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The Med From Deep River's avatar

Worth noting that it was once almost universally the case that prospective students had to actively search out their mentors, who actively hid from prying eyes so they could cultivate their silence, vision, and craft.

With the internet the search was abbreviated, losing much of its significance and risk, and hence much of its sorting power. Those of us too picky and careful with our trust had to teach ourselves.

Justin A. Burnett's avatar

Excellent post! I’d like to try and articulate a response, when I get the time.

enfanterribleidiotsavantgarden's avatar

My goal or ambition is too big and vainly, naively external and, dangerously, universal oriented. i.e. the Communist project.

I tried it using magic and cunningness but nah, so at this point I’m teleporting, time travelling, using telepathy and communicating with a superior alien species. I always been sceptical about this crap but I’ve seen many things that…

There’s a nice work btw. Will be of interest for all of you:

Spiritualizing Anarchism, Making Spiritual Practices Anarchistic

https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/8/4/65

Contraryon's avatar

I can't tell if this is basically a reconfigured argument against cultural appropriation, or if it's trying to make a substantive argument for a particular (or at least restricted) interpretation of modern occultism.

In any case, by way of critique, at least half of the name drops could be cut without losing any of the meaning. As a stylistic choice, I don't think they work. They muddy the argument and make me hostile to the text.

Edit: Also, "Kabbalah and Criticism" is 126 pages.

Andrei Codrescu's avatar

gotta find a better word - i kept reading “optometrist” and then rubbing my eyes after chopping an onion — and why the lowered register? where is your RAW humor, magis? i smell one mfa

The devil made me do it...'s avatar

intriguing, I find occultists just have no idea how to do a ritual - it's embarrassing but it is a lack of joining the circus - the only place where true magick exists is the clown

Sirius White's avatar

This! Excellent piece, and very similar thoughts. I’d given up on the nonsense sprouted on the internet 20 years or so ago, this captures that journey very well. I’m think, I am nearly there again, but now I don’t care!