I was recently lumped in with a group of "modern Solomonic magicians" who piss on the beliefs and practices of African Traditional Religions (ATRs). It rankled. Long-time readers of my blog know I am a staunch supporter of the techniques of the ATRs. The Spirit Pot I made for Bune is totally based on ATR tech. The things I learn from the spirits in terms of practical technique look a lot like the kinds of things ATR folk do. I'm not even opposed to occasional animal sacrifice or blood work for magic. I may never do it myself, but I'll go down in flames defending someone else's right to do so.
But the idea that I'm a "modern Solomonic magician" irritates me as much as the slanderous accusation that I would piss on the ATRs that validated so much of my early Work. I'm not a modern Solomonic magician at all! I'm a traditional conjure magician who happens to include some "Solomonic" stuff in my practice. My Work is based on Plato and the Persians. I'm continuing the traditions of the Picatrix, for Christ's sake.
I see "Solomonic" grimoires as repositories of information gathered and codified according to the standards of the day, primarily recorded by Renaissance Magicians. They're a branch of the Goetic Tree that has its roots deep in the Chthonic revelations of God to man that go back further than shamanism, or any other "ism" we have names for. Yes, I draw from them in my Work, but I also draw from the writings of Plato and Plotinus, the Greek Magical Papyri, the Corpus Hermeticum, and the records of Agrippa, who you'd be hard pressed to describe as a "Solomonic Magician."
Saying I'm a Solomonic Magician because I use "Solomonic" techniques is like saying I'm a Zoroastrian Flame Worshipper because I have Fire represented on my altar.
It would help if there were a word or phrase to describe what I am. "Hermetic Conjure Magician" is closer to being accurate, but it just sounds so lame. I really am a Goet, but Goetia's got too many connotations that focus on the physical aspects of that Work to be an accurate term for what I do. I'm a Priest of the Order of Melchizadek, but that's too esoteric for most people to understand, and with the term "priest" comes the idea of physical ordination and professional training that I have never received.
OK.. there's a question here when you are accused of "pising" on ATR is it like when a dog pisses on somthing...
ReplyDeletebasicly you are accused of trasspassing?
so the person that accused you pissed on it first and don't like the new scent?
I understand totaly and that is why I just like to call myself a magician.
ReplyDeleteGil, LOL!
ReplyDeleteNo, I wrote that and scheduled it to post yesterday before St. B. and I cleared the air. I'm writing a post now that will explain what happened, sort of. Basically, I used words that mean one thing to me, but something else to everyone else on the planet.
PS I like the new layout, much easier to read.
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem. People keep calling me a chaos magician. I respect a lot of chaos magicians, but I am much more traditional than that and I do believe in an ideal reality external to my own mind. Or, at least, sort of external -- it gets complicated, 'cause my own mind is part of the mind at large. But . . . yeah. Annoying labels.
ReplyDelete