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(Number 367)
Other Views (just food for thought)
Having written lately all about differing types of magick, especially
the basic `models of magick' that can be said to exist at the present
time, whether ancient in origin, or adapted, new and/or evolving
still. In that particular posting I wrote about Spirits and Forces
that exist in Otherworlds and the magick that connect these latent
forces and ourselves, by venturing bravely into these
other `supernatural' realms and by being assertively receptive once
in them, in this mystical two-way action.
Having given a viewpoint from one extreme, I felt that perhaps I can
also give an alternative opinion to this concept, perhaps more
scientific for those members who are perhaps more prone to that
viewpoint – just out of pure interest – if I could. This posting is
also somewhat in answer to one of our members, Faesolated, who has
been struggling with such concepts and whether there is actually
another viewpoint that involves a more scientific viewpoint,
utilizing our mind, (whatever that is in reality).
Well, to tell you the truth, that was a tall order and leans towards
the more modern occult philosophies, such as Chaos magick. Actually,
now I've said this; that may not be a correct assessment, for Chaos
magick doesn't give a damn whether there are Spirits, Otherworld
beings or not, because they can form them of their own volition, if
and when wanted.
Therefore, I needed to cross and mix it all together to even get to a
starting point, never mind the bottom of it, and once again, like my
last posting, try to form a base-line, or foundation on which one can
build by continuing research on one's own. With that in mind, we
have to look a little more at the occult in general perhaps and from
whence it came and what revivals are occurring right now in this
scientific age, to give credence to an alternative viewpoint.
So, with that as the starting point, I will give it my best shot and
throw this out to you all and wait for reactions to it, as I guess it
might be rather radical in its overall view point. Even though I
write these words, it certainly doesn't necessarily mirror my own
exact viewpoints or beliefs, (whatever they are - knowing that I'm
always open minded, and change accordingly as I continually develop,
finding my own magick and spirituality greatly enhancing as time
moves on).
So this posting is written with an open-mind, simply writing the new,
and I must say interesting and exciting theories, that have over the
recent years being researched and published. I've tried to write it
as concisely as I can, ensuring that I've covered the overall subject
but summarize it here in a way that I think everyone can understand
and follow. It is after all another viewpoint for you all to
consider, which might, or might not, mix into our increasingly
evolving tangled matrix of woven webs, if you will.
The first time I heard of these new (revolutionary) theories a few
years ago I became more and more interested (and excited I suppose)
and it did clear up certain "holes" in my own viewpoints and practice
to which I've adapted, borrowed or totoally disregarded what was
necessary to my own development. This is in effect a revival of the
times of sorts that broadens our spectrum and understanding that has
never been and really cannot ever be verbalized or comprehended by
intellectual means. There's just too much unknown `out there" and is
totally incomprehensible to our minds.
I believe that any `occult' revivals occur when the social, economic
or intellectual status quo is disturbed by the unexpected. Take for
example the affluence combined with the collapse of the Roman state
religion causing one revival. The rediscovery of classical knowledge
in the Renaissance brought about another. Dissatisfaction with
Catholic hellfire Christianity spawned Spiritualism, Rosicrucianism,
Theosophy, the Golden Dawn and Crowley, among others. In our own
time; sudden radical scientific exposé, world wars, anti-semitism,
disproportionately rising affluence, drugs and a sudden influx to the
west of oriental ideas and religious awakenings spawned another
outburst, all of which we are still reeling, adapting, enlarging and
adjusting to.
Occult revivals are further stimulated by simple economics and by the
availability, rather than the creation, of still newer ideas and
information. Don't forget too, that Roman culture was subject to a
huge influx of ideas, cults and philosophies from conquered peoples
along a long time frame. Written material surviving from this
synthesis, once again appeared as hermetics in the Renaissance. The
revivals of the late nineteenth century and of course, the nineteen-
sixties owe much to the availability of "new" scientific ideas and
oriental philosophies all mixed and jumbled together. (Remember that
best selling book "The Tao of Physics"?)
Knowing this, it is probably more useful then, to look for impending
changes in the `general situation' rather than `within the occult'
itself if we want to second-guess the next revival. The period
between one revival and the next is ever shortening very rapidly and
we are probably due for another around the mid-century, give or take
a decade. I`d like to try and identify some of the factors then,
which may help shape it. Of course, they are only a `viewpoint'
don't forget!
Firstly the millennium has been and gone, (so quickly we barely had
time to understand what all the fuss was about). Christianity is
unfortunately not yet completely extinguished and humanity will have
to cope with another rising tide of apocalypse mania as the years go
on. In the US, there is yet still a Witch Hate Crusade going on and
beatings, killings and constant intimidation to Pagans of all types
and their innocent children is terrifyingly `real'.
We can see small pockets of these extremists everywhere in the
world. Right wing Christian fundamentalists, especially in America,
may even be in a good enough political position to inaugurate a real
Armageddon by then. The rising of terrorism hiding beneath the
robes of another religion is about to cause major and radical changes
in the world of tomorrow and I sincerely hope that whatever courage
and imagination there is in the occult groups of today, it is put to
good use in undermining and overcoming this sort of idiocy.
Economics has, of course, a powerful effect on the occult climate. A
fairly rapid increase in affluence will often provoke a revival as
more and more leisure time becomes available, together with freedom
of information and the ever growing huge amounts of information we
actually do have at hand in today's age, and with that, some minds
turn to higher thoughts and `things', especially spirituality.
Conversely, a decline in living conditions will also sometimes make
people seek what they have lost, or perhaps a substitute, and quite
possibly by occult means. Boom propelled revivals are usually much
more fun than slump propelled upsurges though. In any country in the
world now, (even Singapore), any increment in occultism arising at
the present time is the pure frustration of "what is out there now"
and the single minded and restrictive dogma constantly crammed down
out throats by present religions and beliefs.
More and more people are genuinely leaning toward the spirituality of
the Goddess and more especially Wicca I suppose, with its complete
freedom and inherent un-restrictiveness, mixed with a liberal dose of
trust and love. Of course, in saying all of this, I can't forget to
mention all the Harry Potter and the Charmed One's wannabes thronging
to the doors with immature longings and ideas of zapping whatever one
wishes out of thin air adding to throng. Sad but very true, I'm
afraid. However, some of these younger people (and certainly the
brighter ones) might realize the `true beauty' and `inherent
spirituality' of the Old Religion and be attracted to it for its own
worth, as if fate had carried them there to knock at the door of
Wicca. The rest will soon get bored and fly away on their magical
carpets and their next adventure.
However, at the present time, we are still living in the shadows of
the metaphysical fallout from the nineteen-sixties, which when mixed
with the younger spiritual seekers may yet carry us through to the
next major boom revival and these problems may not yet arise. This
is especially so, especially here in Singapore, as the veils of
austerity continue to fall away and more and more freedom of thought,
speech and religious belief is "tolerated".
It seems extremely unlikely that anthropology or archaeology nowadays
will be able to make fresh ideas available for cannibalization by the
occult in the next revival. Computerized libraries, satellite
photography and global communication systems leave very few stones
unturned now. There also seems little chance lost ancient mystical
manuscripts, magical tribes, or forgotten occult civilizations coming
to light either, so we are stuck with what we've got and a million
and one interpretations will continue to flourish, more sillier than
before probably.
So it is to science itself that I think we might, or perhaps should
in some sense, turn to for fresh ammunition? There are already
discernable strains of space and planet mysticism in quite a few
quarters of the occult. Of course this will still tag along with the
questions about the reality or otherwise, or supposed visits by
aliens, but should not distract us from recognizing that UFO-mania is
a mystico-religious phenomena in itself. Actually, the UFO-ologist
wants to personally receive wisdom for the whole of humanity from
some superhuman being and bring solace that we're not alone. But,
seeking angels in space suits is only to repeat humanity`s perennial
mistake though, pretending to look outside for what is really inside
ourselves in the main.
Meanwhile back at the ranch…..Quantum Physics has been quietly
undermining the whole basis of mechanistic cause and effect type
science for nearly sixty years now. I don't profess to know a lot
about such things, but maybe I can touch on the basics for anyone
interested and if I've got it wrong, I'm sure someone will correct
me. It has been said that if you are not `shocked' by the
implications of quantum physics, then you have not understood it and
I sincerely believe that! This may be perfectly true for the
scientist but for the magician, quantum physics actually does provide
somewhat of an elegant confirmation of many of his or her theories in
some extreme cases.
A `quantitative approach' to quantum physics is alas, very much
beyond me and all but the best mathematician though and I couldn't
possibly summarize any of it here. So many of the principles are
enshrined in equations for which we have very few verbal or visual
analogies. Because of this very fact, very few laymen or
philosophers for that matter have been able to appreciate what has
been going on and it's a shame.
But I'll try and at least explain a little of it now as succinctly as
I can. Briefly, in `qualitative terms', we now have `hard
experimental evidence' which strongly `implies' that physical
processes are, at root, `acausal'; (read that again; it's
revolutionary). In other words, they just happen out of themselves
and that consciousness, or at least the `decisions' of the observer,
can modify or control what happens.
This is still quite shocking when we really think about it! Secondly
it would seem that pure information can travel anywhere
instantaneously and perhaps persists indefinitely, providing there is
some sort of affinity, or magical link as we would call it, between
that which emits and that which receives. Very few liberties need to
be taken with quantum physics to fit in virtually the whole of
parapsychology in fact. It now remains to be seen if quantum physics
can be presented in a sufficiently accessible form to provoke another
occult revival perhaps.
A quantum-based revival would alas effectively demolish the Spirit
hypothesis however and that's why I reemphasize that I'm only giving
possibilities here and not my own beliefs or leanings. A "Spirit" in
this model would have to be recognized as nothing more than the
information that a phenomenon emitted about itself when it existed
physically. Anything else would have to be put down to the creativity
of the observer`s subconsciousness.
Thus the "tree-ness" of a tree, or the quality of a thought, is just
an extension of the object itself on the plane of non-local
information. If you talk to Egyptian gods, your subconsciousness is,
at best, simply animating the general personality characteristics of
the gods projected by their worshippers millennia ago. Spirits in
this model of thinking cannot therefore, be gaseous vertebrates with
powers of independent discursive thought.
On the practical level, quantum physics implies that the medium of
magick is not some sort of nebulous psychic energy or force; it is
simply a transfer of information. Magical healing or attack is
accordingly accomplished by long-range telepathic suggestion and not
by astral bandages or thunderbolts. The `quantum paradigm' forces a
re-examination of reincarnation then, for there is no reason why
anybody should not be able to tap into the memories of any historical
person. Conversely, we could also all look forward to fragments of
our ideas and personalities manifesting in other people in the future.
Telekinesis and related phenomena would be accommodated within
the `quantum paradigm' if we allow `intent' to expand upon the small
degree of `fundamental uncertainty', or more
properly `indeterminacy', in the position and momentum of any
object. Prophecy is always the most doubtful of the magical arts,
although short-term prediction or precognition can of course often be
impressive, so, in extension and going back to my last posting, we
can add one more model; the quantum model, which allows for this
factor, providing the operator later observes the `precognised' event.
Such "stuff" as astrology and homeopathy might begin to make more
sense then for some in a `quantum paradigm', which again might
suggest that expectation can have real effects via what one might
call a magical level. This is quite over and above the purely
psychological effects of expectation that materialists usually invoke
to explain away these things.
I`ve heard the `quantum occult paradigm' described as the Big Bang
Mysticism, and `Electro Gnosis', which is rather quaint, but apt in
its own way. I rather like this, for it implies that the universe
is being viewed as a self-created magickal organism and that magick
itself is a technology we can all potentially master, because it is a
part of the nature of `ordinary reality'. Follow that? Of course,
what is missing in this scheme are the pseudo certainties of belief
in Gods and Higher Powers, or even a benign `cosmic mind' like Carl
Jung proffered, and as a psychologist myself I guess I'm still Jung
at heart. Anyway, it throws us back on our own powers and
ingenuities so to speak, but isn`t this what the best occultism has
always been about anyway ?
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