A Step Toward

«If you take a step toward Allah, Allah will take several steps toward you. If you advance but one step toward Allah, Allah will hasten to you.».

(Hadiths: Ahmad 1/368, Ibn Abi Asim 1/204)

 
A well-known law of Magic is the law of attraction between Powers — unlike the “physical” world, in which poles — opposites — attract, in the world of Causes similar things attract.

This distinction follows from the very nature of the worlds: the embodied world is governed by the law of the Quaternary, while the world of Power, the “spiritual” world, is governed by the law of the Ternary.

In other words, the actual objects of the embodied world are described by consciousness as a dynamic system of interacting binary poles, and in the course of that description, the mind moves along the Tetragrammatical Path — idea–matter–object–field of manifestation. Therefore the key law that ensures the mobility of consciousness in the world of manifested objects is precisely the attraction of opposites, which creates the potential difference necessary for any activity. Thus the objectified world is a realm where multiplicity dominates over unity, which is a necessary condition for the differentiated development of consciousness, and therefore forces of repulsion dominate over forces of attraction.

At the same time, Power and spirit develop according to the principle of the ternary, in which unity prevails over multiplicity, and similar things sharing a common source attract each other because they possess substantial unity. The potential world is an environment in which unity dominates over multiplicity, and forces of attraction over forces of repulsion.

These notions acquire special significance when it comes to the manifestation of Power in the world, that is, to the penetration of the One into the Many.

Since the actual world is the world of triumphant disintegration, any penetration of Power — that is, any expansion of awareness — into it is possible only when Power and the Vessel mutually attract, overcoming the repulsion between them. We have already said that this action involves two stages — the creation of the Vessel and the opening it to Power.

Now let us note that a necessary condition for the development of consciousness is its movement along the gradient of Power, and it is precisely this movement that is called the Way, the Orlög of being.

Put differently, for Power to enter a being, for the light of consciousness to fill it, it is necessary that the being move toward Power.

So long as the desire for Power remains only a desire, nothing will happen. Power flows only when consciousness moves from lesser to greater synthesis, that is, when a being walks the Way.

Note that the concept of the Way is not identical to the simple notion of activity, since the latter often denotes mere chaotic movement of elements; rather it denotes goal-directed and highly ordered activity aligned with Power’s gradient — that is, activity whose chief criterion is its ability or inability to increase Power — the expansion of awareness. It is clear that this holds only so long as the goal-directed activity does not become mere goal-setting — that is, only when the aim of the activity, the expected result, does not become more important than the movement itself, and all activity of the mind remains in the present moment, not fixating on the potential reality of the future.

The same principle applies to the Magus’s specific actions — the condition for any realization is goal-directed and highly ordered activity. It would seem — what could be simpler: if you want to achieve something — do it while remaining yourself, act, pouring all your effort into the action, yet without immersing yourself completely! But how often actions diverge from intentions…