OccultForum.org

Hello everyone! This is my first post here and I hope to find great conversation on this forum. I initially came to this page because I wanted to ask something about one of the grades, but I have since forgotten my question! So instead I will share what I understand and see if anyone has a similar view or experience.

I will save you the particular events that transpired in my life that brought me to Magick and instead tell you what I understand of it. First Id like to say that I do not practice "Magick" in the sense of sigils and talismans or ritual. I have only recently begun to study this side of things and cannot speak one way or the other whether it works or doesn't. I only know that I have always put that part off because to me the real message of Magick is the act of self transformation. I guess you could consider me an occult philosopher and not so much a "magician".

In examining the grades of initiation and the story of the tarot I have concluded that the process of ceremonial Magick and divination is all about leading the individual on a personal spiritual journey of revelation. This journey is started naturally by everyone- it is the act of being alive and acquiring knowledge and experience and making decisions based on these essentials. All of this is the first set of grades which lead up to the Adept Exempt grade. In my opinion most people will never need to achieve Adept Exempt because their initial process was successful for them to be satisfied with life. There are those that come to find that its not enough, however, and for these individuals there is the portal grade. I think the grade of Adept Exempt can be different things to different people- all of whom are searching for more power over themselves and their pool of knowledge and experience. My experience with it was a complete overhaul, examination and rebuilding of myself and what I know from a very fundamental origin. As I rebuilt my temple of the soul I found myself becoming more surefooted in how I act, what I say, and what I believe. In this sense we rise into the other grades beyond the abyss.

I don't blame anyone who is drawn to Magick with ideas of spell craft, divination, and power- because these are all part of the process. I came up with the phrase; "to the child's mind, all things are Magick" and essentially we are all really just infants in light of any Divine Source. Personally I found my dabbling in these fields to be mostly illusion, though a good source of inspiration to act (however misguided). So if I were to give any advice I would offer that a person look at their lives as the grades of achievement in ceremonial Magick, or the story of the Tarot- and realize that its all about personal transformation and learning.

One last comment: Ive really spent a great deal of time contemplating "Do What Thou Wilt", "Love is the Law, Love under Will". I think for Crowley's system that these words are very suitable, because for him Will is primary. For myself I translate all the message of Magick into "You are free to become the best person you are able to be".

Hope you found some of my insight stimulating. Looking forward to a conversation!

This might be interesting to you:

http://www.occultforum.org/forum/viewto ... =4&t=38477

Thank you.

I can look at an idea or a thing or event a hundred ways and I can never actually say "I understand" I can only say "I think I understand"

"I know one thing; that I know nothing", Socrates

I don't know... maybe he wasn't referring to the obvious, but I can say that I have four extensions of this form that I call "A body" and that with them I can move this thing called body from here to there, and that with these extensions I am able to manipulate my surroundings in many ways.

Knowing that much seems like a good place to start.

I checked out those Aristotle books. Over a hundred dollars! I looked at Amazon and saw that I can acquire his complete works for 2 bucks on Kindle, so I went to the pawn shop and got a Kindle (four of them actually, because they were all 75% off!). Now I am going to start in on this massive collection of writing.

I want to add that I am reading "The Western Mysteries" by David Hulse and am deciding against getting further involved with practicing "Magick". Its apparent that there is no valid numbering system to look to on how Magickal workings function, so I'm going to stop here and say "Why bother?" It is interesting to research but I feel that the only real magic is within me... and what Divine Power is going to come to my beck and call just because I draw a few lines on the ground, light a candle and invoke its supposed name? Yes, I know there is a Divine "something", but its nothing I can control, nor would I want to. Simple prayer is plenty for me and so long as I show progress I think "they" will aid me the way they see fit.

I am compelled to write something more here, mostly because if I stay silent on the matter I feel that I am withholding part of my understanding from people, and that is not something I would choose to do.

I cannot claim to be a "magician" according to the conventional sense of the word. I have never donned a robe in a ceremony, nor have I invoked any Divine Names or forged any sort of talisman or any of that. At the most I was a curious observer of certain books that scamper around the outer realms of Magick. I owned a copy of the Gold Dawn Manuscript by Llewellyn and I studied the outer symbols of the Tarot. I read a book called "The Other Mind" that taught me a magickal perspective and I practiced a form of meditation for a long number of years. I got what I wanted from this casual examination and went about my business living and enjoying life on my own terms.

Then one day a spirit provoked me into researching alchemy. I was completely ignorant of most of it and started from a very primitive outside perspective. As I began to research symbolism I wound up in what I can only conclude to be the grade of Adept Exempt. To any practicing magician this sounds ludicrous and impossible, but it is what happened. I guess I simply want to say to those seeking enlightenment that it is possible to enter into another phase of understanding should you need to do so. It is very dangerous but if you are sincere and dedicated to truth it can be navigated. Personally I don't know if anyone "needs" to cross this chasm of awareness. I have no idea what it does for a person other than force them into a very drastic form of re-evaluation and self examination. It is not easy, and I stand here uncertain that I have even been successful in "crossing" the Abyss or if I have simply arrived at a point of understanding where I am able to stand and look at myself and the World and claim to know a bit more than when I began. As I said, I make no claim at any ceremonial or practicing Magick- all I can claim is to have become more aware of many things, most importantly; myself.

After writing all of this out I feel that I should amend it. I doubt I am an adept exempt, but it sure feels like it. I think in order to fit into that category Id need to practice magick.