I've written about this previously, but not for a while, so I thought I'd post this explainer.
Most ritual / magick works in one of two ways. It most probably either aims at guiding or influencing one's personal consciousness / awareness in a way aimed at promoting - if the working is BPM - an improved awareness or personal functioning, or it is otherwise probably aimed at recruiting the aid of stronger entities (be that Guides, Deities, nature spirits, or other) into providing sufficient energy, skill and other resources to achieve a goal - for instance, using a rune or sigil to promote peace or wisdom or some other BPM state of being or outcome, as I do in my various weekly posts.
However, when I am working personally, my first preference is to do as much as I can to generate BPM energy myself, with the aim of developing enough energy to achieve the desired result myself, with only minimal aid.
My reasons for doing that include:
- most people develop an attitude of arrogant expectancy - that Deities and nature spirits exist to serve them, which is utter rubbish, and an attitude that is spiritually harmful those who have it to boot;
- compelling entities to do one's bidding is slavery, and thus morally wrong;
- such workings are a lost opportunity to do better for the world, and may leave at best neutral and at worst nonBPM residues (including in the effect that the workings have on those used);
- avoiding making an effort is lazy - and as harmful spiritually as physical couch potato behaviour is (I'll have to use the term spiritual couch potato in the future); and
- taking shortcuts robs you of the opportunity to learn, grow and develop. When I studied to be initiated as a Priestess, I took years - much longer than everyone else: I'm still working as a Priestess, and I would back my skills, knowledge, and depth of understanding ahead of those who studied with me any day.
I'm very much aware that, in the overwhelming majority of cases, I don't generate enough energy to achieve the result I am aiming for, but:
(a) I've made the effort, and thus strengthened those spiritual/psychic muscles; and
(b) the world will be a better place for me adding as much new BPM energy as I can to it - and, given the state of the world, I consider that to be a good thing.
So . . . enslaving spirits, as done by magicians of the Middle Ages, is definitely out, a healthy, constructive and respectful relationship with stronger BPM entities (including deities) may be OK (provided I've done enough prior cultivation of the relationship for me not to be bludging off those beings), but generating heaps and heaps and heaps of BPM energy is definitely a fundamental of all that I do, and has been all my life.
