Monday, May 26, 2014

Simple is as simple does

One of the problems with Magical Orders and Magicians is we constantly desire more knowledge. Generally I believe enquiry is a good thing, but often I find myself not achieving mastery of a skill before moving on to something more complex. This is, in my opinion, a symptom of our current state of generational affairs and an issue which will cause many problems in the future. I can use the example of the original Golden Dawn order as a great example. Minimal Magic in the beginning, minimal magic in the middle, some more at the top, but not much more.

Mastery of a skill is essential to evolve and incorporate that skill into your 'normal' sphere of experience. Using Martial Arts as an example, the grooving of action in certain situations is an essential part of training. Working to step a certain way, move your body a certain way or respond appropriately to aggression need to be experience over and over again. Repetitive, mind numbingly repetitively occurring actions. Step, block punch, step, block punch, step, block punch. Finally the reaction becomes normal and part of the way you react and interact with/to the world.

Magic should be this way too. I don't care if you just did a powerful grimoire based evocation of the seventeenth demon of the outer gap using Selibus the Heretics fourth method. Is the BRP and the Middle Column part of your existence. Do you know intimately the basics? Can you perform the Cabalistic Cross correctly with evocations and inner work fully aligned? Does the Hebrew sing to you? Is it part of your existing mind? Can you elevate yourself using these simple tools? Is it a snap to drop into your meditative/magical state?

If you can, then, you, are, awesome!

If you cannot, well, maybe drop all that other "higher" magic and BECOME magical in the everyday using basics that alter you. Magic is not a weekend only thing. It is 24/7, 365 trying to become more than the lame meatbag yu used to be. Yes. It is hard graft, but hey, it is more than worth it.

Pax,

MvdV

Monday, May 12, 2014

Everyday I'm Sigilin'

With the advent of new technology, we, as magicians need to take advantage of the new opportunities that face us. Instead of dealing only with the age old methods, we can advance our skills forward using things that are common to our society as well as those that remain from the old.

Technology, knowledge, wealth systems, social structure, transportation (of goods and individuals), availability of tech and raw materials. All of these things allow us to attempt to improve our magical practice.

Smartphones are cool, they are also a possible source of magical operations and actions. music, images, communication and also, as I'd like to discuss today, practical actions. I inherited a Samsung Galaxy 3 due to a lost and found situation and I have been enjoying it more and more. One of the things I have recently been using in a magical context is the lock function. The Galaxy enables you to use a 3x3 connect the dots code grid which allows for a variety of simple or complex diagrams to unlock the phone. Chaos types should be aware of the possibilities within a 3x3 grid, especially since it is possible to multiple contacts on points.


The opportunities are pretty good for us to appropriate simple things like this into our daily practice. Every time I unlock my phone, I reactivate and interact with my chosen symbol. Any more ideas for daily magical use?

Pax

MvdV