Ritual and Inspiration
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Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Would you consider it profane to perform a ritual simply to inspire oneself? I find it very curious that there are not more people who essentially approach it as performance art, especially in light of such persistent vitriol from pseudo-rational fundamentalists who insist on beating the dead horse that is the superstitious baggage of Magick's past.
Would you say there's anything wrong with simple reverent ceremony? I understand that for those of us more advanced in Qabalah and mystical methods, these things begin take on a deeper sophistication and perhaps more exploratory qualities. However, for beginners and those of us bringing these methods and practices to outsiders, I really think it could be helpful to present it first and foremost as an artform that has it's own merits simply by virtue of itself in order to bypass that old perception that this is all about money/love spell snake oil for desperate and delusional people.
Just some thoughts. Happy to hear your's. Cheers.
P. S. Sorry for the edits--I usually get a better look at things after I submit the post, and I just can't let any glaring grammatical errors or typos sit there once I spot 'em. <!-- s:L) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile-l.gif" alt=":L)" title="Smile-L" /><!-- s:L) -->
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Welcome back. Long time no see. (Thanks for the private note.)
@Zalthos said
"Would you consider it profane to perform a ritual simply to inspire oneself?"
No, of course not. In fact, that's probably the purest use of either magick or religion.
"Would you say there's anything wrong with simple reverent ceremony?"
Of course not. The question seems strange to me. I would think this would be the assumed default. I could better imagine the opposite question.
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I'd say those are the only reasons my current self engages in ritual.
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Most of the time I'm just forcing myself through it, though the occasional times when it does work make it well-worth the effort. Though it always works, in a way.
Nice avatar, Zalthos. I've been meaning to draw that in Illustrator. Meaning to!