My nemesis here has repeatedly zeroed in on this, and appears to be --- once again, and no surprise! --- taking it completely the wrong way. Possibly, it is a simple misunderstanding that can be cleared up by a simple explanation. My tendency is to think, probably not, but, nonetheless, it is worth a shot!
The main objection seems to be that I think myself somehow special, and that I have arrogantly assigned myself the status of prophet/ magus. Actually, more or less the opposite is closer to the truth. This is going to take some explaining --- kindly bear with me, here. What is a prophet? What is a magus? These two words come from two different traditions, usually thought to be worlds apart. Why have I asserted that I am both? And more to the point of what I desire to say here, how did this come about? In order to understand it, you'll have to have a little history of me. Everyone pursues different things in life. My main pursuit, I hope, has always been to know and understand God. I say, "I hope," because I also know that I have also pursued several of my sins, and that is a bad thing. And I do not wish to deny that I have done this, so I am a little hesitant to claim that my main pursuit has always been God. Surely, I have slacked off on this many, many times, and pursued my own sins instead of pursuing God, and that is to my shame. But God has always kept me, at least a major part of my focus, on pursuing knowing and understanding Him. Since my own inclination is largely toward sin, it should be clearly pointed out and clearly known, that in reality, it is not my doing, that I have pursued an understanding of God. It is God's doing. This is consistent with Christianity in general, that we can do nothing good of ourselves, but that it is all God doing good in us, for His own glory. Some of you may know, and some may have surmised, that I have not, in the past, stuck with Catholicism or with Christianity exclusively. I have explored many different avenues of seeking God, studying different religions, and putting their tenets into practice, as well as continuing to pursue a Christian understanding. I sought a synthesis of all the truths I was able to find. That has placed me "outside the box," so to speak, with regard to the usual tenets of Christianity, as well as those other faiths. I have a marked tendency to go to extremes --- some of you have noticed. My seeking of enlightenment is no exception. And here is the crux of it all: I heard, when I was fairly young and impressionable, about this thing called, "enlightenment," and it appealed to me as something good to find. There is also, from a Christian perspective, something called "salvation." What, if anything, is the connection between the two? Does one have to sacrifice one for the other? Can one become enlightened and still be saved? Can one seek salvation in Christ, and still pursue enlightenment? It seems to me, that almost everyone in the world says "no," to these questions. The old maxim is that East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet. Christians in general, seem to treat other religions as the work of the devil, meant to lead us astray from the path of salvation. Whereas many of those who pursue more "Eastern" paths (though they exist also in the West), seem to come to a certain point where they "see through" and reject Christianity. Almost no one, it seems, wishes to hold fast to both, and see whether there is any reconciliation. I am the exception to that general rule. Now it sounds like I am saying there is something special about me, but I really don't understand why more people, seemingly, have not pursued the same path. Except that, I have observed, that the path is difficult. Now it sounds, again, like I am tooting my own horn here, claiming that I have what it takes to pursue such a difficult road. But really, that is none of my own doing. I didn't give myself the propensities that I have. And what has mainly carried me through the difficulty is one thing, really: tenacity. But why? Why did I maintain such tenacity, when those around me spent their time --- better, perhaps? --- on building their careers and obtaining "real lives?" If I say it was not my doing, then I deny the role that my will played in it. But if I say it is my doing, then I take too much credit. There is a mystery of the relationship of the soul to God that is incomprehensibly deep. In a true sense, it is both. Theologically, it is called co-operation. Co-operation implies that there is an operation that is being carried out by two. In the case of theological co-operation, it is the individual soul, and God, both carrying out the single operation on the soul. But to be clear, it is God who initiates everything, and it is God who gives the grace of co- operation, so the glory for the success of it --- such as it may be --- has to go to God. But since there can be nothing lacking on God's part, if the operation should fail, then the shame for that failure falls on me. Now what is expressed here is the virtue of humility. To give God credit for all one's successes, and to take the blame for all one's failures, is acknowledgment of God's supremacy, and that, essentially, is humility. A false humility would be pretending one is not something that one is. So now we come to the heart of the matter, and the thesis of this post. Prophet and magus are two different ideas coming from two different traditions. But I have already said that I sought a synthesis of all traditions. The office of prophet and the office of magus, however, do bear similarities worth noting. A prophet is chosen by God to give a message to God's People. This implies that no one chooses the office of prophet. But Saint Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14, that all should seek to prophesy, which would seem to indicate the opposite. Yet, plainly, no one can seek to prophesy who is not so inclined by their nature, which is at least partly something given to us by God, and not of our own doing. So, it is again, co-operation. Magus, on the other hand, is a grade of initiation. Now, I am not a member of any secret society, and no one else has initiated me. However, I do claim the grade of magus. It is a matter of synthesis, that I do. I have read some of the works of Aleister Crowley, not, indeed, as a follower, but as a student. He wrote, about the grade of magus, that it carries a curse, namely, that a magus is required to deliver his word to men, as part of the burden of the attainment of his grade, and that men would necessarily be deceived by his word, since (according to Crowley and others) the actual truth cannot be put into human words. Keep in mind that I don't believe everything Crowley wrote, but nonetheless, I have found some value in some of it, and with that caveat, I will reproduce here, the account of the Grade of Magus that he wrote. “This is an account of the Grade of Magus, the highest grade which it is ever possible to manifest in any way whatever upon this plane. Or so it is said by the Masters of the Temple.” A∴A∴ Publication in Class A. 00. One is the Magus: twain His forces: four His weapons. These are the Seven Spirits of Unrighteousness; seven vultures of evil. Thus is the art and craft of the Magus but glamour. How shall He destroy Himself? 0. Yet the Magus hath power upon the Mother both directly and through Love. And the Magus is Love, and bindeth together That and This in His Conjuration. 1. In the beginning doth the Magus speak Truth, and send forth Illusion and Falsehood to enslave the soul. Yet therein is the Mystery of Redemption. 2. By his Wisdom made He the Worlds; the Word that is God is none other than He. 3. How then shall He end His speech with Silence? For He is Speech. 4. He is the First and the Last. How shall He cease to number Himself? 5. By a Magus is this writing made known through the mind of a Magister. The one uttereth clearly, and the other understandeth; yet the Word is falsehood, and the Understanding darkness. And this saying is Of All Truth. 6. Nevertheless it is written; for there be times of darkness, and this as a lamp therein. 7. With the Wand createth He. 8. With the Cup preserveth He. 9. With the Dagger destroyeth He. 10. With the Coin redeemeth He. 11. His weapons fulfil the wheel; and on What Axle that turneth is not known unto Him. 12. >From all these actions must He cease before the curse of His Grade is uplifted from Him. Before He attain to That which existeth without Form. 13. And if at this time He be manifested upon earth as a Man, and therefore is this present writing, let this be His method, that the curse of His grade, and the burden of His attainment, be uplifted from Him. 14. Let Him beware of abstinence from action. For the curse of His grade is that He must speak Truth, that the Falsehood thereof may enslave the souls of men. Let Him then utter that without Fear, that the Law may be fulfilled. And according to His Original Nature will that law be shapen, so that one may declare gentleness and quietness, being an Hindu; and another fierceness and servility, being a Jew; and yet another ardour and manliness, being an Arab. Yet this matter toucheth the mystery of Incarnation, and is not here to be declared. 15. Now the grade of a Magister teacheth the Mystery of Sorrow, and the grade of a Magus the Mystery of Change, and the grade of Ipsissimus the Mystery of Selflessness, which is called also the Mystery of Pan. 16. Let the Magus then contemplate each in turn, raising it to the ultimate power of Infinity. Wherein Sorrow is Joy, and Change is Stability, and Selflessness is Self. For the interplay of the parts hath no action upon the whole. And this contemplation shall be performed not by simple meditation—how much less then by reason! but by the method which shall have been given unto Him in His initiation to the Grade. 17. Following which method, it shall be easy for Him to combine that trinity from its elements, and further to combine Sat-Chit-Ananda, and Light, Love, Life, three by three into nine that are one, in which meditation success shall be That which was first adumbrated to Him in the grade of Practicus (which reflecteth Mercury into the lowest world) in Liber XXVII, «Here is Nothing under its three Forms.» 18. And this is the Opening of the Grade of Ipsissimus, and by the Buddhists it is called the trance Nerodha-Samapatti. 19. And woe, woe, woe, yea woe, and again woe, woe, woe, unto seven times be His that preacheth not His law to men! 20. And woe also be unto Him that refuseth the curse of the grade of a Magus, and the burden of the Attainment thereof. 21. And in the word CHAOS let the book be sealed; yea, let the Book be sealed. ********************* Now, I wish to draw attention to the similarity between what is related here, and the office of prophet. Jeremiah wrote, "20:9 Then I said: I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name: and there came in my heart as a burning fire, shut up in my bones, and I was wearied, not being able to bear it." So there is, with a prophet as well as a magus, a requirement to speak up. Neither the prophet nor the magus is at liberty to keep silent. See also, the Book of Jonah, for what can happen to a prophet should he refuse to speak up. It is my hope, that I will be able to avoid at least part of the curse of the grade of Magus, namely that by which his word necessarily deceives. And this, because of the Truth of Christ. I believe that with the coming of the Messiah, it is now possible to convey real truth in human language. Whereas previously, prophets spoke in ways that were more or less veiled, since the coming of the Christ, the Truth can be expressed simply. But veils, there still are, that are within the hearer. It is the responsibility of the hearer, then, to seek enlightenment, or salvation, or both together as it were, so that the possession of the Truth may be complete. I do not desire to be seen as "special." I desire, rather, that all should know the Truth that I possess, that I have received from Christ, and that He desires to convey to all people. Jesus said, Luke 12:49 I have come to cast fire on the earth. And what will I, but that it be kindled? Amen! Let the fire be kindled now! Amen!
