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Brief Introduction To Chaos Magick

Mart

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Chaos Magick is an umbrella term for a post-modernist style of eclectic occult practice that emerged in the 70s.
I find that the best way to describe Chaos Magick is to simply call it Experimental Magick, as that’s exactly what it is. The “Chaos” part might confuse some people at first, as it’s commonly associated with disorder, or Primordial Cosmic Chaos and that’s not really what Chaos Magick is about.
What is it about then? A result-based approach. With CM anything goes, whether it’s piecing together different paths and traditions, or creating entirely new practices from the ground up – as long as it works. It’s a highly individualized practice, that doesn’t lend itself too well to more traditional Master-Apprentice style teaching methods, as every Chaote will have to discover their own unique path.

How is Chaos Magick recognized as a branch of it’s own, if it can take nearly any form?
There are some features one might observe, that are common in CM, for example:
-Using belief as the main tool and constructing rituals in order to influence one’s subconscious mind.
This approach utilizes Energy Manipulation technique as the core mechanism and uses a customized ritual template to reinforce one’s own Will.
-Sigils, while not limited to CM by any means, are another one of Chaote’s favored techniques.
-Servitors, Thought Forms, Tulpas, Energy Constructs – also commonly utilized, sometimes creating their own custom pseudo-pantheon of “deities”.
While it is recognized that they are not true Gods, they are no less useful for various tasks one “programs” them for.
-Various unique experimental techniques, e.g. Technomancy, Cut-Up, Playback, etc.

I personally don’t subscribe to the idea that magick is “all in the head”, as centuries old ritual practices have proven themselves many times over. Ancient ways are still very powerful, in that they often help one connect to a strong energetic current. At the very least, there is power in what you could call an “imprint” in the Aether, carved out by collective repetition of certain rites and methods, fueled by many individual Wills and skillful energy manipulation.

Chaos Magick since it’s inception had a tendency to draw inspiration from pop culture, be it literature (e.g. H.P. Lovecraft), movies, music etc.
In the more recent years a phenomenon known as “Meme Magick” has been speculated about, which can very much be attributed to CM. The theory is, that the collective focus is a powerful enough force to create a natural egregore and unknowingly charge the thought form with ideas that get attributed to it. If such a hypothesis proved to be valid, it could potentially become a rather dangerous phenomenon, as thought forms without clear direction tend to go rogue and can cause literal chaos, they can also get hijacked by other entities or occultists of ill intent.

Common criticism of Chaos Magick includes a lot of the same things directed at the New Age “occultism”, for instance – the lack of initiatory knowledge that is present in more traditional schools of Magick. The criticism is partially valid, that is if a Chaos practitioner only relies on their own personal gnosis without bothering to confirm it, or don’t start by learning more traditional approaches to source from and verify what works. Criticism like that can sometimes be ignorant, in a sense that it discredits the development of spiritual discipline, science and art, which evolve over time like any other.

One of the major allures and benefits of Chaos Magick is the refreshing freedom from dogma and antiquated morals that it offers, which become a hindrance to many new practitioners as time moves on. However, it should not be forgotten that the old ways are still very much worth studying, especially as a novice, if only just to be able to identify the core mechanisms which yield consistent results.

Notable Chaos practitioners include Austin Osman Spare, Peter J. Carroll, Ray Sherwin, William S. Burroughs and Genesis P-Orridge.
 

Albedo

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That post for sure enlighted me in so many ways, thanks for the authors too, i've already read some content from Peter Carroll but i'll take a look for sure in these other names, looking to study some more about servitors.

Your definition for Chaos Magick really defines why i got my interest in the art, could that therm Energy Manipulation have any relation with vampirism techniques?

Also, when studying about some divination methods i saw some vague applications with sigils, are you familiarized with that tecnique?
 

Mart

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I was just talking with Skull earlier today that there is a lack of content related to CM and at least a brief introduction would be in order. :D
Anyway.. Yes, Vampirism is one of the areas that EM is applied in, EM itself is a core skill of any occultist.
I can't say I'm familiar with sigil application in divination.. 🤔 Generally sigils are utilized by various occult practitioners, not just Chaotes, with the primary function being manifestation.
 

Albedo

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Yeah i'll do some research about sigils in general, maybe uses in another occult practics, my knowledge in this area is pretty thin for now

Well, thanks for your explanation anyways, helped a lot ^^
 

The God-King

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Also, when studying about some divination methods i saw some vague applications with sigils, are you familiarized with that tecnique?

Sigils are used in divination for a few purposes; spirit contact, scrying the Elements or Aethers, Gate Walking and Planetary Initiations, transcendent evocation and certain forms of astral travel (though some would liken them to the same thing as scrying the elements)
 

The God-King

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Excellent primer on Chaos Magic. I do have a question though; apart from simply wanting to do their own thing, why would someone want to work with a being they created recently (thoughtform, tulpa, egregore, etc) over a being that's been in existence for centuries? Do Chaotes believe an entity they created a few months ago can rival the results of an entity who's been around for centuries?
 

Mart

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Excellent primer on Chaos Magic. I do have a question though; apart from simply wanting to do their own thing, why would someone want to work with a being they created recently (thoughtform, tulpa, egregore, etc) over a being that's been in existence for centuries? Do Chaotes believe an entity they created a few months ago can rival the results of an entity who's been around for centuries?
I think the reasons will vary for most, for one, I see the appeal in a more "narrow-focused" intelligence with very specific tasks, as opposed to having to deal with ancient beings with their own will, likes, dislikes etc. Said ancient being might also refuse to work with the magician for whatever reason, while the one you create yourself, will ideally be completely under your control, if created properly. The designing of such a construct itself is it's own benefit, as you can build in various safeguards and stops, preventing undesirable behaviour, as well as fine tuning the core nature of the construct. I think the difference between a real and an artificial entity could be comparable to that of a general-purpose AI versus a more narrow one, targeted for specific tasks. While one is more powerful and intelligent, the other one is a lot simpler, but none the less useful. I hope this answers your question. :)
 

The God-King

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I think the reasons will vary for most, for one, I see the appeal in a more "narrow-focused" intelligence with very specific tasks, as opposed to having to deal with ancient beings with their own will, likes, dislikes etc. Said ancient being might also refuse to work with the magician for whatever reason, while the one you create yourself, will ideally be completely under your control, if created properly. The designing of such a construct itself is it's own benefit, as you can build in various safeguards and stops, preventing undesirable behaviour, as well as fine tuning the core nature of the construct. I think the difference between a real and an artificial entity could be comparable to that of a general-purpose AI versus a more narrow one, targeted for specific tasks. While one is more powerful and intelligent, the other one is a lot simpler, but none the less useful. I hope this answers your question. :)
So it's the equivalent of building your own platform if the ones your currently on fuck with your content or w/e (like the patreon creator did cuz YouTube was stealing all of his live chat donations). I can dig it.
 

Angeltrill

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So it's the equivalent of building your own platform if the ones your currently on fuck with your content or w/e (like the patreon creator did cuz YouTube was stealing all of his live chat donations). I can dig it.
How do u build another platform
 

Mart

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Please let's stay on topic guys..
 

SkullTraill

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I think the reasons will vary for most, for one, I see the appeal in a more "narrow-focused" intelligence with very specific tasks, as opposed to having to deal with ancient beings with their own will, likes, dislikes etc. Said ancient being might also refuse to work with the magician for whatever reason, while the one you create yourself, will ideally be completely under your control, if created properly. The designing of such a construct itself is it's own benefit, as you can build in various safeguards and stops, preventing undesirable behaviour, as well as fine tuning the core nature of the construct. I think the difference between a real and an artificial entity could be comparable to that of a general-purpose AI versus a more narrow one, targeted for specific tasks. While one is more powerful and intelligent, the other one is a lot simpler, but none the less useful. I hope this answers your question. :)
Couldn't have said it better myself. With the centuries of existence and experience, many "already existing" beings have requirements, restrictions, side-effects and sometimes stubbornness that a CM practitioner may not want to deal with. Sometimes for a simple repeatable task, you're better off with a servitor than petitioning a demon each time and having to deal with all that entails each time you want to do this simple task.
 

Mart

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I do agree that building a relationship with certain entities can be beneficial in the long run, especially where knowledge is concerned and sometimes you just really need that extra power they can offer, without you having to do much on your own.. But yeah, servitors are really convenient if you simply just don't want to bother the entity with something mundane or whatever.
 
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