Occult, Qabalah, Golden Dawn disillusionment

[Aion]

Funny how you can't commend your own practice without discrediting another in the process...

Well it's not like I'm getting paid to "commend" them. I'm just sharing what has worked for me. That other stuff is about selling you a membership (at times), and they only offer you a drip of the truth at a time. The truth is simple: meditate and meditate the right way. Unfortunately, meditating the right way is something that you discover as you meditate. If you told someone to get from A to B, would you tell them to go from A to 3 to 10 to 5 to B? Why not just go right to the point? I even find it ironic that those Western mystery traditions are, more and more, incorporating traditions from the East. Doesn't that tell you something in and of itself?

Okay, let me ask you, what is the point of ritual magick? Let me just start by telling you that I'd be surprised if you could answer that question with one word.

Communion.

I don't see any need to 'defend' the different traditions, I just find your opinion somewhat snide. That it doesn't work for you or that you don't see merit in it doesn't define it or determine whether it is effective for someone else. It is well and good to express what has worked or not worked for you, but the attitude you're giving seems to be more of superiority.

That's such a vague sounding word. And you're the one insinuating that I'm trying to be superior. That wasn't my intention at all. It just seems that M1 is searching for something. I'm trying to offer assistance.

Any word can be vague depending on what you see in it. Communion is simply, it is the Creator experiencing the Creator. I understand trying to offer assistance, I just don't understand why, in finding ones own path, there is the need to refute or belittle other paths. It doesn't work for you, that is all good, but why indirectly call down the people who do get something from it by implying it is an inferior method? It just doesn't make sense to me.

Also...

I wish that Aion could suggest what somebody could do in my situation, but he completely shuts down the conversation by acting all abrasive like that.

I was pretty under the impression that you saw no value in rituals so I don't really think I'd have much to offer. It's clear that my own experiences and path has brought me to different realizations than you guys and that's all good, I don't see anything wrong with your guys' preference. I just don't get why the realization that a path is not for you has to come with calling the path down.

I'll be honest I generally don't end up sharing largely because my views are 'out there' and I don't think the way in which I understand these things would be useful to you.

However, you might find it interesting that I studied Buddhism before I ever studied ceremonial magic. Actually Buddhism has tons of ceremonial magic within it that most people probably don't recognize as such. For example sand mandalas are a great example of an Eastern ceremonial ritual. Buddhism is full of empowerment and initiation rituals done for transition from teacher to student.