Battles, in Earnest and in Jest
Whatever is said about Magic as a Way and as a system, the reality is that for the majority who consider themselves “Magi”, “esotericists” or “spiritual practitioners”, Magic remains a mere pastime, never becoming the true Game.
“Magical battles” are most often imitations of action, “magical wagers” are trifles, and “magical contracts” are inscriptions on toilet paper (in Crowley’s apt phrase — “papirus ani”). In fact we have only role-playing games, in which some pretend to be Magi, others their helpers or victims, while the real Flow of Power runs far away, and only faint echoes of real, terrible and brutal battles sometimes reach the ears of the players.
And it is not surprising that there is so little Power in the ordinary world — for it too — is merely a semblance of activity. A flash of power or an echo of a battle may flicker somewhere, and already life seems to be in turmoil, and the tragedies seem anything but trivial.
It is very convenient to call oneself a Magus, call one’s state ‘spiritual growth’, and one’s movement the Way, while subconsciously feeling that one risks nothing, can always leave the game and lose nothing of consequence. This feeling, alongside the sense of one’s own immortality (“they will all die, but not I”), is at once an invaluable protection and an equally grand danger.
No, in general, there’s nothing wrong with such imitations — they are part of the everyday, and their participants, in fact, differ from the general population of the henhouse only in their haughty contrast with the rest.
But how tragically and unpredictably events unfold when one of those “adepts” accidentally becomes involved in some branch… Where do his wisdom and strength go, his “clairvoyance” and “astral experience”…
For some reason it is commonly believed that we are surrounded by stupid forces, and that if we — not even need to wish (this is very difficult) — but merely say “I want”, all our enemies, squealing and grunting, will scatter.
“What’s the big deal — a parasite of consciousness — I’ll banish it if I wish!; What’s the big deal — a Demon — I’ll subdue it if I wish! What’s the big deal — Baphomet — I’ll defeat it if I wish”…
Nothing of the sort.
The world is cruel, unjust, and at times outright vile.
And those who are accustomed to feeding on us are older, craftier, and stronger than we are.
A chicken in a henhouse may talk as much as it likes about the stupidity of the people who feed it and take its friends away; it may even pretend that it has ceased to be a chicken and remains in the henhouse only out of compassion for the other hens. But its fate will not change for that — it will end up in the soup. And even if, in some feverish impulse, it manages to escape the henhouse — it will be killed by the neighbor’s dog, or a fox, or a polecat, or a passing car…
Do you know any real cases where a chicken that escaped from a henhouse survived in the wild?
What is this talk for? — To show that Magic is not a game of trinkets, it is not waving a magic wand or flying on a broomstick; it is a fight to the death.
And as long as the chicken remains a chicken — it has no chance of breaking free.
Everyone who dares to call himself a Magus, and calls his Way ‘Magic’, must understand very well how dangerous this Way truly is, how thorny and arduous it is, and how little of it consists of the glossy images from fantasy novels and computer games.
Those who enjoy games may play to their heart’s content; it adds a pleasant variety while they await their inevitable fate.
But the one who intends to enter the Game must prepare for pain, tears and disappointments, for bleak stares at the sky and its answering silence; he must learn to walk, regardless of fatigue — without fear, without hope, to walk — simply because he cannot stand still.
And only then does the great transformation begin — the chicken, gradually, slowly and painfully — feather by feather — rebuilds itself, and gains a slim chance to grow wings that carry it away, into infinity, through darkness and beyond it.
))) timely, direct and frank.
Very rightly said, I express my gratitude, Enmerkar!
Better a bitter truth than a sweet lie…
What does a Mage really risk: dying, being eaten like everyone else, losing something dear? Is it possible to go when you don’t know where, but can’t stop? Do real cases exist where a chicken gained wings?
A Mage risks everything – both death and loss of loved ones and suffering. As for the second question – as long as the chicken remains a chicken – it has not a single chance, but if it stops being one, if it changes its essence – then the chance appears. And yes, – such cases have happened and exist – and only for this reason does the universe have at least some meaning.
Perhaps… this is the hardest path… and to walk it – one must understand that ancient force that lives here… indeed the sharpest of all blades… if you are not sure that you can win and will not stumble – better choose another…
Can a chicken born in a chicken coop escape it and survive in the wild if it is, by God’s design, just a chicken? Or did it just make that up for itself, and in reality, it is not a chicken at all, just easier that way?
Well, not that it came up with it by itself – it was helped to think like that, but God’s intent is irrelevant here.
However, Wikipedia states that “gnosticism claims that the World cannot be saved – only the spiritual element intrinsic to some individuals (pneumatics) is saved (that is, returns to the realm of the divine, absolute existence), initially and by nature belonging to a higher sphere. Only ‘spiritual’ individuals (‘pneumatics’) can know gnosis, while ‘soulful’ individuals (‘psychics’) achieve only ‘faith’ instead of true ‘knowledge’, and ‘fleshy’ individuals (‘hyliks’ or ‘somatics’) do not leave the sensory sphere at all.” In translation into the analogy with the ‘chicken coop’, this means that “the only ones able to ‘escape’ the coop are the cat and the dog, while all the other ‘cattle’ enjoy life in the coop (‘somatics’), and they do not suffer in samsara (in Buddhist terminology), and they have no data for life outside the ‘coop’, and a chicken cannot turn into a wolf, always looking into the forest and unsuitable for domestication. Interest in escaping the coop may arise in more intelligent animals than chickens, for example, in pigs or goats (‘psychics’), but even if they escape, they have almost no chance of survival outside the farm. Only predatory and intelligent animals, for example, cats and dogs (‘pneumatics’), are initially created with the potential for escape from the coop and life outside of it. Thus, according to gnostics, ‘spiritual communism’ is impossible because people are not equal. Supporting the theories of the gnostics, there is scientific data – brain specialist Professor Saveliev claims that the neurological differences among people can be as much as 50 times! Therefore, a smart person who surpasses the average person by 50 times is like different forms of life! He also divides people by their level of brain development into primary consciousness (barely developed cortex, and these are the majority, and they are essentially an intermediary between pithecanthropus and Homo sapiens), secondary consciousness (where the cortex is somewhat developed, but only to imitate human activity; a bright example of this is bureaucrats, hence the corruption), tertiary consciousness – well-developed cortex and brain in general – they are the truly spiritual people who live for ideas and drive progress.
There are people who constantly get into trouble. And as soon as they start to become active, “troubles” come in no joking manner. But there are also people who move through life easily, they are lucky, they are positive, they just get what they want. What is this? Karma, a “peculiar” deception of parasites, or are there still Forces that help and protect? What should people of the first category do?
“Luck” or “unluckiness” – this is the result of the manifestation of the energy of fortune – Hamingya. The amount of this energy varies among different people, and it can change throughout life. Although, in principle, Hamingya, just like any other form of power, can be increased by the Power of Consciousness; such a translation is not always justified – many examples are known of Mages who reached significant heights of power but had little Hamingya.
Evgeny, hello.
Is there such a significant difference between winning and losing?
An article – a cry of the soul, I feel lonely, dear Enmerkar. And how did Jesus feel?
And another question. How to distinguish a true Battle from a “role-playing game”? And can skills obtained in “games” still be useful later in Battle? I am very interested in the topic of preparing a Mage for Battles and generally preparing a Mage.
Yes, in general, playing as training can be valuable. But the whole problem lies in the fact that, when getting carried away, they rarely change games for The Game.
Gilgamesh, it doesn’t make a difference… but if you chose a path – go through it to the end…
What is necessary for such a final leap? To become wiser than the parasite of awareness, or is that impossible? To realize all one’s potential – this is infinite. To learn to love? And to find that boundary when you feel complete unity and at the same time do not dissolve in the flow?
To take the last step – you need to take the penultimate step first. The Path is not a means, the Path is the goal; only by taking one step at a time can one arrive somewhere.
It seems to me easier to walk when you know the goal, or at least the direction. It is not about the means, it is about understanding. Maybe I am mistaken?
I am my Path.
I agree with Eknaqaron, it is easier to walk when you know the goal, but the goal is the path itself; on the other hand, knowing the direction, this will evidently become clear after certain steps toward the goal. This is how I understand it.
2Eknaqaron: I also want to add that for the “last leap” as my heart tells me, one must learn to control oneself, their actions! To fight against their bad habits, to exclude from their life all weaknesses that lead only to ineffective actions…
I want the only thing from you, to answer me clearly and consciously, how many fingers am I showing right now, – and I show four fingers. Four, – the hero replies. You are mistaken, I showed five. After terrible and horrific torments, the question is repeated. Five, – the hero replies. You deceived me, you saw four, but you say five. I will torture you until you truly, CONSCIOUSLY and HONESTLY see four fingers.
Yeah, familiar, but fortunately not from personal experience. Almost all acquaintances who are beginning “harry potters” of school or early student age are indeed playing role-playing games. They are eager to curse someone, summon some spirits and demons, somewhere to “restore the world’s balance” (as if they care about those characters at all), and so on and so forth. I consider this to be like childhood diseases – these unfortunate witches will grow up and understand where they were wrong. If they don’t, it will be worse for them. Well, one can’t forcibly re-educate them, after all. But you can occasionally have a little fun while having examples of “how not to do it.”
Roughly understood, thank you. Enmerkar, I apologize for the superficial questions. The path seems very tangled when you lose the Force, and everything becomes clearer when you have the Force.
Enmerkar, Thank you so much for once again answering my questions 🙂 I also apologize for their silliness. During the time of still ‘feeling out’ my Path, consciousness is somewhat unstable, often really slyly letting me down… But perhaps it is this communication here and the understanding that everyone truly has difficulties, but also real victories, that gives hope to win.
There is a suggestion that the Mage is a mask – no matter how serious it is… even at the cost of life… What do you think?
Strictly speaking, any personality is a mask, as it is a product of description. The only question is how accurately this mask fits the individual personality, in other words – how effective it is.
I think the problem is that most set a goal as ‘to be a mage’, that’s why the result is skewed. Example: ‘to be a builder’ (goal) and ‘to build a house’ (goal) are not the same when ‘to be a mage’ is not the goal but a way to achieve it; then, I dare to suggest, true mages appear.
Thank you. Harsh and truthful. That’s how it is.
In the modern world, magic is often understood as methods of influencing event reality with the following two properties:
1. They do not require the performance of physical actions directly related to creating the desired event (roughly speaking, to get a chair, you don’t need to carve and assemble it yourself).
2. They increase the probability of fulfilling the desire. More precisely, even if the probability of achieving the desired in an ORDINARY SENSE is very low, MAGICAL ACTIONS lead to the realization of even that probability. Roughly speaking, the chance of finding a chair that meets your color, quality, etc. parameters standing in your hallway with no one claiming it while you go out for bread is quite low. However, something similar to this is considered a magical action.
In this regard, the question arises – are there types of magic that allow achieving worldly goals (which can roughly be divided into two main groups – GAINING POWER and GAINING MONEY)? Conditioned by Predatory Magic or, more accurately, Parasite Magic? To rise in hierarchies not in the True Reality, but in the Social (Distorted, Parasitic) Reality?
I think most will judge me for merely positing such a question, but… If I have to be honest, things must begin with the acknowledgment that HERE AND NOW, I personally will hardly be able to go anywhere further if I do not reach some necessary and sufficient (a term from mathematics – roughly speaking, minimally enough) LEVEL OF SOCIAL SUCCESS (social hierarchy) THAT IS PERSONAL TO ME. Because without this, I will consider myself a loser and weakling. And those aren’t qualities of a mage!
To increase money, it is enough to be a merchant, not a wizard. To increase power – a warrior. A wizard increases strength. Am I understanding correctly that the first transition is the clear acknowledgment that the latter takes priority, while the first two occupations usually lead away from Magic? Many realize that. The decision to live according to the conscious priority.
Is this what you call the First Abyss?
Today I heard a story: a woman married a successful businessman and a beautiful life loomed ahead. A child was born, deaf. The mother took the child to Moscow, sent the baby to a boarding school for the deaf, while she makes money, and the father remained at home in the backwoods. If the mother had the strength to understand that the best for her and her child is to stay in the family, providing daily care, attention, and love from parents. If the mother had decided that she would become the best teacher for her child and prepare him for school, and would prepare the provincial school to accept her child. If she decided and embarked on this path – can we say that she overcame her abyss?
Overcoming the Abyss is not just a “decision.” It is a decision multiplied by readiness and reinforced by strength.
Later, I reflected more on this story. What does my vision of a solution to the problem have to do with this family? None. It seems that such tasks do not have correct solutions. A small set of possible solutions for these specific people. And this set is determined by what they are willing to do and what strength they have.
Solution, willingness, and strength.
Somewhere there was a bright analogy with childbirth. Sometimes the time comes, but the baby is not yet ready. Or it is ready, but there is not enough strength. Without support, it can be very difficult. On the brink of life and death.
Vaguely, but it is becoming clearer. Thank you for your answer.
Roughly speaking, in THIS REALITY, any billionaire possesses Greater Power than those who meditate, practice Wicca, and other methods. At least, without fulfilling vital needs TO A SUFFICIENT DEGREE (sufficient – does not mean excessively great, merely enough personally for you to respect yourself – while it’s clear that you cannot respect yourself if you’re unable to provide for your family’s utility payments and a normal level of nutrition), it is not possible to go further in my opinion (IMHO)!
Of course, one cannot disagree that money in our world is one of the elements of power, since without it a whole range of limitations arises. Therefore, a mage must certainly know how to provide for themselves. Hungry mages are bad mages. At the same time, just as with any other manifestations of power, there must be a talent for money – some attract it more easily, while others must fight hard for it. The main thing in this matter is not to enter into trade relations, since money, being a universal commodity, often serves as a form of payment, and “people die for metal.” The race for money should not distract from the rest of the Path, and sacrificing more valuable manifestations of Power for the sake of money should never happen. In other words, as usual, it is very important to build the right hierarchy of values – what and for what one can sacrifice.
Please write down a hierarchy (at least rough, basic) of more valuable manifestations of Power than money. And it is not entirely clear how one can avoid entering into trade relations while hunting for the Manifestation (the Form) of Power represented by Money – after all, you yourself wrote that Money is indeed a universal commodity?
Herein lies the problem; one cannot avoid trade relations in this case. And the mage strives to avoid commerce. That is precisely why magic and the pursuit of material well-being are difficult to reconcile. The mage has to find a balance between how he wants to live and what he is willing to give for it.
Everyone who sought this balance has lost! (Crowley, Castaneda, Don Juan) It is impossible to serve both God and Mammon at the same time! The parasite of consciousness feeds on the energy of greed. Remember Christ, Milarepa. No commodity-money relations, that is the best recipe for the growth of consciousness, and yes, a hungry magician is the best magician. In hunger, the eyes begin to shine and attract intention.
“spending magic” on acquiring wealth is like buying trash for invaluable diamonds.
First, if everything is harmonious, money will appear by itself in just the right amount and at just the right time.
And secondly, as the Mage develops, so do practical skills which can be used to make money without using fireballs: -)
Yes, the strikes can be strong. They hit in the physical realm, in the astral one. But at the same time, there are also consequences for refusing to go down the path. You start to get seriously ill.
Are there any indirect signs by which one can truly judge whether a person is on the Path at this time, or on the sidelines..?
Of course. If today you understood something that you didn’t understand yesterday – you are on the Path.
So the Path is development in some direction? And the essence and meaning of movement is in the movement itself?
So if you feel stagnation in your affairs or some kind of despondency or melancholy, does that mean you are off the path? Or could this be the result of a battle when you are just tired and it is a moment of regeneration – restoring your strength to continue it again? Maybe it’s not worth falling into panic and despair that you are off the path. And this is just a forced stop. After all, you can’t always win. And achieving strength and experience comes after certain attempts. Like in training, your experience as a fighter grows from sparring to sparring. Thus I don’t understand the difference between the Game and role-playing games. The game is one, it seems to me, but each just accumulates their own experience.
In my opinion, the fundamental difference between playing for fun and playing seriously is that in the first case you decide for yourself who will be your enemy, when you should win, and whether you should win at all. The weight of the defeat you suffer is up to you: you can suffer if you want or not. But when you take real steps forward and declare yourself (at least to yourself) that you are a mage and going your own way, you immediately feel that ‘the world is cruel, unfair, and sometimes outright vile. And those who are used to feeding off us are older, wiser, and stronger than we are.’ The techniques and methods of struggle that you choose in reality are long known to your enemies. They have defeated millions just like you. Those who have walked ahead of you and sometimes alongside you have already fallen at their hands, hundreds of others are being devoured before your eyes. You won’t find anyone who truly sees what is happening and fights. And how many of your energies and days of your life have been irretrievably given to them to be devoured? The greatest mistake of people is that we see our death ahead of us, while in fact, most of it is behind us: after all, as many days have passed, all belong to death. As soon as you enter into a real fight (or rather, when you realize that the fight you are in is real), the difference between playing for real and for fun becomes obvious. And if you think otherwise – it means you are currently losing…
Death ahead, death behind….death around. And “…there is only a moment between the past and the future, it is called life…”
I wanted to describe a terrible picture – a person surrounded by death, but the song… it came by itself….
I accidentally came across your site. I am immensely grateful for the selflessly presented material.
Indeed, the site is very good. The information is worth its weight in gold. Something may indeed happen at the end of 2012, as I see that many schools have started to give away their skills almost for free, just sit on the couch, watch, and read.
The schools are just starting to open – the students have grown up 🙂 In my opinion, the set of students has begun, but the school still needs to be passed. Yes, it feels like after kindergarten waiting for September 1. It even seems to me that some quiet revolution is happening or being prepared. The bourgeois revolutions freed people from the slavery of bodies. There is a feeling that humanity is ripe for liberation of consciousness.
I try to develop an awareness that I am not covered by anything. There is no difference between being in the forest at night alone and in a bustling place in the city center. The same applies to the darkness of the unknown. Take a step forward, look back… another step. Do not expect help.
It’s a pity that there is no awareness of death yet. Inside lives a nasty hope. I hope that the time for this awareness will come.
Powerfully and accurately described, after reading
the article, I have the feeling that the veil has been suddenly pulled from consciousness, revealing its essence,
and this article should be read by all who dive into Magic with ridiculous motivations, such as: ‘someone stepped on my foot in a minibus and called me names; help me take revenge’ – I have really seen such things on the internet resource, and when it hits them on the head after such actions, they scream why it happened.
I agree with your thoughts, dear Enmerkar. The main thing in this case is not to deliberately seek out drama and problems, so that we can then bravely overcome them.)