Sunday, February 8, 2009

Of Systems and Supremacy

Conversation this weekend between Frater R.O. and I spawned by the comments section of THIS post, has focused on the worth of various syetms eastern and western and what can be accessed by what. I could go on about the virtues of the completeness of the eastern systems. I think that those who have been involved seriously in eastern systems like Taoism, Vajrayana and so on have to admit that the west has nothing quite on par with them, outside of perhaps the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. I could also talk about the freedom and creativity that has its own worth in Western Magick, as well as the benfits of working with your own Geo-graphical and cultural framework. 

All that aside though there are really only two "systems" that I even remotely care about:

The first is the system that is the quintessence of magick, mystecism, and reality itself. It is beyond any culture and symbol set. It is reality itself in all of its fullness and layers of density from the most material and illusory appearance to the most sublime and ultimate akashic height. 

The second system in the one that the individual uses to eastablish connection with the first, and than uses to express it outwards to others as teachings and works. Make no mistake everyone has their own system. Even two people initiated into the same cult on the same day and do everythng the same have thier own system in the end. 

These are the only two real systems of magick. 

The others, be they GD, Vajrayana, Solomonic Magick, Hermetics, Chaos Magick, Toaism, Vodou, Voodoo, Thelema, Temple of Set, or even my own emerging system of Sorcery are all just convenient classifications. They are important distinctions for establishing the esoteric language that you are going to speak in and perhaps even the powers, principalities, and entities that you aree going to deal with primarily.  But choosing one over another or being concerned with whether one does the same as the other is just as pointless as worrying about whether Mississippi has as good Pizza as New York does or whether New York has ribs to rival Mississippi. 

These sub-systems that exist between the ultimate and individual expresessions of magick have different methods and in some cases different goals. It is up to the individual to decide which goals are important and than attain that Great Work. 

4 comments:

Persephone said...

Wow Jay, another awesome post!

Your blog is the first thing I check when I fire up the internet machine...

P

Rose Weaver said...

Excellent post, Jason. You seem to be saying that you consider free-flowing work which may combine tools from various systems, as well as intuitive tools one may design on their own, a system of it's own. The name of the resulting system of magic, if it has a name, is simply a label. Have I understood you correctly? I simply wish to ensure I've read you right. If so, I fully agree.

Jason Miller, said...

Yes, thats basically the gist of it.

Now, that is not to say that they are all equal or do the same things. No system exists in a bubble, and every system no matter how well laid out differs from person to person.

Rose Weaver said...

Once again, I agree. I don't believe any system is equal, nor can they accomplish the same things due to such differing structures, methods, symbol sets, etc. I'd say this is why it is wise not to specialize; learn as much as one can about various systems, incorporating what works.

Each individual will inevitably place their own spin on whatever system, or systems, they work within. I see it as creating a photograph in the darkroom; no two photographers will create the same print from the same negative.

This is what makes magic so wonderful. :)