05.07. Setian.
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This article is from the Magick-Chaos FAQ, by AShdeamoNium ashton@netcom.com with numerous contributions by others.
05.07. Setian.
From: Michael.Aquino@125-430.wmeonlin.sacbbx.com (Michael Aquino)
The founders of the Temple of Set disagreed with a May 1975 decision
by LaVey to sell the Satanic Priesthood [and all other initiatory
degrees of the Church of Satan] for personal profit. Prior to that
time the Priesthood had been considered a sacred trust, attainable
by personal merit exclusively.
When LaVey announced his new policy, approximately 100 of the
250-total members of the Church resigned on principle. These
would later become the founders of the Temple of Set. It differs
not only in its continuance of strict interpretation of initiatory
standards, but also by an open atmosphere of communication and a
rejection of Judaeo/Christian iconography.
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From: Michael.Aquino@f430.n125.z1.fidonet.org (Michael Aquino)
>What is the Setian view on magickal systems, especially those of
>Carroll, Crowley, and Spare?
A general answer to your first question may take care of the others
as well ...
The Temple of Set approaches "magic" with a very broad brush; magic
is magic, be it used for whatever purpose. It involves the use of
principles which have not yet been identified or codified [or
accepted by the establishment] to be classified as "science". Since
it is imperfectly understood and applied, it yields imperfect and
unreliable results. In this it is no different than the science of
flight at the time the Wright brothers & others were trying to get
an assortment of crazy contraptions into the air, usually - but
not always - with comic opera results.
So today's magician must be prepared to achieve some success, but
also to screw up a lot. He may take some consolation in being a
pioneer, but he must also expect that non-magicians will think him
a nut. Thus it has been with all pioneers throughout history. And
of course some of them got somewhere, while others didn't.
No guarantees in this line of work.
The Temple divides magic into only two "colors" for basic purposes:
White and Black. While I could give you a variety of technical
definitions, let's keep it simple: White Magic involves
self-deception as well as the deceit of others, by being based on
mere superstition which either has nothing whatever to underpin it
or which has long since been proven a piece of nonsense. For
example: Judaeo/Christianity and all "occultisms" derived from
it, such as the Cabala.
[Pause here for shock waves to subside.]
Black Magic is magic in which there is no self-deceit whatever.
The magician knows exactly what he is doing, why he is doing it,
and what he expects to accomplish. Associates or assistants also
do what they do with open eyes. Persons, situations, or things
which are the *object* of the magical operation may be deceived,
manipulated, or otherwise changed.
In this sense a Black Magician might conduct a "White Magical"
ceremony for purposes of controlling people who believe in it.
But he would not believe in it, except as a tool, himself.
This dovetails into your question about Set & other gods. Set is not
a cartoon-god like YHVH, Krishna, et al. - but is rather a
*principle* [or *Form* in Platonic terminology] giving substance
and organization to individual self-consciousness. So while you
could theoretically pray or talk to Set, in actuality you would be
praying or talking to the thing which makes yourself yourself -
but which simultaneously enables other independent selves.
One of the founding principles of the Temple of Set in 1975 was that
"all other gods are created by men". This has never been interpreted
as a "sneer", but simply as an important realization of metaphysical
truth. It is precisely the psychecentric consciousness which enables
us to create "gods" and "daemons" to personify wishes, desires,
prerogatives beyond those to which we are limited as
inhabitants/prisoners of a mechanical, physical universe. We
approach becoming gods ourselves - the process which the Temple
summarizes as _Xeper_ - as we strengthen those aspects of ourselves
which are not dictated by the objective universe.
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