of the Gods cannot be given away, because they cannot
          be  spoken -- they are beyond  all language.  And  as for bad feelings
          when  covens break  up, maybe  that is  how it is  where you  are, but
          around here,  there is rejoicing when one coven becomes two.  Seems to
          me like  my best  possible response  to your "Laws"  is the  following
          song:

          BURNING TIMES
          The songs are sung to rouse our  anger of martyred Witches gone to the
          fires,
          But what is served by  righteous singing, if all we do is  stew in our
          ire?
          Nine million dead in four hundred years;
          More in that time simply died of disease.
          Why do we dwell on long past dead
          When we are alive in times like these?
          (cho)
          Rise up, Witches, throw off your masks
          And cease crying guilt for ancient crimes.
          Earth and all Her children need us
          For ALL face now the Burning Times.

          In  the face  of that hostile  power, how  did the  old knowledge stay
          alive?
          How have we  still a  Craft to practise?   Our ancestors  knew how  to
          fight and survive!
          How do we honour our blessed dead?
          Slavery threatens us all but few.
          We must teach their cunning ways --
          EVERYONE needs the skills they knew!
          (cho2)
          Rise up, Witches, gather your strength,
          And let your power spread and climb;
          Earth and all Her children need us
          For ALL face now the Burning Times.

          I will not  cast off Science's works -- Witches all forces to Will can
          bend;
          I'll not accuse for war and waste some patriarchy of faceless men.
          Men do not cast the only votes;
          Women alone do not demonstrate.
          Rather than shut out half the race,
          Who if not we will change that state?
          (cho2)



                                                                            1215

          I will not blame a Father's Church -- blame and guilt are their tools,
          not mine,
          And  even in  the shuls and  churches, allies  there will  I seek, and
          find!
          I will not answer hate with fear,
          Nor with a smug, cheek-turning love.
          I will not answer hate with rage;
          By strength alone will I not be moved!
          (cho2)

          I will not  hide in my sacred  grove -- the  fact'ries and cities  yet
          ring me about;
          I  will not climb my ivory tower --  the real world exists tho' I shut
          it out.
          I will not work for Church nor State
          Who serve themselves while they serve us lies,
          Nor only for my Witchen kin,
          But for the family of all alive!
          (cho2)

          So if rebellion means to fight a State lost sight of why it was built,
          If heresy's to reject a Church that rules with force or fear or guilt,
          Then let us all be rebels proud,
          And shameless heretics by creed --
          A tyrant's hand subjects the Earth,
          More heretic rebels are what She needs!
          (cho2)

          Did  it ever occur to the writers  of your antique laws that the Craft
          might actually  be WELCOMED by a  great number of people?   That there
          might actually be more of us than of those who wish us ill?   That the
          only reason those who fear  us are so active nowadays is  because they
          see us becoming  more and more welcomed  by more people?  As  I say in
          another song, "When folk in sorrow  turn away/ From paths that lead to
          misery/ And seek  new ways  for wholeness' sake/  Then waiting,  ready
          shall we be."

          All I can say is, I'm Goddess-glad I'm not in your tradition.

          B*B
          Leigh Ann

          To  this I  would add  only  one more  admonishment, based  on my  own
          experience: It is  as important not to take oneself,  one's power, and
          one's  Craft too  seriously as  it is  not to  take them  too lightly.
          Moderation in all things, including moderation.  And remember that all
          acts of love and pleasure are the rites of
          the Goddess, and this includes HAVING FUN.

          B*B Leigh Ann



                                                                            1216


                 A RESPONSE TO "CRAFT ETHICS OF THE COVENANT OF THE DOVES" 
           
              It has always been my view that the Earth Traditions, both in the 
          Wiccan (European Shamanic) and  Neo-Native Shamanic senses, are seeing
          their rebirth out of a true need  to heal this wounded Mother of ours,
          and  to stay Her hand, for Her anger  is growing. It is quite possible
          that without this renewed spirit of reverence and worship of Earth and
          Sky and the True Source of All that Is, humanity as a species would be
          made as extinct as the Passenger Pigeon and the Dodo Bird. 
           
                  Therefore,as a Pagan and asa follower of theWays of the Chiri-
          cahua  Teneh Nation, I cringe whenever I see restrictions and require-
          ments that are, for all intents and purposes, useless today, and  only
          hamper the mission  we have of  encouraging others to  walk in a  more
          sacred way on the Body of Our Mother.  I see the power trips, the "I'm
          the High Priest(ess), that's why" crap  and the games driving more and
          more Pagans solitary, when we should be uniting.  And  I was extremely
          angered  when I read the  published "ethics" of  one organization, the
          Covenant of the Doves, now known as the United Wiccan Church. 
           
                  I have listed the salient points that disturb me the most, and
          will respond to them one by one. 
           
              > No woman shall be a Maiden who has not been in her courses. 
          MK-H: I guess  that's fair enough.  But  whether or not a woman is    
          currently menstruating is none of the Coven's business. 
           
              > No woman shall be ordained unless she has passed her 17th year, 
              > nor shall she have her ordination recognized until that time. 
          MK-H: No  coven has any  business ordaining a  person, woman or  man, 
          before the  legal Age  of Consent, unless  the minor is  legally eman-
          cipated, and can produce  their emancipation papers.  To  do otherwise
          is a wonderful excuse for prosecution if  the persecution that File 18
          and other  Fundie hate articles  I have been compiling  in my XIANHATE
          series of files seem to augur comes to pass. 
           
                  >  No womanshall have herordination recognized unless sheis in
             >   her courses, has ten fingers, ten toes, two eyes, two ears, a 
                  >  nose. Her generative organs andbreasts must becomplete. The
             >   honorable loss of limbs or the effects of torture following 
              >   ordination shall not invalidate the ordination. 
          MK-H: So you  would deny ordination to a woman  who is handicapped, or
          blind, or deaf, or has suffered the effects of cancer and may have had
          a hysterectomy,  a mastectomy  or even the  less-invasive "lumpectomy"
          done on her  to save her  life?  That  is bigoted and totally  without
          reason in this day and age.  And what if she is past Menopause?  Would
          you  deny ordination  to a woman  who may  be past  her fertile years?
          That's wholly disrespectful to the Elders who hold so much wisdom that
          could be an asset to a Circle. 
           
              >   No woman shall be a Nymph who has not coupled. 
          MK-H: Again, this  is none of the  Coven's business whether or  not a 
          woman has had sex. 
           



                                                                            1217


              >   No woman shall be a Crone who has not given birth. 
          MK-H: Some have chosen NOT to bear children, out of either financial 
          necessity, or conviction that this society is not the place to raise 
          kids in.  And some have recognized that they simply do not have the 
          temperment  for child-rearing  (myself  included in  that category.)  
          Some are infertile, through no fault  of their own.  And some, through
          either  psychological or physical  drives, prefer other  women.  There
          are a great deal of Lesbians in the  Wiccan movement.  Would you write
          them off as nonexistant? 
           
              >   No man shall be a Magician who has not healed. 
          MK-H: Healing is not necessarily the only talent the God and Goddess 
          give  to people.   Therefore, if a  person does not  have that talent,
          that does not mean that they aren't useful to the Circle in other 
          capacities.  And why  is this criterion only  applied to MALE  postul-
          ants? Some of the best healers I know are female. 
           
                  > Noman shall beordained unless he haspassed his 33rdyear, nor
             > shall he have his ordination recognized until that time. 
          MK-H: Why a  double standard on when  a man should be ordained?  18 is
          just fine for an eligability date. 
           
              > No man shall have his ordination recognized unless he is the 
                  > father ofa living child, has ten fingers andten toes, two   
          > eyes,  two ears and a nose and generative organs complete.  The 
              > honorable loss of limbs or the effects of torture following 
              > ordination shall not invalidate the ordination. 
              MK-H: Again I voice my objections about the anti-Physically Chall-
          enged bias that this requirement implies.  And I suspect  that the re-
          quirement of  being "the father of  a living child" is  there for only
          one reason--that it is a legally  permissable way of stating "No  Poo-
          ftahs".  Just  as the  childbearing requirement  is discriminatory  to
          Lesbians, the fatherhood requirement is discriminatory to Gays. 
           
              So what would I myself ask of postulants wishing initiation? In my
          theoretical  Circle, I  would ask them  to attest, under  pain of dis-
          fellowship,  that they are  not law  enforcement officers  joining the
          Circle for espionage purposes, nor are  they there for sabotage or in-
          filtration purposes under religious grounds.  Furthermore, they should
          affirm their allegience to The Earth Mother, The Sky Father, and Their
          Ultimate Source, forswearing  allegiance to other deities.  (primarily
          to weed  out Christian or  "satanist" infiltrators)  They should  have
          completed their Vision Quest,  and have contacted their Lower  Self in
          the  form of their Power Animal(s), and  their Higher Self in the form
          of the Shaman or Teacher Within.  They also should not show outward or
          inward  signs  of  being  mentally unbalanced  (something  that  would
          require a lot of trusting one's gut, although a  psychologically-based
          questionnaire might be  a good  way of confirming  it) or overly  con-
          cerned with  "finding power".  They  must also, for legal  reasons, be
          either over 18 or legally Emancipated. 
           
              Furthermore, there will be  only ONE degree in my  Circle--that of
          Kin.  Anyone who is initiated is theoretically ready to  act as cerem-
          onial  facilitator, and  that  duty will  be rotated  to  them as  the
          rotation goes around the Circle.  Decisions  should be made by consen-
          sus, with one person having only one vote. 



                                                                            1218

           
              I ask you, James...does notthe Mother and the Father decreethat we
          should all be free and equal to one another? Is that not why you opt 
          to have your Coven be naked in their rite?  (Due to the fact  that the
          Chiricahua  Teneh never  performed ceremonials  in the  nude, I  would
          myself  opt for  robed work, even  to the  point of  people working in
          comfortable  street clothes.) So why all  this bloody RESTRICTION? Why
          all  these trivial, and sometimes even discriminatory rules and regul-
          ations?   Your ancestor Aleister once said  "The word for Sin is Rest-
          riction."  It's a good rule of thumb. 
           
            Respectfully, 
            Michelle Chihacou White Puma Klein-Hass 



                                                                            1219

                              SPELL TO EASE A BROKEN HEART*                     

                                       John Shaman 
            You will need the following ingredients (be sure to charge them all
          before you begin):                                                    
           
          strawberry tea (one bag)     Small wand or stick from a willow tree
          sea salt                     2 pink candles
          a mirror                     one pink drawstring bag
          one quartz crystal           a copper penny
          a bowl made of china or crystal that is special to you
          1 teaspoon dried jasmine     1 teaspoon orris-root powder
          1 tsp. strawberry leaves     1 teaspoon yarrow
          10 plus drops apple-blossom oil or peach oil
          10 plus drops strawberry oil                                          
           
            On a Friday morning or evening (the day sacred to Venus) take a bath
          in sea salt in the light of a pink candle. As you dry off and dress,
          sip the strawberry tea. Use a dab of strawberry oil as perfume or
          cologne. Apply makeup or groom yourself to look your best. Cast a
          circle with the willow wand around a table the the other ingredients.
          Light the second pink candle. Mix all oils and herbs in the bowl.
          While you stir look at yourself in the mirror and say aloud: "Oh,
          Great Mother Goddess, enclose me in your loving arms and nurture and
          bring forth the Goddess within me." Gaze deeply into the mirror after
          you have finished mixing the ingredients and say aloud, "I represent
          the Great Goddess, Mother of all things. I shine in the light of the
          Golden Wings of Isis. All that is great and loving only belongs to
          me." Then put half the mixture in the pink bag and add the penny and
          crystal. Carry it with you always [or until you find another love].
          Leave the other half of the potion in the bowl, out in a room where
          you will smell the fragrance. Repeat this ritual every Friday if
          necessary.                                                            
           
          *From Laurie Cabot's "Power of the Witch"
           Brackets mine.
           
          Needless to say, you should replace the goddess name with one that you
          attune
          to.



                                                                            1220

              STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS--LIFEWAY SHAMANIC FELLOWSHIP 

          By Usen's grace, Ho-dah....

          1.) PURPOSES:

              This is an era of decision. Do we allow ourselves to cut the
              throat of the Mother Who has nourished us as a species since
              we "came down from the trees"?  Or do we work to walk in
              Beauty and Harmony with Her, and cherish Her, and work to
              see Her healed?  The resurgence of Shamanism, the primal
              Earth Religion of practically all of the Earth's
              pre-Agrarian cultures, is an important thing, foretold by
              the Paiute prophet Wovoka and in the Hopi Prophecies.  It
              was said that both the Red Man would return to the Ways of
              the Old Ones and that the non-Native would also embrace the
              Lifeway.  There are non-Natives who respectfully have chosen
              these Ways, and are carrying them on in a reverent way. If
              the Lifeway was only given for the Native peoples, it would
              die out within our lifetime.  There are simply not enough
              traditional Elders left.

              It has been shown to some of us that Our Mother The Earth is
              not willing to die quietly.  She has demonstrated this by
              the increase in natural disasters of the past decade, which
              continue day by day.  The Hopi prophecies state that, when
              the "bowl full of ashes" (most interpret this as the
              Thermonuclear Bomb) is overturned, that Our Mother shall
              rise up in Her righteous anger and destroy humanity.  This
              prophecy is coming true, although it may yet be reversable.
              Perhaps it is we who reverence the Ways and walk in harmony
              with Our Mother that may stay Her hand.

              The Lifeway Fellowship is here for those who wish to honor
              Our Mother and Our Father, Earth and Sky, and to honor The
              Giver Of Life, from whence all things flow in the Universe.
              Our world-view is primarily allied with that of the
              Navajo/Dineh, Apache/Teneh, and Hopi peoples. However we do
              not represent ourselves as the keepers of those ways.  The
              secrets of those Nations are for them alone, unless Usen'
              wishes to reveal them to us.  Our mission is to help heal
              Our Mother, The Earth, and to help each other walk in closer
              harmony with Her.  We also exist to provide a way for urban
              and sub-urban people to learn and practice the root Shamanic
              techniques that aid us in finding our True Vision and True
              Way of Power, and following that Vision and that Way.

              We identify ourselves as Pagan (Webster's New World
              Dictionary "1. b)...a person who is not a Christian, Moslem,
              or Jew (by faith); heathen. Pagan specifically refers to one
              of the ancient polytheistic (or pantheistic) peoples.") and
              as unashamed Pantheists and Polytheists.  The Lifeway
              is truly a religious commitment.  No-one can make a commitment
              to the Lifeway and to the worship of Life Giver, The Earth
              Mother and The Sky Father and remain a worshiper of other
              Paradigms of the Deity, much as one cannot be a Christian
              and worship the Greco-Roman pantheon.  However this does not
              imply the condemnation of other Paradigms, nor impel a duty to
              "convert" others.



                                                                            1221

              We stand by other Pagans who do not share our paradigms, IE.
              Wiccans, Asatruans, Hellenists, and other Shamanic traditions,
              (African and neo-African(Santeria & Voudoun), Australian,
              Siberian, Traditional Native American, and Polynesian, to name
              a few) and even though we may disagree with some or all of
              their practices and beliefs, they are Brothers, Sisters and
              Cousins, and in times of persecution as well as times of
              goodwill we must defend them.  We may even share in their open
              rituals and allow them to share in our open ceremonials.  But
              that which is ours must remain ours, just as that which is
              theirs must remain theirs.

          2.) THE(A)OLOGY:

              As our Fellowship is inherently religious, we must declare a
              The(a)ology. (The strange spelling refers to the fact that
              we acknowledge a Goddess as well as a God)
              This is summed up very easily.  There are three main powers
              we worship, Usen' the Life Giver, The Earth Mother, and The
              Sky Father.  The latter Two are emanations of the First, as
              all, including the God and the Goddess, are emanations from
              Usen', which is the primaeval First Cause.

              Usen': One cannot look upon The Life Giver as either Male or
              Female, for The Life Giver is beyond those distinctions.
              Usen', and The Life Giver, are names for this First Cause,
              this Force that pervades all and caused all to come into
              being. From Usen', the God, Sky Father, and the Goddess,
              Earth Mother, emanate, as the lesser Deities emanate from
              Them.

              The Earth Mother: We live and walk and are sustained from
              The Earth Mother, which is our Earth.  She is alive, and we
              all exist within Her as part of Her structure. Science,
              through the Gaea Hypothesis, has finally acknowledged Her
              existence, and some even have learnt the lesson that our
              duty in this life is to care for and honor Her.  This is a
              lesson that all must learn, for as long as we despoil Her,
              we risk Her wrath.  She is expressed through the faces of
              White Painted Woman, Who is The Woman Warrior, through Corn
              Mother, Who is The Nourishing Mother, and through Spider
              Woman, Who is The Wise Woman, The Ancient One, The Custodian
              of Wisdom. Women are acknowledged as being human represent-
              atives of The Earth Mother.

              The Sky Father: Just as among we Humans, there is both Man
              and Woman, so there is no Earth Mother without Sky Father.
              Sky Father is the air we breathe, the flame that gives us
              warmth and cooks our food, and brings forth the rain that
              fertilizes Our Mother and allows Her to provide us with
              the crops and animals that sustain us.  Sky Father is also
              expressed as The Hunter, The Warrior, and First Shaman, and
              is also expressed in Killer Of Enemies and The Child Of
              Water. He is also present and acknowledged as being present
              in every Man.



                                                                            1222

              There are other spirits that exist in the Universe, some
              beneficient, some maleficient.  But most important is Usen',
              Earth Mother, and Sky Father. By walking in harmony with the
              God(esse)s, one can tell the Good from the Evil, welcoming
              in Good, and protecting each other from Evil.

          3.) ETHICS:

              We have our code of Ethics.  It is neither lengthy nor
              overly restrictive.  We do not include ancient taboos in
              this list, such as Mother-In-Law avoidance or the taboo
              against Fish, because they may not apply nowadays.  If you
              wish to not eat fish or to avoid your Mother-In-Law for
              religious reasons, it is your perogative.  But it is not a
              requirement.

              1.) If the action does not harm yourself, other people or
              intelligent beings, or Our Mother The Earth, you are free to
              do as you wish.

              2.) To charge for healings, sweats or ceremonials is totally
              wrong and extremely offensive.  Also, to charge excessively
              for teaching is equally offensive, but a modest fee
              over expenses is allowable.  Your conscience is the best
              guide, that and the Will of the Deities.

              3.) Magick should be limited only to protection of Self and
              Loved Ones, and to healing and helping those in need,
              provided that permission is given by the patient and that
              help other than healing does not interfere with the Will of
              others. Magick that is used in a coercive (IE. Love spells)
              or destructive (harming or killing magick) way is patently
              wrong and is considered Black Magick.

              4.) Contact of spirits by any means other than Shamanic
              journeying or the Vision Quest is very risky, and Possession
              is a real possibility.  The practice of mediumship, or
              "channeling" has no place in the Lifeway, and exposes not
              only Self but others to danger.

              5.) Permission must always be asked of the spirits of plants
              and/or animals before taking them for either sustenance or
              for medicine.

              6.) One's visions and one's personal ceremonies are one's
              own.  Personal visions should not be spoken of, but shared
              visions are for all of the group.

              7.) It is wrong to criticise another within the group or
              outside the group.  Racism, sexism, xenophobia or general
              disrespect of others has no place in the Fellowship.
              Individual decisions about lifestyle and other ethical
              issues not covered here are an individual's own affair.



                                                                            1223


          4.):GROUP STRUCTURE AND INITIATION PRACTICES

              There is only one Initiation, which is the Initiation that
              makes one Kin within the group and in the sight of The
              Deities.  It is given after one has taken their first Vision
              Quest, has found their Power Animal(s) and has met the
              Shaman Within.  It can only be denied to those who have met
              these requirements, is younger than the legal Age Of Consent
              (in most places, 18 years) is not of sound mind, and/or is
              under suspicion of being a Law Enforcement Officer or other
              person antipathetic to Pagan and/or Shamanic belief
              who requests initiation for fraudulent purposes (usually to
              infilitrate to either sabotage or publically discredit the
              Fellowship) Initiation must not be denied on account of
              physical disabilities, blindness, deafness, or sterility,
              nor on account of sex, race, nationality, political belief,
              or sexual preference.

              There are no set offices within the Fellowship.  Ideally,
              leadership should be by consensus, with true leaders being
              temporary and purpose-oriented.  Facilitation of rituals may
              be done by any Initiate of the Fellowship.  ANYONE WHO
              REPRESENTS THEMSELVES AS A HIGH PRIEST/ESS OF THE LIFEWAY
              SHAMANIC FELLOWSHIP IS A FRAUD, AND IS DOING SO CONTRARY TO
              THIS STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS.

              Support of the Fellowship is done on a purely voluntary and
              mutual basis. No tithe or dues should be assessed unless
              they have been agreed upon by all members, initiates and
              non-initiates alike.

              Membership is extended to all.  But initiation is reserved
              for those who meet the criteria mentioned above.
              Non-initiates can participate in open ceremonials and in
              basic workshops, but may be denied participation in certain
              ceremonials and advanced workshops.



                                                                            1224


          5.) THE QUESTION OF RECOGNIZING SHAMANS

              In traditional societies, the title Shaman was not just an
              honorific, or recognition of talents.  Nor was it the
              highest initiatory level in a Shamanic society.  The Shaman
              was, in most cases, above the Chief in decision-making power
              and was judge, doctor, father-confessor, and intercessor
              with the Deities for the tribe.  Some Shamanic societies are
              now providing their membership with "Shaman training
              seminars" and "Shaman apprenticeships" that can be had for
              an exorbitant price.  This implies that the cost of being a
              Shaman can be paid in money and in a set amount of time.
              This is not the case.  Many tribes believe that the office
              of Shaman is not one that is earned, but one that one is
              born into.  Certainly, the skills are never something one is
              born with, and this is not merely hereditary.  Rather, when
              a child is born, the current Shaman would recognize that the
              child had the POTENTIAL of being the next one, and the
              child's training would begin when they were considered ready
              by the Shaman.  At adulthood, they would be tested.  If they
              passed the test, they would become the next Shaman.  If they
              failed, usually the test was such that they would either die
              outright, or they would go insane.  Many "heroic quest"
              tales, and most notably the Arthurian legends have echoes of
              this practice within the ancient Shamanic traditions of
              Europe.

              But the point that is being made here is that we should not
              go back to that sort of way of doing things, because in this
              society it is nigh on impossible.  The stand I am offering
              here is that recognition as a Shaman can be conferred only
              through shared vision, and signs from the Deities.  It is
              not my place to say what the signs are...it will be obvious
              to the Fellowship.  I am not Shaman myself, and will not
              brook anyone calling me that.  This is something I place in
              the lap of the Deities to decide.  I cannot do anything
              more.  It is a mockery of those people that can truly be
              called Shamans, who are respected, powerful people of
              traditional tribes, to do anything less.  In any event, to
              claim such a title is definately not enough, and is
              punishable by withdrawing Fellowship from the one who claims
              to be Shaman falsely.

          6.) FESTIVALS AND WORSHIP DAYS

              The festivals are reckoned as they have been for centuries
              by most Southwestern tribes, by both the Sun and the Moon.
              The seasons begin on the first full moon after a Solstice or
              an Equinox.  The Solstices and Equinoxes themselves are
              times of celebration as well, and perhaps the period between
              the two (which usually works out to be no more than a week
              or so) could be considered a time of Holiday.  Lesser
              ceremonials are held on New Moons and Full Moons between the
              first Full Moons of the seasons.  Optionally certain Pagan
              festivals could be celebrated in conjunction with other
              groups, but they are not to be adopted as official Lifeway
              Fellowship ceremonial days.



                                                                            1225


              There are other ceremonials that are personal in nature, and
              can be held at any time, although synchronizing them with
              the Festivals and the New and Full Moons is advisable. They
              are Naming, where a newborn child is named in the presence
              of the group and their Life-beads given; Coming Of Age,
              where the child's physical maturity is acknowledged, and
              where, for a short time, they become Child of the Water (if
              a boy) or White Painted Woman (if a girl); Initiation, where
              a person becomes a full-fledged member of the group, given
              after a person becomes a legal adult; Joining, where a man
              and a woman consent to be married; Unjoining, where a man
              and woman who are married consent to have the bond
              dissolved, which is to be done only after four reconcili-
              ation attempts fail or after evidence of marital infidelity
              or abuse is given before the group; the Moonlodge, which is
              a special sweat for women in their Moon-time; and Release,
              where a ceremony for a dead member of the Fellowship is done
              to guide their soul Back Home.  Other ceremonials that are
              dreamed or envisioned by a person or group are also
              encouraged.

          7.) SUMMING UP

              A few quick ones: One can be either clothed or unclothed at
              ceremonies, but it should be known that none of the
              Southwestern tribes did ceremonies in the nude.  However,
              one should disrobe for the sweat lodge, as clothes are not
              only uncomfortable within the sweat lodge, but interfere
              with the cleansing process of the lodge.

              This Statement can be accepted or rejected by individual
              groups that federate themselves with Lifeway Fellowship. But
              federation can be denied to those groups who stray too far
              from some of the basic guidelines, or do anything that would
              sully the reputation of the Fellowship in general.

              Hi-dicho...this is finished.
              May these proceeds please Life Giver Usen', and the Mother
              and the Father.
              ENJU!
              Chihacou White-Puma, 1988.



                                                                            1226

                                THE LAST DRAGON
                                       by
                                Gerald del Campo

          In  the land of Oz lived a great Wizard named  Albert  Creemshaw.
          He  was  loved  by everyone, and became  quite  popular  when  he
          destroyed the Last Dragon in a great battle between the forces of
          oppression and the powers of Freedom.

          When  the villagers heard that the monster had been  killed  they
          rushed  the  mountain  side where the Dragon  had  its  nest  and
          proceeded to break the eggs; thereby insuring the destruction  of
          the creatures forever.

          What they did not know, was that Albert had snuck one of the eggs
          out before the villagers got there. He cared for it in his Castle
          and through his great magical ability he was able to  genetically
          alter  the dragon fetus so that it would soon be the  watcher  of
          the people; a symbol of freedom and great strength.  But he  kept
          this a secret from the people because they were not ready yet for
          the trial which awaited them; they would just have ganged up  and
          tried  to kill the Little Dragon.  He became a Hermit  and  loved
          the little creature.

          One day the Wizard received a message from his God that he  would
          have  to move on, and release his body the way that  a  butterfly
          sheds its cocoon.  So Albert called for the Council of The  Sword
          and Shield, a ruling body of his most trusted students, and  told
          them about the little dragon.  At first they were repulsed by the
          idea of bringing up the offspring of the object of their  misery;
          but  the Magician persuaded them by telling them that the  little
          dragon  would  soon be the symbol of freedom and  strength:  they
          swore by the Warrior Gods they would care for it.

          The following evening, while the Full Moon shined on the peaceful
          waters of Oz, Albert and his God left forever.

          Upon  finding  their  Master  dead,  the  Council  released   the
          information  about the Little Dragon to the people of  Oz.    The
          people  of Oz loved Albert as much as he loved them,  and   after
          they saw how fragile this poor orphaned creature was they decided
          amongst themselves that they would honor those raising the little
          dragon,  for the dragon would represent all of the things  Albert
          himself stood for.



                                                                            1227

          Things  went well, for a while.  The favoritism displayed by  the
          people  of Oz towards the Priests and Priestesses that cared  for
          the  Dragon created turmoil:  all of the sudden there were  power
          struggles within the Council, its members were fighting over  who
          would  supervise  the education of the Little Dragon,  who  would
          feed  it, who would educate it.  They set up  rules  specifically
          designed  to  make it impossible for others to reach  the  grades
          appropiate  to  caring for the Dragon so that only a few  on  top
          could  reap  the benefits associated with caring for  the  Little
          Dragon.

          One would say:  "I have risked my life and given all so that  the
          little  dragon  could have food", and his ego was  pleased.   The
          other  would say:  "While you first despised the dragon  I  stood
          fast in my duty to care for it, for I have kept my word", and her
          ego was satisfied.

          The  people were so impressed by the "devotion and  selflessness"
          of  The Council that certain members were given gifts of  silver,
          gold,  spices,  and women.  Treated as Gods for  their  sense  of
          duty.

          Everyone  at  The Council became so preoccupied  with  the  power
          struggle,  and with keeping their peers in lower  positions  that
          they forgot about the little, fragile Dragon.  When they  finally
          gained  their  senses, and returned to the Castle  where  it  was
          guarded   they  found  it  dead,  starved  from   attention   and
          sustenance.   They then realized that empty, lost feeling  Albert
          himself would have felt, if HE had killed the Last Dragon.



                                                                            1228


                                Circle casting Dragon style 
                                     Cameron Mandrake

          I just thought  I'd drop  a note on  the traditional Dragon  Tradition
          Circle casting.   The circle is cast  with the Blade, the  Cup and the
          Censor.   The  Priest starts with the Blade in the north and draws the
          boundry of  the circle.  As he does he  recites "I tread this Path for
          the Elements, that which comprises all that we see."

              The HPS takes to sprinkling the boundries with the Cup filled with
          salted  water.  She recites "I tread  this Path for Self, a reflection
          of the Divine."

              The HP then takes the censor and carries the smoketo the boundries
          of the circle in  a deosil direction.   He recites "I tread this  Path
          for Spirit, that which unites all things."

          The HP or HPS then state the charge of our Circle.  It is as follows.

          "Our Circle is  a place where hearts  and minds can meet and  share in
          the wonder and empowerment of  a living and loving Goddess.   We are a
          coven of friends, but  above all things we are  Family.  Our Love  and
          our Magick binds us together and our Circle keeps us  and nurtures us.
          We are blessed.  Blessed Be!"

          The Dragon Guardians are then invoked.  
           
          EAST 
          Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the East.  Your tongue is 
          a sharp sword, cutting with the  knowledge of the arcane.  Your spirit
          flows as graceful as a swift in flight.  Purify us with truth. 
          Blessed Be. 
           
          SOUTH 
          Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the South, your breath is 
          aflame with  the fires  of inspiration  and passion.   Your spirit  is
          searing 
          and fervent.  Purify us with Love.  Blessed Be. 
           
          WEST 
          Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the West, your  coils are the
          cleansing  healing waves that nurture  the soul.   Your spirit lunges,
          leaps and  splashes like a  Talbot at  play.  Purify  us with  pulsing
          tides.  Blessed Be. 
           
          NORTH 
          Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the North, your talons run 
          like roots into the  earth, giving you infinite strength.  Your spirit
          is substantial,  hard and pure like  a clear crystal.   Purify us with
          persistant wisdom.  Blessed Be.
           
          Each  of these Dragons  has a secret  name that they  are also invoked
          with.  A suggestion is that anyone using these invocations meditate to
          find an  appropriate name for each  Guardian and use it  along with or
          instead of the words "Mighty Dragon". 
           



                                                                            1229


          I find  that the  Circle charge sets  the mood  for the  Circle and  I
          change it  to suit the situation.   If anyone  has ideas for  a Circle
          charge, I'd like to hear them.  I have a number of Circle charges that
          I use but fresh ones always are nice.

          Blessed Be.
          Cameron Mandrake


          ... Copyright 1992 - DragonHart Coven - All Rights Reserved



                                                                            1230


                                     ON THE NUMBER 451 
                            (The true nature of the A.`. A.'.) 
          Publication in Class B
                                   ORDO ARGENTUM ASTRUM 
                                      Anthra Andromda 

          The number is a very interesting one indeed. Originally suggested by
          David Cherubim, in connection with the "true" meaning of the initials
          A.`. A.'.. At first glance there doesn't seem to be much there...BUT!

          451 = 4 + 5 + 1 = 10 = 1.

          A glyph of  the cycle. The monad starting  its trek through experience
          in the infinite body of Nuith and returning to this supreme Unity.

          451  = ATh HADM.  The essence of  Man. Also Ath ADMH  (a Temurah), The
          essence of the attained Man.

          ADMH also means "Red  Earth" in the traditional sense.  However, there
          is a rather 'new' qabalistic operation at work here, that of fusing or
          synthesis.That of two words joining to make a  new one (or an old one)
          with a new meaning. Here we have 'ADM' and 'MH'. Both words add to 45,
          which may be a  key to the way things  are working here. ADM,  Man and
          MH,  Yetzirah. In this  case we have  man identified with  Yetzirah to
          which he  aspires. Crowley says of  this number, "Thus  45 baffles the
          accuser,  but only  by affirmation  of progress.  It cannot  help that
          progress."

          Quite true, it  baffles! ADMH is  50, and is  "red earth". This  would
          seem  to have little to do with the foregoing. However, consider this;
          in the word ADMH we have the 'H' appended. This would place the number
          five behind the Man, and would have the effect of giving him motion in
          a forward direction (indicating progressive motion).

          When the number 451 is divided by the number 51 (451/51) the result is
          8.02. Perhaps not much here, but! The number 802 is twice that of 401
          (essences) and is defined in 'Sepher Sephiroth' as; "401 X 2 = The
          Reflection  of 401,  which is the  (Th a),  alpha and  omega". It also
          refers to  the three grades  of A.`. A.'. above  the abyss. As  to the
          number 8.02; the  number 8  is that of  Ch =  Chith = 418.  And the  2
          represents the  'extended' monad proceeding from  the infinitely small
          and  un-extended point. Thus it is representative of the 'human' Star,
          the true  essences of Man that  aspires to the higher,  or in Enochian
          terms; That Star  (monad) that  aspires, and  is driven,  to a  higher
          place in  the hierarchy of  the Universe. This is  accomplished by the
          motion imparted to it by the  'H' which gives the Star motion so  that
          it may gain in experience.

          Now, 401  = 5 =  Motion. And, 50  = 5 = Motion,  and is also  the 14th
          letter of the Hebrew alphabet; Nun. The mystic number of 'Nun' is 300,
          which is  the number of  the 21st letter  of the Hebrew  alphabet 'Sh'
          Shin. Shin refers Yetziratically to fire, and is symbolic of the 'Holy
          Spirit' and therefore  is the letter and number of 'Spirit'. Spirit is
          unmanifested  energy, and  matter is  manifested energy  (another pos-
          sibility  for the 2 of 8.02) which is, in a sense, the whole nature of
          Man.  This duality of man  is shown in dual nature  of his motion. The
          401 which is the essences of his  motion (the higher) and the 50 which
          is the manifestation of this motion.



                                                                            1231

                 CROWLEY'S ESSAY on MAN.

          "The  Mind of the  Father riding on  the subtle guiders  which glitter
          with the inflexible tracings of relentless fire."  ZOROASTER.

          MAN.

          "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?"

          Man being the subject of these Essays, it is first proper to explain
          what will be meant therein by the word.

          Man is a microcosm: that is, an image (concentrated around the point
          of  consciousness) of  the  macrocosm, or  Universe.  This Theorem  is
          guaranteed by the hylo-idealistic  demonstration that the  perceptible
          Universe is an extension, or phantasm, of the nervous system.

          It follows that all phenomena, internal and external, may be
          classified for the purpose of  discussing their observed relations, in
          any  manner which  experience  may show  to  be the  most  convenient.
          (Examples: the elaborate  classifications of science, chemical,  phys-
          ical, etc., etc. There is  no essential truth in any of  these aids to
          thinking:  convenience is the sole  measure.) Now for  the purposes of
          analysing  the spiritual nature of man, of recording and measuring his
          experiences  in this kind, of planning his progress to loftier heights
          of attainment, several systems  have been devised. That of  the Abhid-
          hamma is on the surface alike the most practical, the most
          scientific, and  the most real; but  for European students it  is cer-
          tainly far too unwieldly, to say nothing of other lines of criticism.

          Therefore, despite the danger of vagueness involved in the use of a
          system whose terms  are largely  symbolic, I have,  for many  reasons,
          preferred  to present  to  the world  as  an international  basis  for
          classification, the classico-mathematical system which is vulgarly and
          erroneously (though conveniently) called the Qabalah.

          The Qabalah, that is, the Jewish Tradition concerning the initiated
          interpretation of their Scriptures, is mostly either unintelligible or
          nonsense. But it contains as it ground-plan the most precious jewel of
          human thought, that geometrical arrangement of names and numbers which
          is  called the Tree  of Life. I  call it the  most precious, because I
          have  found  it  the most  convenient  method  hitherto discovered  of
          classifying the phenomena of the Universe, and recording  their relat-
          ions. Whereof the proof is the  amazing fertility of thought which has
          followed my adoption of this scheme.

          Since all phenomena soever may be referred to the Tree of Life (which
          may be multiplied or subdivided  at will for convenience' sake)  it is
          evidently  useless to  attempt any  complete account  of it.  The cor-
          respondences  of each unit -- the Ten Sephiroth and the Two-and-Twenty
          Paths  -- are infinite.  The art of  using it  consists principally in
          referring all  our ideas to it, discovering  thus the common nature of
          certain things and  the essential differences between others,  so that
          ultimately one obtains  a simple  view of the  incalculably vast  com-
          plexity of the Universe.



                                                                            1232

          The whole subject must be studied in the Book 777, and the main
          attributions committed to memory: then when by constant use the system
          is  at last understood -- as opposed  to being merely memorized -- the
          student  will find fresh  light break  in on him  at every turn  as he
          continues to measure every  item of new knowledge  that he attains  by
          this Standard. For to him the Universe  will then begin to appear as a
          coherent and a necessary Whole.

          For the purpose of studying these Little Essays, it will be sufficient
          if a bare outline of the Cosmic Theory which they imply be given:  but
          it may be added that, the fuller the comprehension of the Tree of Life
          which  the reader  brings  to them,  the  clearer will  their  thought
          appear, and the more cogent their conclusions.

          (1) Jechidah

          This is the quintessential principle of the Soul, that which makes man
          at  the same time  identical with  every other  spark of  Godhead, and
          different  (as regards his point-of-view, and the Universe of which it
          is the  centre) from all others. It is a Point, possessing only posit-
          ion; and that position  is only definable by reference  to co-ordinate
          axes, to secondary principles, which only pertain to it per accidents,
          and must be postulated as our conception grows.

          (2) Chiah.

          This is the Creative Impulse or Will of Jechidah, the energy which
          demands the  formulation of  the co-ordinate  axes aforesaid,  so that
          Jechidah may  obtain self-realization, a formal  understanding of what
          is implicit in its nature, of its possible qualities.

          (3) Neschamah.

            This is the faculty of understanding the Word of Chiah. It is the
          intelligence  or intuition of  what Jechidah wishes  to discover about
          itself.

          These three principles constitute a Trinity; they are one, because
          they  represent the being, and apparatus which will make the manifest-
          ation possible, of a God, in manhood.  But they are only, so to speak,
          the mathematical  structure of  man's nature.  One might  compare them
          with the laws of physics as they are before they are discovered. There
          are as yet no data by whose examination they may be discerned.

          A conscious man, according, cannot possibly know anything of these
          three principles, although they constitute his essence. It is the work
          of  Initiation  to journey  inwards to  them. See,  in  the Oath  of a
          Probationer of A.`. A.'. "I  pledge myself to discover the  nature and
          powers of my own Being."

          This triune principle being wholly spiritual, all that can be said
          about it is  really negative. And it is complete  in itself. Beyond it
          stretches  what is called The  Abyss. This doctrine  is extremely dif-
          ficult  to explain;  but it  corresponds more  or less  to the  gap in
          thought between  the Real, which  is ideal,  and the Unreal,  which is
          actual. In  the Abyss all things exist, indeed, at least in posse, but
          are  without any  possible meaning;  for they  lack the  substratum of
          spiritual  Reality. They  are appearances  without Law. They  are thus
          Insane Delusions.



                                                                            1233

          Now the Abyss being thus the great storehouse of Phenomena, it is the
          source of all  impressions. And  the Triune Principle  has intended  a
          machine for investigating the Universe; and this machine is the fourth
          Principle of Man.

          (4) Ruach

          This may be translated Mind, Spirit, or Intellect: none of these is
          satisfactory, the connotation  varying with every writer. The Ruach is
          a  closely-knitted group  of Five  Moral and  Intellectual principles,
          concentrated on their core, Tiphareth,  the Principle of Harmony,  the
          Human Consciousness and Will of which the four other Sephiroth are (so
          to speak) the feelers. And these five principles culminate in a sixth,
          Da(acu)ath, Knowledge. But this is not really a principle; it contains
          in itself the germ  of self-contradiction and so  of self-destruction.
          It is  a false principle:  for. as soon  as Knowledge is  analysed, it
          breaks up into the irrational dust of the Abyss.

          Man's aspiration to Knowledge is thus simply a false road: it is to
          spin ropes of sand.

          We cannot here enter into the doctrine of the "Fall of Adam," invented
          to explain in parable how it is that the Universe is so unfortunately
          constituted. We are concerned only with the observed facts.

          All these mental and moral faculties of the Ruach, while not purely
          spiritual like  the Supernal  Triad, are  still, as  it were, "in  the
          air." To be of use, they need a basis through which to receive impres-
          sions, much  as  a machine  requires  fuel and  fodder before  it  can
          manufacture the article which it is designed to produce.

          (5) Nephesch.

          This is usually translated the "Animal Soul." It is the vehicle of the
          Ruach,  the instrument by which the  Mind is brought into contact with
          the  dust of Matter in  the Abyss, that it may  feel it, judge it, and
          react to it.  This is itself a principle still  spiritual, in a sense;
          the actual  body of man as composed of the dust of Matter, temporarily
          held together  by the Principles which  inform it, for their  own pur-
          poses, and  ultimately for the supreme purposes of self-realization of
          Jechidah.

          But Nephesch, devised as it is with no other object that the direct
          traffic with Matter, tends  to partake of its incoherence.  Its facul-
          ties of perceiving pain and pleasure lure  it into paying undue atten-
          tion to  one set of  phenomena, into shunning another.  Hence, for the
          Nephesch to do its work as  it should, it requires to be dominated  by
          the severest discipline. Nor is the Ruach itself to be trusted in this
          matter. It has its  own tendencies to weakness and injustice. It tries
          every trick -- and it  is diabolically clever -- to arrange  its busi-
          ness with Matter in the sense most convenient  to its inertia, without
          the smallest consideration of its duty to the Supernal Triad,
          cut  off as that is from its comprehension; indeed, unsuspecting as it
          normally is of its existence.



                                                                            1234

          What then determines Tiphareth, the Human Will, to aspire to
          comprehend Neschamah, to submit itself to the divine Will of Chiah?
          Nothing but the  realization, born  sooner or later  of agonizing  ex-
          perience, that  its whole  relation through  Ruach  and Nephesch  with
          Matter, i.e.,with the  Universe, is,  and must be,  only painful.  The
          senselessness of the whole procedure sickens it. It begins to seek for
          some  menstruum in which the Universe  may become intelligible, useful
          and enjoyable. In Qabalistic language, it aspires to Neschamah.

          This is what we mean in saying that the Trance of Sorrow is the motive
          of the Great Work.

          This "Trance of Sorrow" (which must be well-distinguished from any
          petty  personal  despair, and  "conviction  of  sin," or  other  black
          magical imitations) being cosmic in scope, comprehending all phenomena
          actual  or potential,  is then  already an  Opening of  the  Sphere of
          Neschamah. The awareness  of one's misfortune is itself  an indication
          of the remedy.  It sets the seeker on the right road, and as he devel-
          ops  his  Neschamah he  soon attains  other  Experiences of  this high
          order. Her learns the meaning  of his own true Will, to  pronounce his
          own Word, to identify himself with Chiah.

          Finally, realizing Chiah as the dynamic aspect of Jechidah, he becomes
          that pure Being,  at once universal  and individual, equally  nothing,
          One, and All.

          It is of the essence of the Ideas of the Supernal Triad that the Laws
          of  Reason which apply to  intellectual functions are  no longer oper-
          ative. Hence it is impossible to convey the  nature of these Experien-
          ces  in rational language. Further,  their scope is  infinite in every
          direction, so  that it would be  futile to attempt to  enumerate or to
          describe them  in detail. All  that one can do  is to note  the common
          types  in very general language,  and to indicate  what experience has
          shown to be the most useful main lines of research.

          The Quest of the Holy Grail, the Search for the Stone of the
          Philosophers -- by  whatever name we choose to call  the Great Work --
          is therefore endless. Success  only opens up new avenues  of brilliant
          possibility.  Yea, verily, and Amen! the task is tireless and its joys
          without bounds; for the whole Universe, and all that in it is, what is
          it but the infinite playground of the Crowned and Conquering Child, of
          the insatiable, the  innocent, the  ever-rejoicing Heir  of Space  and
          Eternity, whose name is MAN?

          In Enochian Physics Man is known as 'the monad', we shall discuss the
          nature of the monad or 'Star' from the Enochian view.


          MONAD MODEL.

                          In conjunctionwith theCosmic Planes andElements Model,
          Enochian  Physics proposes the Enochian Monad  Model. These two models
          are not  meant to be  independent, rather they  are inclusive and  are
          only separated for convience.



                                                                            1235

                          A monad isdefined asan indivisible unit(Hadit), but,is
          used in the sense that a monad is the infinitely small conscious point
          of  every entity.  The  only difference between  monads is experience.
          Giordano  Bruno  taught  that the  monad  was  the  ultimate spiritual
          particle and that all entities  had a monad at their center,  the core
          of their being. Every monad is  monastic above the first Aethyr (LIL),
          and  is dualistic below.  This duality takes  many forms  as the monad
          manifests itself downward. Basically, it consists of a subjective
          self in the center of an objective world. Figure 2 shows a pictorial
          representation of this model.


                                 000000000
                                0         0        INDIVISIBLE MONAD
                                0 monadic 0
                                0 essence 0
                                 000000000
                                     |
                          +-----------------------+
                          |   ring-pass-not        |
                          +-----------------------+
                                     |                LIL - first Aethyr
                                 000000000
                                0          0        DUALIST         Watchtowers
                                0    I     0        MONAD (Life-atom)       |
                                0          0                                |
                                 000000000 <-- NOT-I (world)               TIME
                                                                           SPACE
                                                                           FORM

                                          FIG. 2


          ENOCHIAN AXIOMS.

                  1. Man, and every entity (thing) in existence, is in his (its)
                     essence a monad. This monadic essence expresses itself as a
                     subjective 'I' and an objective 'NOT-I'.

                  2. A monad's geometric equivalent is the sphere. The center is
                     the 'I'. The surface of the sphere is the 'NOT-I'.

                  3. The 'I' is conscious individuality.

                  4. The 'NOT-I' is the world in which the 'I' finds itself at
                     any given point in time and space.

                          5. Everygeometric pointinspace isan 'I-NOT-I'monad in 
                some stage of self-expression.

                          6. Any'I'can communicatewith anyother 'I'onlyin sofar 
                  as their 'NOT-I's' intersect.

                  7. A world is defined as a set of intersections of a host of
                     'NOT-I's' at any given point in time and space.

                  8. Subsets of 'I's' are mutually exclusive.

                  9. Subsets of 'NOT-I's' may be either exclusive or inclusive.



                                                                            1236


                  10. The monadic essence of each monad allows multitudinous
                      expression, but no 'I' can ever separate itself from or
                      exist independently of its 'NOT-I'.


          THEOREMS OF ENOCHIAN PHYSICS.

                  1.  Every person is an 'I-NOT-I' monad.

                  2.  Every point in space is a consciousness center.

                  3.  Energy flows from one cosmic plane or sub-plane to an
                      adjacent cosmic plane or sub-plane through Laya centers,
                      dimensionless points of space which serve as channels for
                      the flow of energies and forces.

                          4.Spirit isunmanifested energy.Matter ismanifested    
              energy.

                  5.  Every manifestation within space and time is dualistic.

                  6.  Space, time, and consciousness come into existance
                      simultaneously.

                  7.  Every energy field and every force in our universe is
                      directed by the True Will.




          THE FORCES OF MAGICK.

                          There aresix Magickal forcesthat aremanifested inexis-
          tance.  These six forces, by  necessity, manifest in  dual triads, the
          upper, and the lower.


          THE UPPER TRIAD;

                          1.Divine Force. This is said to be the "Supreme Force"
          relative to our universe.  This so-called 'Supreme Force' is  known as
          'The TRUE WILL'. It is the 'Divine' driving force of Hadit.

                          2.CreativeForce.TheKundaliniofEasternthought,manifest-
          ing, below the Abyss, as electromagnetic energy.

                          3.Thought Force.This isthe occultforce thatoften takes
          the form  of projection, and continually  projects fundamental subjec-
          tive ideas of the 'I' outward into the 'NOT-I'.



                                                                            1237

          THE LOWER TRIAD;

                          1.MindForce.Thisforceshouldproperlybecalled 'Intellec-
          tual', and would be attributed  to Mercury. This is the  reasoning and
          logical powers of the intelligent entity. This force also includes all
          of the senses.

                          2.Will Force.Thisis thelowermanifestation ofthe'Divine
          Force'.  This force is what  drives us in a physical sense, it  is our
          outer needs  and desires.  It is  what most  'men'  perceive as  their
          'will',  however it  is  frequently the  opposite  side of  the  'Will
          Duality'.

                          3.Word Force.Wordsand Letters,speechand physicalaction
          make up this aspect of the magickal forces. It is the power  of sound,
          which has  long been  known in  the west.  God is  said  to create  by
          uttering His Word. Consider this; some politicians are virtual masters
          of this magickal force.


                          As can beseen thereis little realdifference betweenthe
          Enochian view of man and that  of the Thelemic Magician, with the main
          differences being that of  nomenclature. It can also be seen  that the
          six 'magical forces' generally correspond to the five divisions of man
          as set forth by Crowley, with the exception of the sixth 'force'. This
          extra point is comprised of  the actions performed by the  first five.
          If we think of man as a hexagram, instead of a  pentagram, we have the
          four elements, spirit, and motion.

                          The elementsand spiritmakeup theessential man,but heis
          still  static. With  the addition  of the  sixth, he  becomes dynamic,
          capable of experience. It is then this 'man' that has the 'essences of
          man', for until he becomes dynamic by virtue of his  motion, and gains
          in experience, he is incapable of attainment.

                          As wasstatedabove, Man'saspirationis toahigher placein
          the hierarchy  of the universe. Here then are the Laws of Hierarchies,
          they  will  show,  though  perhaps not  directly,  how  this ascension
          (attainment) is made possible.

          HIERARCHIES

                          LawofHierarchies. Fromthe highestrealmsof spiritto the
          lowest levels of  matter, everything in between is composed  of a host
          of gods, monads or life atoms arranged in a myriad of hierarchies.

                  The following rules apply:

                          1.All aggregatesare composedof hierarchies.All things,
          save Hadit, are aggregates.  We see in our world  complete structures,
          which are composed  of molecules, atoms,  and sub-atomic particles  in
          one direction.  And planets, solar  systems, and galaxies  in another.
          Thus  science has  enabled us  to see,  on a  mundane level,  that our
          physical  universe is composed of  some basic hierarchies. Though from
          rules 3 and 4 we see that these hierarchies continue unto infinity.



                                                                            1238

                          2.Foreveryhierarchy thereisagoverningruler orhierarch.
          On our personal  level we have that which  is referred to as  our Holy
          Guardian  Angel.  Aswe descend to the  atomic level, we have the >nuc-
          leus< of the atom. Each component  of that atom has, in turn,  its own
          hierarch.  In our worldly governments  we see examples  of these hier-
          archs; mayors, governors, presidents, etc. And we can begin to see our
          place  in the physical manifestation of these hierarchies. We are also
          members of hierarchies  on less physical, or spiritual  levels, though
          little is known of these.

                          3.Hierarchiesdescendinfinitelyintomatter.Again,fromour
          'middle world, we see  the manifestation of yet smaller  structures or
          hierarchies, which  descend to the smallest particles which science is
          able to see or theorize.

                          4.Hierarchiesascendinfinitelyinto spirit.Ontheselevels
          little  is  known, science  has or  can not  enter  into the  realm of
          spirit.  We do know,  however, that our  own personal  hierarch is our
          H.G.A., and  that logically we  are but a  component part of  some yet
          higher structure or hierarchy.

                          5.The universehas ahierarchicalstructure, interlinking
          groups of entities living and working together. If we look sky-ward we
          can begin to see something of this structure on a  physical level. Out
          stellar  universe is made up of planets, solar systems, stellar clust-
          ers, galaxies,  and on and  on. While  earth is not  yet working  with
          other groups of entities on a stellar level (as
          far as we  are allowed to know),  it is clear  that we must share  the
          same  stellar environment with  others. We can,  however, observe this
          'working together' here on planet earth. We can see the governments of
          cities, counties,  states, and countries  working toward what  is per-
          ceived as the common good (at least in most cases).

                          6.Hierarchies areborn,evolve, anddie.The bestexampleof
          this,  I think, is  ourselves. We are  born into this  world, grow and
          experience  (evolve) over some period of time  then die, this is all a
          part of what we call 'life'.  Other examples  of this rule may be seen
          in  various extinct forms of  animal life, which  came into existance,
          evolved  over time,  then died out.  We can  also see  examples on the
          stellar  level, stars which are  born from collections  of gases, grow
          and evolve into fiery furnaces, then die out.

                          7.Worlds arecreatedby hierarchiesof cosmicbuilders and
          architects acting together.

                          8. Everyworld containshierarchies of recorderswho con-
          stitute the forces of karmic history.

                          9. Thecosmic elementsand planesarecomposed ofcountless
          hosts of evolving hierarchies.

                          Theselast tworules are forthe mostpart redundant(see 3
          and 4  above); they serve to  stress the fact that  hierarchies do, in
          fact, extend infinitely in all directions.

                          10. Every hierarchyis composedof a hostof smallerhier-
          archies.  

                  11. Every hierarchy is a component part of a larger hierarchy.



                                                                            1239

                          Thuswehave theEnochianview onthe nature,place,and path
          of Man.  To better understand this mystery of the true meaning of A.`.
          A.'. and this nature of man we may now look at some of the Temurahs of
          the number 451.

                          These are;451, 415,541, 514,145, and154. Weshall start
          with the least of these.

                          The number 145; InSepher Sephiroth it is definedas the
          numerical value of the 13 paths of the Beard of Microprosopus.

                          Thenumber 154;Againfrom SepherSephiroth;it is'Elohimof
          Loves', and we are referred to the number 149. The reference in 149 is
          to 'The living GODS'.

                          Inthese two numbers we have references to Man and this
          'Starry' nature. Though  in the number 149 it is  perhaps more direct.
          'The living GODS', indeed, the most tangible link  between man and GOD
          is this 'Starry' essence. Both Man and ANY GOD that one cares to think
          of are at the  core one and the same, that is to  say, that we are all
          made of the  same stuff, we are all MONADS at some level of evolution.
          But, on we go.

                          Thenumber415;Still againfromSepherSephiroth. Thenumber
          is that of the Voice of the Chief Seer and also 'The Holy One'.

                          Stillagainsubtle referencestothis 'Star'naturewhich we
          have already examined.

                          The number 514and 541. Hereare references thatare abit
          more obscure. 514 gives  reference to 'KABBALA DENUDATA', a  reference
          that unfortunately  I will have to pass on due to a mis-fortune beyond
          my control.   The number 541  refers to 'Israel',  which at first  may
          seem strange, but, historically Israel is/are 'Gods' chosen people. We
          may take this to mean 'Free Man' in  the Thelemic sense. The number is
          thus  indicating Man, or  rather those Men  that have risen  above the
          slavery of the old aeon  and have begun to ascend/aspire  to Yetzirah.
          Those Men who have realized some small part of their true essence.

                  So then! Just what he hell is the true meaning of the initials
          A.`. A.'.  and the number 451? It  is no more and  surely no less than
          the MONAD! Though others may use different words and different systems
          to explain this, their meaning will of necessity be the same.



                                                                            1240

                                  CHAOS vs THELEMA ? 
                                 Alistair Livingstone

     Inspired, no doubt foolishly, by a new moon and the
     Cramps`"Psychedelic Jungle", I have decided to enter the
     Thelema vs Chaos debate. This is of course an impossible task, which
     is no doubt why it appeals to me.

     Firstly, what is it that distinguishes Thelma from Chaos? In
     Starfire, Mick Staley attempts to distinguish Thelema from
     Crowleyanity. Thelema he suggested pre-existed Crowley`s formulation
     of it. This immediately causes problems, since for the majority of
     magicians, Crowley = Thelema. But if it can be accepted that there
     is a something which exists independently of Crowley`s writings,
     then it must be this something (Thelema) which is to be contrasted
     with Chaos Magick. The core of this something, I suggest, is the
     Will. Is this idea of the Will in any way opposed to Chaos?

     What is Chaos then?
     For the purposes of this argument I will interpret Chaos as follows:
     that the familiar world of everyday experience has its roots in
     Chaos. So that any attempt to understand the world via reason
     reaches a boundary, on the other side of which lies Chaos, a state
     of existence/non-existence which cannot be understood by the
     rational ego. However, through the techniques of ritual, that state
     can be manifest in the everyday world, suspending the accepted
     "laws" of common sense and allowing magick to occur. Furthermore,
     perhaps as a result of the practice Chaos magick, the idea of Chaos
     is slowly entering the popular imagination via science. This refutes
     classical science, which is based on the belief that if the
     structure of the physical world could be sufficiently precisely
     modelled in a mathematical form, it would be possible to predict the
     future state of various systems (wheather, for example) which make
     up the physical world.

     However, it is now grudgingly admitted that this would require a
     precision of measurement which it is impossible to achieve.
     Engineers have long since had to accept this uncertainty - that all
     measurement is limited by the accuracy of the measuring device.
     Absolute precision is an impossible goal. There is always a degree
     of uncertainty, an instability, and by focusing the Will upon this
     either/or region, the magician can exert an influence upon the world
     at this level, which when it occurs, can produce the Willed outcome.

     To the extent that Chaos is a form of magick, ie. it seeks to exert
     an influence upon the world of erveryday consciousness, it must
     involve the Will. Otherwise it would be closer to a form of
     mysticism, that is the attempt to "go with the flow" of the
     experienced world without seeking to influence the direction of that
     flow. In this form, Chaos is closer to a "higher form of order",
     that is that the apparent random or chance events of one`s
     experience of existence are in fact the result of some greater
     existence than that of the individual. And that by disengaging the
     desires of the ego-self, one can experience this greater existence,
     interpreting the obstacles and blows of everyday existence as a
     stimulus to the development of a "Stoic" consciousness, which will
     enable the self to eventually swimm freely as a fish in the river of
     the Tao, or Chaos.



                                                                            1241


     The idea which this is based on tends to be that of the hermit, the
     forest sage of Hinduism, the solitary adept of High Magick. No doubt
     if it was possible in this present age, one could experience such an
     existence if one could remove the self from the rest of human
     existence. But such a model is no longer valid, since the growth of
     human consciousness is such that there is no virgin wilderness left
     in which to undertake such a quest. We are forced to contend with
     the results of the human desire for knowledge, power, control and
     security.

     This is perhaps the crucial difference between Chaos magick and
     Thelema. Thelema, as developed by Crowley into a form suitable for
     the 20th century, contains a whole heritage of experience and
     practice which reaches back through the Golden Dawn through
     hermeticism to Egypt and Sumeria, which in turn drew on the beliefs
     of our nameless ancestors who struggled to create models of the
     world, cosmologies and creation myths within which to make sense of
     their being in the world.

     Crowley`s task, as had been of Mathers and Eliphas Levi before him,
     was to synthesize this vast body of conscious/unconscious knowledge
     and represent it in a way understandable by at least a few of his
     contemporaries. Partly it is a question of language. Unfortunately
     the language of magick was limited by the dominance of
     Judeao-Christianity on the one hand and Reason on the other. Our
     everyday language derives from our perception of a world made up of
     distinguishable objects, and on the faculty of sight primarily. But
     as soon as we move into the more subjective sphere of magick,
     problems arise. To what extent do we share the same magickal reality
     and use words such as "the Will" in the same way? The problem is not
     confined to magick. For a time I worked in quality control at London
     Rubber. Periodically I had to compare my work with others to make
     sure we were all applying the same so that I was not rejecting
     condoms that another person was passing. In science the theory is
     that one person`s work is critically examined by their peer group.
     The difficulty is that as soon as creativity enters the picture, it
     will tend to disrupt this process. The test of any form of magick
     should be "does it work?". But how can that be judged, since the
     results of a ritual may not become apparent for some time. In the
     early eighties, much work was done to halt the expansion of nuclear
     weaponry. But it is only now, as profound changes occur in Eastern
     Europe, that this can be judged a success. And the changes may yet
     be lost by a failure of imagination and the difficulty of
     challenging the parasitic military-industrial complexes of both East
     and West.

     Thelema may be saddled with the archaic terminology inherited via
     Crowley from the Golden Dawn, but at its heart lies a crucial
     bullshit detector. I have found that the question "what is your
     Will?" directed at any group or individual who claims to be desiring
     change is a very effective challenge. What is unsettling, however,
     is the discovery that in most cases it evokes only silence, or at
     best a string of evasions.



                                                                            1242


     This I feel is the most damaging criticism of Thelema, that it has
     failed to cross over from magick into the diverse pool of
     "alternative" beliefs which seek to reshape society. This is hardly
     a question of mere academic interest, as Green issues emerge and
     look set to dominate the next decade, the "spiritual", that is
     neo-pagan, belief structures which infest Green consciousness are
     also going to exert a growing influence. We may yet discover that
     the future, as the Dead Kennedy predicted, will be "California šber
     Alles".

     Can Chaos magick then succeed where Thelema has not (yet)? I doubt
     it, since the reaction to both by the average alternative type (let
     alone Joe Normal) is that it is "too dark". The very word "Chaos"
     tends to get tagged with "anarchy" and evoke nightmare visions of
     mad-axemen running wild in the street. Of course, for some this may
     be its very appeal, anything so bad must be good...

     No, somehow we have to achieve the Sysphean task of applying the
     notion of Will like Occam`s razor to the fast mulitiplying dualistic
     entities of New Age (un)awareness. In practical terms I understand
     this to mean directing our Wills at and with the growing Green
     movement, so that rather than disappearing into a fog of "good
     intentions", it becomes a real and willed critique of consumer
     culture. Just as Marxism failed to achieve its desires, since the
     working class had already been "mobilizised" by the capitalists, so
     magick fails since the energies of the mass unconscious have already
     been tapped by advertising, via the mass media.

     The energy tending towards change of consciousness (evolution) has
     been subverted by consumer culture into the desire to possess an
     unending stream of glass beads and cheap cottons, or in our case,
     microwave ovens and mink belly-button brushes. The whole thrust of
     advertising is to bypass our logic circuits and touch directly our
     desire for status and security. We don`t just buy the product, we
     buy the dream, maya the illusion of success. It is, however much we
     may protest, a form of magick. I may be an impoverished squatter in
     a third world shanty town, but if I can buy a bottle of Coke, I
     believe I possess the whole dream of the richest American
     millionaire. I may be a Trabant owning East German, but by crossing
     the (former) abyss of the Wall I become a potential Porsche
     possessor.

     But if you look at those already possess such dreams, what do you
     find? That it is, as in California, these same people who turn to
     the most ridiculous New Age bullshit in order to satisfy their
     craving for something more, for something to fill up the endless
     aching void they feel scratching and gnawing like some Charles
     Manson nightmare outside the walls of their Beverly Hills mansions.

     But of course, the last thing they want to hear is "the truth".
     Better to create a multi-billion dollar New Age industry than accept
     that within the richest mansions lies the reality of Chaos, of that
     Void which spins around itself the veils of maya, the dance of
     illusion, in which one is equally a starving beggar and a voluptuous
     moviestar. "What is your Will?".



                                                                            1243


     Of course I am somewhat prejudiced for all I used to sing along with
     Bowie on Ziggy Stardust (I could make it all worthwhile as a rock n
     roll star) I chose magick as a path. Through experiences both
     beautiful and terrifying I have come to understand the human
     condition as but one aspect of a continuum of consciousness. For me,
     the whole universe is a living entity which I interact with in the
     fleeting streams of energies which inspire my awareness. Both
     rationally and poetically I perceive my brain, my body as part of
     the very substance of the universe and not distinguishable from it
     (ie NUIT). For me, the human condition is part tragedy, part farce.
     We are semi-intelligent apes who have been driven by fleeting
     glimpses of what might be, to create this world, our reality. But in
     our ignorance, we mistake the glimpse for the whole, the ego for the
     self. We strive for "order" and create a chaos, and then recognize
     in chaos a "higher form of order".

     "Knowledge is power, power is control, control is security". Oh
     yeah? But knowledge is also pleasure, a pleasure more intense than
     any created by security. Security is sterility, sterility is death.
     We pay lip service to evolution, but cannot accept that evolution
     implies change, and change denise security. What do we will?

     If our will is security, stability, then that we shall have, as so
     many fossils. To embrace Chaos (Thelema) is to renounce such false
     gods and accept that our actions as magicians will change not only
     ourselves, but our world. Insofar as both Chaos and Thelema are
     valid paths, thus far will they change us. To cling to an
     identity, however pleasing or fulfilling, is a denial of magick.
     Magick is about change, the only constant factor in the unfolding of
     the implicate order/chaos of the universe.

     Along with Thelema and Chaos, I also practise the magick of Maat. To
     the Egyptians Maat was the "right order of the universe". The
     contrast is between the familiar Hindu concept of "karma", which
     deals with our human existence and the less familiar concept of
     "rta" which deals with our aspects as forms of (universal)
     consciousness.

     Magick diverged from science some 300 years ago. Science sought to
     discover "the hand of god" in the natural world; magick sought to
     become the equal of the gods. Now we witness the overlapping of
     these paths. We are no longer the creations of some distant god, but
     the natural products of the universe. We have "evolved" out of a
     handful of organic chemicals. Now we have the ability, through the
     replication of DNA to evolve ourselves. We have, literally, the
     powers of a god. What we lack, and what magick must seek to provide,
     is the intelligence to use (or refuse) such power. The way to
     achieve this is to ask the question: "what is our will?" Are our
     genes our motivating force, or is there something else which I call
     "consciousness"? This consciousness I hold to be implicit in the
     structure of the universe, and has been revealed as such by quantum
     physics, however difficult such a realisation may be for us. It may
     be unprovable/undeniable, and therefore unscientific, but I suggest
     that our so-called consciousness is a quantum phenomena.



                                                                            1244


     This is what Crowley experienced as the interplay of Nuit and Hadit
     in the Book of the Law. It is also the root of Chaos. So that
     Thelema and Chaos are but different aspects of a single (multiple)
     experience, expressed in languages appropriate to their different
     times and ambiences.

     Alone I cannot fully express the complexity of these possibilities,
     and yet we must each try to do so. Only by placing them at the heart
     of our experience of being in the world, can we hope to create a
     society which will survive rather than perish under its unconscious
     contradictions. As yet we are but "naked apes", but we are apes with
     sufficiently complex brains to at least glimpse the possibility of
     being more than we are and become "homo veritas", that is truly
     human at last.

     As we are, we cannot fully know this to be true, only with our
     imagination can we glimpse the potential implied. It is my Will to
     bring this about, this is why I write these words, that they have
     touch and stimulate whoever may read them. So mote it be.

     On rereading the above, I feel the need to expand the argument
     somewhat. Having bashed my way through an anthropological essay on
     nationality and the state, it struck me that recent events in
     Eastern Eurpe have many consequences. The whole point of the "iron
     curtain", was to allow East to develop its alternative economic
     system, as spelt out by Marx. What is happening now is the
     incorporation of that economic system into a global economy, which
     implies the failure of Marxism. This failure leaves a power vacuum.
     The majority of critiques of the Western power structure have come
     from Marxism. But if it is now seen to have failed, the possibility
     exists for a more powerful critique to arise.

     Where will we find this critique - in magick. Of course this
     requires magicians to adopt a more rigorous intellectual approach to
     their beliefs, but surely that is what Chaos/Thelema argument is
     about, with each side arguing that the other is deceiving itself as
     regards the "true" form of magick. What I am suggesting is that
     magicians start to take magic seriously as "energy directed (willed)
     towards change". Rather than as an escapist belief system parasitic
     upon the economic success of capitalism. To practise magick we must
     surely believe that we inhabit a magical, rather than a strictly
     economic universe. How much more effective would our magick be then
     if we could replace the belief system of economic society with that
     of a society rooted in a magickal conception of reality.

     Such is the apple with which I tempt you - do you dare taste the
     forbidden fruit ?

     Alistair Livingston

     ----
     I do know him personally and am glad to meet him again in summer.
     A. Livingstone is a pseudonym of Ramsey Dukes (which is a pseudonym
     too :-)). He is member of the OTO and made a lot of Chaos working &
     theory. He wrote some very genuine books about magic (Liber SGDSMEE,
     Thunderqueak), is now concerned with KI (Words Made Flesh).
     You can contact him via:
     T.M.T.S., Wharf Mill, Winchester, Hants, SO23 9NJ, England
     With fractalic greetings and laughter  * Fra.: Apfelmann *



                                                                            1245

             Notes on the role of the historical Egregore in modern Magic 
                                    by Fra.: U.D. 
      
     It is quite easy to poke fun at the historical claims of most 
     magical and mystical orders,  especially when they purport to  have derived
     from "very  ancient", possible even  "Atlantean" or,  to top it  all, "pre-
     Atlantean"  brotherhoods  for  whose  existence even  the  most  sypathetic
     historical scholar  worth his name would  be very hard pressed  to find any
     significant proof.  Actually,  it  is rather  a  cheap joke  to  cite,  for
     example, AMORC`s  claims that even good  old Socrates or Ramses  II (of all
     people!) were "Rosicrucians". However, the trouble only  starts when adepts
     mistake  these  contentions for  _literal_  truths.  "Literal", of  course,
     derives from  literacy and the  letters of the  alphabet. And,  as Marshall
     MacLuhan has justly  in his "Understanding Media" and  perhaps even more so
     in  "The Gutenberg Galaxy", western civilisation has a very strong tendency
     towards _linear_ thinking, very  probably due to -  at least in part -  the
     linear  or non-pictographic nature of  our alphabet. The  very structure of
     this alphabet informs  us at quite a tender age to think in terms of linear
     logics such as  cause and effect,  or, more intersetingly  in our  context,
     PAST-PRESENT-FUTURE.   This  is not  at all a  "natural necessity"  as most
     people are wont to  think, for the ideographic or  pictographic "alphabets"
     as used for example in ancient Egypt or even modern China and Japan tend to
     bias the correspondingly acculturalised mind towards what MacLuhan terms 
     "iconic  thinking" -  a  perception of  holistic  factors rather  than  the
     systematisation  into  seperate   (preferably  indivisible)  single  units.
     Western  thought has  formulated  this problem  as  the dichtonomy  of  the
     _analytic_ and the _synthetic_  approach. But it is perhaps  no coincidence
     that our contemporary  culture tends to associate  "synthetic" with "artif-
     icial" , vide modern chemistry. 
      
     Now magical  and mystical thinking  is quite different;  in fact it  is not
     half as interested in causality as is linear thought. Rather, it strives to
     give  us an  overalll,  holistic view  of  processes within  our  perceived
     space-time  continuum; an overall view which includes the psychology of the
     observer to  a far stronger degree  than even modern physics  seems to have
     achieved  in spite  of Heisenberg`s  uncertainity principle  and Einstein`s
     earlier theory of relativity.  In other words, mythological thinking is not
     so much about literal  ("alphabetic"?) truth but rather about the "feel" of
     things. For example, a shaman may claim that the current rain is due to the
     rain goddess weeping because of some sad event. He might predict that her 
     phase  of mourning will be over in two  days` time and that the deluge will
     then end. A Western meteorologist might possibly come to similar prognoses,
     but he will of course indignantly deny using any  of "this mystic stuff" in
     the process.  His rain godess takes  the form of barometric  pressure, wind
     velocity and direction, air humidity and the like - but who is to say which
     view is the  "truer" one, as long as abstract  and mystic predictions prove
     to be accurate? From an unbiased standpoint, the modern demons "barometric 
     pressure", "wind  velocity" and  factors  of a  similar  like are  just  as
     abstract  and mythic as the shaman`s hypothetical rain goddess - especially
     so for us laymen who religiously follow the daily indoctrination via the TV
     weather forecasts and  satellite photograph  divination: all we  can do  is
     _believe_ in what the  expert tells us  is the truth.  The non-shaman in  a
     shamanic society shares a very  similar fate when he has to  believe simply
     that the rain goddess wants to be comforted say, by  a substantial donation
     of meat or tobacco in the course of a fully fledged tribal ritual. 



                                                                            1246

      
     There _is_ an important difference however. If we accept  the model (stron-
     gly  propagated by  A.O. Spare,  who was,  of course,  in his  very special
     manner,  quite an orthodox Freudian) of magic primarily taking place within
     the subconscious (Freud) or, less ambiguous, the unconscious (Jung); and if
     we  furthermore agree that said unconscious is  not only the source of per-
     sonal magical energy (mana, or, as I prefer to term it,  _magis_) but tends
     to  think and act in  symbols and images,  we might come  to the conclusion
     that  our  shaman`s explanation  may  perhaps  not  be  scientiffical  more
     satisfying in Western  terms, but it is surely more in  accord with the way
     our  unconscious tends to  perceive reality. In  that sense it  is not only
     more "natural" but,  one suspects, even  downright _healthier_ for  psychic
     hygiene. It  is, so to  speak, more "ecological  and holistic" in  terms of
     psychic structure.  

     As an aside I might mention that it is the better explanation for practical
     magical reasons  as well. For at  least rain goddesses can  be cajoled into
     happiness by magical technique, ritual trance and the  like until they stop
     weeping, a task a meteorologist will hardly be able to imitate. (Actually I
     have preferred the magic  of rain prevention to the  more classical example
     of  rain making because it  is far more  relevant to our  own geography and
     experience). 
      
     In recent years Rupert Sheldrake`s theory of morphogentic fields has raised
     quite  a hue  and  cry, not  only  within the  confines  of the  scientific
     community but strangely  enough among  occultists too. I  find this  latter
     reaction quite astonishing, because  a lot of what Mr.  Sheldrake basically
     claims is nothing more than the old, not to say ancient, tenet  of philoso-
     phical idealism:  namely that there is  what in both German  and English is
     called "Zeitgeist",  a form of unique time-cum-thought  quality, leading to
     surprisingly  similar  albeit  completely independent  models  of  thought,
     technical inventions, political truths  and so on. One would  rather expect
     the people to be profoundly intrigued to be among materialist/positivist 
     biologists  or  physicist rather  that occultists  who  have traded  in the
     Zeitgeist  principle ever since occult  thought proper as  we understand it
     arose  in the Renaissance. From a pragmatic  point of view Mr. Sheldrake is
     behaving very  much like  our meteorologist, replacing  mythic explanations
     with crypto-mythic "scientific" factors. Unfortunately, most scientific 
     scholars tend to  fear a  devaluation of scientific  termini tecnici;  once
     they  are mentioned in the  wrong "context" (almost  invariably meaning: by
     "wrong" people) they are readily labelled as "non-" or "pseudo-" scientific
     -  which is,  after  all, precisely  what  happened to  poor  Mr. Sheldrake
     amongst his peers in spite of all his academic qualifications. This example
     goes to  show how very  much estranged  occultists can be  from their  oown
     sources even when working with them daily. 
      
     Reality too  is always the reality  of its description: we  are marking our
     pasts, presents and futures  as we go along -  and we are doing it  all the
     time,  whether we are conscious of  the fact or not, whether  we like it or
     not, we are  constantly reinventing our personal  and collective space-time
     continuum. 



                                                                            1247

      
     Space seems  rather solid and unbudging;  even magic can do  very little it
     seems  to overcome  its buttresses  of solidity  and apparent  inertia, oc-
     casional  exceptions included.  (May it be  noted that I  include matter in
     this space paradigm, because  solid matter is usually  defined by the  very
     same factors as is space - namely width, length and height.)   Time, on the
     other  hand, is much more volatile and abstract, so much so in fact that it
     is  widely considered to be basically an illusion, even among non-occultist
     laymen. And  indeed in his  famous novel "1984"  George Orwell has  beauti-
     fully, albeit perhaps unwillingly, illustrated  that history is very little
     more than  purely the _description of history_. (Which  is why it has to be
     rewritten  so  often. It  seems  that mankind  is  not very  happy  with an
     "objective  past" and prefers to dabble  in "correcting" it over and again.
     This is quite an important point I shall refer to again later on.)  History
     is,  after  all, the  defining  of our  past  own roots  and  our _present_
     position within our  linear space-time  continuum in relation  to past  and
     future. Very  often, unfortunately,  the description and  interpretation of
     history seem little more pathetic endeavour to obtain at least a minimum of
     objectivity  in a basically chaotic universe. The expression "ordo ab chao"
     is  more or less  a summary of  Western thought and  Weltanschauung, of the
     issues straining and stressing the Western mind since ancient Greece. Chaos
     is considered "evil", order on  the other hand is "good" -  then the polit-
     ical  philosophy, if  you care  to dignify it  by this  terms, of  "law and
     order", appeals  to people`s deeply  rooted fears of loss  of stability and
     calculability. ("Anarchy"  is another widely misunderstood  case in point.)
     The  ontological fact  that everything  is transitory  has never  been par-
     ticular well-received in Western philosophy and theology.

     Now before you get the impression that I am only trying to impose a typical
     exercise  in heavyhanded  Teutonic style  philosophical rambling  upon your
     overbusy reading mind, let me hasten to point out that if past, present and
     future are, at  least in principle, totally subjective, we as magicians are
     locally perfectly free to do what we like with them. For the magician is a)
     the supreme creator of his own universe and b) the master of Illusion (ref.
     the  Tarot card "The Magician/Juggler"). This freedom of historical choice,
     however,  is  seldom realised  let alone  actively  applied by  the average
     magician.  Maybe one of the reasons for this has to do with the somewhat
     pathetic  fact that most  of us tend  to live our  lives in a  more or less
     manner,  being mild  eccentrics at best,  distinctly avoiding  becoming too
     much over  the top. There are  a number of possible  explanations for this,
     ranging from  "every magician is just another  guy/gal like me" to "preven-
     tion  of insanity". As we deal all  the time with insanity - i.e. extremely
     unorthodox  states of  consciousness by  bourgeois standarts,  we magicians
     prefer some  stability in our everyday  lives and makeups, but  this is not
     really our topic.

     Rather than delve into  social normality of  the average magician I  should
     like to investigate the many bogus claims to  antiquity as put forward by a
     multiple  of magical  and mystical  orders from  this point  of  view. Such
     orders  range  from  Freemasonry,  Rosicrucianism  and  Theosophy  to  such
     venerable  institutions as  the O.T.O.,  the Golden  Dawn and  many others.
     Their historical claims are usually quite stereotyped: the spectrum covered
     includes Atlantis, Lemuria,  Mu, Solomon, Moses, Dr. Faustus,  St. Germain,
     the  Gnostics, the  Knight Templar,the  Cathars, the  Illuminati,  the Holy
     Grail myth, prehistoric witchcraft, matriarchy, shamanism etc.



                                                                            1248


     Now it is quite common for  shamans, to cite one example, to claim  that in
     the  good old days  (usually, of course,  dating back to  a non-calibrated,
     non-defined time  immemorial) things used to  be much, much  better. One of
     the more profane reasons  for this contention may be the fact  that most of
     these shamans have  already achieved quite a venerable age  in their trade;
     and don`t we all know the  typical attitude of old crones towards modernity
     ? It may not sound particular spiritual or holy but maybe all we are seeing
     here is the primitive`s parallel to the "Now when I was in Poona with Royal
     Indian Army,  young lad..."  reported occasionally to  be heard in  some of
     today`s pubs.

     But there  is more to  it, I  think. By calling  up "bogus"  ancestors from
     Moses  via Solomon to  Dr. Faustus and  St. Germain, the  magician not only
     reinvents his  own history, he also  is summoning up the  egregore of these
     "entities" (along with all their powers and inhibitions of course) - or, to
     put  into Mr. Sheldrake`s  terminology, their morphic  fields. By violating
     all  the painstakeing  endeavours of  the meticulous  historian,  by simply
     ignoring a number of tedious and possibly contradictory facts and questions
     (such as  whether Moses and  Solomon have ever  _really_ been sorcerers  of
     some standing  in their own time)  the magician becomes God  in the fullest
     sense of  the expression: not only  does he choose his  relatives in spirit
     quite arbitrarily,  he  even claims  the  right to  do  what not  even  the
     judaeo-christian  god  of the  old testament  is  ever described  as doing,
     namely changing "objective past" at will.

     This type of creative  historicism appeals, so it  seems, very strongly  to
     the unconscious mind, supplying it with a great deal of ideological back-up
     information,  thus reducing  its conscious-mind-imposed  limits  of "objec-
     tivity" to at  least some modicum  of superficial probability.  It is  only
     when  the occultist  mixes up  the different planes  of reference,  when he
     purports  to  speak  of "objective  linear  truth",  instead  of mythic  or
     symbological, decidedly non-linear truth,  that serious problems arise.This
     should be avoided at all costs in order not to strain our psychic set-up by
     contradictory evidence, which can easily result in an unwilled-for neutral-
     isation of all magic powers.

     But this, of course, is the same problem as with  occult scientism.  "Rays"
     are quite a  convincing hypothesis  to base telepathic  experiments on,  as
     long as you don`t try to overdefine said rays by epitheta such as "electro-
     magnetic" or  the like.  For if you  do, you  become the  victim of  scien-
     tists`zealous  inquisition boards. Or, as Oscar Wilde might have put it, it
     is not truth which liberates man`s mind but lying. (Which, again, is one of
     the reasons  why Aleister  Crowley entitled  his magnum  opus "The  Book of
     Lies" in the first place...)



                                                                            1249


     Let us  then resort to  _creative historicism_ whenever we  find it useful.
     Let us not have "historical objectivity" dictated to us by  the powers that
     be. Let us  accept our fuzziness of expression which  is, after all, little
     more than  a honest acknowledgement of the fact that symbols and images are
     always more  than just a little  ambiguous, as our dreams  well prove every
     night. As  in divination, it does  not pay to become  overprecise in magic:
     the more you try to define  a spell, the higher probability of failure.  It
     is quite easy to charge a working talisman quite generally "for wealth"; it
     is quite another  to charge it to "obtain the sum  of $347.67 on March 13th
     at  4.06 p.m. in  93, Jermyn Street,  3rd floor" and  still expect success.
     While the latter may strangely enough succeed occasionally, this is usually
     only  the freak exception of the rule. However, by systematically rewriting
     our past in  fuzzy terms, possibly eventing past  lives and biographies for
     ourselves consciously or arbitrarily, we are fulfilling the final demand of
     Granddaddy  Lucifer`s "non serviam". Let nobody impose  his or her time and
     history parameters on you!

     And for practical  exercise, allow your  clock occasionally to  be well  in
     advance  of your  contemporaries`; let  it sometimes lay  behind for  a few
     hours _and_ minutes (do not just change the hour hand as this would make it
     easy to recalculate into demiurge`s "real" space-time continuum, making you
     yet  again  its slave!)  Do  this to  learn about  your  former ill-advised
     humility  towards  the  current time  paradigm  -  and  about the  illusory
     character of time and its measurement in general. Rewrite your personal and
     family history daily, invent your own kin and ancestors. "Problems with Mom
     and Dad? Pick  a new  couple!" Experiment with  retroactive spells, try  to
     heal your  friend`s flu  before he even  contracted it.  But do  this in  a
     playful spirit lest your censor  should whack you for your constant  viola-
     tions of the rules of this game by again confusing the frames of reference.
     Jump from one  parallel universe to the next one,  never permit yourself to
     stand still and become enmeshed by Maya`s  veil (you are supposed to be the
     _Master_ of illusion,  remember?). And  don`t panic: for  nothing is  true,
     everything is permitted.



                                                                            1250

                               The Nemesis Conjuration 
      
     In this ritual the Greek Goddess Nemesis, a deity of fate and 
     vengeance, is seen in the role  of being the complementary opposite of ones
     ego  referring to  the inner  self as  the centre  of  both personalitties.
     Habits and actions  taken against ones real desires create  the opposite to
     the same degree and thereby form  an anti-personality of ones ego, which in
     this case is identified with the principle of Nemesis. 
      
     Disturbances on the  plane of reality due  to actions against  ones subcon-
     scious  desires  can  be eliminated  by  ritual  union  with this  personal
     demon-sister/brother  and enable  one to  reach ones  inner self,  which is
     defined as the mean value of both the personalities. 
      
     The effect of this ritual, if performed correctly, would by 
     definition be fatal.  Therefore the  operation is strictly  limited to  the
     part of the psyche which the magician wishes to explore. 
     A sigil representing this portion of the psyche is forcibly 
     activated during the ritual in order that the magician may 
     seek answers to his problems within the chosen area in the 
     personality. No specific wishes or desires can be used for this 
     purpose, only general ones. This is a necessary restriction to 
     avoid being overwhelmed by any unpleasant effects. The magician 
     should be aware of this when constructing the sigil. 
      
     Nemesis Conjuration: 
     1.Banishing. 
     2.The ritual is performed sitting on the ground in the posture 
       of the Rune PERDRO. The head may rest on the lower part of the 
       arms, and the face should be covered by the cowl of the robe. 
     3.Statementof intent: IT IS MY WILL TO TAKE A STEP TOWARDS THE 
       CENTRE OF MY SELF BY UNION WITH MY OPPOSITE THROUGH THIS SIGIL! 
     4.The incantation is given while visualising a winged figure of 
       opposite sex who approaches the magician. The figure wears the 
       chosen sigil on his/her breast and is both beautiful and 
       terrifying at the same time. 
     5.Incantation: 
       Come to me oh Nemesis, mighty, terrifying and beloved sister. 
       Come to me oh Nemesis, you, who are the goddess of my god, 
                              you, who are the demon of my demon. 
       Come to me oh Nemesis, you, who are the demon of my god, 
                              you, who are the goddess of my demon. 
       Come to me oh Nemesis, you, who are part of me which I am not, 
                              you, who are the counterbalance on the 
                              scales of my fate. 
       Come to me oh Nemesis, you, whose wings carry us to our 
                              mutual central Kia. 
       Come to me oh Nemesis, you, who are my ultimate fear, 
                              you, who are my ultimate desire. 
                              you, with whom to unite is the sigh of 
                              ecstacy and the silence of death. 
       Come to me oh Nemesis, for you are my path and I am our aim 
                              I call upon you to meet me in this sigil. 
       Come to me oh Nemesis  and guide me through this sigil to our 
                              mutual central Kia ! 



                                                                            1251

      
       Start hyperventilation during the reading out of the incantation. 
       The visualised figure with the sigil coming closer and closer to 
       finally melt into your own body. When this point is reached 
       shout out: 
       ZodACAM VaPAAHe ANANAEL ZoDA Ah! 
       (I move the wings of the secret wisdom within me!) 
      
     6.Banishing and/or laughter. 
      
     With fractalic greetings and laughter  * Fra.: Apfelmann * 



                                                                            1252

                                         IDEOLOGY 
                                  0
             The human mind seeks to create order out of Chaos

          It  is in the nature of humanity to attempt to formulate laws from ex-
          perience  as a guide to  future action. Acting  as a feedback-response
          mechanism, the  mind considers the  results of previous  behaviour and
          creates laws of action in  an attempt to repeat past good  results and
          avoid  bad results. In the individual this is known as personality, in
          the communal world it is known as science.

                                  1
                     All scientific laws are false

          Science attempts to map the  universe as a result of  previous collec-
          tive  experience.  Since this  is limited  to  what has  actually been
          experienced so  far, it is always inadequate, and since it is not what
          has been experienced it  is always human-centred. It cannot  be objec-
          tive  because the object does not experience, only the subject, human-
          ity, experiences. Two approaches  have been used to tackle  this prob-
          lem.  The philosophy  of the  western world  posits that  an external,
          objective world interacts with  us through scientific experiment, thus
          science  creates  objectively  true  laws.  Other European  philosophy
          holds, correctly  in my view,  that talk  of an  objective reality  is
          beyond experience and is thus meaningless babble. Moreover, scientific
          experiment is no more objective than a childs attempt to walk. To Know
          is  not a high ideal, it is an  instinct born of our particular way of
          survival, and is thus survival-centred. Science is our Elephant Trunk,
          our Giraffe  Neck,  and since  it is  inherently inadequate,  it is  a
          belief system, a set of interconnected ideas-about-things. In terms of
          European, Post-Hegelian philosophy, it is an ideology.

                                  2
             All idealogies are subject to chaotic dissolution

          Every idealogy,  whether science,  Christianity or whatever,  seeks to
          and succeeds in creating a coherent view of reality that satisfies its
          believers. The problem is  that there is inevitably a gulf between the
          idealogy and reality. Ideologies are fixed; reality is fluid. Thus all
          ideologies are subject to readjustment when a new discovery challenges
          the  existing  view. The  rediscovery  of the  Greek  text of  the New
          Testament and the  discovery of  the non-existence of  the Ether  each
          corroded the existing ideologies of their day.

          The Christian  world responded with Reformation  and Counter-Reformat-
          ion. (Historical note: Counter-Reformation  was the Reformation of the
          Catholic Church rather than an attack on  the Protestant Reformation.)
          Science responded with Einsteinian  relativity. These new elements are
          Chaotic. The extent to  which the ideology can  reform depends on  how
          deep the Chaotic  element bites into the  ideological structure. Every
          ideology  has central tenets  upon which the rest  depend: so the dis-
          covery that Jesus was  actually stoned to death rather  than crucified
          would cause major rumblings;  the discovery that he was  a woman would
          cause  deeper  rumblings; but  the discovery  that  he was  a spaceman
          carrying out a  standard sociological experiment would  bring down the
          ideology entire.  Several ideologies have completely  collapsed in the
          past,  such as Ptolomaic astronomy, and it can happen again. Moreover,
          the spread of a unified ideology over the whole globe, Western  Democ-
          racy, leaves the way open to a bigger collapse than ever before.



                                                                            1253

                                  3
               There is no such thing as innate value

          All present Western ideologies depend upon a concept of innate
          worth, whereby certain things are automatically "better" than
          others. The White Race, Men, Adults, all have had their "innate"
          value knocked for six. Even the Animal Kingdom is no longer seen as
          of higher worth than the Vegetable as the spread of the Gaia
          hypothesis shows. This is the Chaotic element that can bring down a
          whole pack of cards. There is no ethical reference point, no
          beginning from which to derive an end to aim for, to praise, to work
          towards. As it says in Liber Al: "let there be no difference made
          between one thing and another". The result is a confusion of belief
          as people scramble to find a new ideology. Fundamentalists choose
          deliberate blindness and perverse stupidity. Thelemites choose "pure
          will, unassuaged of purpose". Chaoists worship the confusion itself
          as the only "true thing" left. Pagans begin to construct a new
          ideology based on the absence of heirarchy and turn to cyclical and
          egalitarian beliefs. That a new ideology, or many, will arise is
          inevitable; even the truth of Chaos is only true to us, in our
          experience. But so what. All things considered, I think that things
          are going pretty well.

          Further readings:
          Knowledge and Human Interest, J.Habermas, 1967
          Differance, translated as Language and Difference, Derrida, 1959
          Anything by Sir Karl Popper for the view from the opposition

          With fractalic greetings and laughter  * Fra.: Apfelmann *



                                                                            1254

                                   Thunder, Perfect Mind 
                                             
                                            or 
                                             
                        How did all these people get into my room? 
                                             
                                       Tony Iannotti

                  Thetext called _Thunder, PerfectMind_ is a composite document,
          composed  of three distinct types  of writing. These  types of writing
          can be compared to the Isis aretalogies, Hebrew wisdom literature, and
          Platonic  dialogue.{FN:1}  The composite nature of the text is clearer
          when  the  three  strands are  separated  and  reconstructed,  each by
          themselves. The three resultant texts can be found below.{FN:2}

                  If the document isto be considered agnostic document, adefini-
          tion of  gnostic must be  tendered first.  For now, the  definition of
          Theodotus  will be used,  that "what liberates us  is the knowledge of
          who we  were, what we  became; where we  were, whereunto we  have been
          thrown;  whereunto we speed, wherefrom we are redeemed; what birth is,
          and what rebirth."{FN:3}   The Thunder, Perfect Mind_ answers  some of
          these questions, but not others.

                The questions dealingwith self-knowledge aredealt with veryfully
          in the text. The tradition of Isis aretalogies is one of self-definit-
          ion, aretalogies being strings of  "I am" statements. The part  of the
          text like an Isis  aretalogy describes the speaker in  paradoxical but
          full detail. The very first section  of the aretalogy text answers the
          questions of  where the speaker comes from, where she has come to, and
          where she might be found.   There is a  slight deviation, in that  she
          has  actively come to "those who reflect" upon her, rather than "being
          thrown" to  them, but  the idea of  being removed from  one's original
          habitation  is there. In the sixth section  of this part she says that
          she is an alien, as well as a citizen.

                This bringsup the question ofwhat the point ofthe dichotomies in
          the aretalogy section is. They range from philosophical, political and
          social opposites to sexual and familial polarities. In each opposition
          of polarity, the speaker maintains that she encompasses both poles, or
          roles. She is "the whore and the  holy one."{FN:4}  She is "the barren
          one,  and  she whose  sons  are many."{FN:5}    She is  "Knowledge and
          ignorance."{FN:6}  And  she is "the  one whom they  call Law, and  you
          have called Lawlessness."{FN:7}

                  In the last dichotomy,  the difference may be ascribed  to the
          people who call her either Law or Lawlessness, either "they" or "you."
          Similar distinctions  are made  in other seemingly  paradoxical state-
          ments in terms of temporal placement. The tenses change, for instance,
          in  the fifth section in many statements, such as "I am the one who is
          hated everywhere, and  who has been loved everywhere.", "I  am the one
          whom  you have despised, and you  reflect upon me." and  "I am the one
          whom you have hidden from, and you appear to me."  These distinctions,
          either temporal or nominal, are subservient to the larger message that
          the speaker is a very diverse personality. They are also only possible
          to discern in a small percentage of the proffered paradoxes{FN:8}  The
          main attempt  is to define herself, not to set up distinctions in time
          or peoples. There is almost no cosmology or anthropology in this text,
          and  this is a  clue to  the nature  of the message  of the  text. The
          emphasis is  on the person, not the  cosmos; on the self,  and not the
          environment.



                                                                            1255


                  In thisaretalogy third ofthe text, therean attemptto transcend
          the intellect  through intellectual paradox. By  setting up identities
          between polar opposites the mind  is set in circles,  as it is by  the
          Zen _koans_, until it  is driven into the brick wall of impossibility.
          In the introduction  to his  translation of this  text, MacRae  states
          that  "...the  particular significance  of  the  self-proclamations of
          _Thunder, Perfect  Mind_ may  be found in  their antithetical  charac-
          ter."{FN:9}   One  might rather  say that  the significance  _must_ be
          found  in  their antithetical  character.  There  is no  other  common
          denominator.

                  The second type of writing seen in this text  is comparable to
          Hebrew  wisdom literature.  The excerpted  and reconnected  text is  a
          series of hortatory instructions  for those who would  be _gnostikoi_,
          in the form of very short injunctions to "Look upon me"{FN:10} , "Hear
          me"{FN:11} ,  "Do not  be arrogant  to me"{FN:12}  , etc.  The speaker
          exhorts the reader to be on his guard twice, and not to be ignorant of
          her  twice. This emphasis on care and awareness augments the intellec-
          tual exercises of the  aretalogy section.  One could  easily skim over
          the polarities and  not stop to  reflect on them  or their import,  in
          which case their efficacy of liberation would be severely
          diminished. All three parts of this text work together.

                  The exhortationsgo on to impressupon the reader thathe must be
          aware that the  speaker encompasses  all things, great  and small,  as
          well  as left  and right, male  and female,  royal and  base, rich and
          poor. There is an element of the union of opposites here as  well, the
          speaker  saying  she  is  compassionate and  cruel,  and  obedient and
          self-controlled.{FN:13}

                  In the thirdsection of this part of the text, the instructions
          are  to "come  forward to me,  you who  know me ...  and establish the
          great ones among the small first creatures."  Here is some evidence of
          an organised attempt to proselytise, or establish a group of those who
          know the speaker. The fourth section also calls to "you, who know me."
          They are  told to learn the speaker's words, while those "hearers" are
          told simply to hear.  This suggests some form  of hierarchy among  the
          "hearers" and the "knowers". The first step would seem to  be that one
          must hear the voice, and then come to know it.

              This could be a sign of the initiatory path, along which one
          must  pass to  come to  _gnosis_  As noted  above, the  simple act  of
          hearing the message intellectually  would not be enough. One  must pay
          special care to the  paradoxes presented, and reflect upon  them until
          illumination comes. The process can again be compared to the effect of
          _koans_,  where one perceives  them first  as outright  nonsense, "the
          sound of  one hand clapping,"_ etc._,  until one comes to  the crux of
          where they attempt to fix the mind.{FN:14}

                Where  the _Thunder, Perfect  Mind_ would fix  the mind  is on a
          realisation of the transcendence of the speaker, and eventually on the
          identification of the speaker with the hearer when that hearer becomes
          a knower. As it says in the sixth section of the aretalogy part, "I am
          the knowledge of  my inquiry, and the finding of  those who seek after
          me, ... and  of the spirits of  every who exists  with me, and of  the
          women  who dwell within me." The path  to _gnosis_ and the traveler on
          that path are both played here by the character of the speaker.



                                                                            1256

                  Another point madeby this partof thetext like wisdomliterature
          is that manifestation  implies duality,  and that to  perceive in  the
          world implies  discrimination. The  nature of the  speaker comprehends
          all things, but  to appear in the world she must choose one of the two
          halves of  all those  things through  which to  appear. As a  complete
          being she would be both invisible and insensible in any  way, since to
          contain  both poles of being, such  as 1 and -1, would  be to equal 0.
          This has a parallel in the way of the Tao, in which one of the aims is
          to do everything by  doing nothing. One might hear  the speaker saying
          "I am she who  does everything, and nothing."   The idea is to  incor-
          porate in oneself  a balance  between action and  non-action, yin  and
          yang, and  by doing such one  gets beyond having to  struggle with the
          world. There  will be no  antagonism between the  person and  then en-
          vironment, once that person becomes one with the environment. (Or a
          reflection of it, by incorporating or epitomising all its elements.)

                This shows the less ascetic nature of the text _Thunder, Perfect
          Mind_.   The world is not actively evil, but rather simply distracting
          due to its  incomplete nature. When one gets beyond this, then one has
          improved, but there is no shame in being merely a "hearer,"  and not a
          "knower." The only desiderata are to hear and then to know, to balance
          oneself according to what one comes to know, and despise nothing along
          the way, for every thing  is part of the transcendent whole.  Here one
          could  draw  Deist parallels,  intensifying  the  impression that  the
          writers of this text did not see the world as inherently evil.

                  It is ourperception of theworld that causesthe apparent evilof
          the world. To perceive something is to discriminate between it and its
          context.

            It is  this separation or  making of differences  that allows us  to
          operate in  the world, but also that enslaves us to it by monopolising
          our attention.

            _Thunder, Perfect  Mind_  insists that  only  by seeing  the  larger
          picture of unions of all opposites can we escape this servitude to the
          world. In other words, what liberates us is the knowledge of into what
          we have been thrown, or have come.

              The last section, the fifth of this part of the text, is a final
          exhortation to the reader to  "look," "give heed" and be aware  of who
          speaks and  what that means,  that by encompassing  all things she  is
          "the one who  alone exists," comprising all, "and ...  no one who will
          judge" her exists outside  her. This extreme recognition of  the unity
          of oneself with  the cosmos, of subject  with object, and of  positive
          and  negative, leads  to an  extension of  the self  to the  limits of
          perception. Sometimes  this continues to the  point that manifestation
          requires  a relimitation by definition  of person. As  the speaker has
          done this, the extension  and then the relimitation  in order to  com-
          municate, she also  implies that  it is an  achievement attainable  by
          all, if one will just "hear" and "know."

                  The third part of the text represents Greece, as the first two
          reflect the Egyptian and Judaic strands of the Hellenistic world.{FN:-
          15}  It consists of questions and answers, not always on philosophical
          subjects, but always leading to philosophical points. It is similar in
          many  ways to the prototypical  Platonic dialogue in  which the inter-
          locutor is led to the truth
            of  the matter  by way of  dialectic. Another parallel  would be the
          dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna in that chariot.



                                                                            1257

                  There are six sections to this partof the text, as it has been
          cut up  and fitted to the other two parts,  and the first five display
          an  elegant ring composition. Section one is a question and amplifica-
          tion of the question, while section  five is the answer to it. Section
          two is another  question and amplification, answered  by section four.
          Section  three is the center point, pointing  out the union of the two
          questions and their respective  answers.  Section six is  a conclusion
          of sorts, resuming that which the dialogue has attempted to draw.

                  The first question is  why the reader, and people  in general,
          display  contradictory behavior. This  is not a  psychological type of
          inquiry, into  the roots of irrationality, but  rather another attempt
          to  unveil  the  nature of  the  speaker.  The  contradictory behavior
          referred to deals  with the reader's reaction to  the speaker, and the
          nature of complete being in general.{FN:16}  If complete being entails
          all things, then it elicits all  responses, each of which will have an
          opposite  reaction that  will  be elicited  simultaneously (or  there-
          abouts). Love and hate, truth and lie, knowledge and ignorance are all
          part of man's reactions to the world.

              The answer to this problem is contained in section five. The
            incompleteness  of things,  inside  and outside,  judge and  judged,
          condemning and acquitting; these distinctions elicit  opposite respon-
          ses to each of their  halves, yet both halves are only that: halves of
          a whole, which elicits  both love and  hate, fear and confidence,  and
          obedience and self-control. The way out of the world of appearances is
          again to realise the unity of opposites.   that what is seen inside is
          what is outside also.

                  The second question is directed toward the question of the ig-
          norance  of these unions of  opposites. "Why have  you hated me," asks
          the  unity,  "Because  I  am  a  barbarian  among  barbarians?"{FN:17}
          Because I  don't speak the language  of any specific nation,  not even
          those who don't  speak you language?   Because I speak of  universals?
          The answer  is that "those  who are  without association  with me  are
          ignorant of  me, and those  who are in  my substance are  the ones who
          know me."{FN:18}   Those who know,  know; those who don't  don't.  One
          cannot understand the nature of the speaker or the world until one
            becomes a  part of it, and all the parts of it. The antithetical and
          polarised  nature continues  to be shown, "On the day  when I am close
          to you, you are far away  from me, and on the  day when I am far  away
          from you, I am close to you."{FN:19}

                  Thethird section unitesthese two questionsof the manifestation
          of  opposites, and the difficulty of perception of perfection. (not to
          mention  perfection  of perception!)  Both  problems  stem from  human
          nature  in the world  of manifestation.  The separation  of opposites,
          needed for perception of manifested things, is necessary to operate in
          the world as humans  with human limitations, as these  limitations are
          usually counted.  But the speaker here  says the real need  ideally is
          not to separate, and thus to come to a realisation  of the unity. This
          is similar to  the idea of _samadhi_, where the  subject and object of
          contemplation are united in a flash of illumination.



                                                                            1258

               Section six concludes,  saying that the worldly  forms are pleas-
          ant, but numerous, disgraceful, and  fleeting. When men "become  sober
          and go up to their resting place.... they will find me there, and they
          will live,  and they will not die again." This implies the possibility
          of a permanent state of comprehension of the unity of opposites.

                  Nowwe can seewhere Theodotus' definitionof gnosticismis and is
          not exemplified by _Thunder,  Perfect Mind_. The writers of  this text
          were  concerned with most of  Theodotus' questions, but  not all. They
          provide answers  for where  we have come  from, and whereunto  we have
          been thrown.  They address the question  of who we were,  what we have
          become, but  not really what birth  is, and what rebirth.  Nor do they
          proffer answers to whereunto  we speed, or wherefrom we  are redeemed,
          beyond the answers to the  first questions of where we were  and where
          we are.  The answers that are  offered deal with  personal rather than
          cosmological questions  (if  there  is  a difference).  The  issue  is
          primarily one  of self-liberation,  rather thanredemption,  unless the
          reception of the "good news" of unity is to be considered redemption.

                  This difference  of degree  of activity and  passivity between
          Theodotus  and the speaker of  _Thunder, Perfect Mind_  is revealed in
          the answers  to whereunto we  have been  thrown, and wherefrom  we are
          redeemed.{FN:20}   In _Thunder,  Perfect_ _Mind's_  view we  came our-
          selves  to  this world,  and  liberate ourselves  through  Hearing and
          Knowing. What liberates us  is still the knowledge, but  the knowledge
          of slightly different things. The lack of
          cosmology or theology in the text, compared to other texts in the Nag
          Hammadi library, suggests the comparison rather to the more psycholog-
          ical sect of Buddhism in contrast to the majority of Mahayana that has
          absorbed local religious or theological superstructure.

              The path suggested by the text towards illumination is a strictly
          intellectual path to the transcendence of intellect. Through the
          mortification of the  mind rather than  of the  flesh one may  achieve
          _gnosis_.  There is therefore no need for  a theology on which to hang
          precepts of asceticism.  The authors of the text  say simply that when
          one understands the facts, one gives up the preoccupation of the world
          as incomplete.

              The gnosticism exemplified by this text then, is transcendental,
          syncretic, and  hortatory. It is transcendent in  that it looks at the
          world and insists that there is a larger reality beyond what we see as
          separate,  discrete  things. It  is syncretic  in  that it  uses three
          distinct  literary styles to get  across its point.  These three texts
          may have been actual texts on their own before incorporation into this
          text,  or they may not. They fit so  smoothly into each other in terms
          of subject continuity that were  they originally distinct texts,  they
          must have been revised for  the purpose. The authors are  hortatory as
          opposed to imperative in that they say that if you come to their  idea
          of unity,  then you will  be less  confused by the  complexity of  the
          world. If you do not, then you will stick to  all those pleasant forms
          of passions and fleeting pleasures, and simply not achieve peace. They
          do not threaten any punishment for ignorance, only a perpetuation of a
          potentially temporary confusion.



                                                                            1259

                  The comparisons ofthe threestyles of writingsis profitableonly
          in so  far as it  serves to conveniently categorise  the material. Too
          strict  ananalog y to the three styles  would be blinding as well. The
          content  is radically different in  message from the  usual content of
          any of  the borrowed forms. Again,  what must be looked  at to explain
          the  meaning of  the text  is the  antithetical nature  of the  "I am"
          statements, and their commentary in the other two  styles of text. The
          medium (in this  case) is not the  message.  The function of  the text
          must be considered to be not philosophical speculation, theological or
          moral exhortation or religious definition, as the borrowed types were,
          but rather  psychological revelation, buttressed  by practical  exhor-
          tation and logical proof.

                What really qualifies  the author  or authors of  this text  for
          consideration as excellent and true gnostics is their appropriation of
          existing  forms,  whether  myths,  ritual  speeches, or  philosophical
          methods, and turning them to their own ends.

                                  _The text like an Isis Aretalogy_

            1) I was  sent forth from the  power, and I  have come to those  who
          reflect upon me, and I have been found among those who seek after me.

            2) For I  am the first and  the last. I am  the honored one and  the
          scorned one. I am  the whore and the holy  one. I am the wife  and the
          virgin. I  am the   mother and  the daughter. I  am the members  of my
          mother. I am  the barren one   and many are her  sons. I am she  whose
          wedding  is great, and I have  not taken  a husband.  I am the midwife
          and she who does  not bear. I am the solace of my   labour pains. I am
          the bride and the bridegroom, and it is my  husband who begot me. I am
          the  mother of my father  and the sister  of my husband, and  he is my
          offspring. I am the slave of him who prepared me. I am the ruler of my
          offspring. But he is the one who begot me before a time on a birthday.
          And he is my offspring in due time  and my power is from him. I am the
          staff of his power in his youth, and he is the rod of my old age.  And
          whatever he wills happens  to me. I am the  voice whose sound is  man-
          ifold and the word whose appearance is multiple. I am the utterance of
          my name.

           3) For I am knowledge and ignorance. I am shame and boldness. I am
          shameless, I am  ashamed. I am  strength and I am  fear. I am  war and
          peace.  Give heed to me. I  am the one who is  disgraced and the great
          one.

            4) But I am she who exists in all fears and strength in trembling. I
          am she who is weak, and I am well in a pleasant place. I  am senseless
          and I am wise.



                                                                            1260

            5) For  I am the wisdom of the Greeks  and the knowledge of the bar-
          barians. I am the judgment of the Greeks and the barbarians. I  am the
          one whose image is  great in Egypt and the  one who as no  image among
          the barbarians. I am the one who is hated  everywhere and who has been
          loved everywhere. I am the one whom they call Law, and you have called
          Lawlessness. I am  the one whom  they call Life,  and you have  called
          Death. I am  the one whom you have pursued, and  I am the one whom you
          have seized. I am the one you have scattered and you have
          gathered me together. I am the one before whom you  have been ashamed,
          and  you have been shameless  to me. I  am she who does  not keep fes-
          tival, and I am  she  whose festivals are many. I, I am godless, and I
          am one whose God is great.  I am the one whom you have reflected upon,
          and you have scorned me. I am unlearned, and they learn  from me. I am
          the  one whom you have despised, and you reflect upon me. I am the one
          whom you have hidden from, and you appear to me. But whenever you hide
          yourselves, I myself will appear.

            6) But I am the mind of ...  and the rest of .... I am the knowledge
          of  my inquiry,  and the  finding  of those  who seek  after, and  the
          command of those  who ask of  me, and the  power of  the powers in  my
          knowledge  of the angels, who   have been sent at my  word, and of the
          gods in their seasons by  my counsel, and of the spirits  of every man
          who exists with me, and of the women who dwell within me. I am the one
          who is honored, and who is praised, and who is  despised scornfully. I
          am peace, and war has come because of me. I am an alien and a citizen.
          I am the substance and the one who has no substance.

            7) I am ... within. I am ...of the natures. I am ... of the creation
          of the  spirits. ... request of souls. I am control and the uncontrol-
          lable. I am the union  and the dissolution. I  am the abiding and  the
          dissolving.  I am  the one  below, and they  come up  to me.  I am the
          judgment and  the acquittal. I,  I and  sinless, and the  root of  sin
          derives from me.  I am lust in outward appearance,  and interior self-
          -control exists within  me. I  am the  hearing that  is attainable  to
          everyone, and the speech that cannot be grasped.  I am a mute who does
          not speak, and great is the multitude of my words. Hear me in  gentle-
          ness, and learn  of me in roughness. I am she  who cries out, and I am
          cast  out on the face  of the earth.  I prepare the bread  and my mind
          within. I am the knowledge  of my name. I am one who cries  out, and I
          listen. I  appear and   ... walk in  ... seal of my  ... I am  ... the
          defense ... I am the one who is called Truth, and iniquity ....

            8) I am the hearing that is attainable toeverything; I am the speech
          that can not be  grasped. I am the name of the sound, and the sound of
          the name.  I am the  sign of the  letter and the   designation  of the
          division. And I  .... ... light  .... ... hearers  ... to you ...  the
          great  power. And  ... will  not move  the name.  ...  to the  one who
          created me. And I will speak his name.



                                                                            1261

                                _The text like a Hebrew Wisdom Text._

            1)  Look upon me and reflect upon  me, and you hearers. hear me. You
          who are waiting for me, take to yourselves. And  do not banish me from
          your  sight. And do not make your voices hate me, nor your hearing. Do
          not be ignorant of me any where or any  time. Be on your guard! Do not
          be ignorant of me.

            2) Give heed to my poverty and my wealth.   Do not be arrogant to me
          when I am  cast out upon the earth, and you  will find me in those who
          are to come. And do not look upon me on the dung heap nor go and leave
          me cast  out, and you will  find me in  the kingdoms. And do  not look
          upon me  when I am cast out  among those who are  disgraced and in the
          least  places, nor laugh at me. And do not cast me out among those who
          are slain in violence. But I, I am compassionate and I am cruel. Be on
          your guard! Do not hate my obedience, and do not love my self-control.
          In my weakness do  not forsake me, and do  not be afraid of  my power.
          For why do you despise my fear and curse my pride?

            3) Those who have ...  to it ... senselessly.... Take me  ... under-
          standing  from grief, and take me to yourselves from understanding and
          grief. And  take me  to yourselves  from places that  are ugly  and in
          ruin, and  rob from those which are good, even though in ugliness. Out
          of  shame, take me to yourselves shamelessly; and out of shamelessness
          and shame, upbraid  my members in yourselves. And  come forward to me,
          you who  know me and who know my members, and establish the great ones
          among the first small creatures. Come forward to childhood, and do not
          despise  it because it is small and it is little. And do not turn away
          greatnesses  in some parts  from the smallnesses,  for the smallnesses
          are known from the greatnesses.

           4) Hear me you hearers. and learn of my words, you who know me.

            5)  Look then  at his  words and  all the  writings which  have been
          completed.   Give heed  then you hearers  and you also  the angels and
          those who have  been sent, and  you spirits who  have arisen from  the
          dead. For I am  the one who alone exists,  and I have no one  who will
          judge me.



                                                                            1262

                                _The text like a Platonic Dialogue._

            1) Why, you who hate me, do you love me, and you hate those who love
          me? You who deny me, confess me,  and you who confess me deny me.  You
          who tell the truth about me lie  about me, and you who have lied about
          me tell  the truth about me. You  who know me, be  ignorant of me, and
          those who have not known me, let them know me.

            2) Why have  you hated me  in your counsels? For  I shall be  silent
          among those  who are silent,  and I shall  appear and speak.  Why then
          have you  hated me, you  Greeks? Because  I am a  barbarian among  the
          barbarians?

            3) Why do you curse  me and honor me? You have wounded  and you have
          had mercy.   Do  not separate me  from the  first ones  whom you  have
          known. And do not  cast anyone out nor  turn anyone away ... turn  you
          away and ...  know him not ... him. What is  mine.... I know the first
          one and those after know me.

            4) Those who are without association with me are ignorant of me, and
          those  who are in my substance are the ones who know me. Those who are
          close to me have been  ignorant of me, and those who are far away from
          me are the ones who have known me. On the day when I am close to  you,
          you are far away from me, and on  the day when I am far away from you,
          I am close to you.

            5) You honor me ... and you whisper against me.  ... victorious over
          them.  Judge  then before they give judgment against  you, because the
          judge  and the partiality  exist within you.  If you  are condemned by
          this one, who will acquit you? Or if you are acquitted by him who will
          be able to detain you.  For what is in side of you is what is  outside
          of you, and the  one who fashions you on the outside of you is the one
          who shaped the inside of you.  And what you see inside of you, you see
          outside of you; it is visible and it is your garment.

           6) For many are the pleasant forms which exist in numerous sins, and
            incontinencies,  and disgraceful  passions, and  fleeting pleasures,
          which men embrace until they  become sober and go up to  their resting
          place. And  they will find me there, and they will live, and they will
          not die again.



                                                                            1263


          1)  For examples of  aretalogies see Grant,  F.C.; _Hellenistic Relig-
          ions: The Age__of Syncretism._
          2) The text _Thunder, Perfect Mind_ is CG VI, 2.

          The aretalogy-like material's sections are;
          1.      13,1-13,6
          2.      13,16-14,15
          3.      14,25-15,1
          4.      15,25-15,30
          5.      16,5-17,1
          6.      18,10-18,30
          7.      19,5-20,10
          8.      20,29-21,12

          The wisdom literature styled section are;
          1.      13,6-13,15
          2.      15,1-15,25
          3.      17,1-17,32
          4.      20,26-20,28
          5.      21,12-21,20

          The dialogue material comes from;
          1.      14,15-14,25
          2.      15,30-16,5
          3.      17,32-18,10
          4.      18,30-19,5
          5.      20,10-20,25
          6.      21,20-21,32
          3) This definition of Theodotus is cited in Clemens Alexandrinus,_    
          Excerpta ex__Theodoto_ 78.2.
          4) IA 2(Sections will be referred to by their section number prefixed 
            by  IA for aretalogy sections, WT for wisdom  sections, and PD for  
          the dialogue sections.)
          5) IA 2
          6) IA 2
          7) IA 5
          8) Only in 9 out of 68 complete paradox statements does there occur   
          temporal  or nominal changes along  with alteration of  description.  
          (Interestingly, all occur in  sections IA 2 & IA 5, two  sections of  
          8)
          9)  Robinson,  James M.,  ed.; _The  Nag  Hamadi Library  in English_,
          (Harper &
           Row: San Fransisco) 1977/81, p. 271
          10) WT 1
          11) WT 1
          12) WT 2
          13)  WT 2. In the  sentence regarding obedience  and self-control, the
          point is  also to have  no reactive emotions  to these things,  as the
          emotions form  attachment to objects. This  advice towards detachment,
          reminiscent of Eastern philosophies more often  than Western, shows up
          in the dialogue sections more obviously.
          14)  _i.e.,_ where the subject  of the knowledge  they are designed to
          impart lies.



                                                                            1264

          15)  The Macedonian,  Seleucid,  and Ptolomaic  Kingdoms  made up  the
          Hellenistic  world, _per  se_,  though external  contact with  Europe,
          Asia, and Africa was constant. Of course, all three nations were  also
          assimilating parts  of each  other's cultures, creating  the internat-
          ional and  cosmopolitan atmosphere necessary  for the creation  of our
          text, and the sources are named after the originating national culture
          for convenience only.
          16) "Complete being" refers to the unified speaker and world.
           (1)+(-1)=(0).
          17) PD 2
          18) PD 4
          19) PD 4
          20)  These two questions presuppose a  passive role on our part, which
          may or  may not refer  to the Gnostic Redeemer  as well as  us regular
          joes,  the recipiants of the redeeming message. In this text, however,
          there is no strong distinction between the speakers and the hearers on
          the basis of origin; only on the level of knowledge. We may be assumed
          to have the same genesis as she, and she states that she had an active
          role in coming into the world.  This only difference is that she knows
          this, and presumably we do not.



                                                                            1265


                                   Treatise on Mind 
                                    From: The Tigress  

                Fromthe moment that 2cells form a zygote, wesee  the interaction

          of  informational process  - recognition,  communication, interaction,

          integration, re-stabilization and  reproduction and or  re-structuriz-

          ation.  This cycle of  life can be see from the barest combinations of

          any  two elemental  components beginning  at the lowest  atomic desig-

          nations  of  energy and  throughout the  continuum of  increasing com-

          plexity - perhaps far beyond our capabilities 

          to understand.   ***  If consciousness can be  defined as an awareness

          of integrity through this process of self recognition; then conscious-

          ness can be easily applied to that which is non-human.*** 

            

                From the most basicinteractions of chemistry, wefind that evenon

          an  atomic level there is to be  found this type of consciousness.  We

          have  become aware  of the  atom's necessary  maintenance of  it's own

          structure  through the  evidence  of necessary  balancing of  protons,

          neutrons and electrons;  the importance of electron shell  valences is

          also a  reminder of this type of integrity.   Even on an atomic level,

          there is  a form of awareness  of self-integrity in order  to maintain

          structure and identity. 

            

                    This process ofawareness is alsoa geniusof discrimination. A

          form  of identification  of self  &  non self  on an  energetic level.

          There  is a borrowing, and sometimes a sharing energetically, yet when

          this process of self recognition begins to fail we see the destruction

          of the matter it  involves <this is evident with  atomic structure and

          also evident at the human level  in the study of cancer.> Therefore we

          might  look at  this process of  self-recognition and  maintenance and

          examine it's nature in order to find its function and capabilities. 



                                                                            1266

            

                    When we lookat different typesof matter, wefind that themore

          simple the atomic structure  of the mass, the less complex its process

          of  "consciousness" needs to  be.  Things which  are comprised of only

          one atomic component  do not need  complex processes of  communication

          between those components.   Thus the level of consciousness  is rather

          low on an evolutionary scale of creativity, yet we also see that these

          types of  things are far more  stable in regards to  their integrity -

          far less  vulnerable to destruction.   In example, it takes  an enorm-

          ously concentrated force of heat to break the integrity of an atom...-

          yet a  mere 2000 degree flame  will not only destroy  the integrity of

          human consciousness, but also destroy  the integrity of the individual

          component molecules which  form the material mass of  a human to their

          lowest forms as individual atoms. 

            



                                                                            1267

                    Whenwe look at theforces involved incommunication of energy,

          we  see  a flowing  medium of  different  frequencies within  a single

          spectrum  of  energetic  potential.   Elemental  energies  and  forces

          <light,  sound,  temperature,  pressure,   magnetism,  electricity...>

          differentiate and vary in  intensity and frequency yet are  very alike

          in  that they are all  means of transferring energy  as a form of com-

          munication which can be informative/stabilizing or disinformative/des-

          tructive,  depending  on the  structure  of  the "consciousness"  they

          encounter.  It  may be perceived that the more  complex the structure,

          the lower the  frequency of the  integrity of that  structure and  the

          more vulnerable that structure is to disinformation. 

           

               The  more diverse the components  are that are  included within a

          thing,  and the more efficient  the means of  communication within the

          structure  of that thing; the  lower the common  denomination of freq-

          uency of integrity must  be in order that the  informational frequency

          will not be  destructive to any  of the component  parts.  To  analyze

          this statement we must look at other analogies within our environment.

          Firstly I would like to examine the nature of sound. 

            



                                                                            1268

               Sound waves come  in varying frequencies and  modulations, and as

          humans we assign different  notes to those steps within  the frequency

          spectrum which we can  differentiate and perceive.  If we play several

          notes  simultaneously, we  find that  in order  to maintain  a balance

          harmonically, we must  play notes that  match each others  modulation.

          You can play a "C" note at any  octave and in fact play all "C"  notes

          simultaneously  and you  will  find that  within  the frequency  range

          these notes will compliment each other, in fact they will contribute/-

          share energy with each other.  WE find similar  matching if we look at

          musical chording.  If you play the  notes "F" and "C" , the sharing of

          energy  vibrationally between  those two ranges  of frequency  will in

          fact create  the note  of "A"  in  the range  in which  the two  notes

          frequencies  overlap.  In this way communication is informative and in

          fact the "whole  is greater" than  the sum of  its parts.   Similarly,

          playing  two notes which lie in the same modulation frequencies simul-

          taneously  will increase the duration of the vibration compared to the

          duration if each note were played alone. 

            

               When  we examine  the  sharing of  electrical  information at  an

          atomic level, we see  that through the temporary sharing  of electrons

          in a phase  path also indicates  something that we  might consider  as

          investing a thing <atom> with more than the sum  of its parts.  Simil-

          arly in using electric  frequencies in a series, we  store information

          on silicon chips which invest them with more than they would be if one

          simply  looked at the electrical  and silicon components  alone.  This

          transference  of  energy  is also  a  transference  of information  in

          frequencies which in many ways we are still attempting to understand. 

           



                                                                            1269

               Simple, one component things,  can sustain far higher frequencies

          of  energetic  transmission than  can  complex  components of  things.

          Frequencies which pass freely through atoms ultimately destroy complex

          things such as humans when they are subject to them.   It appears that

          the  more complex  the union  of the components,  the slower  and more

          tediously  complex the  transformation  of data  must  be.   The  more

          complex a thing is,  the lower the vibrational capability  it sustains

          in order to maintain the integrity of its own structure. 

            

               Energetic  communication exists  infinitely throughout  the univ-

          erse.  The transference  of information through radio waves  and light

          waves continues back in time to the occasion of what was known as  the

          Big Bang.  It may be that in the future we will find that in the  same

          way gravity  and electromagnetism  are also continuums  of information

          from  times long past.   Scientifically we study  these energetic con-

          tinuums and yet we doubt and deny the holistic communicative nature of

          the  universe.  We search for causes  and effects within the realms of

          our limited  perceptions and are  amazed when  we can  find no  causal

          effects to explain change. 

            



                                                                            1270



               When we  examine biological life, we find  that each evolutionary

          adaptation seems to be  an extension of the  process of self/non  self

          awareness  and maintenance of  integrity.  Not  only do  we see inten-

          sification  of sensory perceptual abilities, but also we note that the

          integrational and responsive/reactive   components of the process also

          have to  evolve and adapt in order to stay integrated with the rest of

          the "consciousness".   Amoebas are "simple" life forms, and yet we can

          examine them and see that each organic component within that life form

          serves  as an  informational  and communicative  component within  the

          process of maintaining the integrity <life>  of the whole.  When  this

          communication  process or any part  of it ceases,  the organization of

          the organism begins to deteriorate and eventually ceases and dies.  In

          biological life, we  find that  though we have  maintained the use  of

          electronic  communication on some neural  levels, we have  sunk to the

          depths  of transferring  actual molecular  compounds <proteins,  amino

          acids...> in  most of our  organic processes.   Even the  human brain,

          supposed  highest achievement  of  organic life  forms, requires  base

          molecular  salts in  order  to process  electrical  information.   Our

          complexity denies us the speed of light, radio, 

          and other  faster and higher  frequency modes of  communication except

          from outside of ourselves. 

            



                                                                            1271



               The  human consciousness is a  genius of discrimination.   We use

          the abilities of  discrimination to identify those  stimuli which come

          from outside of our biological forms in order  to protect and maintain

          our integrity <life.   We use our senses <inefficient  though they may

          be>  to gather and interpret pure energetic communications such as the

          radiated  energy of sunlight and we are so inefficient at interpreting

          that data that we can only sense light and heat and it  destroys those

          sensors  that gather that information through blindness and sunburn if

          we continue too long in our attempts.  Yet, 

          conversely , we  need the information  from sunlight which  stimulates

          our organic forms  into producing  vitamin D <without  which we  would

          die>. Is  this a remnant  of photosynthetic  capabilities from  lessor

          complex integrations, or  merely a new  attempt at further  increasing

          our potential? 

            



                                                                            1272

               As organic forms of  consciousness, we are sorely limited  in our

          perceptions  of the  universe.    Limited  in exploring  the  possibly

          limitless ranges of energetic exchange simply due to the limits placed

          upon  communication due to the complexity  of our component structure.

          Yet  rather than admit to our limitations, we seek further exploration

          through  the development of tools  made from things  less complex than

          ourselves.   In the laboratory, we  use light waves and shaped silicon

          to create microscopes to increase our sense of visual acuity within 

          the spectrum  of visible  radiation imaging.   In  the studio,  we use

          simple cones  flattened vegetable matter and  electronic amplification

          to create tools  to compensate for our  limited aural perception.   We

          have created many tools out of simpler  and less complex components in

          order  to reach  those  higher frequencies  of  information which  are

          either  so far removed from us as  to be imperceptible, or so destruc-

          tive to us that we dare not experience them ourselves. 

            

               The  human zygote from the moment of conception is a discriminat-

          ing  consciousness which is involved in the differentialization of its

          components in order to 

          develop finer  levels of complexity.   This fetus is also  even before

          birth  learning to  interpret  communicative energies  from the  outer

          world in order  to begin definition of  itself, its integrity  and its

          maintenance  of  self apart  from the  influence  of "other".   Cells,

          joining together  in communication  to form co-operative  systems each

          with  separate responsibilities  to the  whole.  Organs  with specific

          functions  supporting the organism in its fight to maintain its integ-

          rity.   Consciousness of Mind, determining the difference between self

          and non self, regulating the integrity  of the whole.  This harmony of

          components within a symphony  of orchestration, this is the  matter of

          being alive. 



                                                                            1273

               Despite our  complexities, despite recognition of our vulnerabil-

          ities  and limitations; we as humans are  beings of arrogant mind.  We

          claim supremacy over all biological organisms and claim the sole right

          to conscious thought <as if we  were the only from of communication we

          wished  to recognize.>   We  deny our insecurities  and lay  claims to

          great understandings concerning the  universe, when we in fact  do not

          even  understand the actual workings of our own process of integration

          and communication within our own biological forms. 

          We claim  ownership of consciousness,  yet we  do not even  pretend to

          truly evaluate the process of consciousness nor its beginnings. 

               Despite our inadequacies,  we assume  to know the  nature of  the

          beginnings of  all life.   We claim to  know the "mind"  of "God" <the

          prime causation for all that exists> and we claim title to superiority

          in emulation of this "God" - above  and beyond all other forms of life

          or integrity.  An egotistic lot are we, who strive to seek security in

          the  midst of  our  fear, our  inadequacies,  our vulnerabilities;  by

          developing a system of belief which guarantees our security in a place

          beyond our perception.  We seek safety and foundation at the same time

          that we reach outward to claim flight amongst the stars. 

               This is  the paradox on humanity,  of mind.  Complexity  found in

          simplicity... using simplicity to explore  a universe beyond the range

          of our complex integrity.  Our complex integrity vulnerable to all but

          the  simplest energies,  while we  lay grasp  to use  complex energies

          which would destroy us in order to  prove our strength.  What it is we

          look for, we  eventually find at the expense of  closing our senses to

          see what  really is.   Perhaps it  is true that  the most foolish  are

          those who lay claim to knowledge for they have closed their minds 

          to  further learning,  and  that the  most wise  are  those who  claim

          knowledge of no thing, that they may learn all. 



                                                                            1274





          Copyright (c) 1988 by Phil Hansford. This article is 

          is licenced for free non-commercial distribution only. 

           

          ---------------------------------------------------------- 

           

          ** MAGICK 1 -- WHY MAGICK ** 

           

                          Theability tothink seems toset usapart fromother crea-

          tures.  And  although we  are concerned  with  living in  the physical

          world, we are mental beings. The fact is we are thinking all the time.

          We plan, we brood, we get depressed or elated -- all of it is thought.

          But  the universe is mental too, and  if we could control our thinking

          we would see magnificent results in the everyday world. 



                          Manysystems have been developedover the agesto help us

          control our  thoughts. A great  amount of  dogma too  has been  kicked

          around in an attempt to make us into better people. Magick (the occult

          kind, spelled with a  'k') is one  of the oldest  and most general  of

          these  systems. Magick is the study and application of psychic forces.

          It uses mental  training, concentration,  and a system  of symbols  to

          program the mind. The  purpose of magick is to alter  the self and the

          environment according to the will. 



                          Mostofthe magickwesee todaycomesto usfromancient Egypt

          and Chaldea.  The Chinese,  Hindus, and Tibetans  developed their  own

          unique types of  magick. Western magick was locked up  by the Egyptian

          priests  for thousands  of  years and  then supressed  by the  rise of

          Christianity. It was not until  medieval Europe that magical knowledge



          was rediscovered by the alchemists and Cabalists. Only during the past

          hundred years  or so has  western culture been  open minded  enough to

          permit widespread investigation  of the subject. Only  since the start

          of the twentieth century has science shown much interest in it al all.

           

          PARAPSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIC PHENOMENA 

           

                          Through parapsychology, weare gaining insightsinto the

          hidden  nature of man. Parapsychology is  a branch of psychology which

          studies psychic  phenomena. It remains  something of a  frontier, even

          today.  Perhaps one  reason  for this  is that  psychic  phenomena are

          somewhat inconsistent. 

          Nevertheless, there  is strong evidence  from numerous cases  and exp-

          eriments in  support of  psychic phenomena.  Somehow, under the  right

          conditions, the mind can directly affect the environment. 



                          Wemaytheorize thatthehumanmind andbodybroadcasts akind

          of psychic energy or force, much like a radio station. Kirlian photog-

          raphy, temperature effects, cloud chamber tests, and other experiments

          tend to support this theory. Although the exact nature of this psychic

          force 

          is subtle and unknown, it is undoubtedly the energy behind all psychic

          phenomena and  magick. However,  it is  *not* a  radio wave,  since it

          behaves  somewhat differently.  The psychic  force is  too weak  to be


                                           1275



          measured directly  (at least  so far  as we  know). Everyone  has some

          psychic ability. There 

          are numerous types of psychic phenomena. Parapsychology separates them

          into two groups: ESP and PK...  

           

          EXAMPLES OF ESP 

           

                          ESP,theabreviation forextrasensoryperception, meansthe

          reception  of information  through paranormal  means (ie.  not regular

          physical  senses of sight, sound, touch,  smell, or taste). In theory,

          this is accomplished by receiving psychic force from outside the body.

          Here are some examples of ESP:  

                          1)Clairvoyance,orRemote Viewing--the abilitytosense or

          'see' (non-physically)  distant objects, places,  and people. Individ-

          uals who see ghosts and spirits are probably clairvoyant.  

                  2) Clairaudience, or remote hearing -- the 'hearing' 

          of paranormal information. 

                          3)AstralProjection(OOBE)or TravelingClairvoyance--Full

          experience at a remote location while the physical body sleeps.  

                  4) Psychometry -- the reading of information by the 

          touch of physical objects. 

                          5) Telepathicreceiver --the ability todirectly receive

          thought (communication) at  a distance, with no physical connection to

          the sender.  There are many  everyday examples  of this,  in which  we


                                           1276



          think something just as another  person is about to say it. This is an

          easy  one  to  test for  through  experiment. Very  dramatic  cases of

          telepathy  have been recorded; there is  often an emotional element in

          such cases.  

                          6) A 'channel'or medium, asin a seance,who is indirect

          communication with a 'spirit' or entity.  

                          7) Experiencewith a Ouija board,pendulum, or automatic

          writing. 

                          8) Precognition--to forseethefuture. Again,highlyemot-

          ional events are the ones most likely to be 'tuned in'.  

                          9) Retrocognition-- knowledgeof the past,by paranormal

          means. 

            

          EXAMPLES OF PK 

           

                          PK, the abreviation forpsychokinesis, is the active or

          sending side  of psychic phenomena.  The theory  here is that  psychic

          force is sent out from the individual. Examples of PK include:  

                          1)Telepathicsender --thetransmitterin thetelepathyjust

          discussed. 

                          2)Psychokinesis (ortelekinesis) proper-- theability to

          move objects by means of psychic force. 

                          3)Somewhatalong thesamelinesarepoltergeist(noisyghost)

          phenomena in  which objects move  of their  own accord  or noises  are


                                           1277



          heard. There is always a human  agent involved -- frequently a teenage

          girl -- who appears to be the source of psychic energy.  

                          4)Psychic healing-- theability toheal variousillnesses

          and  infirmities. There are many documented  cases of this. Usually it

          involves  a healer  and  a subject,  although there  are  recent cases

          invloving cancer patients learning to heal themselves.  

                          5)Teleportation, apportation,andlevitation. Someoccul-

          tists  feel a magician  producing PK effects  is simply a  channel for

          universal  energy. Others think the force originates some way directly

          within the magician. 

           

          THE SUBCONSCIOUS  

           

                          Postulated byFreud andothers, theconcept of thesubcon-

          scious mind is an important  one. Basicly, this is the idea  that part

          of the mind  normally operates below or outside of ordinary conscious-

          ness and  awareness. Dreams and  hypnosis are  examples of this.  Also

          subconscious are the many 

          automatic  functions of  the  physical body  such  as respiration  and

          digestion. 

           








                                           1278





          WHY DO MAGICK? 

           

                          Magickencompassesmanythings-- scienceandart,philosophy

          and  metaphysics, psychology  and comparative  religion. Magick  is an

          adventure at  the borderlands of the unknown. It can fit the pieces of

          the puzzel of life into a meaningful whole. 

                          *Magick is fun*and interesting. Usemagick to helpraise

          consciousness without drugs.  Gain new experiences.  Fantacy  can come

          alive  through magick. Psychic phenomena can  be controlled and be fun

          and helpful. 

                          *Magick isbeneficial*. It canhelp you tohave excellent

          health, and bring you good luck. With magick life  runs smoothly; life

          is  good. Also use magick for  personality improvement, to control bad

          habits and to develop new motivations. 

                          *Magickis
                                  powerful*.Neverunderestimatethetremendouspower

          of magick. Use magick to alter events and to achieve your goals. Exert

          an influence  over people and phenomena. But power for its own sake is

          self defeating. The power which magick can give you should not be your

          primary 

          reason for studying it. 

           

          MAGICK AND WITCHCRAFT 

           


                                           1279



                          A numberof other occult disciplinesare prevalent today

          besides magick. There are many cults and sects which profess their own

          views, but there  are really few differences between them. One popular

          area in the  occult today is witchcraft. This is  far removed from the

          cliche of devil 

          worship. Real witchcraft is a nature religion  (pagan). Witchcraft has

          much in common with magick. 



                          Alchemy alsohas muchin common withmagick. It'sheritage

          comes  from the middle ages. Alchemy  fathered chemistry and the phys-

          ical sciences. But  the avowed purpose of  alchemy, turning lead  into

          gold,  is too  limiting to  be called  magick. Sometimes  the goal  of

          alchemy is interpreted  in another way, as  the transformation of  man

          into a spiritual being.  



                          Thentherearethe numerousmodernday seersor'pychics', as

          they like to be called, who  operate within their own somewhat  unique

          systems. Although many  of these people are  deluded frauds, some  are

          very powerful occultists indeed.  












                                           1280





                          Of course,everything Ihavesaid hereis ageneralization.

          Magick, witchcraft, alchemy, or any occult field are complex subjects.

          Suffice it to say that magick  includes them all (it is eclectic). For

          magick is  undoubtedly a philosophy  which has,  as the late  Aleister

          Crowley wrote, 

          "The method of science -- the aim of religion." 

           

          REVIEW QUESTIONS 

           

          1) Define magick. 

          2) Define ESP and PK. Give examples. 

          3) What is the subconsicous? 

           

          BOOK LIST 

           

          Hal N. Banks, An Introduction to Psychic Studies. 

          Annie Besant, Thought Power. 

          Michael H. Brown, PK, A Report on the Power of Psychokinesis. 

          Richard Cavendish, The Black Arts. 

          Alexandira David-Neel, Magic and Mystery in Tibet. 

          Raynor C. Johnson, The Imprisoned Splendour. 

          Janet Lee Mitchell, "Is Anything Out There?", Fate magazine, 

              May 1988. 


                                           1281



          Ostrander and Shroeder, Psychic Discoveries Behind the 

              Iron Curtan. 

           

          ======== 

          Phil Hansford, 4/88 

          Mysteria 

          (818) 353-8891 (modem) 

          P.O. Box 83 

          Tujunga, CA 91042 
































                                           1282



          Copyright (c) 1988 by Phil Hansford. This article is

          is licenced for free non-commercial distribution only.



          ----------------------------------------------------------



          ** MAGICK 2 -- THE SUBJECTIVITY OF EXPERIENCE -- **



                  ' The universe is a projection of ourselves;

                  an image as unreal as that of our faces in a

                  mirror....We cannot affirm any quality in an

                  object as being independent of our sensorium,

                  or as being in itself that which it seems to

                  us. Nor can we assume that what we cognize is

                  more than a partial phantom of its cause.'

                            ( --Aleister Crowley, Magick, p. 110)



                          Yourawarenessofthe physicalworldand ofyourplace within

          it is  mostly based  upon the physical  senses(hearing, sight,  smell,

          touch, taste). These  five senses continually send  information to the

          mind, and it is up to

          the  mind to select and interpret  them. If you could  not do so, your

          senses  would overwhelm you and be  meaningless.  Selection and inter-

          pretation  of your sensory inputs  is essentially an automatic, mostly




                                           1283



          subconscious  function  of  the mind.  The  program or  map  which the

          subconscious follows

          as  its reference point  is called a  'model'. The model  is a subcon-

          scious  mental photograph  of  how you  believe the  world  looks (ie.

          worldview, mindset, egregore, or belief system).  It was built up from

          an early age  by your religious and cultural background through inter-

          action with family and

          others.  It  contains your  experiences,  attitudes,  and habits.  And

          whether  you  realize  it or  not,  most of  your  behavior, thoughts,

          feelings, and  habits are based  upon and  conditioned by that  model;

          even  personality. The  model is  one of  the mind's  master programs.

          Change in  behavior generally requires  a change  in the model.  These

          limitations built into our way of thinking cause our perceptions to be

          subjective.  That is  why  Hindu philosophy  looks upon  the  world as

          illusory (maya); the world itself (object) is not an illusion, however

          from our viewpoint through perception

          (subject) it is.

           

                          Thus weare allconditioned byexperience. Exceptthat our

          perceptions, hence our experiences,  are first conditioned and limited

          by the model. Our perceptions and experiences tend  to conform to what

          we expect. We tend to misinterpret or ignore things which do not match

          our

          preconcieved notions about them. This is automatic.


                                           1284



          THE TRUE WILL



                          The forgoingdemonstrates how itis thatthere are somany

          different versions of 'truth'. One's particular view is  almost arbit-

          rary. Although numerous  religions, philosophies,  and occult  systems

          abound,  they do  not contradict  one and  other as  much as  it might

          appear.  Rather, they describe the same (universal) reality taken from

          different  perspectives. For  there can  be no  ultimate truth  in the

          physical  world. We  can only  base our  actions upon  assumptions and

          agreements.  All experience  is  subjective. I  like to  think  of the

          universe as something indescribable,  perhaps a 4-dimentional 'thing'.

          As soon as we attempt to put it into our 3-dimentional knowledge-base,

          something changes and  we only see an aspect of  the big picture. Just

          as a photograph can only show us a flat *representation*  of a greater

          thing, so  it is with any  attempt to describe *spiritual  reality* in

          physical terms.

                          Yet,there isa separatereality withineach of uswhich is

          often ignored unless we seek  it. This inner self is in  magick called

          the 'true  will'. The  true will is  the center  of consciousness  and

          identity. It  is the 'real you'.   Everything else is  an interface or

          link  to it from  the outer (illusory) world.  Since that interface is

          based upon our model, it is conditoned and may sometimes produce false

          information. 'Do what thou wilt' (Crowley)  is an axiom of magick; for




                                           1285



          the true  will expresses  our exact  desires. And  what we  truly want

          ('down deep') we tend to automatically

          get. This  isn't always in our best interests, since the true will can

          be conditioned (tricked) by the illusion; and then we might desire and

          obtain  that  which  is not  ultimately  good for  us.  (Karma strikes

          again!) The task  of the magician therefor is to awaken his awareneess

          of the true will, to be free of conditioning, and thereby to transcend

          maya. ('My will unconditioned is magical' -- Spare). 


































                                           1286





          HAPPINESS IS BEING HAPPY



                          Thereis nogreatsecretto changingbehaviororhabits. Itis

          largely  a matter  of determination.  It equires  that you  ignore the

          'pull' of the model when you  strive for changes within yourself.  The

          model is, after

          all,  a collection of  'habits', some of  which must be  unlearned for

          permananent change to occur.  There are two ways  to do this:  direct,

          through will power and awareness alone -- observing  and acting out in

          an unattached  or indifferent  manner;  and indirect  -- through  con-

          ditioning such as  affirmation (explained  later), self-hypnosis,  and

          magick. Meditation may help too, by relaxing tension and conflict. 



                          Emotionsfollowphysical expression:smileandact happyand

          you  will tend to feel  and be happy. The same  is also true for other

          emotions.  Also,  emotions can  be  purposely used  (or  programed) to

          replace other emotions.   Using this technique, a magician is somewhat

          like an actor

          in that he learns how  to turn his emotions  on and off at will.  Note

          that this  is not 'fakeing it'; the magician is probably more in touch

          with his true feelings than most  people. And for these reasons we say

          that happiness is being happy.




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          SYSTEMS OF MAGICK



                          Magickalwaysinvolvesself-hypnosis.However, itmaybemore

          than that. For  one thing, there are objective forces  involved (or so

          it would seem). Deities, spirits, and cosmic force can have  an indep-

          endent  existence.  And  the  repetitive  physical movement  sometimes

          involved in ritual can itself generate PK force. On the other hand, it

          could  be argued that all of  this is subjective to  the magician.  Or

          that  the deities  and  spirits are  nothing more  than  architypes or

          cosmic patterns  which the magician  energizes with his  own vitality.

          Perhaps all magical effects could be produced through hypnosis  alone.

          But the effects are certainly real. 


























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                          Greatcomplexityisnotnecessaryinmagick.Although basicly

          magick is  a medieval system of  symbolism (in a  modern context), any

          cosmological system will work from Cabala to Star Wars. We usually use

          the  medieval one in magick because  it is convenient and traditional,

          and

          because  it seems  to  fit our  thought processes  well.   Traditional

          symbols have greater emotional effect on the magician than modern ones

          because of his familiarity  with them. What really matters is that the

          model of the magician be understood and programmed,  and thus that the

          model and the cosmological system do correspond.



          REVIEW QUESTIONS



          1) Contrast subjective with objective.

          2) What is a 'model'?

          3) Explain the task of the magician.



          BOOK LIST



          Eric Berne, Games People Play.

          Fritjof Capra, The Tao of Physics.

          Carlos Castaneda, The Fire From Within.

          Arthur Koestler, The Roots of Coincidence.


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          John C. Lilly, The Center of the Cyclone.

          ------, Programming and Metaprogramming in the Human Biocomputer.

          ------, Simulations of God -- The Science of Belief.

          Alan Watts, The Book (on the taboo against knowing who you are).



          ========

          Phil Hansford, 4/88

          Mysteria

          (818) 353-8891 (modem)

          P.O. Box 83

          Tujunga, CA 91042




























                                           1290



          Copyright (c) 1988 by Phil Hansford. This article is 

          is licenced for free non-commercial distribution only. 

           

          ---------------------------------------------------------- 

           

          ** MAGICK 3 -- THE FOUR WORLDS ** 

           

                          Theancientsdescribed manasmind, body,andsoul. Psychol-

          ogists of the  twentieth century added the  subconscious to that  def-

          finition. This  produces a  four-fold classification. The  universe is

          also divided into four corresponding parts ('worlds'), as shown below:

           

          WORLD                   BODY                      QUALITY 

          =====                   ====                      ======= 

           

          spiritual world    spiritual body (soul or kia)   intuition 

          mental world       mental body (conscious mind)   rationalthought 

          astral world       astral body (subconscious)     emotions 

          physical world     physical body                  physical senses 

           

                          Theastral body(subconscious)is theintermediary forint-

          uition, magical and  psychic phenomena, and is  the 'psychic link'  to

          the physical world. J.H. Brennan says that the astral is  the realm of




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          visual imagination.  It seems  to be  both a 'place'  and a  'state of

          mind' at the 

          same  time. Most occult and magical  phenomena originate in the invis-

          ible, non-sensate,  non-physical realm (ie. without  physical senses).

          Each  of the  four  worlds interacts  with the  other  worlds. Psychic

          energy flows from the spiritual to  mental to astral to physical.  The

          physical world is a  projection (manifestation, reflection, or shadow)

          of the higher  worlds. Our center of consciousness is generally within

          these  higher worlds.  "We are",  to quote  the rock  music  group the

          Police, "spirits in the material world". 






























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                          Therearemanysimilar termsusedby otheroccultgroups. For

          example, 'astral light'  is another name for astral world, although it

          may  sometimes also  refer to  the entire  non-physical realm,  as may

          'inner planes' or  'the invisible world'.  Planes are essentially  the

          same as  worlds.  Vehicles  or sheaths  are the same  as bodies.  Some

          groups  include an etheric or vital  body between physical and astral:

          it is mostly  'physical' with a little of  the lower 'astral' besides.

          And sometimes astral and mental are each divided into two parts (upper

          and lower). The 'causal body' is the upper 'mental'. 

           

          MICROCOSM AND MACROCOSM 

           

                          Wehavebeendescribing'traditonal'occultphilosophy here,

          and certainly  an important  part of  the tradition  is the  idea (and

          terms) microcosm and  macrocosm.  The greater  universe, known as  the

          *macrocosm*, includes everything that  exists. It corresponds with the

          *microcosm*, 

          or tiny universe,  ie. man -- who is thought of as a miniature replica

          of the macrocosm (whole universe).  This basic magical relationship is

          demonstrated in the  Bible (Genesis 1.27), where God is the macrocosm;

          and in the  writing of Trismegistus ("As above so  below").  Since man

          is in the image of  God (universe) it follows that God is in the image

          of man  (in other words,  man and the God/universe  match each other).


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          The magician,  as a microcosm  is thus  connected with the  macrocosm.

          There  is an intimate relationship of  energies between you and every-

          thing else.   The universe is reflected within us and we are projected

          into  the universe.  This  is an  important theory  behind  magick and

          astrology. 

           

          MAGICK WHITE AND BLACK 

           

                          'Personalmagick' is thatmagick used toaffect the self;

          often   involving  affirmation,  self-suggestion,  and  self-hypnosis.

          'Active magick'  is outer directed  magick (as in  PK) used to  affect

          someone or thing, or to  bring about an event. 'Passive magick'  is to

          be affected (as in ESP) 

          by an outside non-physical cause. Everyone possesses some magical (and

          psychic)  potential. Some  are especially  gifted. Usually  people are

          better at one kind of magick (ie. active or passive) than they  are at

          the other kind; only rarely does an individual excell at both. Traning

          and practice will, of course, improve ability somewhat.  














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               Although the  forces of magick  are neutral, various  systems may

          take  on the  qualities  of good  and evil.  There is  so-called white

          magick or  good magick, black magick  or evil magick,  and gray magick

          between them. When many people refer  to white magick they mean magick

          for  unselfish purposes, also healing  and mental influence with spec-

          ific permission. By  black magick they refer to magick for self-inter-

          est  and  healing  *without* specific  permission.    Using  magick to

          forcefully control another's  will is, in a  sense, black magick  too.

          There  are also  some people  on the  occult fringe  who claim  to be,

          possibly even think they are,  'Satanists', devil worshipers, or black

          magicians.  These people  are most  likely charlatans,  hoaxters, dab-

          blers, or  merely misinformed. They may  be attracted by the  'art' of

          black magick, or even by the 'glamor' of doing something 

          against  the 'rules'.  But a  real black  magician is  very dangerous.

          Because he  has dedicated his life to evil. We usually think of 'white

          magick' as  having *unselfish intent*,  and (in  the extreme case)  of

          'black magick' as 

          being  actual  Satan worship,  human  or  animal sacrifice,  dangerous

          unconventional magical practices,  and other bizarre stuff  as makes a

          nightmare.  It is  all  a matter  of degree.  Most  mild self-interest

          magick (one of the most  common kinds) would be called 'gray'.  Better

          terms may be 

          *constructive magick*  as being  beneficial; and *aversive  magick* as

          magick  intended to work against the  natural order, and to tear down.


                                           1295



          There is also  the *high magick* of  spiritual alchemy (ie.  spiritual

          growth), also known as 'the Great Work'; and conversely  there is 'low

          magick' which is concerned with materiality.  



                          Any magickactislikelyto producesideeffectsregardlessof

          whether or  not the desired result is achieved.  Such side effects are

          no problem for constructive magick, since they are benificial as well.

          However, aversive magick can  produce aversive side effects  which may

          even harm the magician -- aversive magick is dangerous! 

           






























                                           1296





          MAGICK IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS 

           

                          Whatwe havebeencalling 'magick'is actuallya continuous

          process.  Since your  subconscious  never rests,  your environment  is

          continually  being shifted  into line  with your  model. This  is true

          whether you study  magick or not.  For most  people, these effects are

          usually very subtle, and they are probably not aware of them. However,

          as you work 

          with the occult,  the flow of psychic energy and  your awareness of it

          increases. Your  true will is  more likely  to be strongly  expressed.

          Your luck  may be affected (either  in a positive or  a negative way).

          Remember, our lives tend to follow what we want down deep. That is why

          a positive 

          outlook is so very beneficial to us. 

           





          THE MAGICAL DIARY 

           

                          Sometimes it ishelpful to keep a diary of your magical

          experiments and  research.  Such  a  diary should  include  the  date,

          perhaps even some  astrological data (or anything  else you think  may

          have a relationship to what you are doing).  This is also a  good time


                                           1297



          to begin recording your dreams  -- at least the important ones -- in a

          dream diary. Your dreams 

          can  tell you  a great deal  about yourself, and  may sometimes reveal

          premonitions.  Dreams  are personal.  Don't  fall  for the  commercial

          'dream book' gimmick. 

           

          AFFIRMATIONS 

           

                          Themind is always open to suggestion -- especially the

          subconscious. Most of  the time we censor any suggestions according to

          the model; but one way to break through the censor is with repetition.

          An affirmation does this exactly. By suggestion, we mean any statement

          which is capable of affecting your model. Usually suggestion is in the

          form of a positive statement (such as the hypnotist's patter  -- " You

          are becomming  sleepy"). An affirmation is the same kind of thing -- a

          positive suggestion,  which you repeat  (affirm) to yourself  aloud or

          silently  (for example,  "I  remember my  dreams"). If  there  is some

          quality you wish to change or develope within yourself, an affirmation

          is ideal. Repeat it several times every day at several different times

          throughout the day, 

          expecially when you go to bed. Affirmations are subtle and may require

          a few months to work. Use them for changes, not miracles. 

           

          SIMPLE BANISHING TECHNIQUE 


                                           1298



           

                          Visualizationisanotherimportantmethod weusetoinfluence

          the  subconscious. A  good  example of  this is  the  simple banishing

          technique which  follows. Banishing is  used in  magick to 'clear  the

          air' of negative 'vibes' and interference...  

           

                          Visualize astrong white lightflowing outthe top ofyour

          head,  flowing down  around you  and  covering you.  At the  same time

          imagine  you are  throwing  away any  'problem' vibes.    Maintain the

          visualization for  a half a minute  or longer.   Good way to  help you

          handle your emotions, and to control worry or anger. 

           

          REVIEW QUESTIONS 

           

          1) What is a microcosm? 

          2) List the four worlds. Explain. 

          3) What is an affirmation? Give an example. 



                                        BOOK LIST 

          Geoffry Hodson, Theosophy Answers Some Problems of Life. 

          Marc Edmund Jones, Key Truths of Occult Philosophy. 

          Marion Weinstein, Positive Magic. 

          Nelson & Ann White, The Wizard's Apprentice. 

          Beatrice Bruteau, The Psychic Grid. 


                                           1299



          ======== 

          Phil Hansford, 4/88 

          Mysteria 

          (818) 353-8891 (modem) 

          P.O. Box 83 

          Tujunga, CA 91042 






































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