Being the Setian Art of Priest Kirby

Here are excerpts from an interview with James Kirby that is available at KHPR where it can be listened to in its entirety.

Adams –                   This is KHPR, the Voice of Darkness.  I’m Magister Robert Adams and today we’re going to look at art and culture in Setian Initiation.  With me today I have Priest James Kirby who is an artist within the Temple, who has done some incredible work that we’re going to talk about.  Welcome James!

Kirby –                   Thank you Magister Adams, good to be here.

Adams –                   Now I have seen some of your artwork and I have to say it’s…we have had numerous artists within the Temple but usually they’ll be a painter or sculptor, you kind of do everything.

Kirby –                   Ya that’s a dynamic I developed in my youth where I get bored very quickly with things so I tend to extend my knowledge base of different materials; and it’s basically you’re working with materials whether it’s paint or glass or gemstones or whatever it’s simply another form of material and each one presents a challenge so I enjoy that challenge in my work.

Later Priest Kirby said:

“The ethical side of Setian Initiation demands from me a really strong core of ethics in my dealings with other magicians, with the materials I work with – I used to carve marine ivories a lot and walrus tusks and stuff like that because of where I live you know I’m getting them from hunters and I thought this is ok, these guys are eating these animals.  Well through my work in the Arkte Element I developed a very strong sense of a magical connection to life and to its integrity and I realized that well, I’m not Inuit and I don’t hunt these animals and I have no right to carve them.   And so I stopped.  It was a major part of my business at the time and I just dropped it, right as soon as I understood that aspect of what I was doing it ended.  I could not carve…to this day I cannot carve marine ivories anymore, I just won’t do it.  So those ethics are extremely well embedded in my work.  And that goes again, having people buy artwork like that, having people from the south buy marine ivories; they have no idea what they’re doing or what they’re getting and no respect for that.  They’re just…because I have money I can buy that.  Well ya, you can do that with a lot of things and you can watch your world go away too, because that’s what will happen.”

Aleister Crowley’s White Stains: Pornographic Occult Poetry

as Shadow Confrontation and Cathartic Liberation.

By Lloyd K. Keane

Pornography has had a tendency to be thought of as marginal, seedy and deviant, yet it can also be seen as a natural result of a collectively repressed sexual shadow. This bifurcated state is similarly present in the Oxford Concise English dictionary definition of pornography in which eroticism and raw sex are separated from notions of beauty and aesthetics. This paper shall look at Aleister Crowley’s pornographic work White Stains as a form of shadow confrontation and psychological catharsis. From the perspective of the theories of analytical psychology, confronting those unconscious aspects of our psyche is a necessary prerequisite for self-development. Part of this confrontation can be accomplished by analysing the seemingly rigid separation of pornography and aesthetics and sex and divinity until they are blurred and ultimately broken. As we shall see, the pornographic poetry contained within this work can be seen as reflective of a process of psycho/spiritual liberation.

The paper may be downloaded here for free.

Download all of Lloyd Keane’s papers.

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On Life, Self and Initiation

by Markku Ensio Siira

As is often the case with works of art, the most fascinating, compelling and powerful individuals are those who somehow always defy easy categorization. One way or the other, they live permanently outside of convention and seem to gain great inner strength from it, as if having deificated their very selves because of this. While subject to all kind of controversy, the best of them still manage to stay beyond the pale and never enter the ranks of the lunatic fringe or become social pariahs. Luckily I have the pleasure of knowing several such delightfully ”disturbing figures” and have been described as one myself.

From this perspective, what it is that really makes life worthwhile? Let’s leave out the usual answers related to love, relationships, family, children, friends, career and such. Although I am very sympathetic to a certain kind of conservatism, my deepest and abiding interests remain in this psychic, personal realm, which might make me seem very selfish in the eyes of the many. Nevertheless, let’s go deeper, into these dark, unknown recesses of the psyche.

If I leave out the usual human concerns and shared needs, what has made my life truly worthwhile so far is what can be called the initiatory way of life. Initiation, in my vocabulary, doesn’t just refer to some traditional rites of passage, but is a path to, and of, the Self and an alignment with what I perceive to be ”the Holy”. The initiation, in this sense, is a life-long process where the strength of one’s consciousness, one’s inner essence, is made to grow and develop, gradually becoming the ruling element in one’s life that has a profound (”magical”) effect in everything.

What is needed, though, is a certain stubborness and persistently felt certainty regarding the utmost importance of this way of life, and adherence to a few underlying principles. This is not the place to go into exact details, but I can say that it has led me to conduct my whole life in a certain way, and seek out self-altering, esoteric experiences far beyond the expected (all this without drugs, children). Through this kind of ”Work”, which still continues, I have tapped into the mysterious forces that have not only made my life awe-inspiring and powerful, but have awakened me to inner and outer world(s) far more magical than what the mere five senses can show.

But this kind of way of life certainly doesn’t suit everyone. However, even when seen from the more general perspective, for life to be meaningful, I believe it must be lived with razor sharp consciousness, as if really on the edge, in a bipolar fashion revelling both in its lowest and highest aspects. I don’t mean you can just carelessly ”do whatever you like and to hell with the rest”, but there is nothing to be gained by submitting to whims and dictates you really can’t adhere to in your daily life. I recall it was the old English gent and eccentric, magician and artist, Austin Osman Spare, who said that “only the lawless are free”.

However, I must stress that all this must be done in the spirit of committed absolutism, not relativism: all paths don’t lead to this same destination, and too many compromises may easily destroy the whole process, leaving you a powerless wreck tossed in the wind to whatever direction. Again, from the initiatory perspective, when you have gone beyond that certain point and awe-inspiringly know your true course, it would be downright suicidal to turn back and try leading a different, perhaps more conventional life.

In the end you may find out that by this perseverance and adherence to positive individualism, you have also achieved the kind of inner strength and character that can defy even physical mortality and continue to thrive and live on, in some mysterious way and form, at one with both the Sacred and the Soul.

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Markku Ensio Siira (b. 1971) lives in Finland. He has studied Northern European mythology, history and esoteric runology since the mid-1990’s. He is the author of Riimujen viisaus (written under the pen name Ensio Kataja, published by Athanaton, 2005) and Wihailag: Runes of Initiation and Mastery (self-published, 2009, and featured by Runa-Raven Press). Markku is currently working on a new book of poetry.

The Impulse of Mystery

by Markku Ensio Siira

There is a certain sense of Mystery, that has had a peculiar presence throughout my life, and which I have sensed and even tried to consciously strengthen and re-experience yet again. However, for the most part, this Mystery has appeared not when I have wished, but in its own time and in its own terms, when really needed. This sensing of Mystery has led to a life of seeking, which again has strengthened my understanding of  the basic impulse, the initiatory ‘red thread’, as well as honing some basic principles and practises that I have followed. However, for the Initiatory path to be true, it must not be something that is entirely man-made or born out of someone’s personal philosophy and theoretizing. Hence the need for the authentic Tradition.

This is were things get tricky. For some people (or for many, actually), any kind of belief in the supernatural, or in the demanding esoteric disciplines, is difficult to accept or follow after the initial enthusiasm. They are comfortable with these things only on a more theoretical level, and mainly as a some kind of aesthetic lifestyle choice. Ironically, this purely theoretical and aesthetical appreciation is also the reason why they often end up feeling that something is wrong, and ultimately can’t be satisfied with their choices. Yet because of this superficializing or “naturalizing” of religion or mysticism, they can’t develop on their path. In other words, they end up circling around the mountain instead of climbing it. From their limited perspective, they can’t recognize the basic impulse, see the red thread, in the lives and initiatory quest of others, as they are swayed by the  inessentials and surface issues. If we pursue the mountain climbing metaphor, those who are nearer the peak, no matter what their cultural or religious background, understand what is meant here, because they have seen that after a certain point, the outer differences are not as apparent as in the lower down.

Even though I have my own ideas, principles, and as postmoderns would say, ‘paradigm’, I can recognize the earnest seeking, depth and authenticity in certain people even when their paths differ from mine. I can readily admit I may think they have mistaken, or follow something that doesn’t lead to the same summit, but nevertheless there are expections. At times the true path may be found after a long time spent wandering around without real direction. As J.R.R. Tolkien affirmed, “not all those who wander are lost”. For those wanderers, I raise my glass, and hope they will find their way. I think we all will, eventually, some sooner and others later, so there is no reason for desperation. However, those who are dissatisfied with their lives, who feel that ‘something is not right’, I recommend to continue the search. Sometimes, the thing they are really looking for, is already encoded in their blood and being.

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Markku Ensio Siira (b. 1971) lives in Finland. He has studied Northern European mythology, history and esoteric runology since the mid-1990’s. He is the author of Riimujen viisaus (written under the pen name Ensio Kataja, published by Athanaton, 2005) and Wihailag: Runes of Initiation and Mastery (self-published, 2009, and featured by Runa-Raven Press). Markku is currently working on a new book of poetry.

The following is presented as an historical document.

Michael Kelly’s works are available in the USA and Internationally.

Keys of Darkness: Enochian Black Magic

An Interview with Michael Kelly

by Leon D. Wild

1. Any relation to Edward Kelly?

Unfortunately not, but if ever I father a son, there are no prizes for guessing what his name would be!

2. How have you studied Enochian magic?

By referring to Dee’s own records. There has been so much rubbish appended to the Enochian system over the years, such as pyramids with Tarot attributions, etc.

To break down the system into a few basic steps:

i] The Call of the Thirty Aethyrs can be used to visit in sequence the various parts of the psyche, calling forth the Hidden dimensions of Self. Through repetition of such Work an integration of Self is effected. Future Work with the Aethyrs can create a resonance between the inner and outer worlds, thereby Magical Change can be wrought.

ii] Learn by heart the Enochian Keys (neither a swift nor a painless process, but a rewarding one): (a) In learning the English Keys, we can approach an Understanding of Dee’s original Work, and can penetrate the Mysteries that lie behind his J/C phraseology. Setians have the record of the _Word of Set_ Working as a considerable aid in this regard. (b) In learning the Enochian version of the Keys, more attention can be applied to discovering the sonic Keys of the system, the sequences of sounds which stimulate the psyche in certain precise ways.

iii] Study of the Enochian alphabet is important. Those bizarre letters can be studied in a manner similar to the Runestaves. Unlike the Runes, whose Mysteries are angular, the Enochian letters are hooked and serpentine. The combinations of shape / sound / number are interesting and revealing.

Numerology is also a Key, the Enochian system is based around the number seven.

The above steps constitute a Work which I cannot presume to have completed. It is a curriculum which will occupy even the most fervent student for years, without recourse to “pyramid squares”, Enochian chess, Tarot and Cabalistic symbolism. This can all be done with the bare bones which we possess of the pure Enochian system. To my way of thinking; the purer the system, the purer the results.

3. How reliable / usable is Anton LaVey’s translations of the Enochian Keys in the “Satanic Bible”?

As a reliable guide to the serious study of Enochian Magic, the _Satanic Bible_ Keys don’t rank very highly. The Enochian version is corrupt, consisting of an amended copy of Crowley’s supposedly “phonetic” version of the Calls. Experience has shown, however, that the most sublime method of pronouncing Enochian is to say it as it was written, complete with tongue- twisting conglomerates of consonants. It is surprising how it all glides together, and a slight sibilance of speech aids the pronunciation of Enochian admirably. The most perfect rendition of the Keys, as recorded by Dee, on public sale is in _The Enochian Magick of Dr. John Dee_ by Geoffrey James, published by Llewellyn.

LaVey’s English version of the Keys is actually closer to the mark, although on the surface it would appear to have been greatly altered. You see, LaVey did actually try to get to the bottom of the spirit of what lay behind the Keys, and his stirring Satanic rendition is actually very puissant.

In terms of usability, LaVey’s Keys get results — and good ones — if you’re interested in using Enochian as another string on your bow, and not seriously researching the roots of the system.

4. Do you consider Enochian an artificial language? How does this view affect your study?

Enochian is certainly artificial, it is a jargon, not a language. It seems to be based upon Latin, having 21 letters as does the Latin alphabet (this has led to some amusing diversions in recent years, as certain occultists hypothesize a “missing” letter to make Enochian synchronize with Hebrew; this difficulty simply does not arise when realizing that it is derived from Latin, a language with which Dee was very skilled, and a far more obvious one for him to use, as in the time of the Renaissance it — not Hebrew — was generally regarded as sacred). Many of the Enochian words are readily recognizable parodies of other tongues when looked at carefully.

How does this affect the study of the system? Basically, Dee received a series of messages from a supernatural Being who I maintain was the Prince of Darkness. His interest was in languages, codes and cyphers, so it was only natural that his psyche should interpret this incoming data as a “new” language. Having once done so, it is understandable that he should maintain the use of that language for three reasons: [1] it had worked for him already, and could be presumed to do so again; [2] it suited his aesthetic sensibilities; [3] it concealed the meaning of the message, and was some protection against the stake. This does not invalidate the message or the Magic. Those who find the values of the sounds and symbols beautiful can — and do — use them today just as effectively as Dee did them.

5. How does the Black Magical study and practice of Enochian differ from RHP magicians?

As with all Magic, the main difference is only really one of intent. The RHP practitioner will try to evaporate the Self by convincing him/herself of having achieved a state of union with some vague “cosmic wholeness”, which in the case of Enochian they presume to be lurking around in the Aethyrs.

The Black Magician views the Aethyrs as tools for invoking and shaping the various facets of the precious gem which is the isolate Self. The other tools of the Enochian system are used to forge psychic gateways whereby that Self may Work its Will in the world.

6. Is the history of John Dee, the first Enochian magician, relevant to the study of Enochian?

Absolutely! In order to fully appreciate the source and roots of Enochian Magic, it is necessary to understand the man through whose Work it was shaped. And make no mistake, contrary to the opinion that Dee was a gullible fool who was led on a merry dance by Edward Kelly, it was most definitely Dee who was the guiding Magician. This is strikingly obvious from the records. Dee was a genius, probably the greatest scholar of his time, and a man who was as much a ‘doer’ as a ‘thinker’. His Work reshaped the face of the world in fundamental ways, both politically and philosophically. So a study of Dee’s world and times is as necessary as a study of Dee.

Anybody who wants to really get anywhere with any type of Magic is going to have to put a lot of research and hard work into it. The quick, fast’n'dirty Magical cookbook recipes dished out in so many texts today are going to leave a lot of people very disappointed, wandering in vague circles. Magic — like Life — isn’t like that.

7. How does the actual script of Enochian aid in its magical practice?

The shapes of the characters are very important in unlocking many of the Enochian Keys. Enochian is a system with a lot of ‘names’. These are not names of various spirits to be invoked, etc. They’re not detailed enough for that type of sorcery, and Dee wasn’t that type of Magician. These names are formulae, which can be used much as a Rune Magician would use the ALU formula. These formulae are unlocked, Understood and applied through an affinity for their sonic qualities, and also the twistings and writhings suggested by the letters composing them. Once the qualities of these shapes and sounds have been internalized, the utterance of these formulae awakens the appropriate parts of the psyche to effect the desired Magic.

8. Are the Enochian calls arranged in a particular order? How are they explored? Are they used for specific magical aims?

The order is extremely important. The first Eighteen calls represent a message from the Prince of Darkness to the Self- aware beings of this world. The development and import of this message is best explored by learning the Calls by heart in the manner I suggested earlier. The Nineteenth Key, that of the Aethyrs, is an invocation which can be used to develop and integrate the psyche whose origins and survival is the subject of the calls.

Anton LaVey suggested specific magical uses for each of the Keys, and this is a perfectly appropriate use for them to reinforce any Black Magical Working. The recitation of an appropriate call for a given purpose is perfectly valid.

9. What is your vision of the future of Enochian Black Magic?

I see a gradually increasing number of earnest Black Magicians taking up Enochian Magic and finding themselves delighting in the purity and simplicity of its original form. I believe these numbers will increase, and will hopefully prove an effective antidote to some of the appalling books on Enochian Magic which are on sale today.

For myself, my Work lies in continuing to represent the Work of John Dee, and that should keep me busy for many years to come.

The Spell which Dee cast upon the world centuries ago echoes still, and now I add my voice to his with the call *I Reign Over Ye…*

Listen to Saturnin Sektor Music here

This is somewhat old news, but I wanted to make a few observations on the reports that computer music pioneer Paul Lansky has ended that facet of his career and turned exclusively to “writing for real people”.

Lansky is one of those composer’s composers; that is, he is not nearly so well-known among the general listening public as he is among those who create computer-based music themselves.  Well, at least the general listening public don’t necessarily know they’re listening to him, as his most widely heard piece was embedded in the song “Idioteque” on Radiohead’s Kid A (the Lansky piece itself borrows a theme from Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde”, but I digress).

The change in approach and aesthetic by Lansky was reported in the New York Times in August of 2008, by Daniel J. Wakin.  The changes are Lansky’s right as an artist, of course (and I’m fairly sure he’d agree that the integrity of his artistic vision is not dependent on the exact choice of medium), but the way the story was reported by Wakin serves to create many subtle and not so subtle ‘digs’ at composers who continue to find computer-based music to be vibrant and viable.

Lansky had a hand in developing the Cmix variant of the various Music-N computer music languages. (See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MUSIC-N for more info).  The uses of algorithmic composition available to any computer music language could use some dispelling of misinformation.

When a composer for acoustic instruments composes, he applies his own sense of aesthetics in terms of pitch choice, rhythmic and harmonic elements, etc.  Basically, he has some criteria, whether formalized or not, that he uses to develop the piece. He may go purely by “feel”, until he arrives at something he finds satisfactory, or he may apply strict rules to it (traditional cadences, the twelve-tone or serial approach, etc.), or anywhere in between.

Composing with algorithmic techniques is no different.  With algorithmic composition, a set of rules is created that dictate either strictly or loosely the initial parameters of the composition.  But, and this is key, the composer still must apply his own sense of aesthetics in terms of pitch choice, rhythmic and harmonic elements, etc. The algorithm may create the first rendition of the work, but the composer must still decide if it is any good.  The common misconception that computer-aided composition can only create sterile, lifeless pieces of music must be eradicated.

This inherent misconception that computer-assisted music composition is necessarily completely devoid of humanity is implicit throughout Wakin’s article, with the additional implication that Lansky is to be applauded not for making a personal artistic choice, but for returning to the realm of the humans and forsaking the machines.

One quote requires particular mention:

“His [Lansky's] conversion, in a sense, is a relinquishing of the need to control, the rejection of what he called an antisocial bent. What drives many creators of computer music is the desire to have total mastery over how a piece of music sounds.”

The broad assertion that many computer musicians only create such music out of the “need for control” is ludicrous.

In my experience most composers drawn to computer music are interested in creating music that is simply not possible to perform, whether because of its complexity or intricacy, or because of the desire not to mimic existing sounds but to create entirely new sounds.  Many of the more interesting techniques (granular synthesis, non-linear synthesis, phase vocoding, etc.) are simply not possible outside of the digital realm.  Of course one must strive for a high degree of mastery over the sound, as it would not come into being otherwise.  This is far beyond the mere leaving to the performer such choices as vibrato, dynamics, phrasing.

I have nothing but respect for Lansky for responding to his Muse, and for going where She needs for both of them to go.  But, to imply that all computer-based music is nothing more than a versificator (
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versificator ) in fancy dress betrays a complete ignorance on Wakim’s part of the nature of this still vibrant and evolving art form.

Find all of Ristandi’s Posts

In celebration of the high festival of Eostre, and the lusty stirrings of Spring, I just uploaded a new audio lecture/workshop to the digital downloads section here at edred.net.   This is a much updated and expanded version of an afternoon workshop I gave back in Los Angeles on Valentine’s Day 2008.

Germanic Love Magic and Erotic Sorcery is a complete audio workshop focusing on this most stimulating area of traditional Germanic magic! We’ll look closely at historical and mythic traditions of erotic sorcery and examine their traditional cultural and ethical contexts. We’ll examine a variety of love charms, omens, and rituals drawn from folk tradition and from textual sources like the 16th century Scandinavian grimoires or galdrabækur. We will explore ways to draw upon these various streams of lore, to enrich and better understand our lives and loves in the contemporary world.

This workshop contains over an hour-and-a-half of audio lecture, together with extensive handouts in .pdf format.   For more detailed information, check here…

Enjoy!

:RtR:

Ristandi

Read all of Chris Travers’ (Einhverfr) posts at:

http://edred.net/community/members/16/blog.php

One of the most transformative realizations I made when I was a Learner in the Rune Gild over a decade ago was the idea that the discussion of Yggdrassil in Voluspa was closely tied to the creation of the first man from the ash tree. Leaving aside the legitimate problem with translating “embla” for the moment, my own view is that this is a gender-neutral metaphore.

What this means is that the Self isn’t just a tree. The Self is the World Tree. As we grow, we become more aware of this identification, and the barrier between the external and internal worlds becomes somewhat thin and porous and a deep realization of essential unity between oneself and everything else develops. The mask that was the self is annihilated and a greater sense of self breaks through.

Whether we want to call this self-annihilation or divine union, or whether we want to call it self-deification is a matter of language and metaphor. The experience can be understood and discussed in both ways.

Rather than discuss this experience further (discussion is impossible beyond a very basic level) I would like to offer thoughts about what this means in terms of magical ethics. We have all heard a lot of sophomoric moralizing in magical circles. These rules are like crutches. They help beginners avoid trouble but they must be abandoned as progress is made, lest they become more of a burden than a help.

The basic problem is that the Self is not separate from anything else. Acting out of greed or unbalanced malice not only hurts others, but by extension it hurts the Self. This doesn’t mean that we cannot or should not use magic for our own benefit, nor does it mean we should never curse our enemies and cause them harm. However all of these things must be reflected in a larger order which structures both the Self and the world.

For example, a nidhing pole might produce a desired result (removing a problematic person from one’s presence) in any number of ways. The working will usually work in the way which has the least resistance, and this is not something the magician will always know beforehand. Ways that it could work could range from the target being arrested and imprisoned to getting a job offer elsewhere and moving across the country in order to make more money. All in all, we should be open to such “curses” benefitting as well as harming the target.

Similarly, where problem individuals are creating repeated problems for many, striking them magically can be the best way forward. A good way to think of this is that being cut open with a knife is painful and harmful, but sometimes (for example as a part of a necessary surgery), the harm is a necessary precursor to healing.

Where there is a deep-seated identification of the Self with the World Tree, it becomes very difficult to do intentionally anything which is truly harmful. A deep understanding that everyone and everything in one’s life is representative not only of external circumstances but internal state and needs creates an different perspective through which both “beneficial” and “harmful” magic are viewed and these can then be put in their proper place.

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Let’s face it. We all have issues and insecurities. We all imagine that some things in life will be worse than they are, and it is all too easy to get bound by these fears. The problem is that these fears are dangerous where magic is concerned.

Back in the mid to late 1990’s, I observed that people tend to find themselves in situations which they deeply fear. I wrote an article that was published in Rune Kevels and on Runegild.org (it isn’t there anymore) entitled “Dagaz and the Paradox of Opposites.” I theorized at the time that we could not visualize a negative, so we would attract ourselves specifically to what we fear. When done unconsciously, however, this just exacerbates the problem. More recently I read “Practical Sigil Magic” by Frater U.: D.: and noted he made a similar observation with the use of words like “no” or “not” in sigils. He published well before I did, so in addition to offering him credit on this, I would also thank him for validating my own independant observation.

When we find ourselves unconsciously attached to situations we fear, the first reaction is often to use magic to “make it all go away.” This usually backfires because the focus is on the fearsome situation and not on a proper resolution. The only way to “make it all go away” is to turn and face the fear directly. This is why the second clause in my motto is “and be not afraid of shadows.”

Magic and magical growth require both self honesty and courage. Without self-honesty, there can be no valid measure of internal progress. Without courage, our fears and insecurities will destroy us. This is one of the major reasons why many magician spend a lot of time breaking inhibitions, but the fear of inhibition itself can be just as dangerous.

Thus rather than focusing on inhibitions, I like to tell people to focus on fears and worries, and to overcome them. There is little that can happen in life that is so terrible that our imagination cannot make it worse. Often times we are afraid less of reality than we are of shadows created by our own imagination.

The first stage in this process is to internalize what I just said: “There is little that can happen in life that is so terrible that our imagination cannot make it worse.” Thus we can focus on what things are, not what we might imagine to be possible outcomes. Then we can let go of fears and worries and focus on constructive steps to take.

The second stage is to begin to focus on some images of power (runestaves, for example) which can be useful in producing constructive outcomes. This is not successful when we are attached to fear and worry. We must let go of this first. Then magic and inner work can both be quite helpful in resolving the issues.

The third stage is to begin to analyze our fears in terms of why we think we Need them. Often times, this allows for very rapid and positive transformation and a permanent resolution to the problematic circumstances we find ourseles in.

The next episode will cover “Seek the Darkness.”

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An acorn falls from an oak. A squirrel buries it in the earth and later forget about it. An archetype is born for human growth. In this episode I will explore the need for seeking the darkness as a first step in magical growth as well as how this changes as we grow.

The acorn, burried and forgotten, is nourished by the moist soil. Over tme, the moisture removes obstacles in the acorn that prevent it from germinating, and the acorn absorbs moisture. In the darkness of the earth, roots begin to go down further, seeking the darkness below.

Many esoteric schools today jump ahead to the “neophyte” stage. This is a mistake as spiritual growth begins before that stage with the germination of the seed. This misguided focus, IMO, is due to a fear of darkness which is prevalent in most occult schools today.

In the beginning, the new seedling even before it has its first leaves (i.e. becomes a “neophyte”) must seek nourishment and stability in the darkness of the earth below. At this stage, seeking the darkness is merely a matter of seeking the past, understanding and internalizing tradition, and so forth. It also involves being continuously on guard against imagined dangers as explained yesterday and developing the strength and courage to cultivate an intinct of turning to face fears.

As we grow, however, and well past the “neophyte” stage, we can never stop doing any of these things. Inevitably they lead us to darker elements of the tradition. We may seek to experience initiatory death, begin to work magically with the monsters below, work acts of necromancy, and the like. However these things should be put off initially because growth must be balanced (the other side will be discused tomorrow).

In my earlier Hermeticism days, I used to do a fair bit of goetia, and I even did this for friends of mine. I found that many other Hermeticists were frightened of this sort of work, but at the same time, I also found answers to their concerns when comparing Assagioli’s psychotherapy manuals and the older grimoires (including, in particular, the Grimorium Verum– I have an old Ars Obscura limited edition). I found those who were deeply involved in Hermetic schools were unwilling to entertain the idea that summoning demons could be healthy, but that those who had not were generally willing to accept my views. Invariably I still hold that summoning angels, from a Hermetic viewpoint, is more dangerous than summoning demons.

My approach at that time was that one looked for a demon which represented a part of oneself that had one’s own drives that had become misdirected (i.e. it was what Assagioli calls a subconscious complex which has subtle differences from Freud’s definition). One would then summon the demon representing that complex and ensure it would set things right. The basis of this view made it into my book in the discussion about dwarves and Alvismal, though the connection here is all the more supportable by lore than it is with goetic demons.

If each one of us is a World Tree, than anything below the waves or below ground exists also in what Assagioli calls the “subconscious” (this is quite different from Freud’s concept with the same name). Seeking them out, turning them to service, etc. is a key element of prolonged inner working.

The growth of the roots is necessary for stability as branches reach higher. This growth must be begun even before the new leaves break the surface of the soil and must continue throughout the magician’s life.

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A tree does not only live by its roots. The leaves, reaching upwards towards the shining sun provide an important second form of nourishment. In this final portion, I discuss why it is not enough to focus on the darkness below and why we should also grow tall and strong like trees.

After the roots are becoming established, the tree begins to send up its first leaves. At first, the required material come solely from within, as the seed slowly digests itself. However, soon, the leaves begin to absorb sunlight and use this, not the stored food in the seed, to power the growth. When the leaves begin to reach the surface, we might call the individual a “neophyte” (meaning “new leaf” in Greek). This is not the first stage of growth. Many things had to come before it.

At this point, if roots are not well developed, a number of problems can arise. People with poorly developed or ingrown roots tend to become delusional and unstable, and may pose dangers to themselves or others. At the same time, focusing only on the roots is not much better. Consequently one must also embrace the nature of the Tree and grow upwards to the heavens and the shining sun as well.

Seeking the light is also important because it is only the nourishment that both comes from the leaves and the roots that can, together, sustain a tree. Fungi, etc. which live on decaying matter can survive without light but a tree cannot.

Growth upward can be characterized by a number of types of work across traditions. These include:

* Work towards ideals and idealism and to make the world the way we believe it should be.
* Working with gods and goddesses, and emulating them in ways other than initiation (since this usually involves more darkness than light).
* Nourishing virtues like truth and honor within the self.
* Working with tutelary, celestial spirits (in the Runic tradition, the Valkyrie is a good example of such a spirit).
* Seeking spiritual breakthroughs of the sort Assagioli describes as belonging to the Superconscious

In the beginning, in the Runic tradition simple blots (of the “bloodless” variety)[1] and sumbels are sufficient to begin this process. Additional work on forming one’s own ideals of self, work towards achieving those ideals, etc.

As we deveop, however, additional work with gods and goddesses, valkyries, etc, as we develop our own inspiration and our senses of spiritual beauty and compassion, we begin to grow taller and stronger.

There is a Quaker hymn, the last verse captures some of this:

There’s an ocean of darkness and I drowned in the night
Till I came through the darkness to the ocean of light
And the light is forever, and the light it is free!
And I’ll walk in the glory of the light, said he.

Interestingly when George Fox (the founder of Quakerism) was in prison after one of his frequent arrests, the guards said of him, that he was like a tall tree, and they could not break him. I contend that the metaphore there is apt and tells us something of what we should be aiming for.

That strength does not develop when focusing only on darkness. The light deserves attention too. Over time, mystical experiences, as a result of ascetic approaches, will occur to practitioners. If the roots are properly set in the darkness below, those will result in very positive transformations and strength. If not they will result in delusions and insecurity.

I began this series by looking at the the mystical experience as transcending divine union and self-deification. Now it is time for some more notes in this regard.

The Hindus traditionally have believed that there is no substantial difference between divine union and self-deification, that the first leads to the second. The Upanishads talk about meditations where one seeks to identify with various natural phenominon: “See the lightening? That is what you are!” The goal of Hindu spirituality is divine union, via the Atman, or self, realizing that it IS the Brahman, or All. When this happens, the personality is not lost and does not die. Illusions about the self are annihilated, however, and immortality is gained. (Despite my previous comments on Quakers, there is little in Quaker tradition interpreting divine expience in anything more than the most mundane ways, such as “clearness.”)[2]

The idea that the World Tree is the Self, if accepted, places Runic mysticism into a framework similar to Upanishadic Hinduism, where the goal is to eventually become everything and through this divine union, achieve self-deification. Naturally there are differences in how cycles of life and death are perceived. Natually there are differences in how the gods are perceived. However, the structure of the goal of the mystical path strikes me as the same despite the substantial differences in tradition.

Ultimately one cannot go into the detail of the workings of light as easily as those of darkness because they aren’t as systematic. One seeks peak experiences (in Maslow’s terms) or superconscious breakthroughs (of the sort Assagioli describes) through working with the system and reaching towards the Gods in the way one might reach towards an elder sibling or an uncle.

While magic as a whole is a discipline which depends on the dark half, a greater balance can be had with meditative/ascetic work and these feed eachother in ways which are not immediately obvious at the outset. If we focus on the light after our roots are established, and while still focusing on the darkness, we can be greater than we ever can be if we neglect this stop.

This is not a matter of being between the darkness and the light, it is a matter of spanning them, lifting up the cosmos, and pushing back the unknown so that there is more just beyond what we can see. It is a matter of interalizing the basic knowledge that everything external to us is also internal and that there is a fundamental unity which each of us is not a mere part of but IS that unity in its entirity.

Yet the fear of darkness can obscure that unity as well if the roots are not well established. For example, the most coercive love-magic has, at its core, the essential identity of the magician and the target; the idea that as the magician feels, so the target can be made to feel. As distasteful as this may be to many modern magicians, this represents a fundamental teaching of unity. In its proper place, it could even be quite restorative and beneficial.[3] The modern objection to magic of coertion has less to do with unpleasant consequences than it does with the illusion that the target is a fully autonomous individual entirely separate from the magician. In reality, the two are more closely connected.

The paradox is that we all ARE separate and yet unified. We are all autonomous and yet heavily conditioned in a web of needs and actions which we have little conscious control over at first. Similarly more unification doesn’t mean less separation nor does more separation mean less unification. The vast penumbra of identity and consciousness can become even more vast and in this the paradox can be solved.

One important final thought is that the final element that binds all this together is the mystery of lighting the fire through resistance– the mystery of the need fire– the work as an act of will. This is what allows the leaves to break through. As we become strong and tough and focused through the exercise fo will and work the light will shine on our branches.

[1] I don’t object to full out blood sacrifice where the animal is eaten. However these take a fair bit of skill and training both to ensure it is properly done and done according to the tradition. Making the animal suffer is a bad thing.

[2] Although Quakerism is best seen as a sect of Christianity due to the fact that the New Testiment is the basis for Quaker thought, it is almost entirely outside the Nicene tradition and is best described as a “gnostic” group because faith is seen as based on mystical experience, not on creed. Only experience can bring knowledge in this way. Quakers take this gnosticism to an extreme I haven’t seen anywhere else in avoiding analyzing the experience or approach. For example, mystical experiences are often called “openings” in Quaker parlance, and are accompanied by “clearness.” However “union with God” or “apotheosis” are entirely absent from Quaker writings.

[3] See “The Constraints of Eros” by John Winkler, in “Magika Hiera” edited by Faorone and Obbink. There are real problems with coercive magic especially where powerful emotions like unrequited love are involved, but in my opinion, these stem from inadequate self-knowledge than from simple, formulaic rules. Nevertheless, there are few things worse than a long-term, hopeless, unrequited feeling of love and longing for someone and I think it is possible to address the topic responsibly. This being said, it is not for beginners or for those who haven’t acheived a strong sense of inward ethics, balance, and stability.

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Chris Travers is the author of “The Serpent and the Eagle”, available from Runa-Raven Press:

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