Realization of Desires
Since for the Magus Magic is not a particular sphere of activity but a way of life, it is clear that his descriptions of the world and of events rest upon a magical mode of thought.
For the Magus everything is Magic, and all actions are ritualistic.
In one of our previous articles we discussed the mythic pattern of the Magus’s thinking by way of the Sefirotic analysis.
We also mentioned the correspondence of the Magus’s Way with the Aett groups of the Runes.
Now let us look at another example.
As we said, the method of realizing a desire Magic calls the method a ‘Ritual’. At the same time, note that for the Magus a Ritual is any execution of an intention — not because the actions are eccentric, but in the sense of the process’s strict structure.
In other words, the eight stages that find their crystalline expression in the Magus’s inner activity can be detected in any sufficiently conscious action.
As in the previous case, consider the example of composing this post.
Well, the zero stage is obvious — without an idea the post will not appear.
Next the author draws on his experience — that is, he transforms from an ordinary participant in the world into the Creator, in this case the author of the next post.
The third stage — the Word editor opens, providing a workspace.
At the fourth stage a title appears — the intention is given a clear verbal form.
The time spent writing the text, checking spelling and selecting illustrations will serve as the sacrifice in this ritual.
Then the text is transferred into the blog window, and an external force comes to help — in this case the WordPress engine.
The post is uploaded to the blog directory, placed within the structure of that blog — it takes form.
And finally it moves from editing mode to reading mode — that is, it begins to exist independently, is ‘released’ by its author.
Such an analysis can be performed for any conscious action, and conversely, accounting for all stages helps to avoid errors when forming a plan to realize any intention.
At the same time, note that if activity is directed toward fulfilling a whim rather than a desire, the practitioner may risk backlash; therefore the Ritual’s scheme, the World Wheel’s scheme, applies only to realizing will, to realizing intention, and its value and success are measured, of course, by the degree of awareness.
The magician must understand that he writes for himself, seeing his own truth reflected in the impact, playing with himself.
What a magician does, he does not for “someone,” but simply because this is the internal logic of his Path. The magician is guided in his actions by this very logic and does only what he must do in order to remain who he is— a magician on the path to freedom. It is precisely in this striving—this striving to be oneself—that the meaning and justification of Magic lie.
The translation of “Что такое свобода?” is “What is freedom?”
Freedom is the independence of choice.
Independence of choice from what? A specific case. I really want to be with one person. I understand that this is primarily a physical attraction. But I choose not to succumb to this desire. Do I thus express my independence in choice?
Indeed, a remarkable Algorithm!!!
However, the analogy with a sacrifice is not clear. In the Ritual, a sacrifice is offered to receive something from the Gods, the equivalent of which in this example is the WordPress engine – an external Force, a push. But in this example, the sacrifice is understood as the creative activity itself, which is not needed at all by the WordPress engine. (It is needed by us, the readers 🙂 ) So, do you attribute a different meaning to the concept of sacrifice?
And another question about sacrifice. Again, traditionally, it is offered to the Gods of a certain egregor to receive some kind of support or nourishment from this egregor (for example, Asatru). So, does a Magician on the Path of Freedom (including freedom from egregors) not have to make sacrifices? Or, again, does sacrifice have some other functions in a Magickal understanding?
P.S. I would really like to see an article about your understanding of sacrifice and offerings in Magick (Ritual).
“Well, why not – WordPress needs financial support – and we pay for its services 🙂 It is, of course, a sacrifice.”
Enmerkar, don’t you agree that there is always a choice and anyone can freely take advantage of that choice, if it is conscious, or do you have your own opinion that differs and is therefore wrong?
There is always a choice, but it isn’t always conscious and therefore not always free. As for my opinion, that’s exactly why I keep a blog: to express my thoughts. They are neither “right” nor “wrong”; they are simply mine.
The purpose of a blog is to express oneself, gain confidence, make conscious choices, or to find ways to correct and enhance oneself through self-reflection.
“To help others find their opinion.”
Enmerkar, thank you for the answers to the questions!!! I by no means criticized your article 🙂 It’s just that there is very little information about the functions and varieties of sacrifice in the Magical (not religious!!!) Ritual. In the article “Ritual: Eight Steps of Implementation,” the sacrifice is offered to create the field of “second passivity.” What does this concept mean in the context of sacrifice?
When making a sacrifice, the magician asserts his power over it – that is, the sacrifice is passive in relation to the magician, and thus it microcosmically expresses that passive realm which is macrocosmically represented by the aspect of the Telesma – the torn and sacrificed god, Osiris, Adonis, etc., from which the universe originates. Similarly, from the sacrifice in the Ritual arises that field of actual activity in which the creative will of the magician is manifested.
The idea dreamed of the genius,
The idea ignited in the genius,
Transformed within itself
And carried off into the world for life… 🙂