[Opinion] Pillars of magickal practice

[Tiw_ru3]

A disclaimer; I've only been studying the occult in ernest for about 3 years and These are the broad categories of practice that ive noticed are essential to the active persuit of magickal initiation and practice. Some traditions emphasize different pillars more than others but at the end of the day these practices are essential for magickal persuit.

Semiotics - the understanding and interpretation of symbols. This shows up in all magick traditions and can be seen in astrology, sigils, runes, spiritual communication. Ive noticed this skill is essential for not only understanding occult literature, but also in interpreting occult experiences.

Energy work - this is perhaps the most straight forward of the pillars yet the most elusive to modern westerners. Learning to interact and recognize energies. This seems to be more heavily emphasized in eastern traditions.

Meditation - exercising and expanding the depth, breadth, and control of thought. Meditation is a pillar of both energy work and spirit work as you must be able to distinguish your internal thoughts from thoughts outside of yourself.

Spirit work - very heavily emphasized in western, west african, and shamanic practices. This is the relationship the magician creates with non-human intelligences.

Ritualistic practice - another cornerstone like meditation, the physical practice of magick tying the symbolic/subtle acts to material ties all of the aforementioned pillars together.

Please let me know what you think about these "pillars" and if I missed anything or should expand further.

 

[AbammonTheGreat]

Theurgy/Alchemy/Initiation?

The process of self deification, salvation, integration, actualization, or transmutation through the use of magic?

 

[sahgwa]

A disclaimer; I've only been studying the occult in ernest for about 3 years and These are the broad categories of practice that ive noticed are essential to the active persuit of magickal initiation and practice. Some traditions emphasize different pillars more than others but at the end of the day these practices are essential for magickal persuit.

Semiotics - the understanding and interpretation of symbols. This shows up in all magick traditions and can be seen in astrology, sigils, runes, spiritual communication. Ive noticed this skill is essential for not only understanding occult literature, but also in interpreting occult experiences.

Energy work - this is perhaps the most straight forward of the pillars yet the most elusive to modern westerners. Learning to interact and recognize energies. This seems to be more heavily emphasized in eastern traditions.

Meditation - exercising and expanding the depth, breadth, and control of thought. Meditation is a pillar of both energy work and spirit work as you must be able to distinguish your internal thoughts from thoughts outside of yourself.

Spirit work - very heavily emphasized in western, west african, and shamanic practices. This is the relationship the magician creates with non-human intelligences.

Ritualistic practice - another cornerstone like meditation, the physical practice of magick tying the symbolic/subtle acts to material ties all of the aforementioned pillars together.

Please let me know what you think about these "pillars" and if I missed anything or should expand further.

I would add a hearty dose of the study of psychology, human behaviour, and even things like logic.
Without a grounding in all facets or frequencies of living, your practise will naturally tend to be lopsided.
I am a naturally more lunar person by nature, so I had to pick a more solar path to balance myself out; and this also goes with our brain hemispheres.
Magick in popular thought tends to gravitate to only the creative imaginative side, but to be a well rounded and more powerful individual and 'magician' i believe you should also be intelligent, and rational, and able to work logically through problems on the earth material plane, not just the astral and higher spiritual planes.
You can't build a castle on sand and expect it to last.

 

[Audiolog Edu]

A disclaimer; I've only been studying the occult in ernest for about 3 years and These are the broad categories of practice that ive noticed are essential to the active persuit of magickal initiation and practice. Some traditions emphasize different pillars more than others but at the end of the day these practices are essential for magickal persuit.

Semiotics - the understanding and interpretation of symbols. This shows up in all magick traditions and can be seen in astrology, sigils, runes, spiritual communication. Ive noticed this skill is essential for not only understanding occult literature, but also in interpreting occult experiences.

Energy work - this is perhaps the most straight forward of the pillars yet the most elusive to modern westerners. Learning to interact and recognize energies. This seems to be more heavily emphasized in eastern traditions.

Meditation - exercising and expanding the depth, breadth, and control of thought. Meditation is a pillar of both energy work and spirit work as you must be able to distinguish your internal thoughts from thoughts outside of yourself.

Spirit work - very heavily emphasized in western, west african, and shamanic practices. This is the relationship the magician creates with non-human intelligences.

Ritualistic practice - another cornerstone like meditation, the physical practice of magick tying the symbolic/subtle acts to material ties all of the aforementioned pillars together.

Please let me know what you think about these "pillars" and if I missed anything or should expand further.

I would add an overall healthy life style, no drugs, no smoking, regular exercise, the Order I study from is known for being Mediterranean Yoga and they recommend a well balanced diet like the Mediterranean diet, this is very important, many people who are drug addicts feel atracted to Occultism myself included and I had to stop drugs like cannabis and tobacco so I could meditate and do rituals. I also heard from another Occultist that when you work for example absorbing energy from the Microcosmic Kether this energy stays in your physical body, and you need to exercise to have lets say meat where the energy absorbed can stay, that Occultis was in the US Army when he was young.

 

[Beyond Everything]

Missing absolutely crucial things

- The ability to imaginatively inhabit a goal (this can take various forms including visualization and/or emotionally)

- The ability to be self-aware in terms of self-reflective consciousness, ie being 'awake' under any and all circumstances chosen (some esoteric systems make this the central part of their development schemas, which is misguided)

- Competence with liminal states, including being able to function in them

- Competence in energy manipulation of one's internal universe (no, not talking about moving chi around or pore breathing elements)

- Ability to assess results, including long-term results of practices proposed and looking at evidence squarely (occultists tend to be severely allergic to this)

- Ability to resist mass thoughtforms and enticing or pressuring energies of egregores

 

[Morell]

Missing absolutely crucial things

- The ability to imaginatively inhabit a goal (this can take various forms including visualization and/or emotionally)

- The ability to be self-aware in terms of self-reflective consciousness, ie being 'awake' under any and all circumstances chosen (some esoteric systems make this the central part of their development schemas, which is misguided)

- Competence with liminal states, including being able to function in them

- Competence in energy manipulation of one's internal universe (no, not talking about moving chi around or pore breathing elements)

- Ability to assess results, including long-term results of practices proposed and looking at evidence squarely (occultists tend to be severely allergic to this)

- Ability to resist mass thoughtforms and enticing or pressuring energies of egregores

I don't think that inhabiting a goal in imagination is core stuff:
Active imagination is useful, but living in a dream doesn't mean you will make it real. Remember the movie Secret? Wasn't much effective as far as I know.

The rest is useful, especially the last one.