Path: typhoon.sonic.net!not-for-mail Message-ID: <40FA5B5A.57ED724F@luckymojo.com> From: catherine yronwode Reply-To: cat@luckymojo.com Organization: Lucky Mojo Curio Co. X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.7 (Macintosh; U; PPC) X-Accept-Language: en,en-GB MIME-Version: 1.0 Newsgroups: alt.magick Subject: Re: What is Magick? References: <2ltebpFgqh3hU1@uni-berlin.de> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Lines: 39 Date: Sun, 18 Jul 2004 11:02:54 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 209.148.125.238 X-Complaints-To: abuse@sonic.net X-Trace: typhoon.sonic.net 1090148574 209.148.125.238 (Sun, 18 Jul 2004 04:02:54 PDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 18 Jul 2004 04:02:54 PDT Xref: typhoon.sonic.net alt.magick:380072 Asiya wrote: > > "Alexander Mulligan" wrote > > In alt.magick, Erich wrote: > > > > > and the extracted > > > portions of classical thought spanning near all cultures into a > > > viable working system of supreme initiatory attainment. > > > > "initiatory attainment"? Are we talking about magick or a college > > fraternity? > > Certain systems of magick have initiation cermonies, signifying that > the student/frater/soror is about to begin a new period of study and > experience. Some people confuse these rituals with actual attainment > (enlightenment, mastery, etc). And in some initiatic lodge systems, the rituals of initiation are only performed after the candidate has demonstrated an actual attainment of proficiency. Depending on the lodge system in question, proficiency (and hence actual attainment) may be demonstrated in the rather rudimentary form of recitation of a catechism. In the most traditional lodge systems, however, attainment of proficiency is demonstrated in three modes: by the recitation of a catechism, by the rehearsal of the signs and symbols pertaining to the degree from which one is matriculating, and, most importantly, by the presentation of an original piece of research in open lodge, in the form of a lecture from notes or an essay read aloud, which research will then be challenged by senior officers of the lodge after the form of a defended thesis in an academic setting. In merit-based lodges such as this, only after passing all three tests of proficiency will a member be invited to the next level of initiation. Cordially, cat yronwode