Metaphorical Belief

I am always interested in the way many modern day practitioners don’t *REALLY* believe in what they do. Oh sure, lip service is paid when required but when anyone says: “So what about the gods and the powers they bestow?” suddenly there is talk of metaphors.

I find this odd because one of the reasons I was attracted to magical practice in the first place was the fact that, unlike religion, while metaphor existed it was a tool that was to be used toward real tangible results! Oh the talk of this and that is a metaphor is all well and good when we are discussing mythic ancient tales of religion BUT when we are talking of entities and summoning – they are NOT metaphors. There are various entities and they are anything but metaphors – perhaps this is why so many people get injured by their practice.

Now this is an interesting point that I personally feel not enough alleged "practitioners" ever consider let alone tackle. I first encountered it rationally questioned years ago in "Pacts with the Devil" (Black Hyatt - New Falcon Pub.) where there was a brief interlude where the nature of the invocation evocation question was touched upon. To partially summarize the idea of any part of Summoning (or any other part of "High Magic") being simply parts of the brain and hence experience is all good and well as theory. As far as being a cool and erudite explanation that leaves one sounding superior and in no way superstitious it is excellent. It is a pity that it “cuts it” ONLY as far as we are theorizing. The second we are engaging in any practice we are suddenly pulled up short!

Summoning allegedly entails connection to any other agency/entities. We may hide behind the well worn Crowley assertion: “All these spirits are parts of the human mind” is not really the sort of thing that makes one feel any better when we are suddenly confronted with the reality of a totally different kind. The practitioner will eventually be made aware that this limitation of the nature of the process simply isn't big enough.

To be explicit: YES the world is ONLY the way we experience it due to our filtering of data via the senses and the mind (useful here is the Galenic ideal of the "Sensus Communis" - data in is compared to past memory, other sensory data and extrapolations along various lines of both of these in accordance with the ability of the physical brain and imagination of the subject in question). As such YES reality IS the way the INDIVIDUAL experiences it and all sense data is at best subjective. HOWEVER this does NOT necessarily mean that the individual is all there IS.

This is something that we discover when we engage in purposeful usage of High Magic and summoning. Sooner or later the Karcist becomes the recipient of information that is patently NOT something that they could know. Many people have attempted to dismiss this by misusing terms such as “esp.” or “psi.” effects. Again while this sounds “kewl” and oh so knowledgeable … it is still not good enough – it may go some distance to explaining the "clair" abilities (clairvoyance, clairaudience etc.) and the activation of the same in order to acquire data from afar BUT – it does NOT address the notion of gaining info of removed future events over which the Karcist has no control. This should furthermore not be confused with the argument on divination I made some time ago where
divinatory devices were adjuncts to human extrapolation machines – different different different.

Basically sooner or later we are confronted with information or physical effects that cannot be explained by this paradigm and we are FORCED to confront the notion of external agency and hence the reality of the “other than self”. Oh for a dollar for every smug self satisfied grin that vanishes in the face of actual success.

Consider this:

In these examples we must consider the myth cycles and legends as metaphoric explanations of times, effects and events spiced through with facets of experiential understandings of others. So we have a basic need being served by explanation based on experience and cogitation. This is fine and good BUT what happens when we find ourselves interacting with currents that answer to these names? What happens when we CALL these Gods and Goddesses and THEY ANSWER?

Suddenly we are in a situation wherein we may be forced to consider them as an external agency with a reality of their own – quite independent of our own understanding or wishful thinking. This is why so many are content to rehearse calls and etc but will avoid the actual work to make the calls WORK. Gods forbid many in this day and age actually realize that the “calling down” or even the humblest neo-wiccan rite is a precursor to possession! Consider the consequences of the calling down of Diana or Hecate. Neither of these are the sweet pretty maidens they tend to be painted today.

Do the realities of these Goddesses involve destruction to any males in the general vicinity? Several myths and Legends and reports say YES if it is done right! Are there ways to circumvent this destructive current? That is a yes too. Do the realities of these Goddesses involve imbalance in the Feminine/Masculine current in an individual, area time, space? Most certainly. Are there ways to circumvent this? Yes but it is harder – which is one of many reasons why actual summoning is a dangerous business with a high mortality rate.

But what of something a little different – what of other worlds or planes of existence? Well let us leave aside for the moment the positing of other dimensions by science – let’s start closer to home. Let us use the underworld as an example – is it a metaphor? Well most certainly it is – any actuality may be made use of as a metaphor – by simple definition alone. This is a very important thing to bear in mind when viewing old stories – actuality or at least the belief of such is required before a metaphor can exist. This sort of belief must be mired in some form of experiential extrapolation.

Why? Well as we have already discussed the teensy weeny gap between our “actually” experiencing the world about us and the internal subjective nature of our own mind’s ability to process data is so slight as to be called into question. Soo … what am I saying? You got it in one … is it a metaphor? Yes indeed – almost as much as it is a REALITY! The same can be said for all the other “other worlds” and yes this even allows for the classic medieval “Hell” of the roman catholic church.

Magicians of any sort are explorers and creators – we adapt reality and once you start you must also allow for many other realities – irrelevant of whether you consider them concrete or experiential. As Adam said in an advertisement fro “Myth Busters”: “I reject your reality and insert my own”.

But hell why listen to me? All advice etc is a product of agenda which can only really relate to your reality via shared experience and understanding. Original texts should be critically read – they should be questioned … what of/if this is simile, delusion, truth, metaphor, reality? There is much that is missed by all these alone. Remember that we can share the truths of others just as easily as their delusions … The book the Phantom Tollbooth sums this up beautifully with the words: “It is easy to jump to conclusions but not so simple to jump back”.