Ave,
Fra Jack Faust has a new blog space, which is definitely worth checking out here. Also, check our Fra. Gordon's blog here. I think these fellows are great examples of where modern Magic is going, or should be going. Lots of deep thinking, lot's of practical work. I especially enjoy that Jack has studied Neoplatonism and Astrology--dude is setting a good example for the young'uns. If you don't know anything about the Neoplatonic/Hermetic world view, you have no business calling yourself a Magician. Sorcerer, maybe ...but definitely not Magician. And Heavens knows, not Wizard. You may not accept it, but you need to know of it, because that is where the roots of our Magic in the West lie. "Tech" is not enough.
On that note, if you are interested in learning this stuff the right way, check out Frater RO's new course. He's been up and down the Spheres (and has documented a good chunk of it), and that's the only kind of person qualified to teach. It's a great opportunity to learn from a dude who you know isn't talking out "the side of his neck", as my folk like to say.
Another great course to take, which I am currently taking and which feels like a graduate course in Hermetic Magic, is Christopher Warnock's course on Astrological Magic here. I'm currently taking the course, and can tell you from experience that it is challenging and worth every penny. I'll be sure to let ya'll know when I have graduated, and ascended in Glory to the august rank of Astrologicus Magos.
Because that just sounds cool....and this course is so challenging and thorough, so full of Practical work, that when finished it'll be more than a title, it'll be an accurate description!
In LVX,
AIT
Fra Jack Faust has a new blog space, which is definitely worth checking out here. Also, check our Fra. Gordon's blog here. I think these fellows are great examples of where modern Magic is going, or should be going. Lots of deep thinking, lot's of practical work. I especially enjoy that Jack has studied Neoplatonism and Astrology--dude is setting a good example for the young'uns. If you don't know anything about the Neoplatonic/Hermetic world view, you have no business calling yourself a Magician. Sorcerer, maybe ...but definitely not Magician. And Heavens knows, not Wizard. You may not accept it, but you need to know of it, because that is where the roots of our Magic in the West lie. "Tech" is not enough.
On that note, if you are interested in learning this stuff the right way, check out Frater RO's new course. He's been up and down the Spheres (and has documented a good chunk of it), and that's the only kind of person qualified to teach. It's a great opportunity to learn from a dude who you know isn't talking out "the side of his neck", as my folk like to say.
Another great course to take, which I am currently taking and which feels like a graduate course in Hermetic Magic, is Christopher Warnock's course on Astrological Magic here. I'm currently taking the course, and can tell you from experience that it is challenging and worth every penny. I'll be sure to let ya'll know when I have graduated, and ascended in Glory to the august rank of Astrologicus Magos.
Because that just sounds cool....and this course is so challenging and thorough, so full of Practical work, that when finished it'll be more than a title, it'll be an accurate description!
In LVX,
AIT
As an aside: studying Neoplatonism and liking it are two totally different things. I do my best to be well read and to understand what I'm presented with. But I'm pretty much the antithesis of a Neoplatonic magician. Unless I have to work Ceremonially. It happens sometimes!
ReplyDeleteAlso. Jesus, I suck. Thank you very much for giving me the thumb's up. It's much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteHahaha, nothing wrong with not liking it, you do what works for you bro--not knowing anything about it is a gap in education however, whether we use it or not. So, kudos remain!
ReplyDeleteHooray! I'm an example!
ReplyDelete... Wait a minute...
@Jack: Chaos Magic IS HERMETIC. Totally neo-platonic too. You just use different words for the same things.
ReplyDeleteI found an old blog post that was title Chaos Magic IS HERMETIC the other day. I should publish it. Needs work.
@RO: ... You know. I've had five witty responses so far, and they've all been deleted because I'd have to take the piss out of someone else for the punchline. Totally lame.
ReplyDeleteYou make a good point.
@Jack, lol, I've noticed it's getting harder and harder to take a piss these days. Thought I was just getting old. People are really sensitive. I dropped the Lem's Goetia, and people are downright offended, people who have been planning to do Goetia for years are angry at me for telling them it sucked when I did it. People who conjured their first Goetic spirit two weeks ago and haven't seen ANYTHING bad...
ReplyDeleteO shit, nevermind. I'm getting ranty. And bitchy.
So, yeah... I'm still looking forward to your cosmology/theology post.
Checking in on ya, haven't talked to you in a while. Glad to see you're still at it as always, I admire you.
ReplyDeleteYeah... I would almost do self degrading things to be able to take Warnock's Astrological Magick course. So jealous! I absolutely must, one day.
But, until then, I've still got RO's Green Work and later Red work to push through, which undoubtedly will come packed with enough sphere/life transforming stuff that I wouldn't be able to take on anything else for some time anyway. The White Work just about killed me. In a beautifully awesome way.
Thanks Fra Serpentis (Your motto is awesome, btw), good to hear from you!
ReplyDeleteWarnock's course has been excellent. It's his approach that makes it so effective; he begins with altering the modern world view so that it align with that of the old Wizards, and from there classical Astro-Magic makes Sense, is almost intuitive. I think that most of us (Magicians) these days work from a sort of modern/qabalistic hodgepodge, which makes approaching the old books--which are almost exclusively written from a neo-platonic worldview--more difficult, filled with cognitive dissonance.
I imagine Fra RO is doing much the same; he's been pushing the Neo-Platonism Awareness platform for a while.
I like reverting back to old thought insofar as I can integrate it into my perspective of modernity and see the timeless Wisdom unfold before my very eyes in different terms than it would have, say, 500 years ago. But, alas, "the more things change, the more things stay the same."
ReplyDeleteI chose the motto when I joined Griffin's GD last year. Though I am no longer an active participant, having committed to a path more resonant with myself, the motto stuck nonetheless. And thank you for the compliment.