Recently, I came back into contact with a good friend of mine who I see as the closest thing to a fallen angel as I am ever like to meet. We had some conversation, and in the course of it all I gave out a link to this blog as the newest space where any of my writings live. The Angel asked if I would post a few of my writings from my notebooks, so I have transliterated one of them that seemed to be rather applicable to the thoughts running around my head now. Toward the end of this, I make mention of hoping to find others along the way who will share this path with me. I am quite happy and proud to say that this person, my fallen angel, is one who in their own way walks this path beside me.
I found this one to fit because lately I have been fielding a lot of questions as to what I believe and why. Also, I should note, I am not actually sure exactly when I originally wrote this. The notebook is no older than 2 or 2 and half years, but nothing in it is dated and I do not recall at what point I filled these pages and put it away.
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I have my own reasons for the spiritual seeking that I have undertaken. For the most part, its a desire to be more than I am... To feel as though I am truly making some headway in striving to fulfill a higher purpose to life. The paths I've chosen to walk that have gotten me to where I am now have been many and varied. Honestly though, the path that has had the most influence on me has been that of the magical universe. It started because a part of me has always longed for a world where the sassy mage can throw lightning from her fingertips, or the only wizard in Chicago's Yellow Pages just happens to be a smart-ass. When it comes down to it, do I really believe the feats described in myriad fantasy novels are possible?
Yes and no... I think that at one time, the world was a lot more magical. This was before humankind started to rely on science to explain everything. At that time, I figure that many things were possible because our psyches allowed it to be, but over centuries the human psyche has responded to society and blocks have been put in place subconsciously. This means that today, the feats aren't possible in the way that they were and they need to fit within the current rules imposed by our psyche, which results in the subtle nature of magical work in today's world. Beyond that, I think that those people who have made the effort to push themselves to break those barriers and are probably the only ones capable of feats resembling those more than likely have no desire to perform them.
Think about it, it would take a lot of real work and a focus on something other than the self and the ego in order to raise yourself beyond the point where most of us sit. By the time you got there, you wouldn't have a true desire to do that stuff just to do it. Your focus would be on continuing to grow. This ties in well with the idea of the "Great Work" of Ceremonial Magick. Ultimately the goal of Ceremonial Magick is raising our consciousness to commune with our Higher Self, the Holy Guardian Angel of the Golden Dawn tradition. Now, this is not to say that the techniques and practices of ritual magick can only be used for this purpose. In fact, the techniques and procedures are quite effective at making changes in the world around us, albeit not as flashy as throwing lightning but changes all the same. When it comes down to it, we all have to answer for our actions whether to some higher power or simply having to live with ourselves. Tying this in with the discussion of the Great Work, when you perform a working which achieves an effect on the physical world and at the same time serves to bring you closer to divinity(and thus your Higher Self), then you are moving forward in the Work, whereas when you perform a working that achieves an effect in the physical world but either doesn't serve to elevate you or in some way brings you down(such as by causing needless harm to someone or something) you are not moving forward in the Work. Interestingly enough, this doesn't require that you believe in one deity or another, simply that you acknowledge a higher power and therefore a higher purpose. The techniques work, regardless of "who" you choose to believe in. Although they make use of the various Hebrew names of God, the Names denote various functions or faces of Divinity and not truly a specific deity.
I can easily accept the Cabalistic view of a universe that is both an emanation from within God and therefore a part of him, and at the same time is also seperate from God. Also, it provides a structure to a universe that is otherwise seemingly random and chaotic, and within that structure it provides a road map for spiritual growth and a way to work toward the goal of the Great Work.
Returning to the talk of flashy effects in the physical world, one must ask if people would even be willing to admit to themselves what it is they are seeing. Honestly, I believe that most people exist in a state of "I will see it when I believe it". No, that isn't a mis-print. People can look at something that happens, and then convince themselves that it is whatever happens to fit within their worldview. Therefore, they will see it when they choose to believe it. This is how one person can see something as a miracle and another can pass it off as coincidence.
I choose to see the world as full of miracles and magic. I choose to live in a world where I can aspire to be something more. And in this world, I believe I am not alone. Which brings me to the other main reason I have chosen the paths that led me to the here and now. I feel alone, most of the time. I can be in a crowd of people and still feel that I may be the only one there who sees the world in the way I do or feels the way I do about something. I am so tired of that feeling. So, my hope is that through becoming more unified with my Higher Self, I can find other people who will walk this path with me.
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Just a note, 10 points and a gold star to whoever gets the bit about the wizard in Chicago's Yellow Pages.
Showing posts with label Choice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Choice. Show all posts
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
The Role Of Will and True Will
If a person wishes to reach a goal or to become proficient with something, and then dedicates themselves to a certain amount of practice or to the path that leads to that goal, and these proficiencies and goals also lead them to become a happier and more enlightened person, and thus closer to God, isn't this then a part of their True Will? Perhaps a better starting point for this post is the question, what is Will?
Will is one of the five faculties that our human consciousness can be divided into, the other four being Intellect, Emotion, Imagination, and Memory. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines it as "the faculty by which a person decides on and initiates action", and also as "a deliberate or fixed desire or intention", and "the thing one desires or ordains". Will is integral within the practice of magick, just look at Crowley's definition of magick, "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will." This is why it is important to understand exactly what it is, and how your Will and your True Will can differ. Your True Will is that which comes from your higher self, and ultimately comes down to attainment of unity with your higher(enlightened/fully realized) self and thus with divinity. This is not to say that it is a desire to become a god, but a desire and intention to become one with God regardless of what name or names you may use for Divinity. I fall into the school of thought that everything works within certain levels of vibration. As such, I recognize that if a person does regular meditations and pathworkings that bring them into contact with Divinity, then they will naturally raise their vibrational levels and thus slowly move toward that unity. Which brings us back to my original question, if a person actively seeks a goal which makes them feel happier or more complete and it also serves to make them a more enlightened person then is this not an extension of True Will?
As an example, Joe Snuffy has a goal of playing a musical instrument. When he takes the time to seek out a teacher and sets a certain amount of daily practice time, it shows his devotion to this intent. This is an exercise of his Will. Now, as he practices and plays it makes him happier overall in his life. He is attaining a goal which makes him feel more accomplished, and let's say that at the same time his music offers a different way for him to see the world around him and thus makes him a more enlightened person. In this case, his dedication to learning that instrument was in line with his True Will, which brought him closer to unity with God. Now, let's extend that into the realm of magickal pursuits. Joe wants a better job, and after taking some courses and writing up his resume is still having trouble landing that dream job. He decides to do a spell to help push himself in the right direction. After considering exactly how to do it, he settles on doing a ritual which will help to bring out the qualities in himself that he believes the employers are looking for in that field of work. He does this by creating a talisman that is charged with the energies of a Sphere on the Tree of Life that embodies these qualities. Through this working he must ritually invoke that sphere and its energies which are at a higher vibrational level than our physical world in Malkuth, and as such closer to Divinity. This, then, is a brush with Divinity and as such helps to raise Joe's natural vibrational level. In this case, his working served both his Will to help get that job and his True Will of Unity.
In no way am I saying that magickal acts are the only way to attain that unity, nor am I saying that magick cannot be used for less divine reasons. We all know that our worldy desires do not always have such high aims. I, for one, have used magick for more worldy pursuits and I am sure I am not the only one. Going back to our example, Joe could have chosen simply to do his ritual in order to remove his competition for that job or done a working specifically to bring that job to him instead of bringing out the qualities in him. Am I saying that there is anything wrong or evil in these choices? No, not at all. These are simply other choices that are open to Joe. Ultimately though, it is the paths we choose in order to attain our goals that define who we are and whether or not we become closer to that Unity with God. And, in order to better choose which paths to walk, we must be knowledgeable of our Will and our True Will and where each leads. Sometimes, they will be one and the same and other times they will be vastly different directions.
Will is one of the five faculties that our human consciousness can be divided into, the other four being Intellect, Emotion, Imagination, and Memory. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines it as "the faculty by which a person decides on and initiates action", and also as "a deliberate or fixed desire or intention", and "the thing one desires or ordains". Will is integral within the practice of magick, just look at Crowley's definition of magick, "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will." This is why it is important to understand exactly what it is, and how your Will and your True Will can differ. Your True Will is that which comes from your higher self, and ultimately comes down to attainment of unity with your higher(enlightened/fully realized) self and thus with divinity. This is not to say that it is a desire to become a god, but a desire and intention to become one with God regardless of what name or names you may use for Divinity. I fall into the school of thought that everything works within certain levels of vibration. As such, I recognize that if a person does regular meditations and pathworkings that bring them into contact with Divinity, then they will naturally raise their vibrational levels and thus slowly move toward that unity. Which brings us back to my original question, if a person actively seeks a goal which makes them feel happier or more complete and it also serves to make them a more enlightened person then is this not an extension of True Will?
As an example, Joe Snuffy has a goal of playing a musical instrument. When he takes the time to seek out a teacher and sets a certain amount of daily practice time, it shows his devotion to this intent. This is an exercise of his Will. Now, as he practices and plays it makes him happier overall in his life. He is attaining a goal which makes him feel more accomplished, and let's say that at the same time his music offers a different way for him to see the world around him and thus makes him a more enlightened person. In this case, his dedication to learning that instrument was in line with his True Will, which brought him closer to unity with God. Now, let's extend that into the realm of magickal pursuits. Joe wants a better job, and after taking some courses and writing up his resume is still having trouble landing that dream job. He decides to do a spell to help push himself in the right direction. After considering exactly how to do it, he settles on doing a ritual which will help to bring out the qualities in himself that he believes the employers are looking for in that field of work. He does this by creating a talisman that is charged with the energies of a Sphere on the Tree of Life that embodies these qualities. Through this working he must ritually invoke that sphere and its energies which are at a higher vibrational level than our physical world in Malkuth, and as such closer to Divinity. This, then, is a brush with Divinity and as such helps to raise Joe's natural vibrational level. In this case, his working served both his Will to help get that job and his True Will of Unity.
In no way am I saying that magickal acts are the only way to attain that unity, nor am I saying that magick cannot be used for less divine reasons. We all know that our worldy desires do not always have such high aims. I, for one, have used magick for more worldy pursuits and I am sure I am not the only one. Going back to our example, Joe could have chosen simply to do his ritual in order to remove his competition for that job or done a working specifically to bring that job to him instead of bringing out the qualities in him. Am I saying that there is anything wrong or evil in these choices? No, not at all. These are simply other choices that are open to Joe. Ultimately though, it is the paths we choose in order to attain our goals that define who we are and whether or not we become closer to that Unity with God. And, in order to better choose which paths to walk, we must be knowledgeable of our Will and our True Will and where each leads. Sometimes, they will be one and the same and other times they will be vastly different directions.
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