Magickal symbolism
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I see now. Thanks for clearing that up!
But here's the risk involved as I see it then: brainwashing. First you study something that alters your subconscious - which you can't control - and consciously you appear to learn something valuable. Your mind might think it experiences positive practical results but that's only because you're brainwashed by something unknown and et voila! you're a full fledged magician, you think.
Can you tell me a little more about the fruits of the symbolism compared to rational analysis? -
Will Parfitt has a tiny little book that condenses all the basic information of the Qabalah in a very useful way. The book is called "Elements of The Qaballah"... This is the same basic book he has continually updated and expanded to what is now "The Complete Guide To The Kabballah." However, for my money, the original "Elements of The Qabalah" was perfect in itself. In a short span of time, one can get the overall picture of the basics without having to flip through a bunch of pages. I recommend both books, but for the beginner, I definitely recommend "Elements of The Qaballah" and once that's squared away, move on to "The Complete Guide To The Kabballah." Of course, Dion Fortune's "Mystical Qaballah" is a great book, but it is enough to scare people away, I think. I read it a long time ago and haven't re-read it since because it is just too dense. It puts me to sleep.
Regarding Cherubs, etc. a good book is Manly P. Hall's "Secret Teachings of All Ages." It has pretty much everything in there, but if you're going to get it, get the oversized color version. The black and white little version is like reading the dictionary, plus many of the images are gone.
Another couple good books are by David Allen Hulse called "Key of It All 1 & 2." One is "Western Mysteries," the other is "Eastern Mysteries." None of these reference books are terribly entertaining (the 3 I've just listed), but they will explain these concepts to you.
Levi's illustration of a Cherub might be helpful to look at:
altreligion.about.com/library/graphics/magick/cherubezekiel.jpg -
Yet more thanks for the tips! And that picture was in Transcendental Magic, but at my low level it doesn't say much.
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@Malaclypse said
"I see now. Thanks for clearing that up!
But here's the risk involved as I see it then: brainwashing. First you study something that alters your subconscious - which you can't control - and consciously you appear to learn something valuable. Your mind might think it experiences positive practical results but that's only because you're brainwashed by something unknown and et voila! you're a full fledged magician, you think.
Can you tell me a little more about the fruits of the symbolism compared to rational analysis?"Would you call learning to ride a bike or learning mathematics "brainwashing?" The symbols are used to represent ideas to yourself, the same way x and n are used in algebra. If you've ever learned to program in Flash, for instance, you know there are variables, functions and classes and, in order to learn how to use these, you need a really good book or teacher because it gets confusing. Now, imagine trying to explain parts of the soul. It's more than consciousness, it's spirituality. There are parts of our psychology that Psychology just can't express. How would you ever describe the Elements if not with Fire, Air, Earth and Water? Learning these concepts, did you feel "brainwashed?" These symbols are simply a way to describe ideas which are otherwise very hard to do!
The Kerubs are explained and listed here from a Crowleyan perspective (even better):
www.hermetic.com/osiris/onthepowersofthesphinx1.htm
When you get there, scroll to bottom of page where you will find the simple chart. This should already be clearing it up. Now, scroll back up and read the whole page linked above. -
@Malaclypse said
"But here's the risk involved as I see it then: brainwashing."
Adding to Fezz's comments...
Brainwashing generally involves a particular group of people deliberately tricking, disciplining, or conditioning someone to believe particular things. These symbols, however, have arisen over the last 2500 years or more amongst a large number of people. They don't have the coherance that I associate with brainwashing.
More importantly, thinking of how these symbols have affected me, they don't really change one's beliefs in any systematic way. Instead, they lead to very personal experiences and help to reveal hidden things within one's self. You don't internalize some symbol and then suddenly believe that God exists in a tripartite division or that Jesus will return to Earth and take you with him when he leaves again. I have seen magicians internalize the same sorts of symbols, but have radically different beliefs, even about how magic works.
Then again, maybe I'm part of a masonic conspiracy and I just want you to think it's safe.
At the risk of getting too personal, but while also not suggesting that anyone abandon skepticism... Perhaps you'd find it fruitful to examine the source of your anxiety over studying magic.
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One more thing...
Certainly internalizing these symbols and doing magic will change you - and probably in unanticipated ways outside of your direct conscious control. But I see that as exactly the point. I don't see any use in magic if it leaves you unchanged. Also, magic would seem pretty lame to me if I could already imagine and understand the potential changes in my consciousness such that I could consciously choose and direct those transformations in my self.
Does that get at your concerns?
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@Malaclypse said
"But here's the risk involved as I see it then: brainwashing. First you study something that alters your subconscious - which you can't control - and consciously you appear to learn something valuable. Your mind might think it experiences positive practical results but that's only because you're brainwashed by something unknown and et voila! you're a full fledged magician, you think."
As I occassionally tell students - tongue-in-cheek and totally serious at the same time! - yes, Temple of Thelema makes a point of controlling our students minds. However, since the Chiefs don't have time to do all of that controlling, we make the students control their own minds. This saves us all sorts of time and bother!
Seriously!
You are confusing UNconsciousness with SUBconsciousness. UNconsciousness is something of which you're not conscious. SUBconsciousness is a specific layer of your psyche. The fact that most people are UNconscious of what their SUBconscious mind is doing doesn't mean you should confuse the two. It is quite possible - easy, even, given enough practice - to be quite conscious of what SUBconsciousness is doing, how it is working, how it is responding. In fact, that's a very big part of all occult training. The key isn't to drag all of that stuff out into intellectual daylight, but rather to pursue it into the inner recesses of ourselves and make our new home in the more subtle layers of mind.
That's a basic characteristic of "a full-fledged magician"!
"Can you tell me a little more about the fruits of the symbolism compared to rational analysis?"
Neither the deep exploration of oneself, nor exploraiton of astral realms, nor connection to any nonrational, arational, or transrational aspects of consciousness can occur without making oneself at home in subconsciousness. That pretty much wipes out most of the Great Work!
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@sasha said
"Certainly internalizing these symbols and doing magic will change you - and probably in unanticipated ways outside of your direct conscious control. But I see that as exactly the point."
Yes. Exactly! If not, then (as you said)... why bother?
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Ah, thanks all of you! I see it all as good reasons to feel safe in a critical way.
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One of the books I first read regarding magick was by Bill Whitcomb called 'The Magician's Companion'. Then there is 'The Key of It All', though I haven't gone through that one in any depth, though it's right behind me at the moment.
Just a thought
Sean
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Ah, thanks! I'll look into it.