- Sheta

Now we can mess with our definitions of good and evil, or we can question the omnipotence or the benevolence of the Creator, and thereby resolve the issue one way or another. The problem, though, is that traditional Judeo-Christian theology – properly understood – is unwilling to compromise upon any one of these points. (Many variations of Pagan belief would be equally reluctant to part with these arguments, I might add.) The solution, per Augustine, is to define evil as the absence or privation of goodness. Now this privation must exist for God to create anything apart from Herself, since the creation of something without boundaries would be God creating God, which is impossible. (Or more to the point, practically meaningless.) Indeed, Augustine goes out of his way to interpret the whole “separating the light from the darkness” as the necessary condition for the creation of one complementary whole which is inherently good. (Leibniz famously expanded upon this very point throughout his works on metaphysics.)

The problem here is that the more evil something gets, the less real that something gets. And if, like the medieval inheritors of Neoplatonism, you are inclined to equate power, wisdom, and beauty with existence, then the traditional Devil must be weak, idiotic, and hideous – hardly something to be feared. Obviously, I don’t believe in the traditional Devil, or really any Devil at all. (Which makes the horns I’m about to don for that Halloween party all the more ironic…) I think there are energies which resonate with light, and those which resonate with darkness – Seelie and Unseelie, to borrow from the Scottish mythology – yet neither is inherently good or evil. What does happen from time to time is that very powerful energies within individual beings and groups can turn back upon themselves, cease to flow freely, and thereby cause self-inflicted harm and harm to everyone around.

So perhaps the Black Book *cannot* exist in its truest form, simply because its existence (which qua existence must be inherently good) would necessarily contradict the book’s very nature as something of ultimate evil. It remains a powerful shadow in our narrative of archetypes, and thereby stirs something primal and important within us, if only to remind us why we should – why we must – chart courses which affirm rather than deny life.

My thanks for the harrowing walk through the history of the myth. Be safe and be well this Samhain night!
Grey Glamer´s last blog ..The Virtues of Magic: Desire

It’s interesting that you place demons as forces which potentially can break up old or stagnant patterns. Thorn Coyle makes what is ostensibly the reverse argument in her *Rending the Veil*, suggesting that demons *are* the worn ruts and psychological complexes which keep us from deploying our personal power in constructive ways. On the other hand, she suggests sitting with these internal forces and inviting them to participate in one’s own Great Work, allowing the energy bound up in the demon (which is really part and parcel of the self in Coyle’s paradigm) to flow in life-affirming ways. All of which dovetails pretty well with your suggestion that we must come to terms with the dark and chaotic aspects of our own natures in order to realize our Great Works.

Different perspectives and articulations of the same thing, I should think. My own spiritual path isn’t nearly so structured or detailed as your own, yet I do think that all spirits, including those like ourselves who favor their material sides, contain both Seelie and Unseelie aspects which must be integrated into a life-affirming whole. I am most intrigued by your approach to spiritual balance, and thank you for sharing your perspective here. I should be most interested to read your blog.

Blessed Be! A very happy Samhain to you and yours!
Grey Glamer´s last blog ..The Virtues of Magic: Desire

How interesting. You invite me to attend your Yahoo groups and then say that I am completely ignorant and that everything that I have said in this article is totally wrong. If you think that I am so misinformed, why bother to invite me, since I would undoubtedly have nothing to offer you or your group, and would pain you with my obvious ignorance? Perhaps that’s a back-handed compliment, so I’ll take it as such.

First of all, I want to let you know that I haven’t said anything disrespectful to those who are seriously following a magical path, whether it be ceremonial, grimoire based or ritual based. My comment is that some are engaged in an almost whimsical approach to the evocation of goetic demons. If that’s not your approach and if you are a serious practitioner, then you need not feel that I am being critical of you or your path.

Since I am also a practicing ritual magician and I have actually performed goetic magick, I doubt that what I have said in this article is based on pure supposition or ignorance. I may have a different opinion than you, that’s all. So there’s no reason to have to “set me straight” as you say. What I do read in your remarks is a belief that your way is the only correct way. That’s not very inclusive of you. I believe that we just don’t agree about the details, and I certainly don’t think that my way is the only way, either.

Also, considering that Wicca has been around for fifty years and it’s recognized as a valid religion by the military and the U.S. tax code, that goes quite contrary to your argument that it’s a fad. As for ritual magick, it’s also been around for quite while, too. The version of ritual magic that I work with was actually started by Aleister Crowley in the early 1900’s, so I don’t see how that’s a fad, either.

However, despite our differences of opinion, I invite you to examine the articles in my blog and perhaps we may actually be able to share some ideas and thoughts, since all of this is really based on experimentation and personal opinion, and not on a fixed or orthodox tradition.

In the practice of ritual or ceremonial magick, there are all too few absolute truths.

My blog is http://www.fraterbarrabas.blogspot.com

Come over to one of our Yahoo groups sometime. We’ll set you straight.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/solomonic
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/abramelin
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Grimorium_Verum
David Stolowitz´s last blog ..Taylor Ellwood – The Role of Identity within Magic

While I stand by my opinion of the book as published, it has been suggested that your perspective was not fully communicated in the text. Perhaps you might care to take the opportunity to explain this aspect of your work more fully, especially in regard to the quotations above?
Ian Vincent´s last blog ..Rending the Veil, Samhain Issue is up

On the other end of the spectrum from pure skepticism (as described in detail in other articles this issue), we have those who accept everything that happens, including stuff they (increasingly) make up. Early on in many, many people’s adjustment (it’s not a conversion, imho) to a pagan or New Age spiritual perspective, they stay on the very light-oriented side of the path, and are what we old-timers term “fluffy.” As you grow and learn and weigh and measure and so on, you begin to accept both darker and more rational aspects. It’s damn hard to explain, now that I’m trying to do it. There’s nothing whatever evil about it — you certainly know I’m not evil, and neither is Meridjet, but we damn sure have our dark sides. It’s like that. One person once said about him, “Meridjet brings light while understanding darkness.”

Anyway, the fluffier folks out there are the “go into the light” people. You and I both know that the light and the “other side” are right there, all the time. There’s no distance between it and them, or between them and us.

– Sheta

Thank you for the review. Your comments regarding approximately 97.5% of the book are what I’d expect for a first time author like myself, and it was well done. Thank you for the feedback. It’s the kind of thing a first time author needs to improve their art.

I do think we need to address the subject of People Sigil Magic, the remaining 2.5% that gave you cause for concern. To get right to the point, I think you misunderstood the material and the issues it tried to address. This in turn led you to misrepresent it in your review, and in turn do an injustice to the remainder of the book and its author.

Since I’ve spent a fair amount of time getting reality checks from my editors, as well as the friends and family who have read the book and/or been impacted by my choices as a magician and the reasons for those choices (for the record, their feedback has been very different than yours), I feel that I’m not out of line to ask you to consider the possibility that your virulent reaction to People Sigil Magic is a result of something you refuse to see in yourself and in turn projected outwards.

Due to the unfounded accusations presented in your review, I am compelled to point out that your review put a lot of words in my mouth that are not in the book. They are your words, and I give responsibility for them back to you, where they rightfully belong.

You’ve done your job as a reviewer and, where the job is done in a professional and competent manner, I respect it. However, my morality, and any final judgment on it, is between me and my Creator, should I ever meet the cagey son of a bitch.

Collen A’Miketh

I reject all those things as well as superstitious and archaic. Am I your real enemy as well?

93 93/93

I am not sure where to direct this comment but I assume Sheta will see it anyhow: You accidentally listed myself (IAO131) instead of, I assume, Aion131 for this post: http://www.rendingtheveil.com/back-issues/iii19-lughnasadh-2009/

Just letting you know – I have no idea who Aion131 is and he is not associated with me, I do not endorse his work nor he mine (nor the opposite)… though we do share a common affinity in a particular number it seems.

93 93/93
IAO131