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From: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (xiwangmu)
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Subject: Pioneering/Tradition and CM (was Perceiving Astrological Forces)
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Date: 20 Aug 1996 11:34:01 -0700
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[from email: Thelema93-L]

49960806 AA1 


Josh Norton <browe@megalinx.net>:
#The normal mode of magickal work is to take a symbol and, through
#invocations, discover the nature of the magickal energy associated with it.

normal Hermetic, it seems, yes.  I came upon this style and it did not strike
me as safe (call me paranoid or exceedingly picky :>).  that is, until I 
could find people whose SoCs (states of consciousness) I wished to reproduce
(the monks were too self-restrictive and anal, the mages too wild and ill-
directed for my tastes), I was of the preference of fabricating my own
symbol-systems through random exploration of both psyche and symbol with
excursions into the former utilizing variable methods (anything from 
psychoactives to whirling, exploring the limits of my taboos to engaging
ascetic rigors) and the latter through meditative focus and imaginative
collage/sigil.


#The "Archer" technique reverses this: one starts with the perceived effects
#of magickal "energies" (the astrological powers of the planets) and works
#backwards to perceive the energies directly, and to associate them with the
#appropriate symbols.

this has been the essential method of my 'ceremonial magick' and I suspect
that it is the means by which new systems of systemic symbol come into 
operation.  compare this with physical pioneering (a la 'Manifest Destiny').

there is a distinct value as regards maintaining and integrating essential
elements of tradition, and there is also value in exploring new avenues.
there are of course pitfalls and benefits of both as well (of pioneering,
the danger of self-destruction or complete and utter disorientation within
an emphasis on liberty; of tradition, the danger of self-delusion or 
complete and utter stagnation within an emphasis on security).

no comment as regards astrology except to note that I tend to see it as one
of many divination systems along with gematria and others), so Josh's
elaboration here strikes me as a quite wonderful example of its variable use.


#(In case someone wants to argue that these "magickal forces" were entirely a
#figment of my imagination, I should mention that after a while I was able to
#reverse the process. That is, without looking at an ephemeris or doing any
#calculations I could tell exactly what transits were in effect at a
#particular moment, just by examining the state of my perceptions. I could do
#this with about 85% accuracy, and most of the 15% error rate lay in not
#recognizing all the transits occurring when more than one was in effect at
#the moment in question.)

important scientific findings.  I hope others will experiment similarly and,
eventually, with blinds (in a more extensive chart-analysis without regard
to personal association).

tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com
mu