I discuss how to create a personal cosmological system of magic and what the benefits of creating such a system are, as well as how it can transform your overall approach to magical work. I share an example of a system I’m currently refining and developing and the medium I’m using to represent the cosmological system.
The form and the essence of magical work
I was recently reading Howlings from the Pit by Joseph Lisiewski and I was struck by something he wrote in regards to ceremonial magicians creating magical tools that took away from the actual experience and success of magic they worked. What struck me is that the magicians were giving up the essence in favor of the form, when in fact they ought to take the opposite approach and give up the form to understand and work with the essence.
Being the magical nerd that I am also made me think of a scene in God of War Ragnarok where Brok the Dwarf tells Kratos that to create the form you have to find the essence. The essence is the key to the form. The form doesn’t exist without the essence. It made me consider Lisiewski’s perspective from another angle: How much of the essence do we give to the form, which in turn causes the form to have the power, presence, magick, etc that would otherwise stay with the essence?
In my own magical work, I’ve typically taken a minimalistic approach to my magic and spirit work operations. I have sometimes added some effects because I recognized that those effects would enhance the overall work, but even with the inclusion of those effects the question I always ask is: Does this help me connect with the magic/spirit more effectively? This is the question that any magician ought to ask themselves in order to best understand how magic can work.
What helps me get to the essence of the work? Is the form a distraction or does it actually help me truly connect with what I want to work with? These are additional questions that are useful to ask. I personally would never take the approach that Lisiewski takes, which is grimoire based because I find that form distracts from the essence. My form, developed and personalized to help me with both magical and spiritual work allows me to connect with the essence of the work I am doing…but Lisieswki would have similar issues, in no small part because of his adherence to his own system of magic and the limitations he operates in.
A given system of magic has its specific rules and limitations. If we recognize this we can see past the form to the essence and focus on working with the essence to help us achieve the ideal form we planned for. We naturally want to attend to the details of a magical working but part of attending to those details is taking the time to understand how the form magic takes actually allows us to connect with the essence and what that means as a result of the work we do.
When it can be useful to go old school with your magic work
Way back, when I first started practicing magic I used to have a sword, an athame, a rod, a chalice, and candles and incense, and other various tools that people typically use with magical work. Over the years I drifted away from using such tools, taking a minimalistic approach to my magical work, or coming up with my own tools, based on unique needs I had. However of late I’ve been going back to an old school with my magical work and I’m finding it to be refreshing to do, because its like coming back to an old friend you haven’t seen in a while and picking the relationship right back up.
How to apply tension-resolution systems to magic
In the book Creating (Affiliate link) the author shares an exercise where throughout the day of a workshop he and his partner randomly pour 7 glasses of water, but don’t explain why they are doing it to the workshop attendees. At the end of the day they ask the attendees to tell them why they are doing this activity and various people share their theories as to why. In the end, it turns out the teachers were doing this activity to illustrate the principle of tension-resolution.
What is the principle of tension-resolution?
It is this: Where there is tension, people will naturally seek to find a resolution for that tension. The author points out that often what is accomplished is NOT a resolution, because people attempt to resolve tension out of a need to control that tension, without fully considering where that need is coming from. It’s a useful lesson that demonstrates the limitations of what we know and control, because it also reveals that in making the choice to act upon tension, we may end up speculating and trying to fill in the gaps instead of being truly open and curious.
A generative approach to results
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the process of magic and specifically how to develop an awareness of the organic nature of magical work. If tis sounds odd to you, its perhaps because for the most part, magic is not considered to be an organic process, so much as a designed process that in both a practical and spiritual sense is used to achieve specific outcome or results.
“So why Taylor, are you taking a different angle to magical work? What do you even mean when you talk about the organic nature of magical work?”
Why doesn't Magic always work?
Sometimes you do a magical working and the magic doesn’t seem to work. Why? You’ve gotten all the required resources, done all the steps, but despite doing all of that work the result you wanted didn’t manifest. I share some thoughts on why magic doesn’t always seem to work as well as how to troubleshoot your magical work.
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When to use short term or long term magic workings
When I think about applying practical magic to my life to effect change and get results, there’s usually two purposes that such workings are applied to. The first purpose is to solve a problem that has come up in your life. You need a solution, and magic is a means of obtaining that solution and resolving the problem. The second purpose is that you’re trying to design your life and you’ve decided to apply magic to that life design in order to help you achieve it. I also consider this to be short term vs. long term magical workings.
Goals vs Experiential Data in Magical Workings
Have you ever done a magical working and had experiences that went counter to the established goals and progress you were going for in that working?
Today I explain why its important to pay attention to the experiential data and how that data is different from the goals we might establish in magical working. I also discuss how that data can still be used to help us meet our goals in our magical workings.
How to let go of expectations around results
I explore how to recognize and let go of expectations around results and how to be present with the actual transformations and changes that occur with your magical work.
Small actions lead to big changes
I discuss the principle small actions lead to big changes and how it can be applied to magic
Failure, Success, and Magic
I answer a tough but reasonable question about magic, success and failure and describe how magic is expediting my freedom, but why magic is also only part of the solution.
How to use magic to apply pressure to situations and resolve them in your favor
I discuss how to apply magic to situations to resolve them in your favor and what variables you want to consider applying pressure to, in order to get results.
The Magic of Writing part 2
Part 2 of the magic of writing explores the practice of writing magic with a couple exercises.
Why magic for your self isn't always effective
I was asked by someone why magic he was doing for himself was less effective. He told me that that until recently the magic done for himself had worked fine, but that then suddenly became less effective. He wondered if it was because he had put a shield up or if the magic was less effective because it as an attempt to avoid self sabotage. Finally he asked what could be done when your magic seemed less effective.
I don't know the specifics of what he was trying to do with his magical work, but some thoughts did come to mind, based on my own experiences and helping other people diagnose issues they are having with their magical practice. I find that when a person isn't getting a result or their magic is less effective, its usually because they are self-sabotaging in some way. They may not really want what they think they want. Or they may not feel they are worthy of what they want. Additionally there may be some internal resistance because what they want goes against some moral or ethical code.
How I became a Practical Magic Minimalist...
At one time, whenever I would do a practical magic working, I had to break out the bling...
You know the fancy tools, the smelly incense and candles, and all the other stuff we're told we need to have in order to do practical magic (and other types of magic for that matter).
And don't get me wrong, those fancy tools, incenses, and candles could be a lot of fun to use. They can really set the tone of a ritual, create an atmosphere and experience that whisks you from mundane reality and opens you to the sacred mysteries of the universe.
But as I continued doing practical magic, I began to wonder if there was an easier, better way of doing practical magic, without all the bling and other stuff.
And as it turned out, there was.
Further commentary on practical magic
I recently posted about the reluctance to do magic for yourself. I got some responses which made me do some thinking and this post is a culmination of those thoughts. One of the responses was that the person was concerned about the possible harm that could occur. She needed to be absolutely sure she wouldn't harm someone if she chose to do magic for herself. Another response was the concern that doing magic to get a particular result might cause the person to miss out on a better opportunity. It was better to let the universe bring whatever opportunities would come her way.
These are valid comments to make. But at the same time I wonder if perhaps they create too much hesitation. If we wait for opportunity to come knocking, if we hold back from doing something because of potential consequences, what are we letting slip through our fingers? Practical magical involves making practical choices and taking risks. It recognizes that if you really want something and you think magic is necessary you do what it takes to make it happen.
I'll admit I'm not the most ethical magician out there. I figure if I'm doing magic for a practical result it may be a result that only favors me. While it may not harm someone in an obvious way, there's a chance it could still have an effect. For example if I do magic to get a job, and I get the job I have used magic in my favor and harmed all the other people applying for that job. It's not intentional harm per se, but it could be considered harm. I recognize that and if I choose to do magic I have to evaluate if choosing to do magic to provide a favorable outcome is really worth doing.
And its true that if you use magic to achieve a specific outcome that you could miss out on other opportunities. However it's also possible to set yourself up with the opportunities you really want. For example, I created an entity that specifically looks for opportunities and notifies me of them. I don't miss out on the opportunities because I am made aware of them.
With practical magic there is always some risk involved. But the same is true with living life. Even if you don't do magic when applying for a job, the very act of applying for the job and going to an interview and getting that job could still be considered harmful to the people applying for the job. We can choose to paralyze ourselves out of fear that something could happen, or we can take a risk and do it and deal with the consequences as they come up.
As someone who has done and continues to do a fair amount of practical magic I'm comfortable with doing it for the purposes of achieving a specific result. I recognize I could be closing one door, while opening another, but that's why I'm doing magic. I want to achieve a specific result. I know there are consequences, but there are always consequences when you take action. Life always has a risk attached to it. But if you want something then you have to decide what that really means. Practical magic is about shaping your life in a direction that is favorable to you. This doesn't mean you discount others, but it does mean you evaluate what is needed to help you achieve your desired outcome and then you do it.
Two purposes for utilizing magic
"Magick is by one definition, if you will, the science of making things happen according to your desires in order to maximize control over one's life and immediate environment to create a universe that is perfecting in its kindness to you" - Genesis P-orridge
The definition I've used above is a good one for describing one of the purposes that magic is used for. Indeed its fair to say that its descriptive of how most magicians approach magic. But it's not the only purpose. What should be clear however is that magic is a process of turning possibilities into reality, when this kind of definition is used. This kind of definition focuses on thaumaturgical or practical magic. The purpose of this kind of magic is to create practical solutions for a person's life, or to create a universe that is perfecting in its kindness towards you. How this occurs is through turning possibilities into reality, but to do that, there also needs to be an awareness as to how likely a possibility could become reality. The more likely a possibility can become reality, the easier it is to manifest that possibility through magic. The more unlikely, the more energy required. Thus one of the reasons the wise magician marries mundane efforts to magical efforts to realize a practical goal. For example, if you want to use magic to find a job, you still have to go out and fill out applications, submit resumes, and get interviewed. The magic doesn't work in the absence of those activities. It enhances those activities and more specifically the favorable and desired outcome that results due to doing those activities. It's stacking the odds in your favor. If you don't do the mundane activities, it becomes harder to manifest the desired possibility. Many people, when realizing that magic works this way, seem surprised because they have believed in magic as a kind of wave of the wand and everything appears. The reality is that magic is a process that interfaces with other processes. When you utilize magic you are accessing possibilities and discovering what it will take not only magically, but alos mundanely to make it all happen.
Turning possibility into reality involves clearly understanding what the desired result is, as well as understanding how it will apply to your life. In my previous post I mentioned that many people take a reactive approach to utilizing practical magic, which means they'll employ it when they need to solve a problem. The proactive approach involves utilizing magic to make your life easier, but this also means doing a fair amount of internal work to understand and work with your issues. I think its fair to say that there will always be some reactive use to magic, but if a magician can make the practical work be more proactive, s/he will find it much easier to manifest and keep desired results.
There is also theurgical magic, magic done for spiritual work. This type of magic differs from practical magic because the focus is not on obtaining practical results, but instead is focused on spiritual communion and the evolution of the magician. Theurgical work involves the attunement of the magician to spiritual energies and forces. It can also involve doing work for your community or environment that isn't necessarily for the benefit of yourself (as occurs in practical magic), but instead is part of the mission of your theurgical work. A fair amount of theurgical work is also internal work, in the sense that the magician needs to understand him/herself well enough to not sabotage the theurgical work s/he is doing. Know thyself magician is a fundamental understanding of the necessity of self-awareness as it applies to the spiritual evolution of the magician and his/her spiritual mission.
Practical and spiritual magic can and do sometimes blend together, but in general I'd say they tend to be different focuses and paths. I'm more of a practical magician, with the majority of my work and experiments focused on obtaining results, but there is some work that is more theurgical in nature. Both purposes are equally valid forms of magical practice. Magic is less about the fantastic and much more about living life on your own terms. When you realize this, you also realize that living life on your terms is actually quite fantastic, not only in terms of joy, but also the recognition that many people do not live life on their own terms.
Book Review: The Psychick Bible by Genesis P-orridge
In this book you'll find a collection of TOPY essays including the Grey Book and other materials not previously published publicly, as well several previously published essays that are fascinating in terms of the biographical information provided, and also a one-sided perspective on Genesis and TOPY's falling out. I enjoyed reading this book a lot, and found the various texts to be informative and useful as it applies to my own magical work, especially as applied to the cut-up methodology and its application to magical work. It was also fascinating to learn more about the history of TOPY, albeit through a filtered perspective. I also enjoyed the essays on pandrogeny. I consider this a historical text that any magician, particularly those in chaos magic, might want to pick up. It demonstrates as well some of the issues that can arise in any magical organization.
Why I'm taking the Strategic Sorcery course
Last night I signed up for Jason Miller's Strategic Sorcery course. I've heard about his course for a while and I've seen a few cases where its clear people applied the work to their lives and made some changes. Now you might wonder, "Taylor you are making changes to your life with magic, and you've developed a variety of practical systems that work. Why are you taking the class?" You're absolutely correct. I have developed a few different systems, detailed in my own books and my approach to magic is practical and I regularly get measurable results. But just because I've done all that doesn't mean I've stopped learning. One of the primary reasons I write books is to educate myself about what I'm writing about. The process of writing and developing the magical practices is how I learn about something that interests. But as I write about in my Holistic Business Coaching blog, I'm also a firm believer in learning from other people. For the most part, with my magical practice, I've self-educated myself, and my prior experiences with mentors is one I don't care to try and repeat, but taking a class is different. It's purposely set up to provide guidance, but also freedom to learn, without necessarily having someone try and constrict your creativity. At least that's my feeling on classes. So I figure taking this class is a good opportunity to learn from someone else, improve my skills further, and become a better magician.
When you rest on your laurels is when you stagnate. Challenging yourself to grow is an integral part of living life and improving your craft. I do it with my business coaching, and I do it with my magical practice.
I have another reason I'm taking this class. I'm in the process of developing my own course work for magicians. It focuses on the process of magic. I have no idea how to set it up though. I don't want to copy Jason, but I want to get a sense of how someone creates and sets up a class. So it's a case of not just learning magic from someone, but also learning a bit about how they do business. If you want to be good at something, then learn from someone who is already doing it.
Use what you got
Use what you got. That's one of my mantras when it comes to magical work, and what it means is use everything at your disposal that helps you accomplish your goal. If you feel fear or worry about a situation where you need a result, then use that worry and fear to push for the result. Don't suppress it, or try and clear it away. That will make those emotions stronger and will also tell reality you don't want the result. Make it part of your process, part of the equation that helps you accomplish your goal. Make those emotions your friends, helping you achieve your result, bringing you success because you've used them to write large the possibility that will be the new reality, the new you. Use what you got, because what you have is always a resource. It only becomes a problem if you make it a problem. Knowing how to take your unease and make it your ally is really about learning how to hold on to yourself in the face of resistance and discover what it is you truly value and desire. In knowing that you can make informed choices, and practice magic that is effective because everything you have is turned toward making it work.
Use what you got, because it is what you have...Use all the discord, every thought, every emotion, every fear, worry, and whisper...make it your own, make it your success.
Book Review: Advanced Magick for Beginners (affiliate link) by Alan Chapman
As I read this book, what I found myself thinking was that while I found the exercises useful and some of the author's points salient to what he was trying to teach, there was also an odd mixture of push button magic (we don't need to know how it works) and traditional perspectives, which actually in a way fits, but also reveals what I'd consider problematic about this book. There's a tendency to stick with tried and true in occultism and this book fits that tendency. The decrying of asking how magic works fits with the traditional perspectives the author takes toward evocation and other practices and ironically defeats his criticisms of occult culture, because he ends up embodying what he is critiquing.
Is it a good book? I'd say there is some useful information here, and that an occultist will benefit from exploring the ideas. At the same time, what would be the most useful exercise for this book (and really any other book in general) is to question everything the author says, and also don't buy the push button, we don't need to know how it works model. If we don't need to know why it works, why write a book on the subject?
Quality and magic
If we consider that quality is a tool of measurement and apply that to magical work, then the question arises as to how the quality of life is improved by magic. This video discusses that question: