Thursday, March 26, 2009


He who knows himself knows god – Clement of Alexandria
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2 comments:

White Wolf said...

Not easy task to know oneself.
It is necessary to understand how the human machine works.
To understand how the energy flows between Mind (Intellect) Emotions and Instinct (Physical body). Usually every part (center: Intellect, Emotional, Instinctive/Motoric)steals energy from each other and the machine does not work properly. Normally there is no balance.
It is not possible to do this work alone. A group is necessary. Only through others can one better know oneself.
I understand The Hermit as working only on the physical level. He is like the Indian Fakir. Excluding himself from society. While one must work on all levels at the same time.
These ideas come from ancient esoteric schools like Gurdjieff's, called fourth way.
I myself include these ideas in my work.
Blessed Be the Bees...
Arie

March 26, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Lily Wyte said...

I believe that everyone who comes into our life is a mirror.
If we understand them we understand our selves.
If we are judgmental to them we are being so to ourselves(and our soulmates).
I believe we could not comprehend a thing, or forgive it, if we have not been it ourselves.
And that the greatest mirror on this plane is the natural world. African wildebeest show us herd mentality, each hopes to survive personally by letting the weaker element be lion fodder. No matter how much pasture two bulls will fight until one is the master of it all. Lionesses are like women who settle for very little, at the expense of their children's well being. Horses who won't leave their burning barn are like people in abusive relationships who can't find the courage to leave.
The natural world can also give us a positive example of healthy mind: Eagles who mate for life, who rear their young together, who rarely remate if one should die, are an example to us of real love. A mother bird doesn't fall into bitterness and depression should one of her chicks die, though it is obvious that she is devoted to them. Caterpillars metamorphosize...
It isn't hard to know yourself if you know the trick to it, and approach it with humility("I am not the best person, nor the worst") and the sort of kindness you would extend to your child, or best friend.
One really enjoyable aspect to doing this - recognizing yourself in your mirrors - is that those pesky personality types who have seemed to haunt you forever, will disappear(or the behavior will), as soon as you have seen and owned the truth they represent.
One thing I have found is that most people, myself included, do those mean and nasty things they do, when they are frightened. To me that is certainly forgivable.

So what does all this have to do with the practice of magic? If you don't know yourself you can't detoxify from the shame and guilt our toxic society hands out to everyone. And the mysteries just don't reveal themselves to toxic minds. And, also, these blind spots in our self awareness are key to healing our psychic wounds, that disempower us - no witch or wizard can stand for anything disempowering. It is the opposite of who we are.

March 31, 2009 at 9:18 AM

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