What Lies Behind the Door?

The development of the mind — the accumulation of Power — , as we have already said, proceeds as a gradual synthesis of new elements perceived by consciousness.

However, the analytical capacity of a person’s waking mind is usually insufficient to discern that new level of synthesis and, accordingly, the new needs that arise after major breakthroughs on the Way.

In other words, the Magus’s Way can be described as the successive opening of ever-new doors and the offering of ever-new chances.

Thus, the Way is always full of surprises: behind each successive door there may well be something quite different from what the traveler expects — there he may face either a sudden attack by predators or, conversely, an unexpected gift of Power.

In accordance with this, the most important feeling a Magus must cultivate in himself is his readiness for the unexpected, alertness without which he may either lose precious time battling an enemy or miss an opportunity that suddenly appears from around a corner.

To be alert means to be vigilant, always on guard so as not to miss an opportunity offered by Power. To be alert means to be as fully aware as possible of his surroundings, always to remember one’s goal and to strive to notice everything that is happening.

The Magus must cultivate in himself a state of flexibility and gentle suppleness that allows him to react immediately in any direction at the first signs of a sharp change in the flow of Power — both when new opportunities open and when opportunities are curtailed. This state combines relaxation with a resilient, living, supple readiness to respond instantly when necessary. Those who can maintain such a state without exhausting tension cannot be taken by surprise.

The state of readiness is the Magus’s “passive” preparedness in the present, in the uncertain field in which he exists. To be alert is to be ready for any turn of events, without worry or judgment. A person placed in conditions that threaten survival enters a state of alertness. The Magus, however, is always in such conditions. Having taken the Way, he can never again feel safe; therefore, his “combat readiness” is absolutely necessary for his success on the Way.