Approaches to magick

You can follow the rules of the world.

This is what in the Western tradition is referred to as natural, or magick belonging to the elemental world.

I like to call this magick Goetia, :)

It is the level of work where Hoodoo tricks work. It is spells that work no matter what you believe. It is practical magick where you interact with the forces of this world. The Dead the never living. That stuff. Here is where the real power to affect the world lies. Here is where miracles happen, where you burn a candle and a job will come to you without you lifting a finger. Where an evil eye will make you vomit and shit brown water for days even if you didn't even see the eye.

There is religion in this level, there is magick as well.

(I would also like to point out that outer alchemy fits in rather nicely here too.)

The second level is Thaumaturgy(Theurgy)

This is what is usually called Sublunar magick.

the key here is that Theurgy and Thaumaturgy are the same thing. Thaumaturgy means "Miraclework". The difference is what you use your ceremonial magick for.

Do you ask the gods and spirits of the sky to make it rain? To smite your enemy, or do you ask them to liberate you from the cycle of rebirth?

The more philosophical aspects of this type of magick are often labeled Theurgy and the more effect focused aspects are called Thaumaturgy. They are however sides of the same coin and a true Magician who works with one should work with the other. I would like to add a third part, "using the coin to pay with" ...

It might be worth pointing out that Thaumaturgy, when used from an alchemical/liberatory context takes on a slightly different approach. Then, one should always be aware of the process being undertaken. In this case inner, real effects are taking place that are helped onwards by outer forces whether intelligent or blind. Thus the inner process is linked with outer reality, allowing the microcosm to mirror the idealized version of a restored macrocosm. It is, however important to separate the alchemical process from the outer reality lets one fall into the its all in your head trap. A chinese alchemist performing inner alchemy will reach stage X in their journey and be confronted by a specific golden child. The western inner alchemist, who happens to use theurgy also comes to stage x but s/he will instead experience Mikael... Evola is very clear on this and experience along wth comparative studies show this as well.

Thus Theurgy and Thaumaturgy use the same form, yet have different points of focus, however they work with the same forces and should be mastered on both levels. Like TaiChi or Qi Kung. Both meditation and inner alchemy and a martial art.

These two together is often called "ceremonial magick". Not the stuff you're thinking of, no. I mean magick where religion and pure magickal technology is intertwined. Often today, what people call ceremonial magick is Goety in drag.

The greek magickal papyri, the rituals of the ancient Egypt, Roman and Greek magick, most tantra, Dao shih etc. are clearer images of this style of work.

Thaumaturgy/Theurgy works one step removed from the world. This is godwork. Its main tenet is that you influence divine beings that will then do something for you.

The rules here are not as important as with Goetia as you are working on the level lower then the material. The closer you get to alchemical theurgy the less do the rules count as the symbols become only relevant within context When using the same energies for thaumaturgy, suddenly the rules matter more. However the specifics of this argument will be the subject for a later post.

Goetia is linux. You need to know what you are doing.

Theurgy and Thaumaturgy is like windows or mac. You are working with symbolic representations of the forces, a direct link to the realm of platonic ideals.

Problem is, you are working with the same platonic ideals that want you to stay in their realm...

Goetia and Theurgia are not lower or higher. It is different ways of interacting with ALMOST the same forces.

See it as two highly intersecting circles that only differ in 2% of their overlap.

With a lot of work with Goetia, you start on the path of learning the rules to bend them and make them do what you want. If you do this enough you will still get in harmony as seeing the code all the time will make you more in tune with it.

Goety is the Bottom up approach and Theurgy is the top down approach.

When you work with Alchemical-Theurgy you might still get good at thaumaturgy, but chances are you will not be as good as someone who works with pure Goety when it comes to specific requests, in the same way as a Goet might not be able to do all your cool stuff or that somene who focuses on thaumaturgy might miss out the inner alchemical work that could follow if thye focused on the inner alchemical aspect and did some theurgy.

If you want the company to change the fonts in their letterhead, who is best to ask: walk down to the cafeteria as a cublicle slave to the guy who gives you free coffee in the cafeteria (Goety) or as head of communications tell the CEO that the font is incorrect and then make a press-release that from the 1tyh of next month the font used is helvetica. (Thaumaturgy).

Thaumaturgy will make sure the company is generally more fair, or doesn't move offices or give cheap bikes to its employees, Goety will always get free coffee from the guy in the cafeteria, never have to remember the doorpass as you know the maintenance code the mailman uses and you will get that one ergonomic chair when Sue goes on sick-leave because she will personally find you and let her use her chair for the next 9 months.

Thaumaturgy still has its rules, but the rules of the higher realms.

Magia

Magia is the elusive sum that that is beyond the sum of its parts.

it is Goetia, Thaumaturgy and Theurgia united and made into a unity.

It is where will alone changes the world.

Not setting fire to a car using a molotov cocktail (Erisian magic)

Not by using goetic magick (I'm looking forward to Balthazar's Your car on fire jinx writeup)

Not by offering a nice bloody liver soaked in gasoilne then set fire upon the seal of a fallen seraph commanding it to destroy that car utterly.

No, you simply want it and it happens.

Like Jesus.

Who may or may not have existed.