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Although it may seem that the world is progressing towards some sort of great spiritual understanding, I have found in my studies and experience that the opposite is true. Today, we see topics, like the occult and magic, discussed openly online and in various forms of entertainment. While such forms of media has sparked quite an interest in subjects of this kind, the purpose of such interest in the invisible world, is void of the true meaning that these paths were originally founded upon. We are reminded of a person using a compass to reach a goal that is a thousand miles ahead. If he/she is just one degree off course, they will find themselves hundreds of miles away from their destination. This is what the world of the occult has become today. It is filled with people who are lost.
It is not the true “self” that these people seek, or make it their journey to find, but the acquisition of certain magical powers to be used to impress others. Magical powers have nothing to do with the goal of the Greater Mysteries. In some aspects, these things can be an obstacle of deceit for those who are trying to find their way.
Often times, the pursuit of magical powers is the bait used by adversarial forces to bribe us in “belief” of a certain perspective that is damaging to the individual that is being tempted and the community at large. Instead of learning how the subtle science of nature works, these individuals are betrayed by their desires for prominence. There is an old saying; “You reap what you sow.” This statement has proved its truthfulness in all aspects of life. Yet, many have been deceived to believe that an incantation, or a spell, is useful for fixing things such as a flat tire. It may sound like an exaggerated example, but it is the same for the pursuit of other goals using pseudo-magic while remaining ignorant of the hidden laws of the occult.
The Ivory Tablets of thee Crow also talks about the fallacy of such thinking. In the section entitled The Beast of Muh, we find:
“The Sons of Aho have betrayed our ways ..With their magical arts..But what more are magical books Than the jurisdiction and procedures..Set down by kings.
Souls who come to know the different ..Sides of themselves..Gave a name to each attribute..And these names became known..As gods among those who lack the knowledge
These kings live forever..Due to the ignorant worship..Of their natures..Thrown about thrones..These are the emotions of kings..That no longer remain in the body..But they dwell as emotions in all men
Know that the names of these gods ..Are a formula ..A binding between the king and his earthly subject..Worship not the feelings of kings..Seek only initiation..For initiation is the only law that is just unto man”
I thought it would be good to delve into the meaning of these passages, as they are a very valuable part of our discussion. The Crow begins with the following:
“The Sons of Aho have betrayed our ways ..With their magical arts..But what more are magical books ..Than the jurisdiction and procedures..Set down by kings.”
This passage has a twofold meaning. First, it illustrates the inadequacy of simple curiosity when it comes to the realms of magical practice. It is known in the ancient history of man that chieftains, tribal leaders, and kings, were worshipped as gods at one time or another. It’s ironic today that many claim in the books and conspiracy theories that governmental leaders are part of various secret societies and etc. I find these claims quite comical because they are presented with great animosity towards the government in the name of the “Christ,” or some other “god” of one of the major religions. Yet, these aggravated conspiracy theorists seem quite ignorant to the fact that the “god” they worship is was an ancient king who was worshipped by a particular group of people, and this worship of this ancient king became more prominent as certain groups of people worshipping this dead king acquired more and more land. Over time, this ancient king became synonymous with the creator of the entire universe. The irony of all of this is that many of the governmental rulers of the modern world are descendants of these ancient kings, who conspiracy theorists think is the “god” that created the entire universe.
We can easily identify these ancient kings, who pose as gods, based on the principle of sacrifice. In the book, Spiritism and the Cult of the Dead in Antiquity by Lewis Bayles Pation, we read the following:
“Sacrifice is a rite that has meaning only in the cult of the dead. The blood, in which the life of the animal resides, is poured out in order that the shades may drink of it and renew their vigour. Offerings of food and drink are not needed by celestial deities, but are needed by spirits of the dead, and have been offered to them from the earliest times…and were afterward extended to other divinities..”
We can see from the information cited above that the application of sacrifice, in terms of drink, food, and blood, finds its origin in the rites of the Cult of the Dead. When certain authors, who claim union with the Christ, talk about the government and secret societies, they do so without realizing that they are worshipping the ancestors of the governmental leadership in today’s world, for they are still aligned with a “god” who needed a sacrifice, in the form of Christ. This “god” is thereby able to bless his descendants who are the political rulers of today. Be very careful about authors who publish such information in the name of Christ.
This is just one example illustrating how ignorance of one magical principle has led to the confusion that we see in the world today. The very same is true for many of the magical practices that require the novice to call upon the names of dead kings or prophets. These may be tempting to those who want to gain power, but they will never gain such, as they are only used as a gate for negative forces to enter the world anytime need be.
Secondly, we are kings of our experience. Every thought, emotion, and action is a ritual. Being ignorant of such things can have a damaging effect on our lives for we come to employ a grimoire without a name, just in what we do, say, and think.
“Souls who come to know the different ..Sides of themselves..Gave a name to each attribute..And these names became known..As gods among those who lack the knowledge”
If we are not working on cultivating self-awareness, then our emotions and thoughts will rule over us, and our true spirit will suffer bondage to these things. Manly P. Hall had the following to say in Magic, A Treatise on Esoteric Ethics:
“The ancients claimed that there was a hierarchy of demons for each of the sins of man, and that in reality, the demons were, in most cases, the incarnated principles of these sins. By this it is understood that the animal excesses of man build, on lower planes of the astral world, strange creatures, some resembling debased human beings, and others shaped like animals, lizards, snakes, and other reptiles. The power of the black magician lies in his ability to direct these soulless creatures, which, while not in reality individualized things, still have tremendous power over their own essences, both in the body of nature and of individuals….We seldom realize that our passions and hates create these demoniacal beings in the superphysical world, but this is one of the secrets of black magic.”
It has become popular for people involved in the New Age community to assert that anything can be used in the mechanics of occult science for whatever reason the practitioner deems fit. This is true on some levels, when it comes to the lower astral regions, but for one who is working towards the divine world, they would want nothing to do with these things.
If we are not working towards virtue and cleanliness in our work, we can fall victim to the demons we have created, knowingly and in ignorance. These demons will often manifest in certain bad habits, vices, or in unfortunate experiences. When people employ certain ritual workings for magical power that use dark imagery and operate on lower forms of emotion, they allow these forces free reign over their life, often leading to misfortune.
It is understandable when one truly embarks on a new path that challenges that will take place. It can be like turning your neck for the first time. However, one should still see progress in the form of a resistance to certain courses of action that are no longer useful, and a perspective that is one of benefit for the person overall and the community at large.
Still, the range of influence of these practitioners of hurtful emotions is quite large, due to the ignorance of such. The masses often witness the mayhem created by the “Sons of Aho,” in today’s news. Many think that the nature of such events is simply due to the nature of man, which is true of the undeveloped man. However, the frequency of these crimes against humanity and their gross enactment, has a lot to do with the curious, and the experienced workers of such misplaced emotions allowing themselves to be used as such.
Knowing that man is the creator of such debased beings, it can also be said that ignorance of these principles can cause one to, not only fall into the habit of negative thinking, but use and promote such in others. This makes it easier for these events to happen. This is a science that all are involved in by simple engagement of the emotional quality at hand. We choose our future and what side of the fence we are on by our actions.
“These kings live forever..Due to the ignorant worship..Of their natures..Thrown about thrones..These are the emotions of kings..That no longer remain in the body..But they dwell as emotions in all men”
Once we begin the pattern of negative thinking, it is inevitable that we become promoters of such things. In the process of so doing, we have aligned ourselves with another form of worship, now that these emotions have become “kings” in our experience and the community overall. Every act of worship allows more and more troops of these dead kings to enter into our lives and in society in general.
When we look out in the world today, we see an increase in negative thinking and behavior. It is interesting to note, or reflect that the growth in the negativity displayed by man is not a thing of coincidence or chance, but planned as such. Manly P. Hall, from the work cited previously in this discussion, states:
“We have reached a period in the history of the world when ignorance is criminal and deserves the heaviest penalty. Ignorance is not black magic, but it is the greatest ally that the black magician has in the world today. People who do not know any better are constantly doing someone else’s dirty work. That is the fruitage of their indolence. When we attempt to break nature’s laws, we tear down our bodies and render our consciousness negative, in this way opening those centers of our being through which we can be influenced and often obsessed by the black forces. This is almost as great as perpetrating black magic yourself.”
The Ivory Tablets of the Crow mentions that these ‘emotions of kings no longer remain in the body from where they originated from, but dwell in all men.’ We have a choice in such matters. However, when the mind has trained itself to think in a negative manner, we become slaves to a form of worship that is the very origin of the woes in the world that we see before us today.
People can see that the source of power that fuels the growth of the New Age movement is that very same energy that has fueled the belief in fear-based religions, the ability to break the laws of nature, black magic, or the negation of negative emotions.
Many of the religions of ancient man were based on fear. If fear can be overcome, one can make it to the true land of the living and commune with the true self. Our emotions can act independent of the body that host such, has already been discussed. However, it should be noted that the emotions we employ indicate our path of travel in the invisible world. The Ivory Tablets of the Crow states:
“Keep the operations described in practice always. Keep the condition of the heart focused on what is clean, for things outside of these take away the attention of many.”
The operations referred to here are the Soul of Fire Prayer and other preliminary workings. Earlier in our discussion, we spoke about how spirits of the dead could be recognized, when posing as gods, due to their need for sacrifice. The celestial deities, however, weren’t in need of such and thereby self-sustaining. When we really think about it, the source of all things, the cosmic fire that exists in all things, needs not of itself. When we “keep the condition of the heart focused on what is clean,” we learn that our true spiritual evolution requires us to imitate this cosmic fire.
Ancient man saw the stars in the sky, who needed no sacrifice, as the celestial deities. The idea of sacrifice was attributed to such later in history. Our Sun, for example, hangs in the sky in a state of meditation, the burning of helium and hydrogen, is a perfect example of the Soul of Fire prayer. The Sun, through its own meditative process, was able to produce and affect the quality of the emotional worlds that revolve around it. It represents the true spirit, the true king, that has range over both thought and emotion. The pursuit of magical powers in themselves is a distraction to the goal at large. These powers can be useful and an aid on the road to Self, but is not the goal of Self.
Wow really liked this much…In my quest for magical knowledge my goals have change…At first it was for monetary and power reasons…but now I have really become self aware of who I am becoming. I know that if I want monetary gain and power over my situations it must be put into positive action with positive thought. I have learned much in the last couple of years finding who I am and what am I doing here. I do keep a low key on my studies and rituals due to ignorance of “wanna be’s,)and the self-rightous worshipers of organized religion. Great article…Always a student.
Thank you you very much. Work is always work and it is immortal in each and every shape that it enters this world as.