Freitag, 26. Februar 2010

Finding Mentors, Teachers, Tutors

In a lot of books you will read that finding a teacher or mentor is essential or at least important or preferred when it comes to the studying of the occult. In a way this is obvious since even the most skilled person will have a better understanding when being guided while moving through unknown terrain. Some need more others need less guidance.

A mentor or teacher will help finding missing links needed for the connecting and understanding of different aspects of a given subject or principle.



The mentor will “guard” the student’s progress, lead him/her in other directions when the student gets stuck or needs to focus (more) on a different aspect of the work. Amongst other things, a mentor will provide for and bring the necessary balance – equilibrium into the students work and progress. Thus, the student does not get lost.

Today we have a lot of material out there. The internet makes it even easier to access any information you want. You will be able to find most of the stuff you need for your development, although not everything is published (yet). However in a way alone the amount of material out there is overwhelming and uncontrollable. What to read first, where should be the priorities? It made sense that in the olden times, a student would only have access to the material necessary for his current work/grade/state of development he was in. No distraction, unlike today where you will find reference on reference and jump from this to that. As much fun and entertaining as it is, and it surely also will provide for important valuable knowledge, this way of learning easily leads to a “superficial” knowledge of bits and pieces of everything and nothing without providing for the necessary deeper knowledge and understanding of the complex interactions and relations of all the various aspects and elements of the various subjects which are necessary for the successful development.

But: how to find a mentor? Of course, joining a group or order would be the easiest way. Most orders and groups will provide for a tutor, mentor, senior Frater/Soror, which will provide for guidance. If however one is unable to join such an order or group, then it really becomes difficult. A lot of capable Fratres and Sores out there already have their students from their groups and orders and would not necessarily have the time, capacity or will to add an “outsider”. That leaves the solitary student only with books and the various forums to be found throughout the internet. Specifically these forums are indeed a valuable source of assistance and guidance. The only problem is that, by asking a question you get many, you may get a variety of answers which do not have to comply. They may all be correct from different points of view, but then again this leaves it up to the student to prioritise etc. This can be a good way for growing understanding and is better than being totally alone but it still can cause distraction and maybe confusion. Having said that, a mentor is not supposed to take the student’s hand and pull him through the work spoon feeding him. Guidance is the keyword, not dominance. In that respect, the forums are a great tool of guidance for the solitary student. There still is a difference from having a personal tutor.

Having said that, I do not have a mentor/tutor/teacher. I am sucking from what I find on the net. I am reading the GD forums (not posting yet), I am reading the blogs, I am reading the material found in books or elsewhere on the net. I sometimes ask advanced Fratres and Sores I know and I also now and then answer questions in other forums, since this is a great way to straighten thoughts and often is leading to a complete different understanding of a subject. I still would like to have “my own” mentor….

Mittwoch, 17. Februar 2010

Lent

Lent started today. I am not Catholic or orthodox, so I am not forced to give up anything. However, a few years ago I started to give up some things like meat, alcohol, sweets for the following 40 days starting with ashes Wednesday. It is a good way for getting aware of all these little habits which secretly sneaked into everyday life and which, as habits, took over more or less great parts of it. The usual glass (or two) of wine with dinner, the usual meat, salami pizza or sandwich, afternoon and in-front-of-TV-chocolate, cake, chips, cookie etc. I do enjoy all of this but it is nice to realize that it is possible to have less – or none of this at all. To realize that there are other things besides that you could eat or drink. But that is just the obvious aspect.



It also has with a spiritual aspect. I have started this in a semi religious context without feeling being obliged since I do not really feel that anyone cares what I eat, drink, watch etc. However, I have to spend more time carefully thinking about alternatives. I have to open my eyes and maybe taste, to look out for what else is there, and if it is just in order to not getting bored with the same veggie stew and glass of water. On the spiritual level it should have the effect of being more aware of what is going on instead of living daily routine. As I mentioned before, I am having a difficult time keeping my ritual routine. However, adding this as an aspect of the growing (self) awareness, I will wrap lent into a spiritual exercise. And which time could be better than the time of the passion of Christ with it’s very peak, the sacrifice of God, followed by his resurrection. I assume that the will and persistence in increasing and focussing on ritual work during this very special time adds some spice to the rituals and their meaning to my life in a very special way. Suffering, sacrifice, death and resurrection, the eternal circle….



I believe that an increased self awareness together with an increased awareness of the mystery as it happens (Passion time) (so to say) will cause a very different kind of experience….

In expectation of the Light to come,
Arcad

Mittwoch, 10. Februar 2010

The Name of the Rose, or: You can call me Al

Every magician has a motto. In a way it is the magician’s business card and badge of authority. I also see it as one of the magicians tools amongst the other tools like the wand, dagger, pentacle, cup etc.

Now how important is a motto? The motto is not important at all and at the same time it is essential. I know, but let me explain. The motto represents change. By adopting a motto, the magician makes a statement that he now chooses another path in his life. Maybe you can say by choosing a motto he creates a new identity or a new reality, an additional one in which he is all Magus – separate from his mundane being. I would even say that it is not a separate reality but another level/plane of his reality – however you want to define reality in the first place. Like with the preparation for ritual, taking a ritual bath, putting on the gown, preparing the altar, the tools, the temple etc, the motto as the magicians name helps to create a mind shift for the performance of ritual. It also is good for self assurance to remind the magician on who he is and what his place and abilities are. If you would have a strong will and focus, together with the necessary knowledge and understanding, you would not necessarily need any of this. All these tools are just little helpers. However, most of us do not function like that and though we need these helpers to enter and live in the magician’s world. A friend of mine insists that only if he wears a suit at the office, he would be able to take his (solely in house) work as a lawyer serious. In my case, I could sit here in a clown’s costume and be as effective but I have to say when I go to court, wearing a suit, putting on my black gown (yes, we still do wear these), I feel better – different, maybe even stronger than in cases when I am appearing in court in jeans and without my gown. At the end of the day cloth make people. The same goes with a name, specifically if you get to choose it yourself. Now and then the magician will proclaim his name in ritual while calling upon entities and forces, showing his badge of power and authority. That way, the motto also is a name of power. In that very moment in a ritual, it expresses all the power and abilities and authority the magician has before the forces he is dealing with. So you better choose wisely in order to be taken seriously. Also the magician needs to fully understand his chosen motto or name or this name can never expand its function and authority in relation to the magician but also in relation to external entities and forces.

How to choose your magical name then? Some magicians have more than one motto or name (sometimes one as a secret name only revealed in ritual towards any entity they deal with while the other name is used for being addressed by others in the magician’s outer world. However, in most cases the magician has only one name/motto he uses at a time. This motto should reflect his current ambitions, aims, abilities and position in the universe as it is revealed to him through meditation, ritual or by other means (like dreams). As mentioned before, it is essential, that the magician has a full understanding of the meaning and significance of his chosen motto. Usually the magician would adopt other mottos throughout his growing through work and experience as magician’s understanding of the universe and his position therein will change. Also his aims and ambitions will change. Sometimes that happens sooner than later, sometimes it takes a while. As a member of an order progressing through the grades of outer and inner orders, the magician does not necessarily has to pick a new motto with each grade. Usually the magician would change his motto when either, throughout initiation or other ritual (or in any other way) a new motto is revealed to him or if he feels that the current motto does not fit any longer, does not represent his current state of mind, his current understanding of the universe and his position therein. In so far, there is a similarity to the magician’s individual pentacle, a tool which also will change with the magician’s growing experience and understanding.

In my case, my first motto was something that popped up in my head after trying to think about what would be a suitable motto. Although this motto perfectly fit me and my understanding at that time, after a while I was not sure whether this name may have been too “constructed”, or “wanted”. I guess that is the case with a lot of beginners since at that very first stage of the magician’s life, there is no real feeling or influence from the work and ritual and the understanding of the universe is like a little flame shining somewhere far away in a deep dark tunnel. So what to pick? Within our group we had the same or similar experiences when it comes to the picking of our mottos. Throughout practice things became clearer, the light shines brighter and you find yourself and your current position, you are suddenly becoming aware of your next aims (and your long term goals), and after a while, in my case throughout ritual and meditation, suddenly there are some letters manifesting before your eye or sounding in your head. Unclear first but they become clearer and clearer. Maybe that was the best visualisation I ever had, even without aiming for it.

How is a motto compiled? Mottos are traditionally consisting of names, words or phrases in an ancient language such as Latin, Greek or Hebrew. You should not get overly stressed by finding a nice phase or word in one of these languages. There is no rule and you can call yourself whatever you want in any language you want. If you see your aims and ambitions clear and have a meaning for and understanding of your motto, you do not necessarily need to find someone who can give you an accurate translation into Latin or Greek. Of course it adds a mystical momentum to the magicians name and thus fits into the whole set up of mystical ritual. However, sometimes people try too hard and end up with something which – correctly re-translated – sounds quite different from what they were aiming for. That way, your motto may rather confuse (or amuse) the entities you are going to work with. It is more important that your chosen name is clear in its meaning than that it sounds fancy.

Sometimes, a student gets his (first or new) motto by a mentor, teacher or other elder member of a group or order. It then reflects the student’s current abilities, maybe his way of working, a specific ability or something it reflects what the student needs to focus on or aim for.

For picking your own first motto, some advise. Think about what your next aim is. Think about which words would express this in the best – straight to the point - way. If you use several words, do not pay attention that the short version can be pronounced as a word or sounds groovy. Meditate, contemplate, perform some basic ritual and ask the divine powers to show you your name. Believe me, something will happen and if it feels right, adopt it. For your next motto, you will see, it works different. You will feel the need for a change. With the grown experience and feeling for the current of your work and the power of the energies you are working with, you will see that the word(s) or name(s) will come by themselves. Maybe while meditating, within a ritual within a dream….