An Approach to Magick
by Frater Y.V.
“Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will.”
—Aleister Crowley, Magick in Theory and Practice
“Magick is the Science of understanding oneself and one’s conditions. It is the Art of applying that understanding in action.”
—Aleister Crowley, Magick in Theory and Practice
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
The Totality and each of its component parts are composed of different levels of existence which vary in subtlety. At the “lowest” or least subtle level, the components are perceived as individual, conditioned things, which are subject to change. At the “highest” or most subtle level, there is only One Thing which is No Thing, which is not conditioned and not subject to change. The Totality, the Resultant of all levels, is Consciousness.
Each individual person possesses a True Will, which extends across all levels of existence. It is unique with respect to other individual persons, yet identical with the single Ultimate Will.
The uniqueness of the individual True Will is due to the conditions and contexts of individual, separate existence.
At the lowest level of existence, the True Will cannot be perceived, because it is overwhelmed, obscured and fragmented by changing conditions and contexts. Existence at this level is reactive, not voluntary. The will appears to change from one moment to the next. If the individual is only conscious at this level, he will perceive himself as being at the mercy of uncontrollable and unpredictable external forces, now lifting him up, now casting him down; taking him nowhere.
If the individual is inspired to examine, analyze and understand his conditions, he may obtain a glimpse of his True Will. If he does, he will become conscious on a slightly higher level. The True Will, as initially glimpsed, will be shrouded in conditions. Such a vision is often expressed as “life purpose” or “destiny.” Even such an imperfect vision of purpose enables the individual to aspire to act voluntarily; to act because he believes the action is in accordance with his True Will, rather than because he believes his conditions require it.
He may now begin to act to influence his conditions, to bend them to his Will, rather than to propitiate or attack them – to begin to cause “change to occur in conformance with Will.” This is done by applying all the energies available to him within the confines of his conditions toward the harmonizing of said conditions with his perception of his True Will.
Because temporal conditions are so powerful on the lower level, his efforts are unlikely to produce satisfactory results unless he becomes able to apply his energies upon the media of higher (more subtle) levels, where he may influence powers which determine the manifestation of conditions on the lower level. Success in this is ultimately only arrived at by personal experimentation. The chances of failure are high, and he is unlikely to make significant progress unless he receives either gnosis or the instruction, guidance and inspiration of someone with experience and insight.
His success in this changes his conditions, and thus changes his consciousness. It refines his perception of his True Will. As the blinding clouds of temporal conditions part, he perceives the Light of his True Will more clearly. This allows him to perceive and begin to act upon the media of still higher levels of existence. Acting upon the media of these higher levels in accordance with his refined knowledge of his True Will, the individual increases his conscious identification with the Totality and his harmonious dominion over his circumstances.
Perfect knowledge of the True Will comes as a result of perfect perception of all levels of existence, wherein the True Will is perceived to be identical with that of the Totality, which includes the unchanging and unconditioned Ultimate Will and all individual Wills, as well as all things which condition the individual Will. Perfect perception is reflection.
The increase of the ability to perceive and act upon subtler levels of existence, and acting voluntarily in accord with the increased knowledge of the True Will gained thereby, is what we know as Magick.
Love is the law, love under will.
Original Publication Date: January 1992 e.v.
Updated: September 2000 e.v.