#hermetic magick

[occultesotericart]

[rosieandthemoon]

cemetery beauty

[pauljosephrovelli]

[samwisethewitch]

Rethinking "masculine" and "feminine" in Western magic

We all see it all the time. This plant has masculine energy. This crystal enhances feminine power. This ritual balances masculine and feminine forces. But what does any of that really mean?

After all, a plant does not have a gender. A crystal does not have a gender. Elements, planets, and celestial bodies do not have genders. So why is everything broken down into gendered categories in modern occult spaces?

The short answer: "Masculine" and "feminine" are shorthand terms that were developed by medieval alchemists, but modern occultists have lost that original context, leading to one-dimensional and reductive use of these terms.

The long answer: This model comes to us from Hermeticism by way of medieval alchemists. In the Hermetic model, the universe (or Prima Materia or Source or whatever) is a single whole divided into polarities -- sets of equal but opposite forces.

Here's a quote from the book Real Alchemy by Robert Allen Bartlett that I think explains this well:

"One of the earliest observations of Nature was that everything has its opposite -- day/night, male/female, hot/cold, wet/dry. The One divides into active and passive modes, with the active energy constituting the energies of life, and the passive one of the energy of matter.”

This idea was ridiculously widespread in the Middle Ages. To give just one example, Western traditional medicine (i.e., before modern medicine) was based on balancing the four humours by balancing opposite forces. So if you have inflammation, which is a hot and wet condition, you would treat it with herbal remedies that are cold and dry.

Early Hermeticists and alchemists classified different natural forces as either active or passive. Heat is active, cold is passive. Light is active, dark is passive. Fire (the force of transformation in alchemy) is active, while water (the universal solvent in alchemy) is passive. You get the idea.

Because of gender stereotypes in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, activeness eventually became associated with masculinity, and passiveness eventually became associated with femininity. You can still see this in old medical texts: Male bodies are hot and wet, but female bodies are cold and dry, so the medieval doctor should choose his treatment accordingly.

This has more to do with medieval European issues around gender than with nature or magic. My point here is that the gender stuff isn't literal: the Hermeticists did not literally believe that the planet Venus is female or that iron is male. Gendered terms were used as a shorthand to name opposites.

And even within medieval alchemical sources, gender is a spectrum! Let's take the elements as an example:

According to Bartlett, fire is the most active (“masculine”) element, while air is active but less active than fire. Water and earth are both considered passive (“feminine”) elements, but water is less passive/feminine than earth.

So, to recap: Hermetics believe in a perfect whole divided into polar opposites. Alchemists, doctors, and ceremonial magicians love this idea and run with it. Masculine/feminine is just one of many ways to describe these opposite forces. You could just as easily use active/passive to mean the same thing. And even in medieval times, each of these pairs of opposites was understood as a spectrum, with most energies falling somewhere between the two extremes.

The problem is that we've been playing a centuries-long game of telephone. Victorian occultists who were referencing Renaissance grimoires and still working in a vaguely Hermetic framework write in their books that, for example, roses have feminine qualities. A Wiccan author writing in the 1980s comes across this during their research and includes it in their book, but now it's one step further removed from that context. Several other authors repeat the claim that rose is feminine, all citing that one book from the '80s. Flash forward to 2025, and this claim is so removed from the original context that some witches genuinely believe rose is A Girl Flower because of some intangible Girlness inherent to the plant.

What does this mean for modern witches? Honestly, I think that kind of depends on the witch.

If you find working with masculine/feminine classifications helpful, I don't necessarily think you need to throw out that model. Just make sure you understand the background of these terms and remember that masculine/feminine in a magical sense is not the same as masculine/feminine in a gender sense. Maybe read up on Hermeticism, alchemy, and the other medieval and Renaissance occult systems that originated this model. Also, think about how using gendered terms in your practice is connected to your relationship with gender. How are you making space for nonbinary and agender energies and identities?

If you want to work with pairs of opposites but get weirded out by all the gender stuff, why not use a different polarity like active/passive or hot/cold to classify things instead? (This is how I classify herbs in my Southern Folk Magic practice.)

And if you don't particularly care about working with opposites in your practice, feel free to ignore this whole thing. There's no rule saying you have to label things this way.

[haematinon]

Created for my upcoming illustrated novel Ergo Cosmos, there is a free chapter available, if you are curious! I will put a link for it in the reply section.

"A certain secret musical order has borne the burden of keeping human affairs attuned to Hyperuranic Harmony, yet a long history of scheming has prevented them from remaining pure: a single mistake was enough to disrupt the Empire they so silently protected."

[astra-ravana]

Why I Spell Magick With A 'K'

I've seen a lot of back and forth over the years regarding the spelling of the word 'magick'. I figured it's about time I explain my reasons for refusing to drop the 'K' despite the occasional backlash. To me, 'magic' and 'magick' are two completely different things. Magic is a stage magician pulling a rabbit out of their hat. Magic is something whimsical and wonderous, like a rainbow unicorn or a vivid sunset.

Magick with a 'K' intends to convey the art and science of causing change to occur in conformity with one's own will and intentions. It's been around since the 1600's, it wasn't popularized by Aleister Crowley until the late 20th century. Regardless of how you feel about the man, Crowley was strongly influenced by Qabalah and Gematria, ancient mystical systems known for highlighting the importance of numerology and grammar. 'K' is the 11th letter of the alphabet, 11 represents divine connections and the power to manifest one's will. Adding 'K' to magick changed the spelling from 5 letters to 6, 6 being the number of unconditional love, nature, temperance, creativity, the hexagram, and the planet Venus.

Magick is a word of power, an ancient spell in and of itself. It hasn't ever had any other meaning and its a word made to physically and spiritually represent witches and practioners of the craft. To desregard it is to disregard not only the history, but also the legitimacy and seriousness of the craft.

In summary, do what works for you in the end, but you probably shouldn't reject an entire word because someone you don't agree with used it. That's just putting unnecessary limits on yourself and your potential.

[ceremonialmagick]

The Warburg library and its massive occult book collection is now open to the public! It is the home of Lady Frieda Harris´ Thoth Tarot paintings and other artwork related to Aleister Crowley and the Golden Dawn.

[nous-teleios]

The beauty of necromancy

[maeviuslynn]

It was such a delight to preview and blurb Lon Milo DuQuette's new book: " The Tarot Architect: How to Become the Master Builder of Your Spiritual Temple."

I just simply would not be where I am today with Lon Milo DuQuette. I think a lot of people can say the same thing. When I was asked to blurb his book his book I was so surprised and over the moon.

This book is a gem and preorders for it are open!

[gnosisofthedualrealms]

I'm not a fan of summoning spirits with a specific intention.

Everyone has their own approach to summoning spirits, but I do not like the practical approach. I don't like summoning angels and demons with a specific request utilizing a specific power associated with them. For instance, you'll never find me summoning Bael to make me invisible, but if he wants to, then that's cool.

When I summon spirits, I focus on what they tell me. Whatever information I need to know at the time will be shared with the spirit I summon. I strongly believe that all things happen as they're supposed to, meaning if I happen to summon a spirit today, it was synchronistically set to happen.

When I focused on this approach to ritual work, I found that I opened myself up more to unique situations that my unconscious would focus on during the day. For instance, I might read some piece of text that I feel I need to pay attention to, or some conversation would happen that would make me feel overly emotional. These feelings would translate to the ritual. It feels like they were the ones to draw my attention to that specific thing, which would then be expanded on in the ritual.

This has been happening almost daily, which has shifted me away from considering their powers completely. The demons and angels don't need to be commanded to use their powers. You just need to give them the space to work with it, and they'll give you exactly what you need.

This was a problem I observed in religion as well. Christians talk about faith in God, but so few of them understand its depths. If you truly abandon yourself to faith, you shouldn't have to ask God to fix your stuck situation. God is the one who put you there, and God will be the one to pull you out at the right time. For those who truly mastered faith (certainly not me), they can go through unimaginable torment, like loved ones passing, and understand that it was just meant to be. It's not different with Magick.

Magick won't work well if you don't believe, and in my opinion, if you have to be so specific as not just to ask but command a result, you lack the faith necessary for magick to really flourish.

Sometimes, it's not about getting rid of bad energy around you. The bad energy may be actually needed for you to grow. Many people see demons as evil, but what if they're actually helping you to see yourself as you are? Can't they be considered instruments of justice?

So, instead of asking for change, why not do a ritual to appreciate what you have? Make your attention one of gratitude and glorification of your life, exactly as it is, with every good and bad happening you're going through. I wouldn't be surprised if it opens you up to a change you actually need.

Additional thoughts:

I want to clarify that I'm not opposed to people who practice magick with specific asks. If you feel that's what you need to do, then who's stopping you? I certainly hope my words don't! I used to ask for things all the time but realized that it was hindering my growth, hence why I stopped.

I know that some people need to ask for things to grow properly, and what I said may be met with a lot of frustration and anger. I understand if it makes some of you feel that way, and I'm sorry if it does. The whole point of me saying this is to share my experience in hopes that it'll resonate with some of you who read this.

If your magick isn't working, maybe it's worth trying to be less specific and performing a ritual to express appreciation!

[figcatlists]

Occult and esoteric fiction reading list

A selection of literary works inspired or influenced by various currents of Western esoteric tradition and occultism, spanning from late antiquity to the present day. Includes historical novels about mages and alchemists, initiatory Rosicrucian romances, hermetic allegorical dream visions, gothic tales of elemental spirits, occult detective stories, satirical conspiracy thrillers, and more!

This chart was based on my longer list of 125 works of occult, esoteric, and initiatory fiction and poetry.

[occultesotericart]

Vigilant labor /// circa 16th c

[rosieandthemoon]

Sculpture by Ann Harrington

[pauljosephrovelli]

[khulthuskaotika]

LAM é a Chave e o Portal

[astra-ravana]

High Vs. Low Magick

High and low magick are terms used within the context of occult and esoteric practices, particularly in Western traditions. They refer to different approaches and philosophies within the practice of magick. Both are valid methods with different processes and techniques to obtain one's goal.

High Magick

• Focus: High magick often emphasizes theoretical and philosophical understanding, spiritual development, and the invocation of divine or archetypal forces.

• Methods: Practitioners may utilize complex rituals, symbolism, and visualization techniques to connect with higher realms and invoke powerful entities.

• Goals: The aim is often to achieve spiritual enlightenment, union with the divine, or to bring about significant changes in consciousness.

• Examples: Ceremonial magic, Enochian magic, and theurgy are often associated with high magick.

Low Magick

• Focus: Low magick tends to be more practical and focused on tangible results. It often involves working with personal energy and manipulating forces within the physical world.

• Methods: Practitioners may use techniques like sigil magic, spellcasting, and energy work to influence events, objects, or people.

• Goals: The aim is often to achieve specific goals, such as healing, protection, or material gain.

• Examples: Folk magic, witchcraft, and certain forms of talismanic magic are often associated with low magick.

It's important to note that:

• The distinction between high and low magick is not always clear-cut, and many practitioners incorporate elements of both approaches into their practice.

• The effectiveness of both approaches is often subjective and depends on the individual practitioner's skill, belief, and dedication.

• Both high and low magick can be powerful tools for personal growth and transformation, but they should be approached with respect and deep consideration.

Ultimately, the choice between high and low magick depends on the practitioner's individual goals, beliefs, and preferred methods. Both paths offer unique opportunities for spiritual exploration and personal development.