Masters, Merchants, and Thieves
We have already mentioned many times that at a certain stage in the development of consciousness further progress becomes possible only if knowledge is transmitted. In other words, one who has reached a certain level of development must become a Master. Anyone who says they do not need students either does not understand this important fact (in which case they truly do not need students — they still need to develop), is being evasive, or is lying.
Power does not tolerate stagnation, and if it is not passed along the Magical chain it stops flowing and fades. Just as a spring that is never drawn from turns into a swamp, a Magus who does not teach degenerates. At some point one’s own resources to replenish their Power are exhausted; one must move to a new level, and that transition is possible only in conditions of a flow of Power. One stage of Alchemical work is rightly considered Creation (Projection). The Philosopher’s Stone unites with the base metal, transforming it into gold. The Alchemist MUST teach someone their art. Without that the work is unfinished. The same holds for “internal alchemy.”
Therefore a student is as necessary to the Master as the Master is to the student. Traditional teaching always acknowledged this key role of Chains of succession and built Magical schools as collections of separate Lines.
At the same time this implies a very important point: in the process of teaching Magic the energy of the Master and the student merge, as a result of which the student gains a chance to advance, a springboard, and the Master also gains the possibility to continue their path, access to the flow of Power. But in this process the student’s Power increases, while the Master’s Power declines (which is precisely why many dislike taking students). Nevertheless this decline in Power opens the possibility for further development. Entering into a Master–student relationship, among other things, means merging of their paths, and therefore a kinship no less than blood kinship.
It is clear that a deep understanding of the nature of such relations is often simply unavailable to a student who thinks they can study only briefly and then go their own way. This is why students so often behave irresponsibly. But the paradox is that teachers also frequently lack responsibility. And they should certainly understand how final a student’s decision can be and how important the student’s successes are, since a student’s success aids the Master’s advancement, while a student’s failures are the Master’s defeats.
At the same time, from the foregoing it is clear that the Master–student relationship is fully equivalent — a reciprocal exchange of opportunities to advance. This fact explains the traditional prohibition on teaching Magic for money — in that case parity is violated and it becomes an exploitation of the student’s resources — which means the flow of Power is directed into Qliphoth. Such a “trade in Power” leads both the “seller” and the buyers nowhere, since instead of a flow of Power there is only its leakage.
Nevertheless, the thirst for development, the desire for Power, the quest to find one’s path are often used by various predators to exploit students for Power.
This applies both to human charlatans, who in their madness stumble into the abyss and drag trusting students along with them, and to otherworldly beings, especially the ever-hungry elementaries. The latter quite often present themselves as “teachers from the subtle planes,” and they find many victims. Moreover, among such “teachers” two groups clearly emerge.
The first are traditionally called “merchants of Power.” These beings can indeed open certain possibilities to a student, teach various techniques and arts, but they always demand an exorbitant price for their services. Sometimes they explicitly state the form of payment, and sometimes they quietly “gnaw away” at a student who has let down their guard. The problem is that, although the student may feel they are moving forward, their overall energy balance is negative: they lose Power, and over time cease to be of interest to the “merchants” — and are left high and dry, without Power and without the support of “Masters.”
An even more unpleasant group is made up of “thieves of Power” — most often elementaries who are trapped in disembodiment and attach themselves to a person according to the principle of Ibbur. Such beings, to justify their presence, instill in their “host” an exaggerated sense of uniqueness, chosenness, power and magical ability, while in fact giving nothing. Conviction is a powerful thing, of course, but deep down the “host” feels their weakness, and therefore fails to achieve the clarity of intention — and again loses Power.
And only in exceptional, exceedingly rare cases do reciprocal relationships arise between a human and an otherworldly being, when their development requires it and the “otherworlder” is specifically inspired for that purpose.
Therefore, as a general rule the Tradition proclaims the necessity for a person to learn from another person, for the student to make an effort to find a Master who suits them, and for the Master to find a suitable student.
By what signs does a teacher seek their student? What should coincide?
Paths should coincide 🙂
But how does the teacher understand this? The student usually does not see this, as the student is a young person who has little idea of their future.
But that is why they are a Teacher, to see more than the student.
Enmerkar! You are like a lawyer ;), but perhaps it is indeed so, when you are ready to become a teacher, such questions fall away, and the student’s desire matters little… Although once I studied in college with a girl who told how her cousin came to teach her her ‘craft’, she waited for this all the time, but when the time came, she fell into religion and her attitude towards her aunt changed radically, and in the end, she refused. It turns out that finding a student is not easier than finding a teacher.
Finding a student really isn’t easier.
for: alyona Usually, a student is a young person who has little understanding of their present. The teacher should consider the past, present, and future possibilities of that person and make a responsible decision.
What should be done with the so-called elementals and how to detach from them.
Is there a predestination in the training of this specific student by this specific Teacher? Or does it only happen at high levels of development? Or is falling to one teacher or another random?
Randomness is that for which the reasons do not lie on the surface. The interaction of teachers and students is predetermined to the same extent as fate – Orlyg.
How to find your Teacher?
True not only in relation to magic but also in everyday life. Some give selflessly, others insistently demand, cloaking their thirst in lies.
Regarding altruism. Everything has a price. The student is below the teacher, so often misunderstands (feels) the seriousness of the situation and the required response. It is necessary to impose, to assign payment, so to speak. And there are also very “clever” people who, when it’s time to pay the bills, start whining about mercy and altruism and humanity just out of greed.
“It is this fact that explains the traditional prohibition on teaching Magic for money – in this case, the parity is violated and it results in the ‘teacher’ using the student’s resources” (From the article). I completely disagree. I used to hold such an opinion. I lived differently, did business, taught for free those who came by themselves. As a result – almost perished. After such free teachings, I often had to recover my strength for a long time and painfully, which paralyzed me in other areas of life, consuming my resources. Of course, I could have charged money or offered other help, but no – it is not allowed. I suffered for 10 years, became a businessman, almost got lost, absorbing the modern social paradigm unwillingly. Therefore, my opinion is – take the money if necessary. And a lot, if it is worth it. You are a magician. And if teaching is necessary for you, if the teaching is correct and helps people – go ahead. Only, in this matter, one cannot accept the modern business representation (in all respects), one cannot be a opportunist and teach FOR money. Considerable patience and willpower will be required here.
No one has canceled the Law of ‘Conservation of Energy’ yet. If you give and get nothing in return, you will crumble. Those who feel this simple truth and do not stop teaching – walk on the ‘razor’s edge’, balancing between self-destruction and personal growth, greed and self-sacrifice, selfishness and duty. Here is such a multilayered razor:)
Many “laws that no one has canceled” are not as absolute as they seem. For example, the Law of Conservation of Energy is most just for closed systems, and neither human consciousness, nor the world, nor even the Macrocosm in its entirety is an absolutely closed system, because even at the universal level, beyond the Green ocean of life and the White skies of consciousness, the resource ‘from nowhere’ can always appear from the depths of the Absolute. So, ‘receiving’ and ‘giving’, although of course they are two sides of the same coin, do not relate to each other trivially, as physics laws imply. In addition, I want to remind you that a magician, one way or another, violates many ‘immutable’ laws and rules on his Path. Therefore, the relationship between the giver and the receiver is always ambiguous. Especially in a matter like Teaching Magic. On one hand, the Teacher gives the Student a Loan of Power – and this loan will certainly have to be repaid. But on the other hand – in return for the teaching, the Teacher acquires additional opportunities for his own development, and these opportunities, with properly structured education, outweigh the costs, so in a certain sense, the roles change here – the Teacher becomes the receiver of an Opportunity, and the diligent Student becomes the provider of this opportunity. According to the logic of physics laws, the Teacher in such a situation should actually pay the Student… The relationships between the Teacher and the Student in Magic go far beyond the limits of physical laws; they exist in a completely different sphere, and the only condition for the correctness of the process is the honesty and good faith of both parties, and not accounting and not figuring out who owes whom and how much.
The resource from “nowhere” is merely the resource from a neighboring System. The ‘Absolute’ is also a System, only of a higher hierarchical order. The Teacher only has a Chance when the Student fully and effectively Accepts and Realizes that “loan of Power” given by the Teacher. The real tie Teacher-Student is quite a rare phenomenon; the functioning of such a ‘tie’ indeed does not limit itself to one World (System).
Most often, we only have the Teacher-student (learner) relationship, where there is no such dimensionality and where giving or receiving as a gift means violating the Balance (at least your own).
I’ll throw in my two cents. The fact is that there are different kinds of magic. Rather, different things are referred to by this word. In my opinion, there are at least two types of magic, divided by a barrier of society. (It’s no coincidence that true Magic requires the passage through social death.) The first type of magic, which is actually just advanced psychology, includes all sorts of techniques and technologies for, simply put, fulfilling desires and influencing people. These include talismans, ritual visualization, chaos magic sigils, and so on. Usually, all of this revolves around achieving goals within social life. You know, like a love spell, success in business, protection against or attack on an enemy. A psychology teacher or a counseling psychologist, all of them receive a salary, so I personally see nothing wrong in charging for teaching this type of magic; it’s genuinely a mutual exchange (if everything is honest).
But there is also Another Magic. This is contact with or visitation of a truly Different World. After such experiences, you come out as a changed person. However, this Magic is almost directly and entirely inapplicable in the ordinary world of society. Well, how can you apply, for example, the experience of visiting elves or even more distant entities? Of course, you can write fantasy books or claim that this expanded awareness will allow you to be more astute at work. But such reasoning tends to devalue the experience gained; those who have gone through it will understand. Here, the Laws of learning This Magic are quite different; the support of balance is done in another way! As they say, “give to God what is God’s, and to Caesar what is Caesar’s…”
Perhaps I, of course, am misunderstanding something, but it seems it was said here that any conscious action is magic.
Furthermore, it was also said that psychology has no direct relation to magic, since psychology is a science, and sciences belong to the elements of reason, while magic belongs to the elements of will.
Magic, advanced psychology? Thus, magic is an advanced science?
And you somehow strangely divide magic; the first is various rituals, and the second is the visitation of another world.
Well, isn’t the visitation of another world mostly performed with the help of rituals?
As it was also written here – everyone has their own magic, including understanding of magic. For instance, the already classic definition by Crowley: “magic is the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will.” So, Magic hardly belongs only to one element; rather, it is an individual (according to the Path) balance of elements, where will is certainly the leading and balancing element:
https://enmerkar.com/en/myth/stolen-fire-the-principle-of-will
Any division and classification is always conditional, relative and used only for the convenience of describing a phenomenon. Therefore, my division is not an absolute assertion, but merely relative to the issue of “payment for training in magic.” The fact is that by studying magical internet forums, I noticed that in the overwhelming majority of them, magic is commonly referred to as this very collection of “magical” technologies aimed at realizing socially priority goals in a consumer society. And I don’t judge this phenomenon; I merely think that it is moving towards a synthesis of “this magic” and so-called “psychology of the 21st century.” Psychology is becoming more magical, and magic is becoming more psychological. Unfortunately, I myself contribute to this process since I still do not know how one can survive otherwise. Or maybe it should be this way; perhaps it is evolution…
But I KNOW that there is something else – Magic Beyond the realm of mutual consumption!!! Where the goals are different, where the relationships are different, where the mutual settlements (if that word is appropriate) are different… But the Path to this is closed by a myriad of enemies and obstacles. And mainly they exert pressure through aspects of socialization (from the inside and outside)…
And in many ways, it is precisely Such Another Magic that is illuminated here by Enmerkar. Now, only a few do such things. And I am very upset that the Blog has stopped updating. I hope some unknown yet correct decision has been made…
Perhaps not everyone will agree with me, but it seems to me that only by embarking on the Path, the Magician must decide for himself why he begins this Path, what goals he sets, and he should not deviate from the accepted inner agreement. These are the rules of the Game he has accepted.
A magician must certainly understand where his path leads, where he is going. But how clear can this understanding be if it is only the beginning of the journey? How many people are drawn to magic as a way, a means to achieve often absolutely ‘mundane’, grounded goals dictated to them by someone? A clear understanding of the path is necessary, but just as much, the traveler needs to understand themselves and be ready to reconsider their motivations for embarking on the path.
I agree with you, Sergey. However, the phrase ‘clear understanding of the path’ is not clear to me. Direction – yes. And this topic has become worn out. There is a goal for which each has embarked on the path, and we follow this vector. The main thing is that we exist. We try to be conscious, and thus the world is filled through us. And that’s great.
And I didn’t just put an emphasis on the word ‘We’. I am glad that there are people who reveal themselves without being shy about being misunderstood. I am glad that we are taking a step towards the unknown, towards this wonderful feeling of the world’s mystery and self-revelation. I am filled with gratitude towards those travelers with whom fate has brought me together and with whom I attended a seminar with Enmerkar.