Magi on Guard
The borderline state that the human form of consciousness occupies not only affords that mind unique opportunities for development, but also places it at the center of the great confrontation of Powers.
Each person is a Gate through which Powers flow; each person is a bridge over the abyss across which the mind passes from the unmanifest to the actual.
And the flow of Power can occur in different directions.
An “ideal” situation implies the transformation of Life‑Power into awareness with maximum efficiency, without any losses or leakages.
However, the real process includes a vast number of side currents — toward predators, parasites, and darkness.
It follows that the human mind is not only a Gate between potential and actual reality; it is also a Gate between Hell and Heaven, between ascending and descending streams of energy.
And when a Magus says that Hell and Heaven dwell within us, he does not mean a mere metaphor; he means that the psychocosm contains every possible form of interaction, including the struggle for the Light.
Not only the weight of a Magus’s soul depends on which Powers prevail in his personal Armageddon; the distribution of power in the macrocosm depends on it as well. The point is that, day by day and minute by minute, the dynamic balance of the cosmos finds a new equilibrium point formed from the sum of individual battles.
We have already said that, while remaining in the manifested state, this battle cannot be avoided, and renouncing the battle does not end it, but only constitutes a cowardly flight from the battlefield.
No matter how condescendingly the various “enlightened” look down on Magi immersed in battle, no matter how they squint their self-righteous eyes, feigning wisdom, the very possibility of that squinting and arrogance, the very existence of these “enlightened” ones, exists only because the “mad” Magi fight tirelessly, preserving their souls, their minds, from being absorbed by darkness, and thereby preventing darkness from entering the world.
Every Magus is an outpost of Power; every Magus is a guardian on the Way of the Light through the worlds.
By defeating the darkness within themselves, by reducing the outflows of Power into the Qliphoth, the Magi, with their ageless “You shall not pass!”, serve as anchor points on which the manifested world rests.
This is why a Magus’s battles have a cosmic scale.
That is precisely why every seemingly ‘small’ victory over one’s limitations, ineffectiveness, and lack of awareness is a victory for the whole world, advancing the individual mind, microcosm, and Macrocosm on the path of evolution.
Likewise, every act of cowardice or laziness, every flight or retreat, is not “just” a personal problem; it opens a new Gate for Power’s outflow, and therefore — once again — an event of cosmic magnitude.
Understanding this, it is easy to slip into either extreme — to suffer from megalomania, or to fall into despair. But the spirit of the Magus, the spirit of the warrior, lies in moving toward his goal — toward his awareness — regardless of fatigue or intoxication with Power.
Anyone who decides to set foot on the difficult and dangerous Way of Magic must understand that the higher the degree of his self‑identification, the clearer Powers focus in his mind, and therefore the more Gates he is destined to guard. Whether Light or Darkness will pass — Light or Darkness, and thus which way power will flow — depends on the Magus’s success, effectiveness, and responsibility.
It’s hard to talk about Light for the whole World, and the most terrible things in history have occurred from the desire to benefit without asking whether it’s needed by each specifically, without asking whether the blessings of messiahs suit EVERYONE. I mean, I do not always know, though I try, what Light means for me, and by categorically declaring my ideals to others, I can also be covering my dark sides with Light (Laziness? I’m working through Castaneda’s unfulfilled tasks! Cowardice? Pff… I’m growing a shining Star within a dark, evil world; if it weren’t for my CAUTION, who would carry the Light?! etc.) And it is hard to say whether the goal of my high ideals is justified for others, because with every lived minute I have absorbed, realized, and restructured myself a little more, and therefore, the World. In general, the principle of not doing harm is more effective, while cowardice and laziness probably save more lives in the world in a day than guardians of order do in ten years:)
A mage is never concerned with “saving the world.” A mage fights for his harmony, and it is harmony that is the criterion of success in the battle for him. It is not about moral categories or “saving lives.” It is about the development and evolution of consciousness, and neither cowardice nor laziness contributes to this development in any way. And another question – what is better – to save life at the cost of cowardice and laziness, thus betraying one’s soul, or to preserve the integrity of one’s awareness and keep one’s Honor.
Perhaps for harmony in consciousness, ice (such as laziness) is also needed to cool a hot head and some dam preventing the inner beast from breaking out into the daily world (like cowardice), and when consciousness is ready to conquer fire and accept the beast without being injured, it will be able to free itself from barriers. After all, these qualities manifest equally in the heads of people led by predatory motives. Moreover, every consciousness goes through a stage of maximalism, weakness after restructuring, and it is hard to imagine a disappointed in life student who is fearless and determined, ready to strike back at any offense and go to achieve “justice” at the institute or office, while such incidents have become relevant recently. And moreover, what would be the consequences of such actions if it is a wizard who lacks sufficient control (one could say obsessed)?
A mage is not interested in “justice” in the office. A mage is focused on achieving justice in his own consciousness. And there is no more dangerous excuse than the words “I am not ready yet.” What our consciousness is truly not ready for – it simply does not notice. And if it has noticed – then contact is already possible. And fleeing is never a worthy exit.
Laziness is rather not ice, but – decay. Laziness does not cool a hot head. Laziness rather tries to stomp it down, causing the flame of the head to sputter, and quite possibly either it will become uncontrollable and leap onto the nearest flammable object or burn the head itself. Since the head is hot – one must learn to maintain and direct the flame.
From cowardice, a solid dam cannot be built, for cowardice’s lot is fluctuation; constructed from it are shaky structures, small beasts will slip through the cracks, large ones will crush and not notice; it is self-deception, not a dam. Solid dams are built not from laziness, but, for example, from skills in taming beasts. However, such structures are more like portals, which are open today for some beasts and tomorrow for others.
Enmerkar, is it better to betray the Path or to betray the soul? Remember, in early articles, you spoke about the importance of a Mage’s obligations, about loyalty and duty the Mage has towards his surroundings?
Now it seems that you are for a complete demolition of the old and the construction of something new on its ruins, is that the right feeling?
One should not betray anything. Moreover, it is impossible to betray the Path without thereby betraying the soul, or to betray the soul without straying from the Path. And obligations, debts are the burden that a mage must carry; they cannot force him to stray from the Path, they can only make the Path heavier. So it’s unclear where your feeling comes from 🙂
I see the whole world is pushing me towards something, but I can’t because I have taken on obligations. By the way, under the influence of what you’ve written in your articles. And now I see in your article a fountain of renewal in which I cannot step.
And I feel sad about this, but what can I do? ^__^
I tend to think that these are all tests of loyalty to the Path.. How else can I possibly think, I can’t figure it out. Everything is as before.
What to do – to enter into renewal without betraying obligations 🙂
It seems to me that everything happens as follows: time after time the creator reveals more and more about the structure of the World so that the creation can choose how to act. To desire knowledge more and more, or to engage in the system at that level.
After reading I went to look at the starry sky. It makes it easier to imagine the Psychocosmos – the universe of awareness. And in it, there are its galaxies, stars, and constellations. Here, the star of some scholar or philosopher goes out, but its light remains in the universe, and many reflect it. On the Sun of some mage, an explosion occurs – and on the nearest planets, climatic disasters.
Usually, we are so closed off, and each of us is a universe unto ourselves. But if one imagines the bigger picture – it is breathtaking how interconnected everything is.
It would be much easier to balance if domestic life… didn’t weigh so heavily!