Paradigms vs The Practitioner

[JohnTitor]

I have been thinking for the last 4 years or so, that the reason those marked in history as the greats or most insightful or understanding of Magick- is that they have created their own methodology unique to themselves and therefor far more potent for their workings.

Consider the start of any particular practice; modern witchcraft, Satanism, Chaos Magick etc.... The most renowned have been the creators, or practitioners closer to the dawn of that particular paradigm of the occult. Crowley for example was renowned (though a proclaimed buddhist) for his Liber, which was an automatic writing and went against his personal beliefs. If this were true- would he have then bothered tempting the hands of anything beyond himself if he truly considered himself a Buddhist? He states that the morals of Liber went against everything he believed in. Not long after a new methodology of practice was adopted by many. He is still the most renowned for his massive successes.

Spare added to the concept of sigils as well as Chaos Magick Theory. If I am not mistaken he is one of few who is also greatly revered for his workings or additions to the concepts. Is this because he personalized it and made it work FOR HIM vs trying to stay inside the box and utilize practices that aren't his own?
Certainly there is a traditional medium when dealing with Spirits or Deities and a certain respect is noted when following common practice- but does that make it necessarily the most effective way of doing things?

Can it be said that to create your own method of workings would be the best form of practice for the practitioner? it is already stated by witches that to copy and use another witches spell is less effective than creating your own. Sure you may conform to certain accepted correspondences concerning astrology or colors and candles etc... but the message is still that one needs to develop their own practice that suits them. If you create your own ritual for calling down the moon if you follow traditional Wicca you have put yourself into the working, much more respectable to me (perhaps not a Goddess) than staying within the box. After reading some works regarding Wicca by Raven Grimassi (Wicca: Crafting Wiccan Traditions) when i was much younger, he hinted that it is better to blaze your own spiritual path rather than follow the norm. Developing your own pantheon for example (which is perhaps common knowledge) is imperative when working with the Gods/Goddesses. I attributed Nyx to the moon when Calling down the moon. I didn't practice the traditional methods and I had much success whenever working with Nyx. She responded without proper evocation on most ocassions, though to show appreciation I would do proper evocation regularly.

The key concept here is that the greats are often creators or innovators in their field. Should we each actually not follow our predecessors methods to the T, and instead change it to fit our affinities and inherent abilities? I have had much success when implementing said idea and working outside the standard.

[Desecrated]

Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.
Bruce Lee

All fixed set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability. The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.
Bruce Lee

Obey the principles without being bound by them.
Bruce Lee

[Procel]

Bruce Lee immediately came to my mind as I was reading the OP too. I think that the martial arts analogy is right and will continue with it.

The best martial artists are not determined by their style, they are uniquely driven achievers in their own right. Much like Bruce Lee, Kano, Funagoshi et all are founders of arts, great sorcerers have been too. And again like those great martial artists, the great workers have come from a background of studying the traditions that came before them. Before Bruce Lee said that traditional Asian martial arts are "about 90% BS", he spent years and years whacking away on a WingChun dummy. Before Kano founded Judo, he was a product of the jiu jitsu of the day. I don't have anywhere near the depth in the occult that I do in Karate, but I'm fairly sure that the paradigms of the occult are about as significant as the "different" martial arts, and I see "style" as illusion. Physics works the way physics works. Physiology is physiology. Different martial styles are just different views of the same image. If 20 people paint the same landscape in watercolor all standing side by side, the paintings will all look different but the landscape is the same.

So, I don't think it's practical to become a powerful mage without building a base in some paradigm but you can become powerful if you have the will to do the work. Likewise, I disagree with those who say you can't get there by trying different paradigms and you MUST stick with their one true path. I've heard that in dojos, and it wasn't true there either. I also believe that while some people can become great martial artists, not all can; but everybody can become better through work. I think the same is true in magickal work. Not everybody has the metal to be powerful, physically or mentally or spiritually. Everybody can become better than they are today, if they will. Those who "can't" become great are those who do not choose to become great and do not refuse to be anything less than great.

Choosing a magickal paradigm is a lot like choosing a martial art. The art itself is a secondary consideration. Find a school where the people have the same goals as you. The aspiring bare knuckle boxer and the mom looking for a class for their 12 year old will find two different dojos. Find a magickal tradition you identify with. Read works by people who have traveled that path. Find groups and individuals who share your values. Your ability to become powerful, your ability to grow your own paradigm and be legendary are not tied to which path you choose to walk. The only limitation is how far you walk.

[JohnTitor]

Wonderful feedback. That is much what I was saying. Whilst they all had foundations- they thought outside the box and changed or adapted the practices to suit themselves. Too often I see requests regarding a set way of doing things. It may be similar to the ideology of Chaos Magick, though set in innovation rather than a culmination or combination to reach a specific end. I do not believe personally that there IS any one correct method to any practice. New techniques are to be developed through a personal understanding right? I have often tried to sit back, and devise a system of it's own- completely independent of any other paradigm or tradition so to speak. In doing so I always kept the traditions in mind, but aimed to add upon the foundations themselves.

Take a color and it's correlation to magick. Often times you see yellow with air, creativity, and the self. Who is to say that yellow shouldn't represent something different to each practitioner? When I think of yellow I get impressions of contraction and withdrawal- and have kept that in mind in my workings. Correspondences are sure to have common ground between us all, but not every single one of us nor the correspondences. This is of course excluding the planetary rulings to a degree (for changing those in your mind would be more or less saying that for example- Neptune does not represent nor rule over his own house). If a practitioner keeps a book of shadows, (yes all experimentation or successes should be noted in such a thing) they should also record the general impressions to correspondences or other things pertaining to such like their athame or wand*. Has anyone else felt this way? Aside from the original question of simply innovating in the field; why is there so little documentation or discussion regarding the differences between users? It portrays it as very one sided, though any Witch, Chaoite, Warlock etc... would realize after a period of time just how amorphous and multifaceted it truly is; they still START with that impression of rigidity.

[Sweetgum]

Hi John Titor

"Can it be said that to create your own method of workings would be the best form of practice for the practitioner?"

Yes

"it is already stated by witches that to copy and use another witches spell is less effective than creating your own"

True

"Sure you may conform to certain accepted correspondences concerning astrology or colors and candles etc..."

Only if you feel it helps you. When you are practiced you can do it anywhere with nothing

"If you create your own ritual for calling down the moon if you follow traditional Wicca you have put yourself into the working, much more respectable to me (perhaps not a Goddess) than staying within the box"

Wicca is Witchcraft fenced in with rules and regulations. The opposite of the Christian church, but run on the same lines

"After reading some works regarding Wicca by Raven Grimassi (Wicca: Crafting Wiccan Traditions) when i was much younger, he hinted that it is better to blaze your own spiritual path rather than follow the norm"

Blimey. I wish the Wiccans would read that

"Developing your own pantheon for example (which is perhaps common knowledge) is imperative when working with the Gods/Goddesses"

Whatever works for you, because it's you that's actually doing it


Some say that Jesus' sojourn in Hell resulted in the end of Satan's ruler-ship of this world
Others say that the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans ended ceremonial magik for ever
Whatever the cause, there was certainly a 'catastrophe'
Before it happened, words and ceremony and ritual had its own power. Yes, we still get high on it, but in those days the effect was astonishing
After what happened, happened, the words, the ceremony and the ritual had only the power that the individuals doing it gave it


What is past is past and what is now is now
In the past magik actually happened, of itself
Now it is for humans to create it from inside themselves
If it takes ceremonial trappings and astrological conjunctions and myths and legends to get you in the mood, then use them
But at the end of the day it will be your will that creates it and your faith that gives it power

Best wishes