Battles of the Magus

In our previous conversations we have mentioned that the Magus cultivates a state of security born of his impeccable actions.

Moreover, we have emphasized that the Magus’s primary field of activity is the Psychocosmos, and his chief struggle is the battle against internal predators.

At the same time, the Way of Magic differs from many other Ways of self-improvement precisely in that it is a Way of the Warrior, and it is no accident that one of the Magus’s Symbols of Power is the sword.

Despite striving for security, in practice the Magus often has to defend himself and protect others.

Be that as it may, the world is a Threshold born of the interactions of various psychocosms, each of which is not completely closed and isolated but constantly exchanges Power with streams beyond it.

And that means that in life the Magus must confront not only the predators that inhabit his psychocosm, but also external predators — some who have chosen this Way, and those whose nature is to live at others’ expense.

Therefore Magic as a system includes not only the expansion of the mind, but also the accumulation of Power, the development of the spirit, and the Warrior’s skills.

Whichever domain we consider, everywhere martial techniques find their development: Galdr encompasses the arts of magical defense and attack using runic symbols and maneuvers, and Ceremonial magic likewise teaches how to defend against demons during a ritual and to exorcise them (and their manifestations) in other situations.

Among adepts of “High Spirituality” one often encounters haughty contempt for this “militancy” of the Magi; many claim that it is a sign of an “insufficient” or “incorrect” understanding of the nature of the Cosmos.

However, the real situation is that those who proclaim the world’s absolute “beauty” may do so precisely because the Magi ceaselessly struggle with those who would gladly devour both the “Enlightened” themselves and their followers.

To be fair, note that Magi themselves need reminding that their struggle is necessary; it is not an end in itself and must not consume their entire being.

Thus anyone who sets foot on the Way of Magic must clearly understand that this Way is not a joyful and peaceful ascent “from perfection to perfection,” but a path of constant, exhausting struggle — both internal and external — and that renouncing the struggle on this Way means unconditional and final defeat.