“True” Desire
“The goal of True Desire is infinitely distant, or, in other words, it does not exist. It is the call of infinity.”
To find a way out of the situation described, when the main obstacle to fulfilling a desire is the desire itself, modern Magi introduced the concept of the “true desire.”
According to their view, the desires that arise in an embodied being may not coincide with or may even oppose the desires of the “higher Self.” And it is precisely the desires of this supra-personality that are considered “true,” supposedly the ones to be realized. They hold that this “real” desire may be unknown to the embodied being, and immediately the idea of searching for this “true” desire emerges.
The contradiction is resolved by simple logic: it is assumed that a person receives exactly what they “really” want. Such a magical theodicy makes the Way seem simple and convenient: it would seem one only needs to find the path to one’s “higher Self,” learn its desires, and that’s it: the goal is achieved; the mind is enlightened.
For Crowley, the “True Desire” (more correctly, the True Will) is the deep motivating and goal-setting force identical to the genuine meaning of life for that individual and characterizing their unique essence, while at the same time being in complete harmony with the Universe. True desire is a fragment of the Deity present in each person’s soul. In the Thelemic tradition, the apprehension of one’s “true Will,” the discovery of one’s Divine “Self,” occurs in the Knowledge and Conversation with the Holy Guardian Angel.
This view is rooted in an ancient idealistic worldview that developed in ancient Egypt (in the West) and India (in the East). It is from this that all manner of modern “arts of becoming oneself,” “ways to the Self,” and the like have grown.
Strangely, this view has penetrated Magic. A close analysis of this mode of description shows that it is alien to the originally magical. And here is why.
We have already said that, despite the relativity of time as such, the Magical myth insists on its conditional objectivity, rooted in the distinction between actual and potential being. Although the Psychocosmos is understood as a whole ensemble of personalities, infra- and supra-personalities, at various stages of development and culminating in the total (but potentially existing) Monad, this whole complex has only a relative, dynamically balanced existence.
This means that the “way to the Self” is a movement whose goal lies in the potential world, the world of Dreams. As Crowley indicated in the words taken for the epigraph to this article, the goal of the “way to the higher Self” is infinitely distant, and, accordingly, the approach to it is infinite. Namely, one can search for one’s “higher Self” forever, approach it indefinitely, but it is impossible to attain it by an evolutionary Way. Between relative and absolute being lies an Abyss that, as is known, cannot be bridged by small steps. Of course, like any Way, it may suit some people, but it is important not to confuse it with Magic.
For the Magus, the key concept is Power. It is precisely the introduction of Power as the most important agent that distinguishes the Magical myth. We have many times discussed this paramount concept, which is a cornerstone of Magic. On the one hand, Power can be defined as the capacity to realize will — an inner characteristic of beings (in this connection it should be noted that Power does not exist outside its bearers), and on the other, that this capacity is acquired through awareness, by including new objects in one’s Psychocosmos.
The latter means that Power arises precisely when something moves from a potential state to an actual state. By transferring all its activity to ideals that reside in the potential world, the mind bypasses this moment and the actual mastery of Power. This is why Ways that emphasize “spiritual evolution” do not widely use the concept of Power, using instead notions such as “Wisdom,” “Holiness,” and the like. Once more, let us stress this is not about which Way is better or worse; the point is only to distinguish between them.
The Magus lives in the present; they always focus on the actual, moreover, on the threshold between actual and potential. For them it is important at every moment to be fully present, not to sacrifice the present for the future, not to postpone life for a “bright future,” but to fight the battles here and now.
This means that the Magus’s true desire is their current desire, existing in the present. To understand this point correctly, some clarifications are necessary. The Myth we describe uses three concepts: “desire,” “need,” and “whim.”
As mentioned, Magic considers desire to be the attractive force that arises between an object in the potential realm and the mind in the actual. This is precisely what allows one to assert that the Magi “live on the Threshold.” And for the Magus it is important that the desire be fulfilled as quickly as possible, because it is precisely this fulfillment that gives them the Power to cross the Threshold, the Power of awareness. At the same time, desire is often confused with needs or whims.
By “need,” Magic means the attractive force that arises between an object and the bearer of the mind (the body in the broadest sense of the term). That is, all that is necessary for the existence of this bearer (to eat, to sleep, to defecate, etc.) — these are their needs. It is clear that the needs of different bearers vary significantly: what is required for one may be superfluous for another, but for our purposes it is important only that the fulfillment of needs does not give Power. It can only be a precondition for its attainment: a hungry Magus will think of food, not of ritual correctness. And with a sufficient level of self-control, needs can (and sometimes should) be set aside in favor of the fulfillment of desires.
A “whim,” the Magi call the attractive force that arises between an object and the Parasite of mind. In other words, whims are random fluctuations in the flow of mind that arise from attractions uncoordinated with its general flow and do not lead in the direction of that flow’s vector. Often the Parasite of mind, in its activity aimed at creating dysfunctional situations in the mind, attracts external objects to achieve this ineffectiveness; the inclusion of these objects in the field of the mind makes it less stable and thus causes it to lose Power, which is the Parasite’s goal. We have said that it is precisely such leaks that provide it with sustenance. It is clear that the Parasite usually masks whims as desires or needs to give them priority in fulfillment.
Now back to the subject. If the Magus can distinguish their desires from needs and whims, they see what gives them Power, what allows them to sustain it, and what forces them to lose it.
So the Magus strives to fulfill desires. And for them any desire is “true” (but not a need and certainly not a whim). For the Magus it is important to know how to desire and to realize desires here and now. For the Magus it is more important to be than merely to be, more important to act than to dream of actions, more important “now” than “later.” Therefore the Magi do not set “spiritual growth” as a goal, but strive for harmony here and now. And the paradox of Magic is that, not striving for that “growth,” the Magi nevertheless grow “spiritually” quite effectively, provided they play by the rules.
Good day. It’s very interesting to read; some concepts have found their definitions in my head :). Thank you.
There is one question that probably interests not only me. Is the desire to have sex a desire, a need, or a whim?
Depending on the situation, it can be all three 🙂
So, sex in itself can be a source of power, a factor supporting it, and a factor leading to its loss? 😀
Absolutely correct.
The main thing is the movement towards the goal, not the goal itself.
Regarding the article on True Desire – I do not fully agree with it. Yes, if you see your goal purely in the world of dreams, it is more Mysticism than Magic.
However, if we talk about the Magic of Thelema – it is not so straightforward.
Because, generally, the operation of Achieving Knowledge and Communing with SAH is precisely the beginning of the magician’s independent path, rather than the final goal.
In the end, in one of the supreme Thelemic rituals – the Mass of the Phoenix, it is proclaimed:
“I came with sorrow and joy – now I will continue with gratitude, to fulfill my Will on Earth, among the legions of the living.”
Thus, indeed, Crowley’s magical system as he presented it in “Argentum Astrum” is almost purely a strategic approach.
Initially, the Inner Center is comprehended (which, in fact, is Achieving Knowledge and Communing).
And then everything else is built around this center.
The downside to this is that such an approach is good when life is stable, and unresolved problems are absent.
If there are problems but one is entirely focused on a strategic path, one may fall into evasiveness and displacement/ignoring of problems.
Therefore, if there is no opportunity for Seclusion – it is better to resort to Tactics. But here too there is danger. One may mistake Desire for a mere whim.
En, how to properly Know How to Desire?
Correctly means undistracted. That is, without “I kind of want”, “I might want”, “I want and I don’t want” – without uncertainty and mutually exclusive desires.
Should I understand that if there is ‘both want and do not want’, it’s not yours, the desire doesn’t align with your path? No. It’s not all that straightforward. It needs to be sorted out.
I liked the article. It felt like a breath of fresh air. However, on the last two sentences, I stumbled a bit. Not that I disagreed, but this perspective was unexpected for me. But is it too simple: harmony in the present – and magical growth. Moral, social – of course, but magic is something more complex and powerful. And becoming a magician is not easy. Although, of course, harmony can be achieved through magical means.
The Voice of the Heart, true Will, current desire. Can we say that the first/second (as it seems, they are the same) allow orientation in this world, but the priority is still on the current desire?
I will clarify: you can set goals and strive to get closer to your higher Self. Or you can place emphasis on desires and situations, relying on the *advice* of the higher Self to determine desire from need/caprice. The second option is closer to magic, right?
And I always thought that by raising consciousness, you thus come to yourself.. You learn about yourself, or something. I got confused. In general, whims are things without which one can not just live – but needs to. Things that slow down, take time, distract attention. In the modern world, there is too much of it.. Too much. And it scares me. Television, the gaming industry, other entertainment.. Will our world remain in such an incubator for feeding others? Although what difference does it make? After all, not everyone is obliged to follow it..
True desire comes from the heart. The one that eases the soul. Rendli, you are right.. it contributes to the self-discovery. It does not contradict one’s path… it carries confidence in the correctness of the moment.
What disturbs me the most is exactly what Randy wrote about, the abundance of various methods of entertainment, and consequently whims. I can’t make myself give them up (it’s hard to even imagine such a thing, or maybe it’s just scary) because if I completely dedicate myself to desire, then I will turn (or am afraid) into a typical nerd. After all, if I completely dedicate myself to my goal, then everything else will simply cease to exist for me; I will become a narrow-minded person, unable to grasp the whole picture. I will have to give up all those activities that I love so much, reading fantasy, going to concerts, relationships with girls, and simply expanding my horizons by reading everything on the internet. After I’ve written that, these reasons seem not so significant, but what I will achieve through fulfilling my dream and constant effort seems much greater than these small joys of life. However, I continue to be tortured by another question, maybe this is the wrong path; maybe it’s worth letting go into a wild binge, ignoring everything and burning through life in 10 years. Or perhaps to let everything go and focus on making money, rolling through life like a cabbage head, not caring about anything, getting fat, marrying, taking out a mortgage, and ultimately dying, breeding a bunch of kids or dying alone and being content with such a life. Of course, if you look from that angle I described, the choice is obvious and natural, you’ll say, but the main problem is that I can’t take the first step, constantly distracted by little entertainments and whims. Or simply the desire that was there in the evening is forgotten in the morning, and there is neither strength nor desire to get out of bed and change everything. It’s as if I wake up a completely different person, foolish and not thinking about anything, and even waking up is also a huge problem. Only late at night do thoughts start to haunt me that something is wrong, that everything should be different. And if I don’t go to sleep that day, only then is there progress. Even then not very well, since I am already tired, yet I continue to distract myself with whims. And I am tormented by the question, what to do…
The question, in fact, is not whether to dedicate oneself to a ‘dream’ or ‘entertainment’. The question is to be oneself so that there is peace within. And if to be oneself you need to engage in all those activities you listed – wonderful 🙂 Just decide for yourself what helps you to be yourself. There are no universal rules. But if you are not you, if you are just a collection of actions, tendencies, whims, a game of circumstances and opinions – then it is much worse than being a nerd 🙂
I completely understand you, seeker 🙂 The whole trick is that you must answer these troubling questions for yourself.
A small addition to the comment. Since I also got stuck in the dead end that the Seeker writes about. It may seem that a being beginning to harmonize his path, himself, and dedicating himself to something should cast aside all ‘pleasures of worldly fuss’. I would call this situation a trap-helper. As I already added to Ena’s comment, being a ‘harmonious being’ is not simple, because all the disharmony surrounding us becomes visible. Yes, you can give up what you consider whims. In the early stages, this is permitted. But due to the fact that equilibrium in nature has not been canceled, over time, having learned to recognize destructive elements of the path, you will begin to search for what harmonizes you. And this is where you will start to seek and add what you truly need. Seek and add what fills you, what gives you a sense of purpose in existence.
I do not see a connection between Power, desire, and something else.
In my opinion, the difference between imposed desire and “true”: depending on the main direction (main dominance) of the Forces of the world, a being will experience a desire (need) approaching the ideal of existence.
But there is a Foundation embedded by the Creator, which is why when wishing for an apartment, car, and money, we realize the necessity of a strong family, creativity, love.. These desires are layered upon one another, and it is important to separate them, to be aware of their emergence and modes of interaction.
“I’m afraid I will turn into a typical nerd”. In general, many of us lead the life of a typical nerd, playing the game ‘Expanding one’s horizons by reading everything online’, ‘Burn your life in 10 years’, ‘Making money’, ‘Mortgage’, or another. And why? The typical signs are evident: attention is caught and not released, all time and energy are spent, one’s needs and desires are neglected. As a result, exhaustion. What is this desire, the realization of which will turn one into a narrow-minded person? Most likely, it is yet another nerdy game. Nomen’s comments are valuable.
Replacing the social ‘nerd’ with the esoteric ‘nerd’, accepting the words of some Nomena and other knowledgeable people – in my view is the same. In fact, the question of whether a ‘nerd’ is bad is floating in the air. And what is good and bad, duality, and how to exit from it.
Like, here there’s a mission, and there is an obsessed one, here is opposition and there is terrorism? For me, the question is not floating in the air – a ‘nerd’ is someone who lives not their own life. The words of Nomena are valuable experiences that show a way out of the discussed situation. These are my words, expressed by another person.
Here I’m actually talking about this – in our world, there are so many words already that for a substantive conversation, it’s first worth determining the concepts and designating what you mean. And about such a moment as the motive for a comment. They are, after all, different. Very few write out of benevolence, for example. Or out of a desire to understand things themselves or share experiences. And also that, for example, the blog author insists – don’t believe me but check. And that also means not to believe either you or Nomena, and to look closely at the motive and content of the statement.
Even if a person does not have the mindset to perceive any incoming information as a hypothesis, it will remain merely information for contemplation if there is no inner strength to notice, understand, comprehend, and realize it. And to integrate it into oneself, into one’s life. This usually happens on the basis of personal experience, that is, living this knowledge.
As for motives, I completely agree. But here, Maria, we can relax 🙂 – the blog owner clearly filters comments that do not have a call for the exchange of knowledge and experience.
“In fact, the question of whether a ‘nerd’ is bad is floating in the air.” If a result is needed, and more ‘easier’ methods are impossible, why not nerd out? Sometimes it turns into a kind of meditation. And answers are found in it. If a nerd achieves the desired result, is that bad or good?
Can refusal of surgical intervention on the body and the search for an alternative method/path (to get rid of a life-threatening tumor) be a true desire for preservation of one’s integrity? Or is it merely a need to avoid a traumatic experience (that is, fear)?
The body is a conductor of awareness; without it, experience cannot be gained – that is, the meaning of development.