Perversion of the Old Ways

The Old Ways, occult magick, Sorcery and Witchcraft as it is practiced today is, for the most part, a diluted version of what was practiced and taught even just four or five centuries ago. But it is certainly not the same occult magick tradition that was practiced and taught a few thousand years ago. It is critical that all aspiring students or Seekers of the Old Ways understand how their occult magick tradition has been diluted, and how to arrive back at the original occult magick traditions as originally formulated by those ancient occult practitioners. First,let me direct your attention to one of the most famous occult magick grimoires in existence today, "THE MAGUS" by Barrett Francis, (1801), published by University Books, New Hyde Park,N.Y This book is available by special order from most regular or occult bookstores. Most occultist think that the only reason why his book has a bad reputation among the scholars is because the author lifted so much material from earlier sources, but that's not it! Now, The reason why I bring up this book is because it is an excellent example of the diluting of occult magickal traditions. I can just hear some Sorcerers out there right now screaming, "WHAT? This is one of the most powerful occult magick books on the market today". Well, "THE MAGUS" certainly is a famous book. And it certainly is revered as one of the most complete works on occult magick there is. And given many of the other choices available in the market today I might agree. Indeed, much of the book is a resource for ancient occult magick knowledge. The part that authentic practitioners take issue with are the references to ritual and spell work that requires the constraining of Supernatural Powers by reciting Christian prayers. And "THE MAGUS" is not alone in this regard of non-occult thought. Many occult books blend Christianity with the occult tradition. And this is exactly what I mean when I say that the occult magick traditions have been seriously diluted over the last few hundred years. The reason this happened is because the occult, the teachings of the Old Ways were in CONFLICT with the teachings of the NEW UPSTART CULT, Christianity. Faced with utter and total extinction many occult groups began to blend Christian rituals and philosophies in with the Old Ways, No occult practitioner worth anything would have ever even considered using a Christian prayer to constrain a Supernatural Power. Calling the Powers predated Christianity by many thousands of years. And no Christian prayers were ever needed PRIOR to Christianity to constrain any Supernatural Powers. BUT, when faced with extinction at the hands of Christian tormentors, or being tortured to death by Christian Clergy, many occult practitioners incorporated the use of the dominating power traditions and so we get a lot of christian prayers within occult rituals and spells to make their christian detractors happy enough to leave them alone. It was the Christian teaching that there was One God, and a Devil, Satan or Lucifer. In order to lend power to Christianity the clergy had to maintain that their One God was more powerful than Lucifer and His legion of demonic entities. For the occult practitioner who did not believe in the Christian god, or the Christian satan, there was no need to invoke Christian prayers. But the clergy was determined to prove that their god was more powerful than any other Supernatural Power in existence. And this meant destroying anyone, or anything, that suggested that their god might not be the most powerful entity in the universe. So, many occult practitioners acknowledged that the Christian god was in fact the more powerful than any other Supernatural Entity, and began to use the Christian god to constrain the Supernatural Powers called in their own ritual or spell work AS PROOF OF THEIR ALLEGIANCE TO THE POWER OF THE CHRISTIAN GOD. Now, as this compromise became more widely practiced it began to show up in occult magick grimoires like"THE MAGUS" by `Barrett, Francis. "THREE BOOKS OF OCCULT PHILOSOPHY" by Agrippa, Henry Cornellius,"THE KEY OF SOLOMON THE KING" by S.L. Mathers. And as a rebirth of Witchcraft and occult began to spread across Europe, and then into America, these compromises were taught and handed down as an authentic tradition or "AS ALWAYS PRACTICED, THIS WAY" but it wasn't. Many craft groups today still retain using Christian prayers for rituals and spells and even to constraining the powers. AND THEN STILL CLAIM TO BE DESCENDANTS OF THE ANCIENT DRUIDS, WIZARDS, OR WITCHES OF ANCIENT TIMES.

Another way the Old Ways have been perverted in our age is through a military technique, known as "Divide And Conquer", This technique allows anyone to assume the very worst of someone or something, meaning, another Craft group practice or their tradition, and to accuse it as wrong or evil. This would develop into infighting of the various occult magick Craft groups. Well, its about time anyone attaining to the occult magick traditions realize once and for all that there is a place for Dark Magick in the ancient magick traditions, and in modern day occult magick practice.

First, ancient occult magick traditions "NEVER" advocated the ritual abuse of children, adults, or animals. True, there are more recent "spiritual occult" groups who make use of animal or human sacrifice, or the ritual abuse of adults and children. But these are more MODERN GROUPS who had no ancient links of traditions nor a tradition to call authentic. ANCIENT OCCULT MAGICK TRADITION, WHILE TEACHING DARK MAGICK AS WELL AS POSITIVE, NEVER DID NOR HAS NOW OR THEN ADVOCATED THE KILLING OF ANY LIVING THING. Indeed, no one should have more reverence or respect for life than an occult practitioner because it is we who understand the most about the life-force that permeates every living thing.

But to suggest that there is no place for Dark Magick in the practice of ancient occult magick is to betray ones lack of knowledge and understanding about occult magick. And if the Apprentice or Seeker of THE MAGICK OF SPITZALOD, THE MAGICK OF MILIANTHROS, THE MAGICK OF DAKMONIAS, and the magickquest courses does not already understand the above statements then it would be impossible for them to attain to the highest Level of occult teachings.

Let us strive to be brothers and sisters who do not feel the need to browbeat and destroy each other simply because we do not share the exact same traditions and beliefs. But most of all, let each of us who claim our Craft as a heritage of occult magick be COMMITTED, and practice our Craft so that it will be worthy of our Children and their Children.