[Help] A Church Delima

[lumineth Realm Lord]

Question: For anyone who uses Grimoires like the Sworn Book of Pope Honorious, Magus, grimoire of Armadel, book of Abramelin, any book on Enochian and Solomonic magic, do you go to church? If not, would you if the book would have that as a requirement?

Context: So, I'm looking at some classic Grimiores, like the Sworn Book of Pope Honorious. However, they require that I go to church. At least on the day before I do a ritual.

I am a hard polytheist. I guess you could also say I'm anti-Christian. I tend to swap between the Greek pantheon, the Norse pantheon, and Luciferianism. Granted, I have no issue with exploring other traditions and pantheons either.

The main reason I'd call on the god of the Bible would be on behalf of others. Possibly even without their consent, if I think it's warranted. So, I want to help others. Not for political reasons. Just...to help people I'm around; family, neighbors, anyone who I think need it. Half way just cause. Half way because what happens to them can happen to me. I'm actually shaken up over that whole Charlie Kirk thing. So, I'm serving my own Interest by hoping to help my environment.

I've posted about the ethics on doing magick for others, without their consent. It'd be better to have it, or just let them be if I can't get it. But at some point, I'd have to break that rule. So, calling on the god they're most familiar with seems to be the best middle ground. Arguably, calling on the Greek gods might be the next best thing.

However, some of these books require me to go to church. That's not hard in my area. There's more churches than businesses. The town is agricultural. I have some issues with it. Partially ideological. Partially anxiety oriented. So, I wanted to ask if anyone works with these books. If anyone has any experiences with them. And what they'd do if a grimoire asked them to attend church.

Would you go to church for magical reasons.

 

[KjEno186]

I've visited a few churches in my atheist days. As long as it's not a cult-like group that practices "love bombing" to get new converts, there's probably no issues. I cannot stand the religion of my parents, but that comes from very close knowledge of the kind of entity it is. Otherwise, I wouldn't have an issue visiting one of the many local churches in a courteous way. About the only Christian sect that holds some appeal to me is the Orthodox, likely because it's the least Protestant branch and retains more mystical roots with the past.

I live in the Bible Belt, so I would definitely avoid any discussion about magic with church members. Just be friendly as far as possible and smile. There's no need to make commitments or engage in doctrinal discussions.

 

[lumineth Realm Lord]

I've visited a few churches in my atheist days. As long as it's not a cult-like group that practices "love bombing" to get new converts, there's probably no issues. I cannot stand the religion of my parents, but that comes from very close knowledge of the kind of entity it is. Otherwise, I wouldn't have an issue visiting one of the many local churches in a courteous way. About the only Christian sect that holds some appeal to me is the Orthodox, likely because it's the least Protestant branch and retains more mystical roots with the past.

I live in the Bible Belt, so I would definitely avoid any discussion about magic with church members. Just be friendly as far as possible and smile. There's no need to make commitments or engage in doctrinal discussions.

I wouldn't talk about magic, but that essentially means I don't know what to talk about period.

To tell you the truth, me and the church has ever been a good fit. When I went with my family, I was often called weird and standoffish just because I didn't want to give a hug to every big head Becky there.

 

[frater_pan]

Question: For anyone who uses Grimoires like the Sworn Book of Pope Honorious, Magus, grimoire of Armadel, book of Abramelin, any book on Enochian and Solomonic magic, do you go to church? If not, would you if the book would have that as a requirement?

Context: So, I'm looking at some classic Grimiores, like the Sworn Book of Pope Honorious. However, they require that I go to church. At least on the day before I do a ritual.
...

Would you go to church for magical reasons.

Yes, of course.

 

[Sabbatius]

About the only Christian sect that holds some appeal to me is the Orthodox, likely because it's the least Protestant branch and retains more mystical roots with the past.

 

[lumineth Realm Lord]

I admit. The art and architecture definitely beat the feel good imagery used by babtists around here. But it comes off a bit too space Marine for me.

Post automatically merged: Today at 5:00 AM

Honestly I've often thought that church officials should practice Christian magic. I mean, they're practically doing it anyway in some sects.

 

[Sabbatius]

I admit. The art and architecture definitely beat the feel good imagery used by babtists around here. But it comes off a bit too space Marine for me.
Honestly I've often thought that church officials should practice Christian magic. I mean, they're practically doing it anyway in some sects.

I highly suggest just attending a couple Divine Liturgies inside a Russian Orthodox Cathedral. If you are used to seeing the blank walls and concert set up of the Evangelical services and a single cross and a pulpit on a stage, the Orthodox service is a ceremonial act of mysticism, ritual chant and ancestral veneration. Once you are able to see the service for what it is, you can definitely tell much of modern Ceremonial Magic ripped off the Orthodox service. Pick up a Divine Liturgy book and you can read the layout and structure of the service. I am positive you can find the Liturgy in .pdf online.

 

[Asteriskos]

Context: So, I'm looking at some classic Grimiores, like the Sworn Book of Pope Honorious. However, they require that I go to church. At least on the day before I do a ritual.

Many grimoires were written during a time when the roman catholic church was a force to be reckoned with! That is to say, they used the Christian cover as a means to to prevent the practitioners being burned at the stake for heresy, et al. By incorporating the Christian overlay it was possible to avoid that to some extent, but it didn't always work. To be accused of Black Magic was a serious crime back then, unless you were a member of the Clergy who often practiced magic.

I don't know why anyone would go to church for Any Reason, but that's just me!

 

[Morell]

I visit churches from time to time, especially catholic ones that are plenty here. Sometimes there are exhibitions of art there. I like the silence that is present there. Spiritually they are not really strong places. Though I visited few orthodox churches in Eastern Europe, where at least the smell of burning myrrh was having some good effect on my soul, making place more... spiritual.

But unless you visit a mass there or do something like use holy water or praying, the visit won't give you much of anything concerning energy work or anything else occult.