Solve et coagula
To cast off the veil of ignorance and realize oneself as a self-knowing mind, the Magus must clearly and without inner discord alternate— and, within the Way, unite — periods of creation and destruction.
Though at first glance this may seem perfectly comprehensible and self-evident, in practice we all too often encounter either an excessive absorption in solvation or — superfluous coagulations.
Indeed, the monastic Way — the Way of cleansing the current of mind and freeing it from destructors — carries a grave danger: sliding into the abyss of rejecting the universe and declaring it an irritating mistake unworthy of attention. And no matter how great the successes in clearing the channel may be, with such an error it ultimately turns out that, along this ideally clean and smooth channel, there is simply nothing to flow.
The other extreme — “creative” existence, immersion in the piling up of entities, a “positive” approach that falls in love with empty experience — turns the mind into a bizarre heap of images, a “house with chimeras,” from which finding an exit proves almost impossible.
Magic seeks to combine Hu and Siu so that the Wayfarer can, on the one hand, remove obstructions within oneself and patch holes, and on the other — develop the creative component within oneself: one’s constructive capacities.
Any well-developed system of Magic includes both of these components. For example, Goetia, on the one hand, undoubtedly ought to foster the purification of the mind, since identifying within oneself those “hooks” by which Demons cling — those weaknesses and vices upon which they press — is greatly facilitated through contact with the enemy face to face. Resistance to darkness becomes substantially easier when one understands, in essence, who precisely must be resisted and what must be resisted. Of course, contact with darkness is always dangerous and fraught with the risk of falling; yet the risk can be justified when one looks soberly at oneself and at what is occurring. On the other hand, any goetic act is creativity, because the Magus continuously refines their techniques, honing and polishing them so as, on the one hand, to increase their efficacy, and on the other — to safeguard oneself. Thus, with an honest approach, the goetic Magus both perfects oneself — cleansing away vices and becoming ever less accessible to one’s Demons — and also creates, bringing into the world new keys (and new locks) for the Gates of Power.
No less vivid an example can be found in Runic Magic. The Runes, on the one hand, awaken in the Eril mighty creative forces. Directing their will along their vectors, the Runes organize the mind, order it, creating within it currents that lead to new summits of accomplishment. Runic creativity is among the most structurizing influences upon the mind, and the runic Magus, like a musician or composer, plays upon the great strings of the universe. On the other hand, the Runes require not only the highest level of inspiration, but also a serious understanding of their nature and the direction of their influence. Any blockage in the flow of mind is immediately — and in magnified form — manifested in the Runic current generated by that mind. By analyzing errors in their realizations, the Eril can directly encounter their own limitations and problems, and thus gain the possibility of their effective eradication.
Whatever Way the Magus may walk, they must not lose equilibrium between creativity and purification. At times it may seem that the one implies the other; in truth, this conjunction requires control. It is often said that creativity “purifies by itself,” and that work upon oneself is always “creative,” yet within this reliance upon the automatism of change there lies danger. Self-control, self-inspection, and the refusal to become bogged down in actions that indulge degradation are always necessary on the Way of Magic.
On the one hand, each action — whether a creative act or an action aimed at eradicating a destructor — must be carried through to the end, completed. On the other, it must not become an obsession, must not deprive one of freedom, and must not be transformed from a means of the Way into its goal. The Magus must not collapse either into the chasm of self-destruction or into the abyss of meaningless activity — however attractive emptiness may be, or however multicolored the illusion may appear.
Condensation of Mind
Magical Practice
Exhaustion and Transformation
Effortless Effort
Runes and Transcendence
Adeptship and Enlightenment
What Do Magi Do?
On Guard at the Gates
I don’t have any questions for now, but I have two observations. First, the problem is that when operating with concepts of higher significance (truth, fate, etc.), people often just make sounds, that is, philosophize. Sometimes it’s worth coming down a little from the heavens to the earth and thinking about what you can actually do, that is, about specific things, not abstract concepts.
Secondly, speaking of purification and creativity, I think about the following – we cannot create something out of nothing, right? People think they can, but in reality, they cannot. And the inspiration that comes to someone is probably not the merit of the person as such, but a matter of their participation in some element. Suppose someone feels good in their soul, and they carry that joy into their creative work. But they cannot intentionally induce that “good” – no matter how hard they try. Children engage in creativity because they are sincere and are not about accumulating. The past and future do not matter much to them, and when they do something, they do it completely, without being distracted by conventions. In the consciousness of an adult, there is often a barrier between them and the world, which causes them to think and act a certain way, not otherwise. An adult is a god and absolute to themselves; they always know what is right and what is wrong, their consciousness is already filled with stereotypes and frameworks. They are lost to the new, and they strive to subjugate life to their will, to make it predictable and subject to rules. A rule here, a rule there – and reality already seems understandable, it can already be managed. But this attitude towards life deprives it of a great deal because it completely excludes the unknown variable – the one that will not manifest itself in 9999 situations but will manifest in 1. A life subject to laws is dull and joyless since everything is already known and determined in advance. Your role in society, your behavioral reactions, and your worldview with your world perception – all of this is already prescribed and measured by the invisible hand of Maya. The only thing that can change this state of affairs, the only thing that can save, is a strong desire to break free from the chains of causality, the cessation of the mind’s activity. And even in that case, a person only frees themselves from shortcomings but does not gain merits.
P.S.: Yes, the first observation is indeed applicable to the second, it is so 🙂
“But intentionally causing this ‘good’ is something he cannot do – no matter how hard he tries.”
A regular person obviously cannot. Psychologists can a bit – they know some methods to improve moral-psychological states. Magicians can do even more. In particular, I perceive this as shifting the point of attention by blocking interfering thoughts, feelings, and emotions and launching the needed ones. Pros with whom I communicate say they can arbitrarily shift their assemblage point (AP) – then “everything” changes inside in seconds.
Hello!
I apologize for the slight off-topic, but I feel the need to ask you, esteemed En Merkar, about something.
Recently, our mentor has been very concerned about some ‘transition’ to a new world that is supposed to happen in about six months. After which it is expected that almost the entire population will somehow perish or transition to this very world.
I have no reason to doubt his honesty; still, everyone sees everything in their own way.
I ask you to share your thoughts on this matter, preferably by email.
I would be grateful. Respectfully, Alexander.
Hello! Each of us lives in our own world, and where one transitions or does not transition depends on their own consciousness. As for various eschatological expectations – I am skeptical about them.
The greatest value and difference between people and other beings is that people can generate ideas. This is what makes our world unique. Can a person who feels bad suddenly create “good”? Yes. This is just emotion training, monitoring, and control.
“People generally hope to extract from accessible materials and concentrate something of the greatest value. Undoubtedly, this can be done, but those who are able to do so are distinguished from those who merely believe they can by their ability. Ability implies not only the skill to create concentration and produce extraction. It also implies knowing what to extract and how to concentrate. The teachings of all sages, if concentrated correctly or, to be more precise, incorrectly, will become poison. If you separate some one element from another and take too much of any element, you will suffer.”
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Idris Shah “Knowing how to know”