From: Airmid Area: MagickNet To: Paton Wright 7 Oct 92 07:52:00 Subject: Re: Pagan Seminary UpdReq PW>TT>re: needing to graduate from a seminary to minister in the military.. PW>TT>maybe we could convince them to accept our pedigrees as legit? PW>TT>ie, if you can trace your lineage back to Gardner, you're ok? :-) PW> Yeh, and how easy would it be to just print one up? After all, PW>there aren't any "Official Lineage" forms with a Great Seal of Gerald, PW>are there? And I thought that was why some lines had the Infamous Nekked Priestess Pictures! OLX 2.1 TD Proofread carefully to see if you any words out. 718499927771849992777184999277718499927771849992777184999277718 From: Michael G. Area: MagickNet To: Michael G. 8 Oct 92 08:01:00 Subject: Setians and the Quaint Notion of Evil UpdReq It's been pointed out to me that LeVey isn't behind the Temple of Set and that my recent post was somewhat misinformed. LeVey, however, was an inspiring force, and the principles of TOS are available in the Files directory. I don't think I was misinformed. It's customary, in our enlightened age, to take neither the high road or the low road, but we take the Grey Road. The Fundamentalist Right thinks in terms of rigid moral absolutes, but generally speaking, most people today, especially "enlightened liberals" are slightly embarrassed to use words like "good" or "evil." (Carter Heyward, in her magnificent book Touching Our Strength, addressed this issue at length.) In magic, however, unless one's a Buddhist (in which one's demons dwell inside the circle in peace), it's customary to draw a circle in which the demonic forces are Outside and the divine forces are Inside. I know that's quaint, but there's a reason for that. One of my problems with the Setian schtick is that it's premise is fundamentally false. It simply isn't true that we ourselves (at the personality level) are the authors of our actions. One realizes in the course of the work that one must act as if one is "at cause", but that in fact other forces are at work. One is a tool, so to speak, of the gods. Anything that crystallizes and inflates the ego is really unhealthy, in the most fundamental sense. It's like getting a fix of crack or methampethamine--yeah, it may feel good, but it brings with it a lot of illusions and tragedy if one gets strung out. To extol the freedom to act in malace is to align oneself with entities that I personally wouldn't want in my Circle. To align oneself with the demonic side of existence may give a quick spiritual methamphetamine rush, but it also dis-aligns the subject from what's quaintly called the "divine" side of the equation. Are such concepts really quaint? None of the writers of the old books seem to think so. They often aren't afraid to evoke the demonic side--in order to "get to know" the Shadow side of their being on a mor intimate basis (thematicaly, this is a "heroic" act, not a self-centered ego-aggrandizing act), and that's cool, though they specify the need to TAKE CARE!!!. But that's different from worshipping the demonic side of the equation! Set is, mythologically, an essential player in the World, but Set and Satan aren't even on the same playing field historically speaking. Set dismembered Osiris. Osiris is the Ego--transformed. The goal of the Work is to transforms one's Ego, not to inflate it and make it more rigid! It's to engender the capacity to Flow, to Melt--and, finally, to Love. To respond to Life by saying Yes, rather than No. That's how the Power needs to flow, that's how the magic needs to flow. That's what Magic IS. Isis and Horus are integral parts of the myth, and while Set was a necessary player (the Adversary, in the game of existence), he wasn't exactly the heroic winner of the drama. I applaud heroic quests to rescue the gold from the dragons lair. I applaud Theseus' encounter with the Minotaur (his own Shadow). But I have contempt for those who encourage others to identify with the Minotaur. Or with the Dragon. In the name of becoming something that they quaintly call "More Than Human." Bluchhhh!!!!!! 718499927771849992777184999277718499927771849992777184999277718 From: Michael G. Area: MagickNet To: VITRIOL 8 Oct 92 20:12:00 Subject: To point one's finger at the Moon.... Rec'd UpdReq ain't quite the same thing as Mooning, sayeth the Zen proverb. I'm glad you think that some of my points are valid. I'll stand by the point I made about Thelemites, despite your quote from The Bible, but you might be pleased to know I also came to the defense of OTO (after a fashion in a still more recent post. I do think that Crowley's veiled contempt for most of his peers was far more opinionated than anything I might have expressed here. Crowley could play three dimensional chess in his head, and keep several games going simultaneously. Most members of OTO whom I've met aren't even in the same league with Crowley's dog. They get off on the Aiwass rhetoric 'cause it makes 'em feel "powerful" and "elected," and because they dig on Crowley's rebellious Genius. But they're not in touch with their own Genius. They do a lot of quoting from Crowley's works, and they sign their posts with Profound Profundities like "Do what thou wilt..." or "Love is the Law." A FEW of them understand the implications and obligations of the Thelemic formula, but most don't. Crowley himself was horrified by The Book of the Law. It didn't thrill him. (And the prophecy in the Book didn't pan out--t 80's weren't a time of fear and trembling for most of us!) I do think that mindlessly quoting and hero-worshipping Crowley is rather juvenile. I know Regardie thought so, because we discussed it. I'm sure Crowley would agree too. 718499927771849992777184999277718499927771849992777184999277718 From: liam Area: MagickNet To: All 8 Oct 92 15:33:52 Subject: Crystal Magick UpdReq From: liam@alehaus.uucp (liam) Newsgroups: mag.magiknet Subject: Crystal Magick Mary.Page@f117.n321.z1.fidonet.org (Mary Page) writes: > Question- does anyone (practitioner of the Craft or not) know of an " > absorbant" stone? Something to channel negative energies into. The > situation is this; I have a rather nasty temper. I ususally wind up > upsetting people around me because I lose control of this temper and speak > with out thinking. I came up with a possible solution- carrying this > "sponge-stone" and when I feel out of sorts concentrating on it rather > than the situation. Hopefully accomplishing two things, 1) Directing all > the "bad" energy away and 2) gaining time to "put brain in gear before > engaging mouth!!" I am new to Wicca and would ask everyone's advice. > Thanks, > > * Origin: The Moonrise BBS, Sunderland MA (413) 665-1158 (1:321/117) Try a smokey quartz...it works for me. also you might try black onyx just be careful as it may have some undesirable side effects. Blessed Be, Liam ------------------ %A@%n (%W) Origin: The Alehaus -- Houston, TX -- "Old witches never die....they just move in different circles" 718499927771849992777184999277718499927771849992777184999277718 From: Lewis Stead Area: MagickNet To: Mary Page 8 Oct 92 09:11:20 Subject: Crystal Magick UpdReq MP> Question- does anyone (practitioner of the Craft or not) know of an " MP> absorbant" stone? Something to channel negative energies into. The MP> situation is this; I have a rather nasty temper. I ususally wind up MP> upsetting people around me because I lose control of this temper and MP> speak with out thinking. I came up with a possible solution- carrying MP> this "sponge-stone" and when I feel out of sorts concentrating on it MP> rather than the situation. Hopefully accomplishing two things, 1) MP> Directing all the "bad" energy away and 2) gaining time to "put brain MP> in gear before engaging mouth!!" I am new to Wicca and would ask MP> everyone's advice. Thanks, I'm not big on rocks, but anything dark and solid feeling is usually good. Smoky quartz is actually one that I favor. Generally with things like this you can feel out what's appropriate for what. BTW if you purchase, try to find out where the folks got it from as some crystals are strip mined or reconstituted. 718499927771849992777184999277718499927771849992777184999277718 From: Paul Hume Area: MagickNet To: Mary Page 9 Oct 92 14:24:10 Subject: Re: Crystal Magick UpdReq Mary - Obsidian (volcanic glass) is given this symbolism (ie. soaking up negative vibes). It is important to meditate on the stone outside of situations when you need it, natch, to make it an effective talisman (or do I mean amulet) for the purpose. Note that, eventually, such meditation will let you dispense with the prop, but the stone can make a nice reminder until the process matures. Paul 718499927771849992777184999277718499927771849992777184999277718 From: Aislinge Kellogg-Gomez Area: MagickNet To: Nisaba 3 Oct 92 17:26:04 Subject: Your name. UpdReq Hi, I realize I don't know you but why the name change? If this is what you are happy with, don't change it for anyone's sake. But what does Nisaba mean? As the owner of an unusual name, I'm curious. Bye 718499927771849992777184999277718499927771849992777184999277718