Is Power Always the Highest Value?
Although the notion of Power is one of the most complex and ambiguously understood concepts in the magical mythos, it nevertheless remains central. All misunderstandings about Power as a value sought by the magus boil down to interpreting this concept in a purely practical sense. Indeed, if Power is regarded only as an “equivalent” that ensures results, the realization of intent, and so on, then it really cannot be an end in itself and is merely a means.
But the Magical myth understands Power much more broadly — as the capacity to effect the will. In other words, without Power no manifestation is possible: Power is not a means, but a condition of realization, including the realization of one’s potential and the expansion of awareness.
Thus the concept of Power describes the very essence of the World process: from the perspective of the magical mythos, to speak of increasing Personal Power is the same as speaking of one’s own evolution, the expansion of awareness.
Seen in this light, it is clear that one of the magus’s principal pursuits is indeed the accumulation of Power — that is, development and self-realization.
Nevertheless, even within this understanding one should not get the impression that accumulating Power is the only goal of the magus.
In a number of cases the primary aims change, and they can even be directed toward a conscious renunciation of some of their power — and this is not about an “exchange” or any other “commercial” relationship; trading in power is not part of Magic.
The point is that, alongside Power, Magic recognizes the importance of other values — Honor, Love.
We have already said enough about these notions and about how they sometimes complement and sometimes oppose Power.
Honor, as the acceptance of responsibility, can come into conflict with Power when previously undertaken obligations and promises become an obstacle to further development — in such a case the magus’s progress is suspended, obligations are fulfilled, before progress continues.
A magus who sacrifices Honor for the sake of Power is bound to fail sooner or later — refusing responsibility means abandoning one’s integrity, and that is a road to the dissolution of the self.
Yet this ambiguity applies above all to Love — the primordial principle tracing back to the original unity that preceded differentiation and manifestation. That nature of Love often conflicts with manifestation, which implies differentiation and division.
It is precisely in this primordial character of Love that its great power lies, surpassing all other forces, including the power of the mind. For the magus this means that Love inevitably limits his sense of separateness, his selfhood, and therefore limits his power; yet such limitation, when rightly directed, leads to a remarkable result — by giving away power, by restraining himself, the magus gains access to deeper sources he had never suspected, and it turns out that one may be ready for Love to give even one’s life.
The Void, born of the separation of energies, is suddenly filled, and the fullness and integrity that arise in a magus imbued with Love are qualitatively different from that of a magus focused on his separate selfhood.
Tell me, in this context, is there a difference between Love for the World and Love for Humanity? (if Love can be differentiated)
Honestly, I personally don’t believe much in ‘love for the homeland’, ‘love for aquarium fish’, and so on. However, if your description of the world allows for such a combination, then there is probably no difference.
What do you believe in, in the context of this question?
I believe in love between people, I believe that one person can be everything to another – a path, a home, a world.
Dear Enmerkar, greetings! May I ask a question: does Magic recognize Love as the Highest Value, or is there something Else that holds that title, or is there no definite hierarchy of values? Thank you.
The highest value for a magician is freedom. However, this freedom is not “independence” in the commonly accepted sense, not “freedom from something,” but – freedom from the limitations created by one’s own imperfection, one’s own unrealized potential. Therefore, the magician strives for self-realization, self-perfection, and self-knowledge. On this Path, love is absolutely necessary as a manifestation of the sense of unity, since the absence of love affirms divisiveness, and where unity is absent – boundaries exist, thus there is no possibility for freedom. Furthermore, freedom is impossible without awareness, because if there is no fullness of awareness – there is no fullness of realization. And the measure of the fullness of consciousness for the magician is his Power (again, in the magical sense, not in the ordinary meaning of the word; for the magician, power is precisely the degree of the development of his consciousness). Therefore, these three values – freedom, love, and power – are what make up the “three treasures” around which the Path of the magician is constructed.
Alexey:
There is a difference, of course, but one can love the World as one loves a specific person, and see and love a whole world in that person. Words can’t describe it :))), but that’s how it is.
Enmerkar:
I find this attitude towards the Force closer :)), and besides Honor and Love, I would also add Wisdom.
There is a concept known as the Black Brothers. These are those who, having reached a certain level, could not cross the Abyss. It seems these are precisely those who, after reaching a certain level of Power, could not give up that Power for the sake of Love. They rejected Love to elevate themselves.
But after all, Power remains a measure… Whether it’s Love or effective actions… if there is no positive growth, then we are mistaken in our assessments.
And Love as a principle is the force of unity, i.e. Synthesis… if we cultivate a certain Love, and deny other forms, we place ourselves on a binary pole and move away from the Path of Synthesis.
“One person can be everything to another – a path, a home, a world” – very beautiful words.