Fragment 19

I remember as a teenager how much I enjoyed reading Sax Rohmer's "Romance of Sorcery".I really liked the brief biographies he did of some of the prominent Occultists of the past. They were both instructive and inspirational. It is always instructive to observe people that are further along the same path: to find ones true self, and true will. And it is inspirational to read about what they accomplished. So in the spirit of Sax Rohmer, I am going to write on some of the important figures of Occultism. Instead of pure biography like Rohmer, I want to write more critical essays to examine their contributions they made to Occultism. My only criteria for the figures I picked is that I have something new to say, or I believe they have been undeservedly overlooked, or forgotten.I know that there are a lot of young aspirants that have taken up the path because they were inspired by reading "Harry Potter" books, or fantasy novels. Where there is some super powered wizard. I have no trouble with this, it does not matter where ones inspiration comes from. It is to those young aspirants that I address this essay to; I remember being one of them. So I am going to start with the most powerful Magos of the twentieth century. I know power is a powerful inspiration; like the powerful wizards we meet in fantasy novels. The wizard that can change the world; turn back armies or invading fleets with the wave of his-her magic wand. this type of wizard is a staple of fantasy novels. the figure we are going to look at in this essay is one of the few Magi that had this kind of power; the power to bring one of the great empires of history to its knees. His life should also be seen as a cautionary tale; that this kind of power brings both great responsibility and sacrifice. So let us observe the most powerful Magos of the twentieth century: Mohandas K. Ghandi, the Great Souled One. I can already hear the questions of in the readers minds. Ghandi was a political figure what does he have to do with magic? As I said last "Fragment" that our modern distinction between Occultism, Religion, and politics is an artificial one. People want to live according to their beliefs ( Faith, Religion, Magic, etc.).Ghandi's aim was political, a free and independent India; his methods were magical. If a reader doubts the power of Ghandi's magic, tell me another modern Magos that has defeated a great empire by the force of his personality. Ghandi had no armies, navies, or guns, etc. His power consisted of the power of his personality. By the force of his will he brought the British empire to its knees. And he never even issued a violent threat. Let us look at Ghandi as a magical figure. In ancient mythologies we often encounter semi-divine figures (Demigods) who founded their culture by driving out invaders, using only the force of their personalities: such is Ghandi. If Ghandi had lived in the Bronze age he would have been portrayed as such a Demigod. In the fantasy novels the wizard is usually portrayed as being attired in elaborate robes with a fancy magic wand. Ghandi did have a distinctive style of dress. He wore a loincloth and a shawl. Let me say a few words about the colorful clothes many Magi adopt. I am not condemning this practice. A Magos has both right and a duty to choose his-her dress style. To be authentic, a Magos should choose a dress style that that represents some aspect of their self. Of course, this is what Ghandi did with hes distinctive style. His mode of dress represented his discipline and self sacrifice. Everything superfluous to his mission was discarded. I also want to say a few words about the magic wand, or magical tools. All or us have our favorite magical tools. The magical tools should also be a symbol of the self of the Magos. So instead of a wand Ghandi had a spinning wheel. This is a representation of his self and his teaching. That one needs to work to achieve independence and self sufficiency. Ghandi charged into such a powerful sigil that is on the national flag of India. No culture know how to sacralize work like the Indians. Work is not just an ethic, but a spiritual discipline. this has had the side effect of making Indians some of the most desired employees for industries around the world. Humble work and and perseverance were the foundations of Ghandi's power. It is hare to think of a more fitting symbol for him than the spinning wheel. The source of Ghandi's power was perseverance,work, and his unimpeachable integrity. If one desires success and power in magic one must have integrity. There is no substitute. the result was Ghandi's moral authority. A quality that is lacking in today's world. He gained moral authority through conscious suffering, integrity, and work. Moral authority has to be earned. This is something the present age has forgotten. The present day media tries to manufacture moral authority. This can be seen in all the teen activists the media is always hyping. Of course these teen activists have not done the work to earn moral authority, that is why they have none. Moral authority can not be artificially manufactured. Only through conscious suffering, and perseverance can moral authority be gotten. Ghandi taught that conscious suffering give one soul force that can be used, for those that still have doubts for Ghandi being a magical figure. Let us take a look at Ghandi's integrity. No matter how many times he was beaten wrongly imprisoned, he was never tempted to use violence. He never gave into rage. It seems from his writings that violence never even tempted him. He never even issued a violent threat To conclude I want to briefly look at moral authority, since it is a magical power that is largely absent in the present day. To take the simplest example: a teacher supervising children. The simplest way for a teacher to loose moral authority is to go down to the level of the children. the teacher must be a fair impartial judge of the children's actions, and live up to the standards that have been set. In one word: Integrity. The other pillar of moral authority is expertise. This is earned from expeience. The teacher has had to master his-her subject. Which means making mistakes, and discipline. In other words: conscious suffering and perseverance. Ghandi never sank to the level of his adversaries. And there were no nights or weekends off from being Ghandi. No trips to the gaming tables, or romancing starlets. His asceticism, and devotion to his cause put him on a higher level than those around him. Ghandi's teaching is called " satygraha " which roughly translates as holding on to truth. For Ghandi truth was not a abstract idea, but an ethical practice, truth is lived. Ghandi also taught self sufficiency. When you are dependent on other people you are already compromised. Ghandi was an Indian nationalist that sought to free people, make them independent, by being self sufficient. If Ghandi is not to your taste in Magi, next "Fragment" I shall examine a fun colorful Magos from the nineteenth century. That is both overlooked and important.