Chance in Magic

One of the key, yet little-discussed, concepts of magical practice is the notion of chance. Traditionally, a chance is the concurrence of circumstances that briefly creates a new opportunity, the use of which changes the direction of the flow of events.

In other words, in a chain of events — where each subsequent event follows from the previous event — a ‘weak link’ sometimes appears which, if broken by active exertion of will (it is worth noting that autonomous beings with undetermined wills can possess a chance), a person can significantly alter the subsequent course of events, more or less significantly severing ties with prior influences.

Opinions differ about the frequency of chance occurrences and whether that frequency depends on the level of Power. Experience suggests that the frequency of chances apparently doesn’t depend on the chosen Way or the level of Power, being a spontaneous feature of the flow of events. It is considered, nevertheless, that a chance can be “attracted” by loosening causal links persistently. For example, various unconventional practices, or using the fashionable term ‘non-doing’, serve precisely to attract chances. No matter how much the fabric is shaken, there is no absolute guarantee that a chance will appear and no recipe to ensure its occurrence. In any case, one can speak only of increasing the chance of a breakthrough, not of guaranteeing it.

Schools also differ in their views on the significance of chance in the life of a Magus. Some Schools (let us call them “evolutionary“) prefer a deliberate restructuring of the flow of events, a gradual change so that the expected result becomes an inevitable outcome. This is precisely how the schools of the Rosicrucian tradition proceed, insisting on the necessity of prolonged “inner alchemy”, in the fire of which the mortal human is gradually transformed into the Initiate’s sacred Philosopher’s Stone.

Other Schools (let us call them “revolutionary“) prefer to use chances that allow significant evolutionary leaps and pay special attention to training to track emerging chances and methods to exploit them. These include, above all, schools with a strong spiritualist element: for example, “classical” Ceremonial Magic (as it existed before its “cultivation” and “Hermetization” by the magi of the Golden Dawn), as well as pagan magical schools.

As any fluctuation in the Great Flow of Power, a chance is a rather capricious phenomenon. For a Magus who chooses the Way of “hunting chances”, it is very important to understand a number of peculiarities of this phenomenon. First, as noted above, no methods of “attracting” a chance ever give a 100% guarantee of its appearance. Second, as with any change in the Flow, a chance is preceded by a “sign of approach”, whose notice allows the Magus to be better prepared for it. It should be noted once again that even a correctly interpreted sign does not provide full certainty that the chance will actually occur; therefore the recognition of such signs is an important element of magical attentiveness. Third, a chance can be easily nullified, or, as some poetically say, “scared off”. For example, very often even talking about a possible chance leads to that chance being realized virtually, in the minds of those discussing it, and this imagined realization can block real manifestation. At the same time, in other situations, by contrast, keeping quiet about a nascent chance robs it of the power to manifest. Sometimes a nascent chance may need to be actively pushed by some action; sometimes — on the contrary — one should keep a low profile; and sometimes it is important to spot an obstacle promptly to the chance’s appearance and then remove it. Since a chance is not always desirable, sometimes one must, conversely, avoid it or try to diminish it.