Welcome to the new year, my dear readers. I say this because it is now March. For me, Spring marks the new year, when the Sun enters into the house of Aries.
The Sun is ‘The King’, and Aries is ‘the Warrior’, associated with the Tarot card ‘Emperor’. What a fitting time to put this post out.
Interesting times are upon us, and the world is changing very quickly. Knowledge is a tool and a weapon to survive and thrive in these times, and to help others.
I also want to mention that from now on, the stuff I write on this blog may become increasingly radical. Why? Because I am, indeed, a radical. A spiritual radical, and mine is a transgressive and all encompassing path. How funny, that in a time of extreme polarity, the ‘Middle Path’ becomes the radical path.
Remember, you don’t have to agree or disagree. That would be boring. Discourse is meant to move us, to stimulate us and cause us to think. That is all.
Magick is the Art of Kings
First let me ask you a question: what is the best way to define a person who studies and performs magick?
Many answers may be given: a mystic, a monk, a holy man, a priest, a witch, a sage, a hermit, a conjuror, a wizard, a shaman…and so on and so forth.
But you know, there’s an interesting thing you’ll notice if you look back on history.
There appear to have been two main types of people who practiced magick: those who already possessed a noble, spiritual or royal lineage, the result of generations of intellect, power and wealth, and those who attained such wealth, status and power by becoming magicians.
You know, it’s worth noting: Jesus was a magician, and he was called King of the Jews. He wasn’t really a King, but a carpenter. But he is not called a rebel, a prophet or a mystic. No, he is specifically called King of the Jews. It is an integral part of his character. The same could be said for King Solomon. Indeed, when magicians were not kings, they were often associated with Kings and Monarchs. Think Imhotep, Merlin, John Dee, etc. It is also no coincidence that symbols of enlightenment within magickal systems, like Krishna, the Buddha, Dionysus, Horus etc. were Kings or Warriors (often both).
In the collective consciousness of the human race, there appears the figure of a wizard, alchemist or magician who has enormous power. This figure is not bound by the rules of the world, and is able to attain whatever he or she desires. The idea of the wizard’s tower on top of a mountain, or an alchemists fortress is nothing but this.
The magician was always regarded as a noble sort of figure. In his writings, Aleister Crowley uses the word ‘Kings’ to refer to Adepts of magick. Not mystic or magi or master, he specifically calls the Adept as a ‘King’.
Look at the Kabbalistic Tree of Life: the highest Sephiroth that can ever be attained or manifested in this world is Chesed: the King. The Higher Sephiroth of Binah, Chokmah and Kether are subtle and sublime, and are experienced only internally. Hence, even one who has internally attained Da’ath or the worlds higher, shall be as a King upon this Earth.
The greatest magicians in history had the attitude and dignity of Kings. They were not servants or martyrs. They are not found living in poverty or lacking in life. Even when they walked the path of Asceticism, one did not think of them as ‘impoverished’. Because what is a King, if not a ideal that inspires their subjects? In fact, the whole idea of the ascetic path in magick, is that the magician can attain whatever they need simply by focusing their Will upon it. So, they give up their worldly possessions as a show of this level of attainment. Any other type of asceticism is flawed, especially the ones focused on poverty, or born out of a hatred for the body or matter itself.
There is a great lie that has pervaded in recent times, and perhaps this lie was created to keep potential students as poor and weak. The lie is this: that a magician is a strange, ostracized creature, who must become cold and inhumane for the sake of knowledge, and give up the pleasures of life. Every story, from the green skinned witch who lives in a swamp and eats children, to the immoral necromancer who defiles dead bodies, to the impoverished hermit who lives in a cave..all these are lies designed to stop magicians from existing within the mainstream, and enacting their Will in the world.
You see, the very existence of a magician is a threat to all that is corrupt and degenerate. Those who are spiritually and morally bankrupt cannot survive if there are magi in the world. Even without coming out in the open or talking about our magick, magicians can seldom be ignored. Their actions, beliefs, thoughts, their very way of living turns them into beacons of Light, Strength and Willpower. Like the allegorical Philosopher’s Stone, which turns lead into gold, the Magician serves as a catalyst, that can elevate and transform the people and environments they are in. An Adept magi turns that which is degenerate and profane, into that which is sacred and regenerate.
The Joy of the Magi
Recently, during an invocation, I asked the spirit guides why so many historical mystics and magicians had such tragic lives. Why is it so often, that they were forced to be martyred for their ideals, and generally hated by people. I demanded to know why so many of these higher beings, who are apparently here to help us, and encourage us to study magick, did not save them. I was told a couple of interesting things:
“How do you know that they were killed, martyred and hated? Were you there, or are you simply basing this on the history that is presented to you? How do you that you are not being lied to? What if the great magi did not die as you think they were? What if they flourished, prospered and lived lives to the fullest? What if their death here was simply a step in a greater existence?”
“Those who were martyred, martyred themselves. The life of an individual is a projection of their consciousness, and they themselves bring about their whole lives. Many magi fell into despair, they could not live up to their ideals. They turned themselves into martyrs, and convinced themselves that their path was difficult or lonely. This manifested in their martyrdom. Never did the Gods ordain this. They manifested their own hardships”
This…hit me pretty hard. It made me wonder: why has magick has been turned into an object of fear and hate, and the history of magick and mysticism presented as tragic? It’s almost like whoever created this flawed perspective, was saying “look, look at these people. They practiced magick, and they challenged the status quo. And for that, they suffered. Horrible things happened to them. Now, you wouldn’t want to practice magick and challenge the world, would you?”
Of course. If doing magick means committing oneself to a life of hardship and suffering, why would anyone take a risk? Who envies the path of a martyr, or the tortured seeker of truth?
And when we do talk about magick as a means to attain our desires, it is conveniently distorted to become ‘devil worship’. Because we have been conditioned to believe in ideologies that consider pleasure, joy and happiness to be sinful. It is indeed, a very effective way to keep the masses in line, by turning suffering into a virtue. Why ask for more, if doing so means flirting with evil? So let me be clear
Sufferings is NOT a virtue.
We are presented, by mainstream culture, with two archetypes of the ‘Magician’. Either the magician is a ‘good’ figure, and such a person is impoverished, passive and pacifist. He gives up family, happiness, pleasure and ambition to become some sort of ascetic seeking the truth, and is ultimately sacrificed for the ‘greater good’. Or, it is the ‘evil’ figure, where the magician decides to greedily better his life and makes a pact with dark forces. He becomes cruel and inhuman, and uses people as he sees fit to attain his own goals. This is quite an unhealthy and extreme polarity, and explains very well why most people are put off by the word ‘occult’ (which just means ‘hidden’, and is a reference to esoteric knowledge, not necessarily ‘secret’ knowledge).
Nothing could be further from the truth, and the longer you follow the path of magick and mysticism, the more this childish façade falls away.
Remember that in Kabbalah, Tifaret is the Sephirah which represents Adepthood, and is also associated with Joy and Happiness. It is also the Solar centre, and represents the Self.
Compared to the time of ancient Egypt, India, China, Sumer and Mycenae, when magick was the highest and most sacred art, the cornerstone of society and object of admiration and study, in recent times it has been suppressed and presented as a niche hobby pursued by eccentrics, or as a mere alternate religion, and the symbols of magick are turned into idols of worship, used to justify all sorts of corrupt actions and false beliefs. Make no mistake, it is a very recent trend. Perhaps not even a hundred years old. Perhaps it is because the Internet has suddenly made knowledge far more easily accessible than before.
Even some major New Age and neo-Pagan traditions present magick as some path of self sacrifice and meekness, wrapped in a moral dogma more absurd and rigid than even Churchianity! The make ‘magick’ look like the silly, childish pastime of bored hipsters in first world countries. Meanwhile, some ‘dark’ magicians have done a great job of becoming social outcasts, and make magick look like a hobby for the mentally ill (no offence, but let’s be honest now).
The most powerful type of Magick, often called ‘Enochian’ magick, is presented as being dangerous and unfit for practice even among authentic traditions and communities. Yes, it is ‘dangerous’. If you took a person who never driven a car, and made him compete in Formula One, that would also be dangerous.
But magick cannot be veiled or hidden. Its truth shall shine across time and space, across generations and cultures.
A magician is a unique individual, someone who has the potential to uncover the Mysteries of the world. Magick, Spirituality and Religion are simply different degrees of the same thing. Magick is simply the highest type of religion, and mainstream religion teaches the simplest magickal truths. A magician who has attained Adepthood, and invoked their Higher Self, is a King or Queen in their own right.
Every human has a ‘seed’ inside them: the ability to become a King/Queen, to attain that dignity. It flourishes in all people in varying degrees, and this can be seen as ‘potential’. The art of transforming potential into action, is magick. Those who practice this to the highest degree are magicians: individuals who can transform the world, its culture, and the perceptions of those around them through manifesting their Will. That’s what a magician is, a transformer, a spiritual alchemist, just as their own consciousness is transformed by even greater forces and symbols.
This is all allegorical, and should be understood as such. Misunderstanding these ideas has led many magicians to develop delusions of grandeur and messiah complexes. As the Daoists say, one must cultivate the practice of ‘not doing’. I’m not saying go try to preach to people, to fight for some ideology, or try to ‘do’ anything. The transformation is natural, it happens on its own. The magician is not sitting there choosing or deciding things logically, but having the will and the courage to keep moving forward on the path that continually manifests in the world.
A true magician is only to live in a dignified and justified manner, through inner wisdom. This is revealed through meditation, and invocation, and the purpose of life is to discover one’s path and walk it. This is meaning of True Will. One who follows their true Will shall be favoured by the Universe.
The Privilege of Magick
To do magick is a privilege, for it is a noble craft.
Let me clarify what I mean.
We live in a strange time where suffering is a virtue, and so privileged individuals want to pretend that they struggled as much as others and never had any help. Can you imagine, if ancient Kings insisted they had no wealth and power, and were the same as an ordinary peasant? Would anyone follow a King?
When I say privilege, I’m referring to certain types of privilege. Is it a privilege to be born intelligent, creative and with a healthy mind and body?
Yes. And practicing magick requires various things. And these are privileges. I am unspeakably privileged, to have been born intelligent, healthy and creative. To simply have been shown this path, and to have uncovered this knowledge, is a privilege. One might say it s the greatest privilege, and we need not be ashamed of what we know and can do.
I am privileged, unimaginably so, because I know magick. And I will never apologise for this.
I’m a magician, and I define my own reality. It is a choice, whether we identify as privileged or not. A lot was denied to me, and I’ve been through many hardships…but I honestly don’t care about that nor do I want pity. No, I view myself as elite, privileged and standing upright over the world, and my attitude reflects this. It may comes across as arrogant, but so what? Have you had a look around? Have you noticed that life is….brutal? Meekness, passivity, mediocrity are not even an option. In order to be truly ‘good’, to stand up for one’s beliefs and values, to help those less fortunate, and to live a life worth living, such a perspective is necessary. Unless, you think that a victimized, self loathing person can save even themselves, let alone others.
Perception is powerful indeed, and your perception of yourself defines who you are. The real privilege is to simply know this.
To simply know that one can define one’s reality, that one can manifest one’s desires, and that one’s power is entirely within oneself is the highest and greatest privilege of all. I cannot even imagine being ‘normal’ anymore, and living my whole life thinking someone or something outside me was in control, or being subservient to cultural, spiritual or ideological dogma, or having disempowering beliefs and constantly being in conflict over arbitrary, pointless things. I know that each and every thing that happens to me, that has ever happened or will ever happen is the Universe directly speaking to me: the world around us is a mirror, and we are looking at ourselves.
What truth could be greater, and what knowledge could be more powerful?
To be a magician is a privilege, and many, many privileges go along with it. The intelligence required to understand this blog alone is a monumental privilege. Never, ever apologise or think yourself to be weak and unprivileged. Magick is a privilege because it enables the attainment of all other privileges: wealth, status, power, happiness, whatever you want. Never feel like these are unearned, because it is not some external deity giving them to you. Magick is the manifestation of one’s Will.
The Spiritual Warrior
But, you may now ask: so why is life filled with suffering? If we are so privileged, why do we suffer? In fact, why do even the most privileged among us suffer, and why do those who try to do the greatest things, suffer the most? And why does following one’s path lead to suffering? Why is is more difficult to learn magick, and understand these things, than to live without them? Why is it more comfortable to be weak and ignorant? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
Suffering is part of it, and no magick can ever help you avoid the lessons you have to learn. The greater the suffering, the greater the magician who endures and overcomes it. Suffering is not a virtue, but it is the fire which forges us. It is the alchemical fire which produces the shining Stone of Light.
You see, privilege NEED NOT be earned. That is to say, we don’t need to ‘earn’ the right to live, to walk our path, to be happy, and to possess knowledge.
Instead, the person bestowed with privilege should make themselves worthy of it. And if a person has no privileges, a person may reach out and take it for themselves. Power is given to the worthy, and this worthiness is proved through suffering. Adversity brings out the best in us.
This is why the magician suffers, and why this path can be hard at times. I mean, everyone suffers. It’s up to you to decide if this suffering is meaningless, or worth something. Don’t think “oh, why am I being punished? Am I not a good person? I’m doing magick, aren’t I? I’m following my true will after all”.
No, see it instead like, “here I am, trying to manifest my Will. And the Universe rises up like a serpent all around me, to test me. I am being tested, to see if I am worthy of Power. And my Will must be unyielding, and I must overpower these challenges!”
After all, these ‘challenges’ are nothing but the manifestation of the inner world. They represent aspects of you which are repressed, conflicted or unaligned. It is lesser Wills within you, competing for dominance, rejecting the doctrine of your ‘True Will’. You are overpowering parts of your own Self, and in this way you are becoming stronger and more perfect. The result of this is that you become ‘powerful’. It is all internal, essentially.
There is, in reality, no such thing as revolution, oppression, exploitation, progress or tradition. Instead, it is the Will of people, of cultures, of communities, of factions, of societies, and the forces of nature pitted against others of a similar nature. Humanity itself is a single consciousness, and itself has many aspects which are repressed, unaligned or in conflict. And just as a war rages within the Individual, war rages in the world, in societies. Even the forces of nature are conflicted, even stars and galaxies consume each other. All of it must be allowed to come to pass, to be faced and overcome, so that the ‘Self’ of the human consciousness, and even the ‘Self’ of the Universe may be realised and perfected.
This is why War exists, and what the Path of the Warrior is. As much as we may desire it, the world cannot reign in artificial peace. If peace must exist, it must be true peace. We can ‘put off’ conflicts and wars only for so long, as world governments are so apt at doing.
War is simply the final means to force action and change. It is only when action has not been taken when it should have, when things are ignored or denied, that violence ends up erupting. One might say that war is the result of action not taken. Mars is the spirit of War, and it rules both action and warfare, as well as strength and transformation. When one does not take action for fear of minor conflict, one will eventually be forced into a major and violent conflict.
A King, put simply, is an individual who has dominated their inner universe to this Will, for they understand that the Microcosm is the Macrocosm. And this is done by facing the world, unafraid, with an unbreakable will. Magickal power is attained through courage and might. It is a warrior’s path, and life is a battlefield.
Spiritual gifts are not attained by living a stress free life in a monastery, by listening to positive platitudes or by drugging oneself to the point of numbness These practices have produced a lot of so called ‘masters’ who could lose their minds if they had to live in a densely populated urban center and hold a proper job. The mother who wakes up at 5 am to prepare food for her school going children every single day without fail, has a far greater and stronger Will than the person who comfortably sits around all day without responsibilities, and proclaims how stress free their ‘spiritual’ life is.
So don’t let such people belittle you for not being spiritual enough, for doing ‘mundane’ things. If you’re facing life, doing things that need to be done: studying, working, raising families, cooking, cleaning, paying bills and living, then you are already transforming.
If a magician, or indeed any individual loses their power or suffers, it is basically an inner force that challenges their Will. One may find all sorts of external forces to blame. One may point to politics, to economics, to religion and culture. One may find every excuse to call the world unjust and unfair. But if you understand the great Hermetic secret: that every single individual deserves every single thing that happens to them, including exaltation as well as abject failure, then you shall not suffer, because nothing holds power over you, and everything is in your power.
And a King who has steadily subdued the inner Universe has great power. They may pass it on to their children, or share it with their community. In this way the whole collective becomes empowered. THIS is empowerment, not waiting for apathetic politicians, celebrities or religious messiahs to come and put food in one’s mouth.
Without a King, there is no Slave. The Slave is merely a King of the lowest degree, and a King simply the highest Slave, having no Kings over him.
Remember polarity: without shame, there can be no pride. Since I am not ashamed of my privilege as a magician, I’m not proud of it either. It emerged within me, and can emerge within anyone. I am not ‘superior’ to others, because if I thought that way, I’d have to accept that someone or something was ‘superior’ to me!
The Sacred Philosophy
A person is a slave. They are born into this world, and immediately conditioned by their environment. They inherit various traits and qualities, and they are also taught all sorts of things. How to think, how to feel, what is right and wrong, why things work the way they do. Some people may be in a community with many empowering beliefs, others in ones with disempowering beliefs, and most people will have a mix of these. This is unjust and unfair, but it is by design, and likely serves a purpose, primarily to survive and find comfort.
The person is then unable to ever, truly, experience freedom. Their entire life, they belong to categories defined by others, and believe in all sorts of abstractions. Every aspect of their life shall be defined, and they will eventually cling to it. Almost nothing can break the conditioning, and this too is by design. The conditioning is like a ship, drifting on a stormy, chaotic sea. As alluring as it may seem to jump overboard, it is a terrible idea. You will drown. This is what many magicians try, unsuccessfully, to do. They reject all social norms, all notions of common sense, all morals and values, and all traditional symbols. They lose touch with reality, and are consumed by Chaos. There is some truth in the tales of magicians who sought knowledge and went mad because they couldn’t handle it.
But instead, what if we learned to sail the ship, and take control of it. We may become a master of the ship, and and go where we want. And, if we come across other ships, our knowledge will help us guide them also. We may become the Master of a fleet. What if we committed ourselves to become a master of our inner world, and of our own destiny?
This is a King, capable of attaining anything they want by focusing their mind and will upon it. This is what magick is.
It is misunderstood by many, who think it involves casting spells or conjuring spirits and begging them for favours. No. Those are simply a means, a method of focusing a Will. To attain something may involve conjuring a spirit, OR it may involve invoking a god, OR it may involve going to college and getting a degree, or it may involve learning some skill. All of these are a medium for magick.
The difference is, a weak person may do these things due to imagined external circumstances. A person may call upon a God because it is a religious obligation, while a magician shall do it because it is their Will. A person may pursue a certain career because it is what is asked of them, or they think it is ‘good’ or will lead to money. A magician does it, because it is their Will.
Do what you Will, and face the repercussions. Their is no sin, only cause and effect. What you sow, you shall reap. It is not some biased deity ‘judging’ you, you are simply getting the fruit of your labour, and you perceive it as good or bad. And sometimes, it is also generational, so you may be reaping the fruits of your ancestors actions. That is what ‘karma’ means by the way (which literally just means ‘action’), and why Hindu mystics focused on karma instead of on the idea of ‘sin and virtue’. This is also why they say ‘karma is inherited’. It may be unfair, but it is what it is. Sometimes, one may have to break free of societal or ancestral karma, which involves breaking toxic cycles in which one’s family, society or community has become trapped. It is hard, but if you can first free yourself, only then you have a chance at freeing others. And sometimes, others are not ready, and must be left to learn their own lessons.
Do you understand now, why some individuals who commit ‘evil’ actions apparently get away? Because it is not the action that is evil. If a soldier, out of love for his country, kills another soldier, they may feel a sense of glory, and be honoured as a hero. But if they do it out of hatred, malice or for sadistic pleasure, they should not be surprised if the world around them hated them, and seemingly tortures them for pleasure. A person who has sunk into depravity becomes a tortured and bitter person. Here are those who complain that God is unfair, not understanding that everything is just. Nothing in the Universe can deviate from it’s principles, which are precise and exact, and human society and life is governed by the same natural principles which govern the stars, the seas and the seasons. We are really not so different and special. A seemingly complex machine can be operated by an experienced user, who understands clearly how it works. This person does not demand the machine to work in ways it cannot. Imagine, if a person could fully grasp the principles governing their life, behaviors and beliefs. Would this person not control their whole reality?
And these principles are what are called ‘The Mysteries’, the esoteric knowledge uncovered by studying the occult. Utilising these principles correctly is ‘magick’. Self knowledge leads to Worldly knowledge, and Worldly knowledge leads to Self knowledge, because they are part of the same machine (are they not?).
Most sufferings is no some ‘bad’ thing happening to a person, but simply not having the knowledge or understanding to overcome a challenge. But by facing the challenge, this knowledge may be obtained, or some new principles understood.
Or you may die. But then what can be done? For better or for worse, that’s how this Universe is. What will you, blame mortality itself?
The magician is, therefore, unapologetic and does not rely on anything but themselves. They may not even rely on the Gods, on Prophets, on Angels or Demons, or even on so called ideals and high minded morals. These are guides and teachers, but we are the master of our reality. ‘Piety’ is a waste of time, but faith is not.
Pleasure is not sin, although lesser pleasure may be sacrificed for greater pleasure. The pleasure of eating junk food may be given up for the pleasure of a fit and healthy body. Every greater pleasure is exponentially higher than the lower ones, just like the path of Kings is exponentially powerful than all lower and lesser paths. And in this path, the Universe shall raise up the aspirant, so that they may stand over the world and attain anything. This is what Magick is, the Royal path on the Warrior.
If you liked this post, be sure to follow Between the Pillars. You can also check out my Books to learn more about magick, or subscribe to my Patreon to learn about spells, tarot, invocation and evocation.
Until Next Time
White Raven Invictus
Between The Pillars 