Dear Teachers,
The following statements and questions have been put to you by C.W. in reply to some of your instruction. For the sake of those reading I have kept your writing in standard type, and the questions are those in italic.
Quote from Tradition:
"Ceremony, performed in earnesty, works magic, undeniable magic which calls upon devic forces - not the angelic, as is misunderstood. It is from the elemental influences, upon which we are so closely bound together with, that answers to the ceremonies of men."
Comment by C.W.:
I'm not sure what you mean by "devic forces". I've worked with elemental forces and angelic forces - they are decidedly different. I've had to deal with demonic forces which I discern as being more akin to angelic than elemental. Granted, most ceremonial magic, a la Golden Dawn, speaks to angelic forces but essentially deals with elemental. Therein may lie the source of confusion. Certainly the Pagan and most Gnostic ceremonies I've seen, can only grasp at elemental, if even that.
Quote from Tradition:
"Men cannot, through ritualistic means, command those who are from comparatively higher realms. Such contact is not possible, and contradictory. Men may beseech and plead those from higher spheres, but never can conjure, or create manifestive appearances."
Question by C.W.:
But just what is a "higher realm"? Are we speaking of closer proximity spiritually to God? Expanded consciousness? Higher tax bracket? The demons have a far greater consciousness than most, if not all, men yet are spiritually very far from the Divine. So, consciousness of itself means nothing. If we are talking about closeness to the Divine, then I argue that man has the potential to reach far above the levels of angels, archangels, powers, thrones and dominions. Contact along the way is not only possible but our divinely given right. The unique construct of man is that he is made "in the image and likeness of God" but through Original Sin falls to a starting point in Malkuth. As Hebrews[2:7-8] tells us:
"You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, subjecting all things under their feet." Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control."
Hebrews goes on to remind us that before Christ we were limited to the earth (and by implication elemental forces) but through Jesus Christ we gain salvation and, more importantly in this regard, are brothers with Him.
Again citing Hebrews[1:14]:
"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?"
The angels are like royal servants who have charge over the little princes and princesses. At first the royal children are under the control/ protection/ ministering of these servants but later come into parity.
Eventually the royal children "come into their own" and rule over these faithful servants. So it is with us and our divine royalty. Many do not realize their full potential, some harden their hearts against it and ignore or reject the price that was paid for them.
There is much more to this but I defer those interested in their divine heritage to review Paul's letter to the Hebrews and rejoice!
Quote from Tradition:
"And there are realms to be respected of elemental origin, but also those too, who for reason of design, are best left without overly much attention.
Even the primal beings which are so incorporated within the air (wind), the fire, the earth, are as such, cosmic brothers, who are quick to respond.
Tradition is sympathetic, and seeks to re-establish relations with such forces that abound. The close connection between man and his elemental sphere is indisputable. . ."
Comments from C.W.:
I have to disagree here. The elementals are not so much our cosmic brothers as they are our servants. The children of paupers and kings may play together as equals unknowingly but their parents know who is who and one day so will the children. The more likely analogy I find is that elemental forces, like other forces of nature are powerful and deadly at times but can be harnessed to bend to man's will. This is not done without regard and respect for the power of these forces. Many people have lost their lives underestimating such forces.
Connection, harmony, and relations with elemental forces, even rulership over them is fascinating to be sure. It is a spiritual aspect modern man has lost touch with. But too often I find people chasing down this side path after some spiritual bauble losing sight of the True path that leads one into full realization of their divine heritage.
The Brother's reply:
Good Evening,
In speaking of Paul we can recall those famous lines:
"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."
May the royal children consolidate their knowledge, grow fit for their inheritance, and secure their discernments in Christ, within His Charity! May we become as true Men, worthy of such entitlement.
Whilst it is both marvellous and true to say that Man (unlike the other Kingdoms without) holds keys to every realm potentially - in both being and experience, in substance (the passport in), in capability of ego comprehension - Man has also a qualifying reasoning that can and shall bring him closer to Christ.
Divinity impinges upon us everywhere. We are saturate in regality, yet not forsworn to any one conclusion as yet. And as Paul commits [1 Corinthians 13], we may have prophetic powers, we may have a knowledge all wise, but without charity we are still nothing.
Charity in the material sense usually is afforded to those who have less and are without. An act of charity is perceived as a kindness, when also there becomes an implication that the charitable are in the 'envious' position of having more than whom they are attending their graces to.
How so, one may ask, when it comes to that of the Heavens; given that there is a constant replenishment and never a need such is known here in physical existence. What does it mean to have a charity of spirit so developed that our disposition is one of humility, nay gratitude - and never presumptuous in the context of the lesser living to serve us as we are but entitled?
Within soul as well as ego, we go on to develop such dispositions of attitude which address the cosmological deities with either a regard or an arrogance, depending upon our royal manners so acquired. It is essential to the wellbeing of any individual that good manners are adopted early on within their development, so that in future being their natural inclinations are so worked upon that they are strong within this true ennoblement.
When we revere Creation, we rejoice and revere our Father God. When we insult another being with an untoward behaviour we insult also their Creator. If we are greedy for our own concerns to the detriment of theirs, if we are abusive in our conceptualisation and haughty in our opinion of ourselves; if we are so established in our conceit as to believe that we are above any one condition we perceive to be lesser than that of our own, then we do solemnly call upon the very karma that will answer us otherwise. For thereby are we expressing a need for further experience; for that of an empathy, so needed.
Rulership is a crock when the 'servants' are unruly demons! Picture it if you will - we have seen such mayhem, and it is not one any man would be choosing - to be as monkey-king! Let us go to the questions now, in order.
Firstly: "I am not sure what you mean by devic forces".
Ah! There is something here to mention, which is for the most part left undiscussed, perhaps even unheard, and that is this: in ceremonial magic, all ceremonial magic, the forces implied come in deficit out from a man. Whether they are by nature and influence drawn from an elemental or its higher form, understand that it comes in the vitality taken out from a man.
For this reason the dark path has always endeavored to employ enspirited bodies to sacrifice - and beings who feed from such activity require humans to perform their ritualistic milkings through fleshly representation - for it is through men that these vital substances are seeped and bled. This is a very important consideration when the full reality of the cost involved is weighed, because the expenditure is not, in any circumstance, redeemable.
Our connections with other related beings (angel, elemental and demon) are inextricably mingled. We have a co-dependency with evolutionary developments and very personal relationships with representations of all of the above. If by will or by another's magic we work to suck the powers out from one of these beings, we do not achieve this directly but rather through that of our own. It shall be our devic essences, our elemental powers, our demonic utterances that will be made manifest.
This shall probably be in accordance with the reckoning of a man who perceives all men to be central to the universal plan anyhow. We have always regarded Man to be the appellagram to which all appendage ... so think also of the responsibility given to him, for each and every one, depending on, trusting, in a hard won future merit.
We have had the abilities to disengage ourselves from many cooperatives and have done so in the past ... however, all parts and particles (alike to the dust from the Moon) return. We are answerable for all.
Question 2- "But just what is a 'higher realm'?"
How does one effectively command another who is more capable than thyself to do thy will? It is a contradiction before we start. A higher realm is a term given relatively to demonstrate "that which is beyond the immediate reach" of the lower. Through prayer a man is elevated all the way up to Father God, but yet his position when it comes to willfully petitioning is as it was, no higher than before. That is how it goes.
To suggest that demons have a far greater consciousness than most men is demonic in perspective. They might have you believe it, but it is worth questioning all the same! They hold a limited perspective and because they are without egos, they are without self-consciousness, self-knowledge and self-reflection. They are incapable of empathetic reasonings, therefore cannot interpret with a consciousness the life and beings around them. They have neither compassion nor self-sacrifice embossed in their psyche. What they do have is a hunger, a cleverness, a dependence on Man, and access to intelligence which sits in the thought-world in attendance to the minds at large. Such intelligence, though used and demonstrated, is not individually comprehended with distinction.
Yes, as co-creators alongside our Christ, we do hold the power to override the repetitions of the past (angelic influence) and co-script the futures. However, in the spiritual worlds we needs be heirs apparent - our worth and worthiness is evident (is quite apparent by that which we have made of ourselves). Not by claim alone, but by Christ-likeness shall we become so adept.
The primal beings as described in the text of question were meant, as our cosmic brothers, in the literal meaning, not just with a loose generosity. Whilst we encourage a charitable consideration to be given to all of the associated kingdoms, the issue here is of those individual souls who remain with the world, but are kept from the physical existence - never incarnating, never dying also, manifesting in the etheric world as beings in kind from a long ago time.
When the gates closed to the worldly intake, there were as many men held back as there were those who went forth. Nature holds reserves everywhere. Innocence of a kind ensures a continuation - although in this instance we have parallel evolutions occurring also.
Admittedly our difficulty here lies in the word 'elemental' insofar as it is used with many differing applications. It does of course, actually mean 'a being of the nature', which can be an astral thought-form, an etheric deva, a spirit of the ethers, of the fire, of the water, of the earth (or their lower counterparts), into the 'higher' spheres, and so forth.
Though the fiery action of the Divine Will and all lesser wills that pursue their course, is awesome in its glory, will lives in obeisance to Love first and foremostly. Therefore the true path to empowerment lies not in the contentions of will and in privilege, but rather in he who loves best loves most. If this is considered a 'side path ' to some, then they must ask which path indeed, they are then on.
'Spiritual baubles'? It takes real balls to love well!
Amen!
- B.Hive
Imagine certain secret societies carrying on a form of ceremonial magic directed towards its grey or black aspects. Imagine they influence their members in a way that affects even their physical body, even the delicate vibrations and weavings of their physical body, so that something spiritual flows into this physical body.
What is the consequence? The consequence is that something now comes about which was suitable in earlier periods of human evolution but is no longer permissible today. Such procedures make it possible for the spiritual world to influence those human beings who participate, even though they do not turn towards it along the path I have described. This means that it becomes possible for the dead, as well as other spirits, to influence the members of a circle created by ceremonial magic. In this way today's materialism can be made hypermaterialistic.
*****
This is that the more a person gains by way of materialistic immortality, or rather ahrimanic immortality, the more he loses of the consciousness of true, genuine immortality. Yet materialism has taken such a hold on many souls today that they remain unconcerned about this and are tricked into striving for ahrimanic immortality. It could indeed be said that societies exist today which, from a spiritual or occult point of view, could be called 'insurance companies for ahrimanic immortality'!-Rudolf Steiner
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