I just left one of my online message groups today. I had joined because someone invited me there, and it was a Rosicrucian forum so it looked interesting. I've been reading about alchemy to get ready for this upcoming series of blog posts I'm noodling over, and I thought I might get some insight into some symbols or something.
Man, what a let down. A couple days into it, I had received about twenty or so posts about the nature of Will. Great topic, wonderful exchange of ideas and opinions and theories, and all that. These people were smart, witty, and nice.
But I'm so bored with that kind of talk. I mean, this is stuff that we went over in like metaphysical kindergarten. I'm at a point now where everyone is saying the same things I've already seen other people say before. Sometimes they've been said better, other times they've been said worse. It doesn't matter much to me, I'm bored either way.
I'm a little concerned. This is the stuff that I thought would be passionately interesting. I'm finding out that no one's got anything to say that Solomon didn't already say in Ecclesiastes. I used to think that if more people did magic, I'd have more to talk to about stuff. I'm finding out that isn't true.
Caring less and less about more and more. That's what seems to be happening as I continue in my work. I'm thinking I must be going through either a stagnation or putrification phase. If so, the solution to the problem would be steady and progressive addition of Mercury, Air, and whatever other alchemical symbols for that might be.
What gets me about all this is the damn time it takes. 30 weeks for the Stone, if you use lead and don't mind poisoning yourself and everyone you "project" onto later. Just "Putrification" can take 6-12 weeks. Dissolving faesces, recondensing, blah blah blah.
Oh well. Perdurabo, as they say. There's nothing more important to do with life, after all. The trick is to keep the heat steady.
Head for the Red: The ongoing adventures and insights of a magician's attempts to accomplish the Great Work.
Metaphysical kindergarten or no, there's some merit in hearing it all again from a different source. The problem with hearing over the internet is that the "different source" tends to be anonymous, devoid of inflection and generally forgettable.
ReplyDeleteI've withdrawn from most of the online occult groups I used to be a part of because of this. There are a few core ones - but I've been talking with them for years and occasionally they give me a good reality check on my daily Work.
Some of the newer ones that I converse with tend to show me something interesting on a semi-regular basis - even if it parallels my own Work. Such as "business self-improvement" tactics being brought to bear on the Illuminist strategy... ;)
Vive la difference, as they say...
Why is it a problem to realize you've absorbed what you can from public discourse? At some point, the low-end of magick becomes the mundane for those that do a lot of work. If you're a teacher, it is important to listen. If you're not, who cares?
ReplyDeleteDo your work. I don't see this as a major problem.
It's editing, or focusing or pruning deadwood-pick your metaphor, but removing what no longer works for you, allows the energy and attention to work better at what does work for you. I don't see it as a problem, either.
ReplyDeleteDood. If you are actually doing the work, which clearly you are, you are going to have less and less to talk about with the masses who mostly want to discuss magick that they read about.
ReplyDeleteWhy debate what the True Will is like when you can actually go out and find out yourself?