Post No. 429 - Are "low magic" orders needed?

Before Wicca/paganism/heathenry [2], there was the "New Age" (which actually dates back to the early 20th/late 19th century) ... before the New Age, there was the "Western mystery tradition", which was heavily influence by non-Jewish interpretations of the Qaballah, and included groups such as the Rosicrucians, Golden Dawn, Theosophical Society, Ordo Templi Orientis, claims of secret societies (often referred to as "Orders", and usually claimed to have been around for millenia: I was asked to join one group claiming to be one of those, called "the Brotherhood of Light" [now, I think, the Church of Light], but declined when they wanted 10% of my income - although they unquestionably had access to good knowledge [later I was asked to join another such group, claiming to be a cult busting group - which was appealing, but I declined - I have a wariness of such groups - and it later turned out to be something else]), and teachers such as Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, Aleister Crowley and Dion Fortune. My limited, outsider perspective of such groups is that they are what pagans would refer to as "High Magicians", or "Ceremonialists" - lots of pomp and ceremony and formality in their working. They also make a strong effort to follow what they think is ethical, and much is, but some tends to be just ... prejudice and social mores of the times they were founded.

Never underestimate such groups, though: their workings do access power, they do have a certain amount of knowledge, but they are the same as all other groups - humanly flawed.I also have to admit they are appealing to some people, and that brings me to this post. In particular, if they can demonstrate acceptance of sexual and gender diversity, polyamory,  polytheism and other traditions all as being valid, we might get to have something quite worthwhile ...

The following was written before I did the preceding introductory blurb ...

   ***
To interrupt with a postscript ...

I've now read most of this book, and MZB does come across as more respectful of paganism/"the Old Religion" than I thought she was going to be, but is still quite patronising. As an example of the sort of power which could come through paganism, when the book's main protagonist, Colin MacLaren, does things like sketch a symbol in the air to break open negative defences, that can also be done using runes (such as Thurisaz, Ziu, or a bind rune of both). The information required to do such work is available now, for those who have eyes to see and ears to listen. (It can also be accessed intuitively, as I have taught students.)

The main theme in the book is the struggle between those seeking power for personal gain, and those seeking power (obviously including knowledge, but there is also a MASSIVE amount of power in peace) in order to serve others/spiritual growth/"the Light". In considering that, reflect for a moment on how well organised those seeking to serve and help others have become - for instance, pagan organisations, spiritualist churches, Wiccan covens, etc, some, at least, of which, are good, effective and deserving of respect.

Is anyone so arrogant as to think those who seek power for negative reasons are also incapable of being similarly organised?

They are, and thus it is that the sort of struggle that this novel is about can exist - although most of the time the struggle is more mundane, in hundreds of committee rooms around the planet, and mundane, everyday life, and things like the intense jealousies and petty hatreds some people feel and express (and thank the Goddess most do not know much, or anything, about psychic work). As I've written elsewhere on this blog, everyday life has many opportunities to be a "knight in shining armour" ... Rarely, VERY rarely, there are bigger struggles: I was part of several such struggles in the 80s, and I feel there is something in my neighbourhood that needs attention now, but there are also incidents such as a woman who recently approached me for help because she blamed "black magic" for a combination of guilt and the effects of ageing that she was refusing to accept ... mind you, there are some physical effects which mean she may yet be correct - but I have come across similar "false alarms" many times in the past.

Nevertheless, there are more things in heaven and earth etc ... I'm going to have some physical space in a month or so: might have to see what I can get underway again ...

   ***

As I mentioned, I've been reading Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Heartlight", I've survived the brief foray into action, but the dismissiveness of paganism is grating (becomes less so further on), but at least I now understand why she started identifying as Christian: she seems to have become enamoured with the "High Magic" / Ceremonialist tradition of White Orders and Lodges.

Now, I need to make it clear that I KNOW there are groups working towards the betterment of the world, but my experience suggests they are less regimented about "High Magic" / Ceremonialist traditions than their adherents would suggest ... I think the Order of Scathach is an excellent example of the sort of flexibility that the BPF [1] have. I can understand people from a few centuries ago getting caught up in the Christian style of working, as Christianity was ubiquitous, and you had a good chance of getting literally burned at the stake if you were seen to be too different from it ...

That doesn't make following such paths "more correct", however: it makes them flawed.

I think those inherent flaws are why I've never gone ahead and joined groups such as the Rosicrucians etc, even though I, in many ways, share their aims of improving the world. Paganism, however, feels right with me, and enables a far broader approach to the topic of deity(ies) and spiritual influences, and the breadth is what enables as many people as possible to become actively involved in this work (referred to as "the Great Work" in MZB's book, and much other literature).

So ... in the same way that one of the original drivers for me trying to create the Rangers of Gyhldeptis (subsequently renamed the Rangers of the Inner Plane) was wanting to give people who liked a more disciplined approach to work to have a valid choice they can pursue, maybe what is needed these days for whoever wants to join into what is termed "the Great Work" (of improving this planet spiritually) needs to be able to access a "low magic" version of the "High Magic" / Ceremonialist tradition of White Orders and Lodges ...

Hmmm. Well, all I can say is ... it won't be me creating that :)

(Christopher  Penczak has probably made a good start on what I'm thinking about, actually, with a pagan version of much of the information, but I'd like to see more about service in what I've read so far ... )

[1] BPF = Balanced Positive (spiritual) Forces. See here and here for more on this.

[2] Please see my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. 

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")
My "blogiography" is here. I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue (see here and here), and it grew ...
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Tags: groups, paths, spirituality, growth, order, ,

First published: Laugardagr, 2nd February, 2013

Last edited: Sunday 3rd February, 2013