Numbers, Galvanic Skin Response, and Sacred Space

Or “I’ve experiments to run. There is research to be done.”

I like experimenting with the occult; experimenting for results, and experimenting for knowledge’s sake. Sometimes the experiments are purely using human technology, using people to sense the results, sometimes the experiments use a physical device, can this candle, pinwheel, or even EEG pick anything up. There is a friend of mine who is a lot like me, in many ways a clone at times, but sadly I only see him once a year at Gather, which was last weekend, and he had a new toy.

Enter my friend who brought with him a galvanic skin response monitor, a true random number generator, and a desire to do science. We started off with various different experiments, using the galvanic skin response monitor (GSRM for short) we would watch how the body reacted to different experiences. It was experimenting for experimentation’s sake initially, we weren’t being rigorous, and we were learning the tweaks of the device and eliminating variables that we could as we figured them out.

It was neat using the GSRM and watching how the body responded in different meditations and energetic interactions including having psychic vampires feed from the test subject (me). Of course it can’t really be separated or said that the results show something energetic/magickal is happening, only that the mental actions required were causing the body to respond in different ways, though the feeding was blind, so my mental actions shouldn’t have matched up to what I didn’t know was going on.

The most fascinating experiments came from the true random number generator (TRNG), if you’re unfamiliar with the device this one uses something about a semi-conductor and a whitenoise and stuff I don’t grok yet to produce thousands of numbers a second, either a 1 or a 0. When the chances are 50/50 statistically in any given second the TRNG would produce roughly as many 0s as 1s. Of course, just by chance anomalies will occur, using the threshold of 0.05 (I believe), which is a standard for statistic results and once every 20 seconds such an anomaly would occur by chance, the value used (whatever it was) is used a lot in paranormal/psychic research because it’s a bit more strict so plays into the extraordinary claims, extraordinary evidence idea. If you’ve not followed any of the paranormal research around the TRNG they seem to be triggered in odd ways, by odd things. My friend was describing it as a spiritual accelerometer, it’s not that it will continually beep when weird shit is happening, but if weird shit happens fast it seems to go off. The human body doesn’t have a mechanism that lets us experience speed, we think we do, but what we’re feeling is things like the air moving against us, or the vibration of the vehicles we’re in. Humans don’t feel speed, but we experience acceleration, so in a perfect vehicle that produced no vibrations we couldn’t feel going 60 km/h, but if we went from 0 to 60 km/h in 5 seconds we would, yet if we went from 0 to 60 km/h in 5 minutes we might not be able to feel it because the sensation of acceleration is too slow. We have no idea why, paranormal researchers who do cool things with TRNGs have no idea why, but it seems the respond in the same way on some energetic level. It doesn’t register that woogity is happening, that 60 km/h, but it registers the quick acceleration to it.

I repeated created “sacred space” around the TRNG in several different methods, and as if to prove the point the method that “snaps” sacred space into place in a second at the end of the work would set the device off, but the one that took about three minutes showed no statistical abnormalities. Now for what we were doing, which was more proof of concept, our results showed enough to think there is something at play, though we don’t know what, how, or why. Three out of four times when I would make the space in the fast way, each step was noted by the machine: going up to the space, pulling the space down, and releasing it. Three statistically significant results the second I said the step was happening, three out of four times. The game was afoot. Apparently this is par for the course with my friend, enough statistically unusual results exactly at the right moment, not 100% but with enough consistencies to show something seems to be happening.

We got the idea to test moving the TRNG in and out of sacred space. Having to create space quickly enough to register limited the type, “depth,” and range of sacred space, but if we spent a lot of time making the space as best we could, perhaps moving the device over the boundary would show up. To stack the experiment in our favour (as we were just looking for proof this would register) I asked my friend Michelle to help me make the space as Michelle is talented and we work well together.

We stood aside from the group, joined hands, synced energy, and then reached out creating sacred space in a manner we’re both familiar with. Resonating, reverberating, Forcing the world out with our Will we made the space as best we could. Once it was established I drew back one edge using a line on the carpet pattern as the boundary of the space, both for a physical/visual reference, and for the sake of an objective line. So rather than saying it was “roughly 45 centimeters to my left” it was that line on the carpet, right there, with that star. A hard and fast border.

I pulled my mind back as best I could (the syncing makes it odd) and told my friend, and another friend who was watching from several feet away to walk toward us, until the device was between Michelle and me, and then walk back and see what they could find. I kept my eyes closed to make sure I couldn’t influence the experiment in that way somehow, and to help keep the space strong.

After a minute or two I realize I can hear my friends giggling under their breaths, and a minute or so after they tell us they’re done, they have enough data. We closed the space and came back to our selves. They tell us that the device was going off repeatedly, every time they got close they would get a result, and while it was still not at 100% it was more consistent than my friend had ever seen, and with such perfect regularity that after a while they couldn’t stop themselves from giggling at the astounding results. While I was impressed, that was that, until one showed that it was happening with such consistency that over such a precise spot that they were able to discover the edge of the space by how consistent the results were, and they pointed down exactly at the line of carpet that was where I anchored the space. To the centimeter the TRNG was able to find the boundary of the sacred space.

I find this utterly fascinating and exciting (my apologies to those who follow Michelle and me on twitter as we apparently were tweeting a lot about it), again no ideas about the mechanisms, the how, or why, no claim that this was a rigorous lab experiment proving this beyond a shadow of a doubt. None the less, the results were nothing less than amazing to us, and warrant more research and experimenting, and we have no shortage of experiments that we want to run…once I buy my own devices by the end of the summer.

Review: Reiki and the Healing Buddha – Maureen J. Kelly

Reiki and the Healing Buddha – Maureen J. Kelly
Full Circle, 2001, 206pp, 8176210323.

It’s rare to find a book that as soon as I see it I want it. It’s even rarer to find a book that as soon as I see it and realize how horrible it will be I want it, but I’m a masochist and this book didn’t disappoint in this respect. The basic premise of this fairy tale book is that Reiki is actually an ancient Buddhist form of healing, and if you connect all the pieces you can realize that. The author leads us through her exploration of different traits of the Healing Buddha and his practice, and Reiki, and how they link in her mind.

So where to start with this book? First let’s tackle the title. “Reiki and the Healing Buddha,” the healing Buddha refers to Sangay Menla, or Bhaishajya Guru, also known as the Medicine Buddha. The cover of the text has a picture of Chenrezig on it though, a completely different figure. Why? Frankly I think it suits how much the author knows about both Buddhism and Reiki, but let’s build that case.

The author thanks Mikao Usui (founder of Reiki) for “rediscovering Reiki, for bringing it out of the Buddhist monastery” (iii) which would imply Reiki wasn’t created by Usui-sensei, and that Buddhists were hiding it all this time. What a fun fantasy. Strange that there are no Buddhist texts or teachings that match the idea of Reiki as energy healing. Also it makes perfect sense for monks, being the horrible people that they are, to keep the secrets of health to themselves, let everyone else suffer is the motto of the Buddhist monks, right?

“Because Reiki comes from Buddhism…”(11) at this point in the book she’s made no case that Reiki has anything to do with Buddhism, you’re just supposed to trust her, but the way she creates evidence would be frightening if it weren’t hilarious. Some may just be translations and traditions, like her chart of the Buddhas and their colours and directions being wrong (14), but others is just made up. “The Reiki Master symbol can be found within the first two vows made by the Healing Buddha” (23) which she later explains that when the Medicine Buddha says “I have been born into the world” (26) it really means being initiated with the “Reiki Master symbol” (27), because that’s not a stretch, and being born is too obvious. She constantly tries to link ideas, but can never support, and rarely explains. For instance she takes four of the eight symbols in the ashtamangala, decides they are the real important ones, and that they secretly represent the four Reiki symbols (50). She very briefly explains it later, but it is literally less than one sentence for each connection (77). She explains the idea of paying for Reiki (which the insistence on it purely a Western thing) comes from the Healing Buddha sutra that says people won’t understand the Medicine Buddha’s teaching unless they pay for it (193). Admittedly it’s been a while since I read that, but I don’t remember that, and it seems not to be the right attitude. I guess it’s let everyone else suffer, unless they can afford my hourly rate?

Her knowledge of Buddhism is flawed, she makes reference to the Earth Goddess in Buddhism (who is the same as Sekhmet, Isis, Mary, Hera, and so on (31)), and that Chenrezig became Tara because there wasn’t a female Bodhisattva (32) which if you know the stories of Tara’s first vow is more insulting to women than anything. Since she believes Reiki is Buddhist she recommends the readers just go out and get Buddhist initiations (34/35) because it’s not like it’s a religion and you should take it seriously, and it’s not like these initiations have vows you have to obey for the rest of your life and should be thought out and prepared for. Her sources and translations are just as odd as everything else, according to her in the sutra of the Healing Buddha untimely death is caused by “illness treated by hoodoo.” (38) It’s a little known fact that the ancient Buddhists of India hated hoodoo, totally true.

Her Reiki understanding is just as bad, but it’s typical for what you’d see from a practitioner of a Takata-lineage of Reiki. What surprises me is she’s somewhat aware of the history and process, but ignores it. She mentions how there are twelve hand positions, but some teach twenty-seven or more, and they may not be part of the original system of Reiki. (They weren’t, they were added in by Hayashi because some students were too “dull” to sense where Reiki needed to be) Despite this, she still explains that these twelve are really and truly representations of the Twelve Yaksha generals (51) despite the fact that there weren’t in the original system or created by Usui-sensei (sorry, “rediscovered”). (Sidenote: “Rediscovered” irks me throughout the book, nowhere does she make a case for Reiki being a pre-existent tradition, so it cannot be rediscovered. It can be Buddhist inspired (and it was to a degree, but not how she thinks) but that doesn’t make it a “rediscovery” any more than my version of my mom’s vanilla cake is a “rediscovery” of what cake is.) She mentions there is no proof that Usui-sensai studied at Chicago University, or headed a Christian school in Japan (147) (he did neither) but then goes on to explain that he studied at Chicago University and headed a Christian school in Japan (149) because she likes that story, creatively ignoring of facts, even after she discredits them. She also claims that once you reach the “third degree” you have to pick a higher being “similar to or the same as Angels” (129) to work with, and idea so removed and alien from Reiki it boggles me, but hey it supports her idea to connect it to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas so why not?

She has gems of logic like “The Power symbol is the only Reiki symbol which does not come from a written language which may mean that it is older than most written languages” (84) which is another hilarious jump in logic. It’s not a word, so obviously it’s pre-text, that’s right, Reiki now goes back to before writing existed. Or that the “Mental/Emotional symbol” is actually Long A from the Gupta Alphabet (96), but if you know your symbols, go look at the alphabet, see if you agree. She also spends a surprising amount of time analyzing clockwise and counter-clockwise symbols and how horrible clockwise is to our bodies (86) unfortunately for her the original symbol she’s talking about was clockwise, somewhere in Takata’s lineage it got reversed. Or that because Manjushri’s text was translated into Chinese (from Pali/Sanskrit) in the third century, it makes sense that he was linked to the Japanese tradition at the time (114), if you understand that, please let me know.

It’s not just Buddhism and Reiki she gets wrong, but reality. “It is my belief that the Rei of Reiki is one of the rays of the light spectrum which has yet to be discovered by scientists.” (6) It’s energy sure, but she lists the entire Electromagnetic Spectrum, and apparently Reiki is hiding beyond the edges somewhere, making it weaker that AM radio, or more powerful Cosmic Rays. Scientizing the occult is one thing, but bad scientizing is horrid. It’s worse, for “scientists have found that memories of things learned by a parent can be passed on to a child through the memories contained in genes.” (104) Which is another fun fantasy. “In quantum physics it is said that quantum waves can go both forward and backward in time” (122) because her science wasn’t bad enough yet. She calls the Mesopotamian religion one of “Light/Life” (13) which means she’s never read anything about it.

All of this bad research and horrible synthesis is made worse by the self-description of “being a very practical, feet on the ground, type of person” (129) who just assumes everything is a sign of ancient Reiki. What gets me is I could have agreed with some parts of her synthesis if she talked about it in terms of personal experience, of unsubstantiated personal gnosis, or personal symbolism. By trying way way too hard to pretend to be well researched and historical, whatever value she put forth in this book was ruined. While I picked this book up not expecting anything good, it was horrible to a degree I didn’t expect, and even for that perverse pleasure I don’t recommend this text be bought by anyone.

If I were to sum up her logic and argument in a simple image it would be this:

Wednesday Webshare: Bad Mages, Divination, and Lack of Angel on Man Action

Cultural appropriation is rampant in a lot of occult circles, and generally irks me. So have an article on cultural appropriation of Lukumi. What I find interesting is the difference between “innocent” cultural appropriation, and people who blatantly steal and make shit up, I always wonder about the second group.

Non-invisible bank robber caught because his sorcerer for hire didn’t come through. Always investigate people you’re buying your magick from before important service purchases.

Speaking of which, an alleged psychic steals thousands from a client.

I grew up believing that early Christians were a horribly persecuted group, and that their strength of faith sustained them. Hell I was also told how tough it was for modern Christians. Both are bullshit though. The myth of early Christian persecution covers just that.

Polyphanes tackles divination related disorders. Worth considering for those of us who give, or receive divinatory services. Personally I don’t let people get multiple readings from me in a short period unless I know they actually followed through with the advice. If it’s been less than a month, and you haven’t done anything, nothing much has changed, I’m not supporting your need for an illusion of control through knowledge.

Shifting gears on divination. Psyche gives a run down of the top five foundational books on tarot. Those I’ve read I would say are good to work through even if you’re very familiar with the tarot.

Om Mani iPadme Hum. Buddhists and technology. During my chöd training I remember going to a cemetery with my lama and another student. I pull out my pecha, he pulls out an iPad with a stand, with the text as a pdf. The only i is the Pad.

A reader responded to my review of Yoga Body with a small talk countering the text, suggesting there was a posture tradition before the modern error. I didn’t find it as convincing, but that may be just due to the difference in length, but it was worth a read. So give it a once over if your curious about yoga, and the relationship/nonrelationship to posture.

Lastly, because I love me some angels…and I mean love (wink)… Why didn’t female angels have sex with men? Just a short look at that wonderful scene in Genesis, the language, and the physical (so to speak) sex of angels, and their sexuality.

Starry Tree: Names and Circles

This is a list of the various Names that I got from my skrying experiments. I’m putting them all in one place for ease of use for those who mentioned interest in engaging them. For those less familiar with the Qabalah I’ll be listing the Hebrew Sphere Name as well as the planetary association. I’ll link to each post about my experience as references for people. Also at the end I’ll explain how I was taught to make a circle with them.

Qabalistic Name: Malkuth
Planetary Association: Earth (sometimes)
Sphere Name: Almak
Angel class: Chomal
God Name: Meltar
Ruling Angel: Sh’miral

Qabalistic Name: Yesod
Planetary Association: Moon
Sphere Name: Timarin
Angel class: Shaqaran
God Name: La’andras
Ruling Angel: Clarshitel

Qabalistic Name: Hod
Planetary Association: Mercury
Sphere Name: Kirahl
Angel class: Sheno
God Name: Phorahlin
Ruling Angel: Tzamaron

Qabalistic Name: Netzach
Planetary Association: Venus
Sphere Name: Feonin
Angel class: Chilmarit
God Name: Shero
Ruling Angel: Milara

Qabalistic Name: Tipareth
Planetary Association: Sun
Sphere Name: Shaal
Angel class: Formin
God Name: Hemian
Ruling Angel: Miniset

Qabalistic Name: Geburah
Planetary Association: Mars
Sphere Name: Sixmaraan
Angel class: Charaam
God Name: Gerabba
Ruling Angel: Sharama

Qabalistic Name: Chesed
Planetary Association: Jupiter
Sphere Name: Sharat
Angel class: Gillarus
God Name: Sharadifel
Ruling Angel: Behrat

Qabalistic Name: Binah
Planetary Association: Saturn
Sphere Name: Ereen
Angel class: Golmtzah
God Name: Sharrom
Ruling Angel: Konshal

Qabalistic Name: Chokmah
Planetary Association: Zodiac / Uranus (Modern)
Sphere Name: Kurrian
Angel class: Shellin
God Name: Kurasis
Ruling Angel: Shetsin

Qabalistic Name: Kether
Planetary Association: Primum Mobile / Pluto
Sphere Name: Sheta
Angel class: Coraf
God Name: Eerah
Ruling Angel: Saytaraan

On another visit with Konshal I was given the instructions on how to make a Circle. While not required for contacting these Angels it can help, and now instead of the traditional Circles such as in the Goetia or Heptameron I use this Circle. Most major rituals that need an elaborate Circle this is my go-to unless I really have a reason not to. It’s fairly similar to the Circle from the Heptameron in structure.

Ideally you should make an outer circle that is nine feet across. If you don’t have the room for nine feet I find a multiple of nine based on your body works best, so nine of your feet lengths, or nine hand-widths. I feel the Circle has to be personal and basing the proportions of the circle on your body are a great way to do this. Inside that you draw a circle that is eight units across, then another that is seven units, and lastly one that is six across. This will give you three rings, and a central circle. In the central circle draw an equal-armed cross that is aligned with the cardinal directions, so the lines go from North-South, and East-West. Then outside of the largest circle at the ordinal directions (North-East, South-East, South-West, North-West) draw a five pointed star with the point facing the centre of the Circle. If you’re not instructed to use a triangle, or place it a specific direction for the spirit you’re working with, draw one. Make an equilateral triangle pointing away from the Circle in the direction of the element of the Sun sign, which is explained more below. You don’t have to call them into the triangle like some systems suggest, but having a triangle is important to the construction.

Now the largest ring will house the Names related to the month. Based on what sign the Sun is in, figure out what Angel rules the corresponding planet: Aries=Mars=Sharama, Taurus=Venus=Milara, and so on. From here figure out the element of the sign, and then the associated direction of the element, it doesn’t matter what system you use as long as you know the correspondence. (Often I use Fire-North, Water-East, Earth-South, Air-West, but a lot would disagree there) Once you know the appropriate direction for the element put the Angel’s Name in that direction of the outer ring. Then going clockwise at the other direction points put the Sphere Name, the God Name (so it will be opposite the Angel’s name), and lastly the Class of Angels (or if you’ve been given a name of one of them specifically use that). While not required here I usually say a small prayer as I’m writing, something like “Hail to thee Sharama, ruler of the Sixmaraan, General of the Charam, in the Name of Gerabba I call you here as the Voice of Aries to open the ways and watch this circle.”

In the second ring, the middle one, go the Names associated with the day: Sunday=Sun=Miniset, Monday=Moon=Clarshitel, and so on. Starting in the same direction as the outer circle write the Names clockwise in the same other Angel, Sphere, God, Class of Angels. Again I generally say a small prayer as I work.

In the inner most ring you will place the Names associated with the Planetary hours. Again they’re written in the same orientation as the outer ring, and the same order. Again a small prayer wouldn’t be out of place.

Lastly you have the inner circle that has been quartered. Here you put four GodNames, what Names are up to you. Personally mine include Kali, Eerah, Cosmos, and one other. While not required I recommend they be Transcendent/Immanent, or Universal. What I mean is some Gods are equated more or less with Reality itself, the Universe is their Body, and they are the Universe. This isn’t to say anything against Gods of specific spheres; Aphrodite, Ganesh, Thor, Anubis, and so on. But the centre of the Circle is meant to connect you to the Ultimate, the Highest, so you’re looking more for the Ultimates here. The Gods that are Reality, that all others are formed from. So with my Circle you have Kali, which is an uncommon, but not unheard of view of Her as the Ultimate. Eerah, the God Name I was given for Sheta, the Kether equivalent. Cosmos, because it’s the fucking Cosmos.

So that’s how Konshal taught me to make a Circle with these Names, and as a way of integrating them into my magick and shifting away from the Judeo-Christian Names/Forces I was looking to minimize in my practice.

Here is an example based upon the time of writing. It is currently Aries, ruled by Mars, so I’ll be using the Names given to me by Sharama, and the starting in the North because Aries is Fire, and Fire is North (in one system of many). It is Sunday, ruled by the Sun, so that means the Names from Miniset are used, same orientation as the outer ring, so all the Angel Names face the same way, all the Sphere Names, etc. Lastly it’s the Hour of Jupiter, so it’s Behrat in the last ring. I didn’t include stars around the illustration, but they and the triangle should be there. While not required I sometimes draw appropriate symbols between the Names. So in the Outer Ring I might draw the symbols for Mars, Aries, and the Seal of Sharama.

White Mahakala Pendants: Winner and Live on Blue Flame Magick Supplies

I wanted to thank everyone who entered my giveaway, even those who commented when I said to email

The entries were put into a container, after several recitations of White Mahakala’s mantra I picked the winner.

I’m happy to announce that reader Jacqueline has won the pendant. She also runs a chainmaille jewellery business, Helix Chainmaille, with some beautiful and colourful pieces, so if that’s your thing go check out her website.

If you’re still interested in a pendant they are now up for sale on Blue Flame Magick Supplies.

For those interested in this blog in general, I’ve been trapped in the paper cage that is academia, but I should hopefully resume normal posting in a week or two.

White Mahakala Pendant Giveaway

I’ve recently completed the consecration of a set of White Mahakala pendants. As with my other pendants two must be set aside; one is given to someone who I think needs it, the second is given to someone randomly, like a blog reader.

So who is White Mahakala? White Mahakala, put simply, is a Tantric Wealth deity. Mahakala is a Wrathful expression of the Bodhisattva of Compassion; generally he is depicted as black. When he is emanated in his White form he is a Wrathful Bodhisattva who deals with wealth, specifically he promises to eliminate the suffering that poverty brings into our lives. He grants freedom from the pain of poverty so that people can focus elsewhere in their life; seek joy, fulfillment, and dharmic practices without being too concerned and divided thinking about the financial side of things.

These pendants were a long time in consecration. The process involved a few months of me racking up the hundreds of thousands of mantras required. During this period different rituals to White Mahakala were performed on various schedules of weekly and lunar occurrences. Once I had reached enough mantras to start the consecration I started a month long intensive series of rituals. Every day I did an hour of mantras minimum, a sadhana, and feast offerings. All of this work was put into the pendants, they have been consecrated individually, and many times as a group. Before the initial consecration, and after the end of the month they were anointed with Money Drawing Oil (from Quadrivium Supplies which I highly recommend), along with another set of prayers to Mahakala.

(Then, since my main practice is chöd a ritual chöd feast was performed over the lot, specifically to dispel karmic obstructions toward better finances.)

Now, as mentioned every time I make pendants like this one is given away to someone in need, and another is given away to someone randomly. So if you want a chance to receive a White Mahakala pendant then leave me a comment here or email me at blueflamemagick @ gmail.com just saying you want to be entered. I’ll draw the names next week on the 21st, so enter before then. If you win I’ll contact asking for your mailing address. If you don’t win and are still interested on the 21st the remaining pendants will be put up for sale on my etsy Blue Flame Magick Supplies.

Interview with the Magickian

(I thought I had posted this, but apparently not)

Recently I was introduced to another occultist by a mutual friend. Friends often know people that I “really must meet” and friends who understand me actually tend to have a good idea on who I’d find a purpose in engaging. When I first started talking to this person (who I’ll call Jordan for no reason other than it is a name from the book beside me) he immediately took control of the social dynamic and began the questioning. I was fine with this, by letting him think he had control of our conversation I could observe him easier without seemingly like I was doing so, ironically I realize also a pattern from the book beside me.

At first Jordan’s line of questioning was fairly typical for such an encounter. He asked about the systems I studied, for how long, were they solitary or group, was I self-taught or did I have a teacher? Very superficial getting a feel for my path, then the conversation went 90 degrees from the direction I expected, I was expecting questions about lineage or practice or results, but suddenly he asked what I was doing in my life. Answer: Going to school for a few degrees. He asked what the degrees were for, so I told him about the job field they prepare me for, he asked why I wanted that field, why I started late on that goal (I was 24 starting University), and questions related to my education and career choices, past and future. I thought I was understanding the general trend of the questioning when he switched it up again, and began asking about hobbies, what I did for fun, and oddly enough he seemed more interested in my talk of playing the theremin and the piano, hiking the Bluffs, and painting, than he did about my brief mentions of Buddhism and ceremonial magick.

I found this entire conversation fairly odd, far more directed than expected, more of an interview in some ways. Suddenly an understanding and appreciation for Jordan spread through me. He was doing what I would like to do in a similar situation, but I find such methods make people feel uncomfortable, thankfully he either didn’t care or realized I don’t respond normally to most social interactions. He was interviewing me frankly, and he wanted to know one thing: was I a good magickian? Too many people on the surface they think a good magickian should have extensive knowledge of systems, have lists of transcendent experiences where the world was revealed to them, have spirits as though on speed-dial ready to help, and many stories of events that just shouldn’t be. Now a magickian can have all of these things, don’t get me wrong, but a magickian in many ways needs none of these things. Jordan wasn’t looking for such stories of magick and mystery, he was looking for the signs of a true magickian.

Success and happiness.

I’d phrase it as progress/functionality and contentment, but his language was success and happiness when I called him on the mode of his interview, so I’ll stick with that. This is what I appreciated, he wasn’t evaluating me as a magickian based upon how much Hebrew I knew, how many Goetic and Enochian entities I dealt with, how many times reality “fell apart” around me. No, he was evaluating based upon my life, my past, my present, my future, and my situation within all of them. He wanted to see where I had come from, where I wanted to be, and if I was on my way. This is what magick is for, at least on this level, not trying to deny a spiritual/religious aspect as possible or important in some cases.

Magick is a tool for being who you are, and becoming who you are to be. Magick is a tool to find your path, to put you on your path, and to keep you there. To Jordan my being on this path was more important than the technical knowledge, practical results here and now. Needless to say we got along well because we began to talk on magick as a practical system meant to get results and our issues with people who use magick more of an excuse than a tool. (And I guess I should be glad that I “passed” his test heh) It was very refreshing to get to talk with an occultist who saw things in this way, as so many magickians (if I decide not to be a judgemental ass) seem to focus on the wrong things. It might be splitting hairs, but this is part of the distinction between magick and faith religions, it’s not about belief or visions, it’s about getting your shit together, and getting shit done.

Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely room and reason for the mystical experiences rather than magickal results, but for the point of this post I’m just harping on the over-emphasis some have on experience to the detriment of results.

After all, Crowley’s definition of magick wasn’t about dreams of the Goddess, seeing spirits, and collecting tomes, it was about causing change.