The Magus’s Faith
It is well known that faith — absence of doubt — is an important condition for attainment. At the same time, for the Magus, a critical attitude is extremely important.
We have already discussed one aspect of this dilemma — the importance of faith in oneself.
Let us now consider the place of faith in the life of the Magus in a broader sense.
Should a Magus believe in Magic? Does faith help on the Way?
First, let us clarify the very concept of faith. It includes two distinct aspects — a psychological one and a religious one. Psychologically, faith is “acceptance of something as true without recourse to facts or logic, based solely on an inner (subjective) conviction that needs no proof, although it sometimes seeks evidence.” Religiously, it is trust in one’s god (gods), confidence that he (they) are benevolent and know better what a person (an individual) needs. One can believe in God in the universe psychologically and yet not believe in God in the religious sense.
In any case — faith is a search for support for the individual, and sometimes the creation of such support. In fact, Magic largely amounts to finding supports, levers, and foundations for action; yet Magic never relies on faith — it embodies a deeply pagan conviction in the overriding importance of experience.
Still, the important question remains — will there be a difference in the effectiveness of a magical operation when the Magus believes in the outcome and when he does not believe in it?
Experience shows that faith does not significantly contribute to achieving results. In other words, one who believes in the outcome will be ready to accept as the outcome things that are not, and therefore may be under the impression that the result has occurred.
Far more important is the purity of intention: no matter how strong the faith, if the intention is imperfect it prevents any magical effect, and conversely — when the intention is pure, unbelief will not reduce its effectiveness.
But everyone knows that faith can work miracles! And that is indeed true. Only such faith is based on appealing to powers that lie outside the psychocosm, to a god or gods, and it leaves God no choice. It tempts and tests Him by forcing Him to choose: whether to grant or refuse. In that sense faith enables the believer to accomplish the impossible. The same goes for the placebo effect — only in that case the external support is illusory, yet from the individual’s standpoint the power to bring about the effect still lies outside them.
In other words, the power of faith is the power of “displaced responsibility” — “let God decide for me; He knows best.”
Accordingly, for the Magus to believe in a ritual’s efficacy means to relieve himself of some responsibility, to try to replace his own responsibility by invoking “higher powers,” often without even realizing it. Faith is an irrational form of reasoning. It is a wager on “suprarational” intelligence; it gives the individual an opportunity to evade an unconditional moral decision.
The object of faith should not become a basis for calculation, a reference by which the individual could pre-check one’s actions. In practical action the Magus must rely entirely on the ‘laws’ within himself. Faith as a basis for choice corrupts the purity of moral motive.
The highest manifestation of the Magus’s inner strength is Stoic courage in a situation whose hopelessness he recognizes (“a struggle without hope of success”). But for the believer this stance is simply unavailable, because he cannot help hoping that “god” (or any other external agent) is capable of allowing the impossible, and at the same time also fears it will not occur. Faith itself prevents him from inner purity of motive.
Thus the only kind of faith admissible for the Magus is faith in himself and his Way. Only in this way does he not seek help from “benevolent” forces, only in this way does he neither hope for victory nor fear defeat; only in this way does he find support within himself.
The last sentence combines very uniquely with the last illustration:)
🙂 this is Magic
And I think the same :))))))))))
Faith works miracles… killing magic. Yes, all miracles are in the hands of our Lord, and other miracles are just one sin and nothing more. However, believers are ideally truly happy people, until they start judging 🙂 As for the faith of a mage… one can lose faith in oneself, and lose faith in the path… All of this is like shells around a person, types of reality in which there is faith in oneself or a lack of faith in oneself. Although such impartiality is more a choice of a stalker, other, less flexible people still need points of support. For me, one thing is clear: without impeccable attitude towards oneself and one’s reality, faith will waver; it will be influenced by some internal or external forces, and therefore any faith can fall. And why is faith immediately seen as shifting responsibility? I believe that the essence of faith is the manifestation of love.
How would you comment on the opinion that God’s will (which the believer relies on) and the true will of the mage are one and the same; thus, can we not say that the difference between relying on oneself and relying on God only exists up to a certain point?
I don’t quite understand what ‘true’ will is, but indeed, for an impeccable mage, his will and the will of the universe are indistinguishable.
Why then is reliance on God not impeccable?
It is not reliance on God that is imperfect in itself, but the search for this God outside of oneself.
Is faith in a person, say a companion, acceptable, and his strength, when something depends on him?
In the case where this is really a companion, meaning – a shared Path – trust is necessary.
Trust takes time, it matures from shared experiences…. or it doesn’t mature at all, and then it’s better to end the relationship. So says the consciousness of the ‘laws.’
Nikolai, resolve this question for yourself by determining the Idea-receiver of your faith. You surely do not mean a random person with a weapon. Although even in that case, what do you believe in: in the weapon, in the principle of its application, or the qualities of restraining a person?
I’m not talking about trust, I don’t doubt the intentions of a person, I’m talking about whether his strength can accomplish something. Will my faith help him, and does it produce something akin to a blessing?
When the Path is shared, there is no ‘I’ and ‘you’, there is ‘we’, and all actions and accomplishments are also shared.
The companion was just an example, perhaps indeed it is quite an exceptional case, not suitable for a broad consideration of the issue. If we consider, if not a companion, but a person whom I would like to accomplish something with as well. Will faith in this person help the cause? The question is not specifically about some people, does it make sense in principle?
Yes, it will help – but it will also impose certain limitations – after all, it will be your strength that helps him, meaning – he will be in debt to you.
Believe in God, but don’t slack off yourself.
If Faith can help to ACHIEVE DESIRED, how is it worse than Magic? What difference does it make HOW you achieve what you want? Especially if you do it GUARANTEED – and you yourself wrote that with the RIGHT FAITH the Gods are FORCED to fulfill the wishes of the Believer. Therefore, my question is, how can one learn to Truly Believe, that is, to GUARANTEE to prompt God to fulfill your wishes? Because for me, Magic is precisely a way to GUARANTEE the fulfillment of one’s desires.
Faith often replaces sight for the blind. This is not bad; it’s better with it than without it.
But the laws of the universe are simple and obvious, they work always and everywhere, starting from your kitchen to the powerful rituals of summoning the Ancient Gods. It is enough to listen attentively to everything happening around, and correspondences will start to form a clear picture without a single flaw.
Faith transforms; it’s not that it becomes unnecessary, no, the very notion of “faith” loses meaning. Instead, you just KNOW that this is so, and that is so.
It is impossible to guarantee that God or anyone else will fulfill your desires just like that, without offering anything in return.
“Thus, a mage should not ‘force’ anyone. Magic is not a path of violence; it is the Path of Harmony.”