Lets talk Magic (k)!

@RedPillWizard I too consider myself a practitioner. Largely intuitively directed intent, but I have read widely and explored other Shamanic altered-states as well.
I believe there are many people who practice magic but may not call it so. For to me, arcane science aside, it is simply an acknowledgement of the deeper animating principles of the world and an attempt to build a relationship with them - rather than the usual preoccupation with the surface, symptomatic "reality". This is what awakens people from the reactive trance and shows them that they are in a wave within waves rather than perhaps wheels within wheels. At the very least this illustrates the organic nature better. Less like you're going to get your fingers jammed if you start experimenting.
One of the biggest questions is how to use magic and to what ends... I guess that is where the wisdom in Wizard comes in. Do What Thou Wilt is a typically trickster description of the two-way workings of magic. It is often sold as a liberation, which it is, but it is also complete acceptance of responsibility.
Do you see a distinct separation of dark and light workings? If so what is the way of the (I won't say Light Worker here) good magician in the world? Smoke a pipe and quiet contemplation? Summon a hobbit to bring down the Rothschilds?

Very well said , Q and great questions. "Intuitively directed intent" is a much better description than "download(ed)" but I figured the modern description would be better understood universally by those who read it. ;o)

I agree that there are others that work with the same forces and energies but don't call it "Magic(k)" but consolidating it down to one word is so much more efficient and easier, especially when trying to describe it in a topic description heading. 🙂 I welcome all of those who are interested in working with energies/forces to participate in this conversation.

I agree with your thoughts and descriptions and really like your comment about "waves within waves". Nicely said.

As for your questions, the first being "How to use Magic and to what end?" I think that it depends on your true nature how to use Magic and also to how often and when. If you feel that you can/should use Magic only in certain circumstances then you need to follow the barriers that you set. If you work outside of your own moral understanding then you will unconsciously sabotage yourself because your true thoughts, beliefs and emotions are being sent out when you are trying to manipulate reality... so you will manipulate your true feelings about what your doing into reality. If you think that when you work in a certain way or work with certain energies it is bad or bad things will happen, then it will happened. I personally try to take advantage of mundane advantages to accomplish goals before resorting to Magical practices because then when I do use Magic it feels more powerful. I feel that its a bigger accomplishment to attain a goal if I do it without Magic and I'm not one that always chooses the easiest route. I feel there is much to be gained by challenging one's self.

While I feel its largely a self limiting aspect to when, how and to what end to take advantage of our connection to the energies and forces that make up and manipulate our connected reality, I feel that the boundries have a self limiting limit dependant on the understanding and enlightenment of each individual. The more wisdom you gain the more you realize you don't need ritual magic. The more you learn about your own path the more you won't need magic but only when your path needs it.

Its my opinion that the phrase "Do what thou wilt" has a different meaning depending on where you are within the path of "enlightenment" (for lack of a better word). The more that you understand how we fit into this reality, what we are here for, what our own path is and how everything is connected directly effects what meaning you get out of the phrase, or maybe better said, the better you understand that phrase, as well as the context inwhich it was used. People focus on that phrase and forget to read the rest. For those without the "eyes to see" or "ears to hear", yes, it has a trickster component to it, or more accurately, it actually points out the trickster nature of Magic where the acceptance of responsibility is learned from the trickster nature of the built-in protocols within Magic. Its sold as liberation so that people approach Magic in the mindset that they with be able to use it to do what they want, then it kicks their ass and they run away never to dabble in it again. Its a way to seperate the wheat from the chaff. Magic is a learning device for enlightening one's self and if you don't pay attention and just try to play with the forces it will humble you in short order... not to be mean but to try to teach you what you need to know.

Do I see a distinct seperation of light and dark workings? It depends on ones level of awareness of the necessity of polarities. Without dark there can be no light. Without negativity there can be no positivity. I can accept there are those who do things that negatively affect myself or others, and that without experiencing that negivity one can't fully appreciate the absebse of said negativity, but I don't appreciate those that do negitive things. As far as energies are concerned, in my current understanding abd perception, I feel that its the intent behind the energies that are "light" or "dark". So you can use a dark energy to do good things and light energy to cause bad things. I also feel that we are beings of duality and both aspects have to be acknowledged, delt with and kept in balance.

I guess the way of a Magician that feels a callung to bring positive changes would to be to follow your heart. People underestimate little things that we can do all the time that can cause positive changes that are very Magical, but seem mubdane and unimportant to most. This is where the wisdom of realization that spending one second giving a simple smile to someone with a genuine positive intent behind it can cause as much positive change as a five hour Magical ritual on a full moon. So the way of a "light worker" should be to first work on themself so they have the right energy to help others, learn to protect themselves, pay attention to the path that is being layed out for them to go down, learn about anything they could use to help them and don't give up. As for what do good magicians do, I would have to say they pay attention, try to understand and do whatever they feel is right. Focus on representing the change you want to cause. Everything can be a magical act if the focus and intent behind it is right. Our intent and emotions are very powerful. If you stay conscious in the moment and resonate your intent outward with the right emotion you can affect everything around you all the time. Go out and get involved. Stay in and do some spells. Whatever compells you. Do what thou wilt.

Your thoughts?

I ask you the same questions.
And what do you consider to be the most effective tools of a Magical Practitioner? (ie imagination, intent, wand, good correspondence chart, rat tails and chicken lips for the pot, etc;)

Interesting, Hammer :0)

But one has to wonder the fact that if in order for there to be anything at all there HAS to be light AND dark, for what is light without dark? What is Love without the absent of Love? What are we to feel without feeling Love AND the absence of Love? If you were to never experience the absence of Love, how would you know that you have ever experienced Love at all? The illusion then would be the thought that you knew what Love was for you had never experienced the opposite polarity to compare it to.

If you had never bought into a fear based lie how would you know to look for the fear based lie down the road? I think there must be good/evil, light/dark because we exist. Good and evil exist and are at play because one of them can't exist without the other.

I agree that fear based lies allows for more terible things to take place if people are unaware but I dont think that good and evil are only where there are fear based deceptions. The evil is the actual fear based deception itself, or even the thought of it. The evil is in the person or persons. If they come up with a fear based deception and nobody buys it, the evil doesn't go away... its still within the person. Recognizing the deception sure as shit helps to prevent the opportunity the advancement of the fear and evil though!

I think Good and evil have always been and will always be a part of our reality.

Chicken lips for sure! They kick hen's teeths' arse (that was a grammar headache - and for that matter I guess teeth don't really have an arse...).

Excellent posts all round @RedPillWizard, I've been reading many though commenting less. You are doing good work here in the forum and it shows the potential. Not that I know too much about these things. I've never even used Faecebook.

The most effective tools for a practitioner I feel are imagination and an affinity with Nature, meaning the animating principles. But, I find that a system of reference or magical language provides a way to navigate and also cooperate with others. Personally I enjoy the synergistic nature of Tarot, Astrology and Gematria for this purpose. It's a lot like playing music I reckon; you can be a talented self-taught musician, you can even jam, but to play with an orchestra or experience the wealth of music from the ages it helps to read and know your scales. As a caveat though, the world is full of technically proficient musicians lacking emotive nuance.

Ahh the deep ontological questions (rubs hands)...
I agree with you @Hammer that all is one and duality consciousness can struggle under stagnant or prolonged schism, but we cannot deny the duality dynamic itself.
Evil as a value judgement - is that what you mean @Hammer? I see your point, yet you acknowledge the experience of fear, even if illusionary. This experience of Fear or Separation from Love can determine behaviour and might even go to the extent of providing motivation. Not a direct motive - being illusionary - but more of a reactionary one. Maybe Harmony and Dissonance suits better...
A lot of what I might identify as evil influence in this world I see as directly linked to fear. But, like @Hammer proposes, is this a force in itself or merely the imagined loss of love, the suffering of isolation? Trauma manifesting itself as a defiant survivalism, a rejection of the abandoning parent? Are we, as holographic reflections, somehow experiencing something locally that the universal consciousness itself is encountering - some kind of primal "otherness"?
Is it indeed our destiny to be children always, to explore and return? Or are the Egoic incarnations (and the accompanying hardening/separation) a seed state with opportunity for germination?
I'm kind of new to forums so apologies if this is getting off topic. Maybe it is best to start a thread on Good and Evil. I guess a big part of magic is your affinity.

Thank you, Q! I am humbled to read your opinion of my posts! I also appreciate all of your comments and always look forward to your participation in any thread. You often bring a great point of view to the conversation, wise insights and written very well... although I think there has been a time or two where I needed a dictionary to keep up with your intellect. :o) (which is also a good thing)

I agree with your opinions on important tools of the Magician. I have dabbled with Tarot with great luck and feel there MUST be a real connection to the mystical energies and forces for a divinatitive purpose. As for Astrology, I'm of the opinion that there are detailed and complex forces that are affected by the planets and stars but have been apprehensive of delving too deeply into trying to figure it all out due to the incredibly complex nature of it all and I feel similarly about Gematria. It synchronistic that you allude to the fact that it is simular to being a musician because I feel that they could be better understood if you look at them from an energetic frequency viewpoint and compare the different vibrational energies eminating from each one to musical scales, harmonics and how all the notes relate to one another. A kind of mass "Musical Spheres" theory. :0)

I'm sure one day I will take the leap and delve deeply into Gematria and Astrology when I feel I have time enough to try to get a firm grasp on the subjects.

I would like to hear your viewpoint on the relationship between Astrology and world and personal events. Do you feel like Astrology is the mechanical type of inner workings of "Fate" or "Destiny"?

Also, what method you you use for Gematria? With over 75 different methods it seems to me that just choosing a method is quite a task. Do you think that the mathematical attributes if letters and words carried over and taken into consideration within the English language so that Gematria could be used to decipher our words and phrases as effectively as it was in the Assyro-Babylonian or Hebrew languages?

Have you looked into Astrological Gematria at all? If so, your thoughts?

@RedPillWizard I don't want to give the impression that I am an expert in any of these things, more of an eternal student who enjoys wandering lost in the forest following my curiousity and occasionally falling on my face. I use Astrology, Tarot and Gematria as tools to help understand the primal language of symbolism and relationship.

Astrology in the World and Personal Events...
In the emulsion of space, an extremely rarefied but almost perfect medium of energy transfer, relatively subtle but tidal energy relationship provides the context for more localised events. If we assume apparent organic chaos (not disorder so much as infinite complexity) then these over-arching influences will determine the prevailing weather if you like. That is my macro sense of Astrological influence - not gravity exerted by rocks but an electromagnetic relationship much like the atomic model of electron shells and the like.
Funny how Astrology has been trivialised because it is the fundamental correspondence of the inner to the outer and vice versa; the science AND art of interpreting significance. It is still a superimposed set of references, derived through division of the whole and assigning value. This value has been developed through eons of observation but still require a certain amount of reverse engineering or tuning on the part of the individual interpreting them - calibration through their point of view.
Best to start with a good birth chart analysis... Get a sneak peak at the script - the fingerprint of the macro at the time of incarnation. I don't subscribe overly to the deterministic model of Astrology, as I believe it sets up a victim mentality and denies the value of free will. That said, waves within waves, and a lot depends on your depth of awareness. Fluctuates for all of us.

Gematria
My main focus at the moment is looking into the story of 0-9+ as the story of the evolution of consciousness through relationship. Fascinating shit man and feels soooo significant; from the Womb of the Zero which through expectation inspires the Cosmic Exclamation of One on to the formation of duality/polarity along the axis of the ray... I could go on but I feel it is best to point you in the direction of this book, the humbly titled The Key to the Universe by Frank Curtiss. Each chapter details Number, Tarot, Astrology and Hebrew/Qaballah etc. I'd love to hear what you think.

If we can conclude that "Magic" is much like what most people would call a small miracle, then I propose an altered comment from Einstein would be fitting to my thoughts on Magic.

"There are two ways to look at this Reality. One is as if nothing is Magical. The other as if everything is Magical."

The real fun starts when you get a handle on things and start exploring beyond the books, the systems and the bullshit. Its like working with a coloring book, compared to a blank wall sized canvas.

Sitting back and watching these protests on TV, listening to the news about another douche bag lining up to be the next Puppet in the White House, realizing that everything is canned, processed and prepared for your consumption. Programing Programing Programing. Civil Disobedience, go to jail for not paying your taxes, I don't know about you guys, but that sounds like alot of sacrifice for something the system won't even feel. A man can move mountains if he utilized the proper lever. If we think outside the box and utilize the art/science of magick, who is to say we can't move mountains. Maybe this is a big damn terrarium that was created for us. But there is zero reason why we can't fight fire with fire fuck with them on all levels.