Hello

[Iambutastudent]

Hi everyone. In the week or so I've spent here, I've been impressed with the maturity of the discourse. I havent seen the posturing that can be common in this type of culture.

A brief background: I've been drawn to the mysterious, mythical, and macabre since I can remember. In my childhood years, I was raised Catholic. There was a period where I was a true believer in this system. That was abandoned in my teens, but I think much of it is still a part of me. At least in aesthetics if nothing else.

In my teenage post-Catholic agnostic stage, I had an intense experience of which I have much later learned was expressly an act of magick.

Later in my teens I began exploring and identifying with punk, goth, and metal culture. Through which I was superficially introduced to the occult, though I went nowhere with it at the time. Later i became a materialist atheist for a long stretch. While this had it merits in grounding me in reason, it ultimately brought me to nihilism and depression. Through cognitive dissonance I wouldn't allow myself to see how at odds materialism was with my experiences in life. This elucidated by the aforementioned act, a few intense paranormal experiences, and period of sleep paralysis episodes, in which I brushed up with acute dread and terror in palpable otherness. This dread and terror in turn reflected subsequently in vivid nightmares.

For about a year I've been studying the occult broadly and practicing lightly. I'll say no more on that for now.

The symbol of the serpent resonates strongly with me. Through this symbol I exhalt knowledge, wisdom, and perpetual change. I see the shedding of skin, again and again, as the key to broadening perspective and consciousness.

So, maybe that was not a brief introduction. But, thanks for reading if you made it this far and I look forward to learning more from you all.

Cheers

 

[Ziran]

So, maybe that was not a brief introduction. But, thanks for reading if you made it this far and I look forward to learning more from you all.

It's nice to meet you, welcome, and I appreciated reading what you wrote.

 

[Pyrokar]

I noticed you lurking around.

That was very wise of you to give it time and i know exactly what you mean.

A child of the serpent huh, a little iddy bitty Setite, an Orochimaru aspirant, a squirmy Slytherin
I look forward to growing and shedding with you.

You don't have to go into details, but im curious about this experience in your post Catholic stage,
hopefully when you feel more at ease we can share.
Welcome

 

[KjEno186]

Nice to meet you. Welcome to the forum!

 

[Iambutastudent]

You don't have to go into details, but im curious about this experience in your post Catholic stage,
hopefully when you feel more at ease we can share.
Welcome

My first inclination is to share every detail, but I feel like I've revealed as much as I should right now. I don't yet have a developed idea of where the borders of silence lie.

 

[DiLoco_DelEted]

Hi everyone. In the week or so I've spent here, I've been impressed with the maturity of the discourse. I havent seen the posturing that can be common in this type of culture.

A brief background: I've been drawn to the mysterious, mythical, and macabre since I can remember. In my childhood years, I was raised Catholic. There was a period where I was a true believer in this system. That was abandoned in my teens, but I think much of it is still a part of me. At least in aesthetics if nothing else.

In my teenage post-Catholic agnostic stage, I had an intense experience of which I have much later learned was expressly an act of magick.

Later in my teens I began exploring and identifying with punk, goth, and metal culture. Through which I was superficially introduced to the occult, though I went nowhere with it at the time. Later i became a materialist atheist for a long stretch. While this had it merits in grounding me in reason, it ultimately brought me to nihilism and depression. Through cognitive dissonance I wouldn't allow myself to see how at odds materialism was with my experiences in life. This elucidated by the aforementioned act, a few intense paranormal experiences, and period of sleep paralysis episodes, in which I brushed up with acute dread and terror in palpable otherness. This dread and terror in turn reflected subsequently in vivid nightmares.

For about a year I've been studying the occult broadly and practicing lightly. I'll say no more on that for now.

The symbol of the serpent resonates strongly with me. Through this symbol I exhalt knowledge, wisdom, and perpetual change. I see the shedding of skin, again and again, as the key to broadening perspective and consciousness.

So, maybe that was not a brief introduction. But, thanks for reading if you made it this far and I look forward to learning more from you all.

Cheers

Hello and welcome to the forum.

 

[HoldAll]

My first inclination is to share every detail, but I feel like I've revealed as much as I should right now. I don't yet have a developed idea of where the borders of silence lie.

Apart from the obvious reasons (materialists ridiculing you or starting to treat you like a crazy persons), I'd say silence is important in discussions with other occultists whenever the information you share is about ongoing operations or sensitive personal development where any criticism, doubt or merely input from others would cause unwelcome and destructive interference. So in my book, it's ok to ask technical questions before a working or as soon as it becomes plainly clear that it failed but not while you are still waiting for a result - that's a rather delicate stage where comments such as "Nah, you should have..." or "The mistake you made was..." could destroy any potential benefits of your efforts that may be already accruing in the background.

If you share your personal experiences in the forum or out there in meatspace, you must be prepared to not only receive useful feedback but also opinionated criticisms, inappropriate jokes, vainglorious witticisms, or comments coming from posters just idly shooting the shit. Personally, I only ask questions when I'm stuck, whenever I feel that answers can only come from experienced practitioners (and not from books) but not when I think that any outside feedback would disturb any project that's intensely private and only has meaning for me personally. That's my two cents regarding silence.

 

[Pyrokar]

Ignore that guy.

But yes, SORT OF, on going operations should not be shared but not because of them, but because of you, the interference in his example stands.

however, the silence includes things that may be used against you. Names in particular are very powerful.
Never share names given to you through practice or that you give to your familiars, Never share sigils or passwords, identities and so on.
For example, i can't do anything about a past experience that skims the above mentioned details.
But i can get involved in someone's spirit shenanigans if i knew their name or seal, their inner or astral temple's defences, the sigil of their desire
To make it as simple as possible, treat it like you would treat your internet safety. You can reveal plenty, but you would never tell someone your PIN

 

[Iambutastudent]

I appreciate your feedback re: silence. While the "act" i referenced was 25 years ago, whether or not its an ongoing operation isn't immediately obvious to me. It certainly isn't something I think about every day or a process I've been consciously involved with since the act. The details, however, are quite personal. The details really don't matter though, the process matters.

There's no question in my mind about why, what, and how it happened. I dont need any answers or closure. Sharing what the process was would likely be insightful or beneficial to others though, and probably myself too. For that reason I may start a new thread to open a discussion about it. I've already seen some posts in this forum about processes directly related to (or possibly identical to, though in the context of established ritual, as opposed to an the organic process I experienced) the process I went through. So, a discussion about this process may elucidate an imbrication with established rituals or modes of practice.

 

[Pyrokar]

Don't worry about it brother, i was not pushing the matter further, aka making you share against your judgement
Merely answering your confusion about silence. As you may not know, Silence is one of our hermetic laws.
Pretty counterintuitive since we are talking about it on a forum i know but i promise it will all make sense in time.
Your attention and time should now be focused instead on expanding your horizons, hop into the forums
ask questions, dumb ones clever ones, show your opinions, do your studying and everything else will follow. No more lurking

 

[Iambutastudent]

No worries. I didn't get the impression that you were pressuring me.

I understand that silence is a principle shared broadly in esoteric tradition for myriad reasons. I also know through experience there is power in silence beyond an occult context. One example is that silence provides a quiet self-confidence in its intrinsic refusal of external validation.

There's a lot to talk about on the idea of silence. A topic for later though. I think I've exhausted the use of this introduction thread.

Thanks for everyone's greetings and feedback