I’ve been doing quite a bit of study & research in the Western Occultism arena over the last month or so (culmination of a few decades of participation). Beginning with the TS, through Freemasonry, RC, Golden Dawn, Crowley and his Orders (OTO, AA), and later spin offs (Chaos, etc.).
One thing that strikes me as unfortunately tragic is the number of
egomaniacs and wiseacring impostors that have come out of this machine
of ill-repute.
Don’t get me wrong, there was a time, probably a few decades ago, when I really wanted to believe that Western Occultism, WMT, WET, and similar movements actually led to their self-professed goals of scientific illumination, self-knowledge, and Self-realization (or Godhead). The end result of that via dolorosa though, seems unfailingly to end up with splinter groups upon splinter groups with nothing but people (invariably male) hungry for power, fame and self-aggrandizement.
Lofty founding ideals of freedom and enlightenment soon degenerate into either idle distractions such as divination, ineffectual ritual, and personality worship, or into more virulent forms such as slave labour, group hypnosis, and carrot-stick pyramid structures.
Research the history of almost every Western “occult”, “magical” or “esoteric” Order or movement, and one invariably finds nobodies desperate to become somebodies, rather than the Eastern (or Asian) norm of somebodies becoming peaceful nobodies.
Expelled members sit in dark corners gnashing their teeth and exposing dirt or attempting to start their own pyramid structures, meanwhile the controlling hierarchies white-knuckle their positions and tighten down “the rules”.
I’m not sure if this is a Western psychological trait, or rather to do with those attracted to these groups. There are obvious tell-tale signs involved, such as groups offering 1001 self-improvement promises, instant titles, degrees, future rewards and instant social belonging. In contrast, you might find a Zen group or an Eastern equivalent offering a cushion on the ground with the advice being to try ‘siting down and shutting up’ for an hour. No titles, no candy bag.
In order to save time, dear reader, a very simple test may be applied to any group, Order, or society you are looking to join or invest your hard earned life-force:
'Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.’
Don’t get me wrong, there was a time, probably a few decades ago, when I really wanted to believe that Western Occultism, WMT, WET, and similar movements actually led to their self-professed goals of scientific illumination, self-knowledge, and Self-realization (or Godhead). The end result of that via dolorosa though, seems unfailingly to end up with splinter groups upon splinter groups with nothing but people (invariably male) hungry for power, fame and self-aggrandizement.
Lofty founding ideals of freedom and enlightenment soon degenerate into either idle distractions such as divination, ineffectual ritual, and personality worship, or into more virulent forms such as slave labour, group hypnosis, and carrot-stick pyramid structures.
Research the history of almost every Western “occult”, “magical” or “esoteric” Order or movement, and one invariably finds nobodies desperate to become somebodies, rather than the Eastern (or Asian) norm of somebodies becoming peaceful nobodies.
Expelled members sit in dark corners gnashing their teeth and exposing dirt or attempting to start their own pyramid structures, meanwhile the controlling hierarchies white-knuckle their positions and tighten down “the rules”.
I’m not sure if this is a Western psychological trait, or rather to do with those attracted to these groups. There are obvious tell-tale signs involved, such as groups offering 1001 self-improvement promises, instant titles, degrees, future rewards and instant social belonging. In contrast, you might find a Zen group or an Eastern equivalent offering a cushion on the ground with the advice being to try ‘siting down and shutting up’ for an hour. No titles, no candy bag.
In order to save time, dear reader, a very simple test may be applied to any group, Order, or society you are looking to join or invest your hard earned life-force:
'Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.’
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