Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law
Perhaps this question on what it takes to attain should be given lecture. After all, you cannot know the glory and horrors of the Path until you’ve truly taken it seriously. You desire magical powers and initiations, do you? Well, shall we touch upon what this shall involve in terms of responsibility where you have to concentrate on priorities? After all, it is easy enough to criticize the robe of the magician where you do not know the first thing about its symbolism; and when the symbolism is explained you try to criticize the hat. Well, knowing this I shall move a little deeper on just how serious you will have to be. It was never a matter of self sacrifice but of concentrating on priorities to get as much done as possible. You think you can always have your cake; and eat it too. Yes, let’s go over these issues.
An old saw I heard tell long ago in the deep south. “Try and catch two rabbits; and both will get away”. How sublime and deep some of those old timer, old saws are where they go back and forth for years. Now, the wisdom of this with regards to spiritual attainment, family; and career applies very concisely where you choose your Path; and with one-pointedness do not fall prey to any deviations that might hinder your aspirations toward Adept and Master in this lifetime. It is, indeed, something important to ponder, don’t you think? Where so many fools move desoil in circumabluation only to turn widdershin for no purpose with no forethought nor balance of movement contradicting the path of their volition in the middle of the ceremony where they permitted a spirit of some obsession to confuse them. Yet, the principle is clear that to choose one Path is to not to choose another Path for to deviate at the wrong time you have forgotten to concentrate on priorities; and the magical gesture of the Great Work is no longer considered as important as the career where you have lost the golden thread to the supernal.
Well, you have attempted to embrace the best of both worlds; and have lost both; or worst you decide what was originally important isn’t as important as your original aspiration.
The amount of concentration, time and dedication it will take to be a magician and exorcist that has truly attained is very intense. You simply will not be able to juggle the two balls without both falling. If you decide to be the executive of the corporation where you are sufficiently ambitious you’ll find little or no time for anything else until success has stabilized you. Any serious career will be at odds with the aspiration of the initiate on the Path who really, really would attain true initiation.
Of course, the “magical retirement” or as they have commonly named it in places like California and Arizona; “spiritual retreat” does assist the aspirant to move quicker. Yet, it should also be noted that the Great Work is more than the 91 day magical retirement of Liber VIII or other important methods but a lifetime of moving forth slowly and carefully where all priorities are accomplished. Do you really think it is possible to do this and have a professional career? If you already rich, of course, you have enough servants at your disposal to have a career, do your Great Work and have a family but such a rare karma does not occur in any reality very often. Especially, if you have a wife who makes those usual demands whether it is some support; either financially, emotionally or otherwise.
My advice would be to anyone who has changed their mind with regards to a wife and children where they would embrace the Great Work to divorce your wife and give the children up for adoption. Of course, they never follow such callous advice but it is always delightful to observe the shocked look in their faces when I give such deliciously wicked advice.
In fact, most of those who have dedicated their lives to a career or family do nothing else; and the raw reality that it takes years to attain they never really want to admit to themselves. You have to choose whether you can try to catch both rabbits or lose them both or choose one path where you have succeeded with one.
So, the wealthy move on to become near imbeciles in their observation of those of lesser wealth; the family man wonders how it could have been worth it when his children now grown up do not communicate; the rich wife with husband gone compensates for her lose by her stupid cats; and naturally the Initiate moves forth trying to teach priorities where those who would have been initiates give up; or with an ego out of control rationalize their failures on their Instructor. It never ends where those of sufficient IQ think they know everything and learn nothing where they cannot balance their intellectual obsessions with the spiritual and the magical. Some of them have an IQ above average but do not reach Mensa level; and live with their delusions going so far as to slander the Adept or Master. It does occur from time to time. I tried to lecture previously on the dangers of left wing interpretations of “as brothers fight ye”.
So, the lesson of this lecture should be obvious or oblivious depending on how honestly you can observe yourself and the Path you finally decided was your will.
It should otherwise be carefully observed that those who would truly attain must work for it; and it is takes no little effort than a serious musician, or a Professor, or a executive in the technology industry; or any other serious career where we uphold with sincerity and dedication the Truth of our determination to never, never give up.
So, what does it take? Well, what does it take for you to truly become a very real Adept or Master in this lifetime? Perhaps you should look closer into the complexities of our curriculum to observe for yourself.
Perhaps, if you do, you’ll not jump to conclusions prior to making remarks about what we are, what we are doing; and what it means for Us to exist.
Love is the law, love under will