I listened to a podcast recently where a magician and author made a sweeping statement that systems like chaos magick and thelema didn't work, and that magicians in these traditions proved it by their "inflated egos". He wrote Crowley off completely and many others.
While we all have our own magical paths to follow, and one persons path may not be for you, simply talking to a few people from different traditions and paths and instantly deciding the system doesn't work, because you don't like them or their ideas conflict with yours.....well, that's just dam crazy! Have you tried working with the system to get results...the proof of the pudding is in the eating after all? If you have tried the system and it didn't work for you, this doesn't mean it's a useless system, maybe it just doesn't push your buttons, it doesn't use a symbol set that you can relate to? Also, maybe you need to create your own symbol set and system that works for you (as many chaos magicians do, and yes, it does work for them).
Now, I like ceremonial magick, goetia, enochian and thelema, especially the idea of a Holy Guardian Angel "floats my boat" and get's me results. Of course classic chaos magick methods such as sigils, servitors, paradigm shifting and all that jazz does too!
Wicca doesn't really do it for me, and I've met some bizarre and slightly mad people "claiming" to be witches. However, I would never just write this magical system off, that would be crazy, as many people practise witchcraft and it works for them, why on earth would I? I've maybe not even met people who are following the Wiccan path with any serious commitment, but simply do a few spells now and again and invoke the goddess when they feel like it (I believe they are called "blessed wannabes").
Come on guys and gals, lets stop arguing about whose magical system is better and works and just get on with it, lets leave all that crap to the people who are still arguing about religion and dogma!
See you when we all shake wands and create a few earthquakes to shake up the world...
Frater Therion
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I've seen this kind of depreciating comment on Chaos Magic from some blogs and authors.
ReplyDeleteIn some instances if the blogger is selling a seminar, book or anyother product, and attack other systems they want to influence prospective buyers... any practicing magician knows... if the operator is incompetent, no system would work... if he used CM to no avail it is a statement about him, not the system... worse... if he were comfortable about his magical abilities regarding making money, he wouldn't need to attack "competitors"...
In my opinion system is valuable if works for me and if is effective. Any one system is effective and good for their practicioners, there is no measurements what systems is "good", and what is "bad". No arbitrary ranking of systems. Everyone should do what they want and have fun:)
ReplyDeletehey do you know how to use the abramelin magick square
ReplyDeleteIronically, when I gained the knowledge and conversation of my HGA, I personally lost interest in using the infamous/famous magick squares. However, I believe Crowley's advice was to not even touch them, unless you had done the neccessary preparotory work (i.e. the HGA work). He believed that someone not prepared, who even looked at these magick squares would come to great harm, and did hint I think someplace that Mathers's had come to a sticky end by doing this. I will probably return to looking at the magick squares at some point though. As with most things of this nature, research, be careful, keep a cool head, an open mind, and be ready to banish with full force if the s**t hits the fan!
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