Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

It's getting on for midnight as I type this, so here we go with a new Magic Monday. This week's classic of Western occultism, since I've been indulging in Ross Nichols' poetry of late, is The Cosmic Shape, published in 1946, which contains his brilliant essay "An Examination of Creative Myth," which discusses the need for nature-myth and ritual as a counterbalance to the artificialities of modern life, and his related Arthurisn poem-cycle "The Cosmic Legend," as well as other poems of his and his fellow poet James Kirkup. He clearly discussed these ideas with his good friend Gerald Gardner; those ideas ended up playing a central role in the creation of Wicca as well as the transformations of 20th-century Druidry. Here's a bit from "The Cosmic Legend": 

I have made my ceremonies; the crisis
comes. None may reproduce, no water flow,
until the sword is from its sheath pulled.
Only I, the medicine-man Gawain, instructing 
at midnight Galahad, the pure one of 
spring -- only I can save you, faithless 
with the fallen leaf. I prove to you,
O my dead people, once again that
I alone am your strength.

In the first ray beating touching on the centre altar-stone
to the eye prepared at vigil-end, the vessel of the sun,
cup and heart, to Galahad. 

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With that said, have at it!

***This Magic Monday is now closed -- and yes, this means you.  See you next week!*** 

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Comments

[ecosophian]

First of all, happy birthday, John!

I would like to ask a question about the three paths in the Western tradition — the mystic, the mage, and the occultist. So you say "the mystic eventually becomes one with the object of his or her love...the mage eventually becomes one with the power that sustains and transforms the cosmos...and the occultist eventually becomes one with “the mind and eyes of God.”

1. While all of this is infinitely far from where I currently am, I'd like to ask if this "becoming one" means destruction of an individual. Will there be somebody to still say "I am one with this" or not? For the reason I find the prospect unnerving.

2. Also I think I understand how mystic path works. It works by two principles "what you contemplate you imitate" and induction of vibrations as described by Dion fortune. How the other two paths work is harder to grasp.

3. Also you said that getting cancer is a Mystic's occupational hazard. Is there anything mystics can do to reduce the risk? Also is it related to phrases like "he/she was too good for this world" and "God takes soonest those he loveth best"?

P.S. Minneapolis city decided to disband their police department completely. I recon the dark age future of warlords and raiding parties might be closer than I thought previously. The famous warbands of Minneapolis! :)

[ecosophia]

1) It varies from person to person. There's a lot of discussion in mystical literature about the difference between the mysticism of union (the self dissolves into God) and the mysticism of spiritual marriage (the self remains itself and is simply in a profound loving relationship with God), and the same is true of the other paths. I suspect that the way you go depends on your own deepest longings and needs.

2) Yes, it is. It takes a fair amount of study to understand any of the three, so the fact that you've been able to make sense of the mystic path is praiseworthy.

3) I'm not a mystic, so I'm really not familiar with the fine details. You might study the lives of those mystics who lived to advanced old age, and compare them with the lives of mystics who died young, to get a sense of what helps.

PS) I wonder if those city council members realize they've just written their own political epitaphs -- and possibly that of the Democratic Party. Watching the Dems commit themselves to one position after another that's only supported by 15-20% of the electorate is just surreal.

[(Anonymous)]

(not OP)

3) Whats the life expectancy for mages?

3a) I feel I am sitting on the fence between mage and mystic as far as my practices are concerned. How can I make sure not to slip into being a mystic?

[ecosophia]

3) Fairly high unless they mess up doing subtle-energy work. Dion Fortune was as much a mystic as a mage, so her death from leukemia at 55 was kind of an outlier. Her students did better; W.E. Butler made it to 80, Gareth Knight is still going strong at 90, and Butler's student Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki is still on the right side of the grass at 91. Even Aleister Crowley made it to 72, despite everything.

3a) Change your practices to focus strictly on magic.

[(Anonymous)]

Sorry if this is a stupid question but what's the difference between devotional practices and mysticism? Is mysticism just a extreme form of devotional practice or is there more to it than that?

I suppose what I really want to know is when does a person cross that line into mysticism and how do they know when they have.

[ecosophia]

When your relationship with a god is the only thing that matters in your life, you've become a mystic.

[(Anonymous)]

It's very clear to me that I am drawn to the occultist's path and not to either the mystic or the mage's path. For some reason the prospect of having power doesn't excite me at all. Wisdom, however, is another matter. I have wanted that since I was a small girl.

I'm wondering how much the rituals for the mage's path as I'm currently following in Druid Magic Handbook would be best left undone or set aside, to focus more on meditation, study and reading, and training the mind. I see the value of the mage's work even on the Occultist's path because of how it can transform me for that path. I would appreciate any thoughts you may have on what my focus should be.

Myriam

[ecosophia]

If you're interested in the occult path, the Sphere of Protection is worth your while, because it keeps the aura clear of interference and makes mental clarity easier; it's also helpful to have the practical applications of the four elements to hand. You can leave the Grail Working and everything connected with it, and you needn't do the grove working unless you want to use it for seasonal celebrations. Meditation, divination, and a daily SoP give you your foundation, and then go from there into whatever occult studies turn their crank.

[(Anonymous)]

Can the grail working be helpful for an occultist?

Also, where would you put someone like Franklin Merrill Wolff in these 3? What about Ramana Maharshi?

[ecosophia]

1) Yes, though it's primarily meant for a mage.

2) The eastern schools -- and Merrell-Wolff was heavily influenced by them -- are different, and more complex. The three categories refer solely to the main currents of Western inner spirituality.

[(Anonymous)]

PS) In this case, I wonder if there's more to it: policing is expensive, and funding it is mostly left to local jurisdictions. I can't help but wonder if part of what's happening is those local jurisdictions are bankrupt and need to cut services, and this "defund the police" movement provides them with cover....

[ecosophia]

Hmm! That seems plausible.

[(Anonymous)]

If we're at the point where maintaining law and order is becoming a luxury we're much further into the collapse than I thought....

[ecosophia]

Remember that all these politicians can pay for their own private security, and couldn't care less about the rest of us. For what it's worth, my guess is that the attempt to defund police won't get far, and will end the political careers of those who embrace it too enthusiastically.

[(Anonymous)]

Could you link the post about mystics being more likely to catch cancer?
I can‘t find it with google.

[ecosophia]

I haven't been able to find it either, for what it's worth!

[ecosophian]

I can't find it either, but I distinctly remember JMG saying that at one point in not that distant past. I'm not imagining it!

The context was that a mystic has to contend with high energies he may not be ready for.
While a mage is building the strength of their subtle bodies gradually and if they do everything right they don't suffer bad consequences.

Today's Magic Monday has a continuation of this theme further down this comment section, but more from an angle of character traits.

[ecosophia]

Okay, it wasn't cancer. We were talking about Sir Galahad, who fell dead in ecstasy after beholding the Grail, and I mentioned that that happens to mystics fairly often because they don't take the time to build and strengthen their energy bodies. IIRC Dion Fortune's cancer came into the discussion later, which may be where you got the idea it was about cancer.

[open_space]

ecosophian, would you mind pointing me to some of your sources about your explorations of the three paths? I am interested in knowing more about this.