My previous discussion of Pagan practice was purposefully lacking in a specific sub-straight known as Dark Paganism. I waited until now to introduce this specific subject because it exemplifies a subject of magic that bears elaboration. The prefix "Dark" and it's connotations are of the most broadly misunderstood and misgiving concepts in the magical world.
The prefix "Dark", as in Dark Magic, Dark arts, Dark Paganism, etc. is a highly controversial branch of the already controversial tree of mysticism and magical thinking. What constitutes a practice or philosophy as being Dark will vary from person to person. Depending on who you speak to one tendency to burn a specific color of candle might be dark to one person yet white to another. Most connotations are centered around the idea of Greed effecting the practitioner's intentions, resulting in spells cast for the purposes of personal gain or revenge against another party.
Distinctions like white and dark or black magic are considered arbitrary by most dedicated magicians. The effort to demonize or subjugate a specific set of practitioners much the same way all magic is demonized and considered heresy by orthodox religion. My personal view on this subjective argument is that Just because one shade of blue is darker than another does not mean one is cobalt and the other is cyan.
To be frank, as elaborated upon in Coughlin's writing, Darkness usually denotes an element of morbid fascination. Dark imagery, as in images of mortality, animal spirits, nightscapes, torture, sacrifice, bodies and other dismal motifs pervade Dark Magic material, betraying a preserved influence of folk religion with savage imagery and ritualistic themes. Coughlin claims these themes are not so much evil as they are intrigued by the subject matter. These are the images mainstream culture often associates with discourse on the Occult, and then regards the system as evil.
The spectrum of wholesome to unseemly magic becomes confused with the spectrum of morality and ethics associated with orthodox religion. This is further confounded by the insistence of some groups to refer to them as the left and right hand paths. Madame Blavatsky discussed in the 19th century her travels in Southern Asia where she gained teachings from foreign mystics. Of this material she reported learning of the left and right handed paths of Tantra.
In Hinduism there is a claimed parallel in the divide between Left handed Tantra and Right handed Tantra (this set of beliefs and philosophy is very concerned with body parts and functions). Where on the right hand you have asceticism, vegetarianism, celibacy, etc. you have the inclusion of forbidden material and the breaking of taboo (eating meat, engaging in sexual activity) as a major concern of the Left hand path to gain deeper experiences. This is not considered inferior, unsightly or evil by Hinduism but condoned just the same as the Right hand path, save for the idea that it is far faster and more dangerous to experiment with due to its potency.
If you refer to discourses on Vodou and Voodoo, You will again notice the idea of having a brand of ritualistic official considered more sinister or personally involved than the norm. From the Dark Pagan, Vodou and Tantric perspective the perception of greediness may stem from the fact that these traditions are much more focused on the personal development and empowerment. This is in contrast to those "Lighter" worship states involved in exterior deities, power structures and social cooperation. This in turn gives Dark Magic the image of power-hunger, irreverance and antagonism respectively.
It is encouraged to refrain from judgement. People often like to have materials explained in terms of that which is correct or incorrect, corrupt and pure. Remember that all magic, no matter the altruism associated with its use, was demonized and punished as ethically unsound by orthodox religion. Remember also that all pedagogical mystic practices both divine and occult are considered morally bankrupt by the psychology of modernity. The psychology of modernity is considered wicked by ecologists and this person and that person. This chain goes on indefinitely and in infinite cycles.
I am not promoting relativism in the slightest I simply hope to show the often misunderstood black sheep of the mystical family in perspecive. A good example of this is a question I recently recieved on why this Blog is titled as Occult rather than with other more palatable adjectives, Arcane, Esoteric or Mystical. I seek in this set of posts to reseach and delve into subject matter and bring that which is shrouded, heterodox, and obscure into context with other matters of magic.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Sunday, June 8, 2014
The Legacy of Magical Thinking
When applying the prefix "Neo" to a group, for example the neo-pagans I will discuss, understand that this prefix denotes a seeking to emulate a previous group whilst being inexorably separated by context. To this point I assert that neopagans, neodruids and other groups all seek to reconstruct the bodies of practitioners from antiquity but are forever restrained by inhabiting the contemporary era.
Paganism was a single label applied to a multitude of different belief systems. It is the only successful attempt at labeling the myriad different religious belief systems, and even varying levels of dedication to mystical doctrine in general. Early Christians adopted the label of Pagan to categorize the seemingly hedonistic and uncivilized tribes that abounded during Christianity's rise.
For this reason the title Pagan is very ambiguous and open to interpretation. Today it is considered to pertain to many indigenous belief systems that focus on nature, polytheism and ritual where in fact there were tribes under the ancient umbrella of paganism that were monotheistic, some that were not concerned with rituals and some that were more focused on family and politics than natural atunement.
Neopaganism is a collective effort at spirituality that broadly describes a similarly numerous arrangement of sub-groups, categories and divisions of worshiping practice and belief systems. Neopaganism is concerned with the reconstruction of old world theological systems and adopting ancient gods and especially goddesses for modern religious practice. Many neopagan groups heavily research their ancient counterparts to gain a legitimate and well realized reenactment of these practices.
Some of these subgroups I want to discuss are:
-Wicca, one of the largest sections of the neopagan population
-Neo-Druidism, second largest and more nuanced
-Heathenry, Associated with Scandinavia more than the Gaelic world
There are countless other neopagan movements but I will restrict myself to the three largest. The ancient pagan ideals, though widely varied, mostly share a regard for nature as being a manifestation or indicator of divinity or benevolence. In recognition of this these movements are often characterized by an ecological motivation.
But from here I can hear you asking what this has to do with the occult, which one might assume is the focus of my writing from reading the title of the blog. The occult literally relates to that which is obscure, shrouded or mysterious. These groups are widely connected by a share propensity for magical thinking, or even outright belief in magical operations. These sensibilities were not well met by the rise of orthodox Christianity, and were often demonized and classified as untoward or malevolent. The word Occult can even be considered a pejorative term to describe heterodox practices as dark or unseemly.
Paganism was a single label applied to a multitude of different belief systems. It is the only successful attempt at labeling the myriad different religious belief systems, and even varying levels of dedication to mystical doctrine in general. Early Christians adopted the label of Pagan to categorize the seemingly hedonistic and uncivilized tribes that abounded during Christianity's rise.
For this reason the title Pagan is very ambiguous and open to interpretation. Today it is considered to pertain to many indigenous belief systems that focus on nature, polytheism and ritual where in fact there were tribes under the ancient umbrella of paganism that were monotheistic, some that were not concerned with rituals and some that were more focused on family and politics than natural atunement.
Neopaganism is a collective effort at spirituality that broadly describes a similarly numerous arrangement of sub-groups, categories and divisions of worshiping practice and belief systems. Neopaganism is concerned with the reconstruction of old world theological systems and adopting ancient gods and especially goddesses for modern religious practice. Many neopagan groups heavily research their ancient counterparts to gain a legitimate and well realized reenactment of these practices.
Some of these subgroups I want to discuss are:
-Wicca, one of the largest sections of the neopagan population
-Neo-Druidism, second largest and more nuanced
-Heathenry, Associated with Scandinavia more than the Gaelic world
There are countless other neopagan movements but I will restrict myself to the three largest. The ancient pagan ideals, though widely varied, mostly share a regard for nature as being a manifestation or indicator of divinity or benevolence. In recognition of this these movements are often characterized by an ecological motivation.
But from here I can hear you asking what this has to do with the occult, which one might assume is the focus of my writing from reading the title of the blog. The occult literally relates to that which is obscure, shrouded or mysterious. These groups are widely connected by a share propensity for magical thinking, or even outright belief in magical operations. These sensibilities were not well met by the rise of orthodox Christianity, and were often demonized and classified as untoward or malevolent. The word Occult can even be considered a pejorative term to describe heterodox practices as dark or unseemly.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Vodou
I mentioned the Vodou symbol of a Veve in the post of abstract symbolism earlier this week. While I focus on Hermetic ideas in other posts I would like to take a brief moment here to mention a forum I came across recently that is an effective heuristic for discovering more a bout a tradition that has a strong presence to this day all over the world.
A reedit user aptly monikered "Anthropology_nerd" does a wonderful "Ask Me Anything segment" Including extensive tought-out answers Here. They also recommend a large book available Here.
Though a lengthy review of vodou and the practice's relation to other concepts on this blog are not in the works, as the blog grows and I become more interested in further content It will receive more consideration.
A reedit user aptly monikered "Anthropology_nerd" does a wonderful "Ask Me Anything segment" Including extensive tought-out answers Here. They also recommend a large book available Here.
Though a lengthy review of vodou and the practice's relation to other concepts on this blog are not in the works, as the blog grows and I become more interested in further content It will receive more consideration.
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Essential Concepts
The time comes to discuss what magic is. In the context of these posts we will refrain from the trendy reformative tendency of spelling the idea as "Magick" because my focus is chiefly on how the older concepts are obvious in the mainstream. Magick is actually a comparatively recent development in the history of the anthropological phenomenon and is acquainted with fringe culture. The ubiquity of the spelling Magic is not deniable in popular fiction, commerce and miscellaneous modern language. This spelling is therefore the version most recognizable and descriptive of magical thinking in modern culture.
The best working and broadest definition I have attained comes from the Hermetic Tradition. To begin with, remember that in ancient times Fate was considered an unstoppable force that even the ruling Gods could not control and were subject to as well as humans. The Idea is that human beings can change fate, and that the act of changing fate necessitates and is characterized by an act of magic. An example of methods used is Sympathetic Magic which operates on the understanding that certain compounds, frequencies and objects correspond to it's larger representative on a broader scale. An example of this we are most familiar with is the vodou practice of doll making, in which small effigies are constructed to influence the wellbeing of the larger version who it represents.
A more topical example is the correspondence of the metal Gold with our Sun. Since the Sun was thought to be the perfect god of the planets, wearing gold was said to call down the perfect kingly energy and improve the health and livelihood of the wearer. The operating of certain small time props to beckon the powers of the stars, fate and spirits is the ancient root of magical performance.
Hermeticism is where I begin this set of writing rather than the even older standards of ritual, indigenous magic and mythology because of some vocabulary I want to assert. The first are the three pillars of Hermeticism.
-Theurgy
-Astrology
-Alchemy
In an attempt at simple english I will define these concisely.
Theurgy is the quintessential ritual act in which participants wish to solicit the aid, visitation or council of divine, otherworldly beings.
Astrology is the famous use of the charting of constellations to calendar the cycles of the year and associate happenstance with celestial movement, in hopes of Prognostication.
Alchemy is the meditative workbench pastime in which mystics invested time in trying to evoke the divine presence, the perfect stone, from the refuse of human existence.
Systematically I would associate each of these three constructs with words more broad used to describe phenomenon present in religions, systems of ritual and meditations.
I would liken Theurgy to Henosis, the act of atonement, "At-one-ment", of being at one with God, gaining a unity with one's deity and dissolving the barriers between a worshipper and their divinity.
Then connect Alchemy with Kenosis. Kenosis is the replacing of one's inner structure, complete with inflated ego and malfunctioning neurosis, with the divine will. As the alchemist sought to banish the dross, shit, and rarify from this waste the uncorruptable ore of infinity, and replace their own broken and cursed mortal selves with perfect, unstoppable ascendant souls. Again wittiness the manipulation of basic props and small objects to influence the behavior and nature of larger corespondents, the alchemists being represented by their stone. Upon successful attainment of the Magnum Opus would also gain perfection. This is equated here to Kenosis, which is the perfect will of one's higher power operating through them. This is associated with Catharsis, the act of purgation of excess pessimism and anguish, reducing pity and fear like one reduces sauce on a stove. Through ultimate tragedy one might be purged of their bloated negative feelings and once relieved be filled with positive feelings.
Finally I connect Astrology is the seeking of knowledge, Gnosis. Gnosis in its most literal form is simply knowledge, and Gnostics refer to to it as the competency, the insight necessary to move forward into the realms of religious life. This is similar to the prospect of Henosis in that it establishes a connection between the individual and their grander context, asserting the recognition of a wondrous infinite background lessens the cognitive effects of the horrors of the transient foreground.
Systematically again I would associate these three concepts with Christian counterparts.
Alchemy/Kenosis Is associated with the Cathartic, purging experience accompanied by the contemplation, or prayer, of Theoria.
The aims of Theurgy/Henosis and Astrological prognostication are aligned with the above experience in the aim of achieving Theosis, the central goal of all people's lives. Theosis is the complete boundary dissolution between man and God and can only be realized after completing the previous steps. It is provided by the definition I originally put forward that the union between man and the powers of deities was the basis of all magic henceforth .
The best working and broadest definition I have attained comes from the Hermetic Tradition. To begin with, remember that in ancient times Fate was considered an unstoppable force that even the ruling Gods could not control and were subject to as well as humans. The Idea is that human beings can change fate, and that the act of changing fate necessitates and is characterized by an act of magic. An example of methods used is Sympathetic Magic which operates on the understanding that certain compounds, frequencies and objects correspond to it's larger representative on a broader scale. An example of this we are most familiar with is the vodou practice of doll making, in which small effigies are constructed to influence the wellbeing of the larger version who it represents.
A more topical example is the correspondence of the metal Gold with our Sun. Since the Sun was thought to be the perfect god of the planets, wearing gold was said to call down the perfect kingly energy and improve the health and livelihood of the wearer. The operating of certain small time props to beckon the powers of the stars, fate and spirits is the ancient root of magical performance.
Hermeticism is where I begin this set of writing rather than the even older standards of ritual, indigenous magic and mythology because of some vocabulary I want to assert. The first are the three pillars of Hermeticism.
-Theurgy
-Astrology
-Alchemy
In an attempt at simple english I will define these concisely.
Theurgy is the quintessential ritual act in which participants wish to solicit the aid, visitation or council of divine, otherworldly beings.
Astrology is the famous use of the charting of constellations to calendar the cycles of the year and associate happenstance with celestial movement, in hopes of Prognostication.
Alchemy is the meditative workbench pastime in which mystics invested time in trying to evoke the divine presence, the perfect stone, from the refuse of human existence.
Systematically I would associate each of these three constructs with words more broad used to describe phenomenon present in religions, systems of ritual and meditations.
I would liken Theurgy to Henosis, the act of atonement, "At-one-ment", of being at one with God, gaining a unity with one's deity and dissolving the barriers between a worshipper and their divinity.
Then connect Alchemy with Kenosis. Kenosis is the replacing of one's inner structure, complete with inflated ego and malfunctioning neurosis, with the divine will. As the alchemist sought to banish the dross, shit, and rarify from this waste the uncorruptable ore of infinity, and replace their own broken and cursed mortal selves with perfect, unstoppable ascendant souls. Again wittiness the manipulation of basic props and small objects to influence the behavior and nature of larger corespondents, the alchemists being represented by their stone. Upon successful attainment of the Magnum Opus would also gain perfection. This is equated here to Kenosis, which is the perfect will of one's higher power operating through them. This is associated with Catharsis, the act of purgation of excess pessimism and anguish, reducing pity and fear like one reduces sauce on a stove. Through ultimate tragedy one might be purged of their bloated negative feelings and once relieved be filled with positive feelings.
Finally I connect Astrology is the seeking of knowledge, Gnosis. Gnosis in its most literal form is simply knowledge, and Gnostics refer to to it as the competency, the insight necessary to move forward into the realms of religious life. This is similar to the prospect of Henosis in that it establishes a connection between the individual and their grander context, asserting the recognition of a wondrous infinite background lessens the cognitive effects of the horrors of the transient foreground.
Systematically again I would associate these three concepts with Christian counterparts.
Alchemy/Kenosis Is associated with the Cathartic, purging experience accompanied by the contemplation, or prayer, of Theoria.
The aims of Theurgy/Henosis and Astrological prognostication are aligned with the above experience in the aim of achieving Theosis, the central goal of all people's lives. Theosis is the complete boundary dissolution between man and God and can only be realized after completing the previous steps. It is provided by the definition I originally put forward that the union between man and the powers of deities was the basis of all magic henceforth .
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Abstract Symbols
There are some writing systems particular to certain genres of occult influence. Remember that for the purposes of this set of postings the definition of occult lies broadly across heterodox methods of worship, ritual magic and so forth.
The first brand of these scribbles that comes to my mind is the alphabet of Runes, Ancient sigils each possessing their own personalities, powers and sounds corresponding to various ideals and constructs of ancient cultures. A readily available and advanced work on the subject of Runes and their use can be found here.
Often used with talismans, tokens of spiritual power, runes could combine together to form memes like any other alphabet while carrying significant nuanced characteristics. Another alphabet that is associated with talismanic magicians is the Alphabet Of The Magi.
Some abstract symbols are made up of constituent pieces in a less linear way, yet are used for syncretic purposes to those featured above. My true first love of this variety is the Emblems of Shamanistic Drums.
A similar sort of construction can be found in Haitian Vodou's Veve, heraldry associated with the summoning of helping spirits. All of the above can be argued as forms of Theurgy, methods of atoning and facilitating the presence of gods, helping spirits and so forth. Theurgy is a common feature of mysticism, religion and other systems. A more publicly available sort of this is the practice of Summoning. Detailed accounts of these practices are disseminated across the web but I assert the more pure, quintessential work on the matter is the Key of Solomon, featuring summoning circles such as This one. A less common and more archaic version can be found here.
Many words in this post will become hypertext links to further reading as the blog grows. This post will also be added to gradually with symbols not mentioned. To be honest the subject of symbolisms is so completely vast I do not hope to publish any extensive work upon it. For those of you eager for symbolism try The Illustrated Signs and Symbols Sourcebook, an extensive illustrated encyclopedia of innumerable symbols and contexts. This book is a heuristic introduction to symbols that is genuinely fun to flip through and show to house guests.
The first brand of these scribbles that comes to my mind is the alphabet of Runes, Ancient sigils each possessing their own personalities, powers and sounds corresponding to various ideals and constructs of ancient cultures. A readily available and advanced work on the subject of Runes and their use can be found here.
Often used with talismans, tokens of spiritual power, runes could combine together to form memes like any other alphabet while carrying significant nuanced characteristics. Another alphabet that is associated with talismanic magicians is the Alphabet Of The Magi.
Some abstract symbols are made up of constituent pieces in a less linear way, yet are used for syncretic purposes to those featured above. My true first love of this variety is the Emblems of Shamanistic Drums.
A similar sort of construction can be found in Haitian Vodou's Veve, heraldry associated with the summoning of helping spirits. All of the above can be argued as forms of Theurgy, methods of atoning and facilitating the presence of gods, helping spirits and so forth. Theurgy is a common feature of mysticism, religion and other systems. A more publicly available sort of this is the practice of Summoning. Detailed accounts of these practices are disseminated across the web but I assert the more pure, quintessential work on the matter is the Key of Solomon, featuring summoning circles such as This one. A less common and more archaic version can be found here.
Many words in this post will become hypertext links to further reading as the blog grows. This post will also be added to gradually with symbols not mentioned. To be honest the subject of symbolisms is so completely vast I do not hope to publish any extensive work upon it. For those of you eager for symbolism try The Illustrated Signs and Symbols Sourcebook, an extensive illustrated encyclopedia of innumerable symbols and contexts. This book is a heuristic introduction to symbols that is genuinely fun to flip through and show to house guests.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Contextual Documentaries
I will post some Videos here that I found in my research that well illustrate Occult phenomenon operating in modernity. This serves to impress upon readers how the subject matter covered in these posts still function in current affairs.
This Video offers a detailed list of several occult collectives. This is centered on counterculture and psychologically radical experiences.
This Other Video Offers another. This is centered on Wicca and magic.
Our Third Video waxes upon occult influence in the architecture of American cities. This is centered on Occult Symbolism
The Final Video Is a Charming examination of one single group in visual detail. This is centered on Theurgy and Summoning.
In the future many of my keywords will be replaced with links to other posts to promote an interconnectivity of subject matters.
This Video offers a detailed list of several occult collectives. This is centered on counterculture and psychologically radical experiences.
This Other Video Offers another. This is centered on Wicca and magic.
Our Third Video waxes upon occult influence in the architecture of American cities. This is centered on Occult Symbolism
The Final Video Is a Charming examination of one single group in visual detail. This is centered on Theurgy and Summoning.
In the future many of my keywords will be replaced with links to other posts to promote an interconnectivity of subject matters.
First Post
This post will hopefully be the first step of a regularly maintained blog concerning my research into what is reffered to as the Occult. The definition of the term Occult for the purposes of these posts will include all human magical experiences that are charactarized by some degree of obscurity. The subject matter will be fairly broad and open to recommendations on further areas of study. Frankly I am seeking a durable repository to allow me to reference and reflect on what I learn in the course of my studies.
Given the potential vastness of the topic it is easy to become daunted my the reach of the subject matter. My first tentative step into this record will to be a fresh list, by no means exhaustive in its items, to be added to over time and checked back with to ensure a conneciton between the fields I study and the original goals of the blog.
Again recommendations are welcome. I am approaching this subject matter from a psuedo-academic standpoint and do not actually invest in a partcular metaphysical belief system nor do I condone the willing doing of harm onto others in the name of said systems. I attest that the powers of autohypnotic trance states and the powers of suggestion in making the unconscious conscious are powerful cornerstones in these frameworks. Mythology, worship, and observance play integral roles in how we construct ethics, psychology and culture.
The list of topics I will describe include but are not limited to:
Hermeticism
Paganism
Druids
Wicca and Witchcraft
Shamanism
Divination or Prognostication
Alchemy
Astrology
The Tantra
Yoga
Meditation
Kabbalah
Theurgy
Cults
Hypnotism
Mysticism
Rosicrutionism
Freemasonry
The psychadelic experience
The Varieties of religious experience
Symbolism
The Zodiac
I Ching
Tao
Jung
This is a syncretic effort. I will also afford references to websites I have found pertinent to the subject matter. For example the term "Omnigatherum" is an obscure word defined as a gathering of miscellanious yet collective materials. This was attained from The Phrontistery, a painstaking assembly of uncommon yet interesting and useful words. "Uncommon, interesting and useful" is a string of adjectives one could use to describe the occult in the sense that we are studying. Connections such as these are the central objective in depositing my notes here, most of the information contained henceforth will be gained from the local library and Wikipedia. Again this is a syncretic effort, and my aim is to establish parallels and join concepts on a format more streamlined and moldable than the comprehensive and informative Wikipedia articles that supply my potential umbilical features.
Given the potential vastness of the topic it is easy to become daunted my the reach of the subject matter. My first tentative step into this record will to be a fresh list, by no means exhaustive in its items, to be added to over time and checked back with to ensure a conneciton between the fields I study and the original goals of the blog.
Again recommendations are welcome. I am approaching this subject matter from a psuedo-academic standpoint and do not actually invest in a partcular metaphysical belief system nor do I condone the willing doing of harm onto others in the name of said systems. I attest that the powers of autohypnotic trance states and the powers of suggestion in making the unconscious conscious are powerful cornerstones in these frameworks. Mythology, worship, and observance play integral roles in how we construct ethics, psychology and culture.
The list of topics I will describe include but are not limited to:
Hermeticism
Paganism
Druids
Wicca and Witchcraft
Shamanism
Divination or Prognostication
Alchemy
Astrology
The Tantra
Yoga
Meditation
Kabbalah
Theurgy
Cults
Hypnotism
Mysticism
Rosicrutionism
Freemasonry
The psychadelic experience
The Varieties of religious experience
Symbolism
The Zodiac
I Ching
Tao
Jung
This is a syncretic effort. I will also afford references to websites I have found pertinent to the subject matter. For example the term "Omnigatherum" is an obscure word defined as a gathering of miscellanious yet collective materials. This was attained from The Phrontistery, a painstaking assembly of uncommon yet interesting and useful words. "Uncommon, interesting and useful" is a string of adjectives one could use to describe the occult in the sense that we are studying. Connections such as these are the central objective in depositing my notes here, most of the information contained henceforth will be gained from the local library and Wikipedia. Again this is a syncretic effort, and my aim is to establish parallels and join concepts on a format more streamlined and moldable than the comprehensive and informative Wikipedia articles that supply my potential umbilical features.
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