Re: Franz Bardon on hermetic wisdom and magick
Hildegarde, I agree… Power in itself is neither good nor bad. It is just what it is: the potential to change things according to one’s will. I second your statements about power and concentration.
But I don’t agree with this:
If you still had STS intentions and behaviours, Divine Providence would continually force you to review your intentions on whether you are suited to this goal. Read the epilogue in IIH. It will help you understand this.
To me that is wishful thinking. Divine Providence –although sounding restrictive- doesn’t restrict free will. So, if it is the will of a person to lie to oneself about one’s own motivation it is allowed to happen. Otherwise no black magic would have ever been allowed to be performed.
The page you posted is not an excerpt from IIH, it’s from an external page from a person who is, as far as I can say, aligned to the right hand path. He sounds very rational and balanced. The original epilogue in IIH regarding introspection is much more vague - maybe intentionally to prevent the material offered being used for one side of the polarity only. The C’s stated oftentimes, that universal law determines balance for the handing-out of information, so that even in our STS-dominated world positively oriented material has the chance to be published. So maybe Bardon was conscious of that principle and kept his material as neutral as possible to keep the balance.
I have worked with these books successfully for some years and also have got to know some persons who have developed quite impressive abilities through taking practice in it. But looking back, most of them have been stuck in the STS-mode – unconsciously of course. Not that they were evil grim black magicians, but their acting was centred on gaining metaphysical power for the sake of power. To me this has become pretty pointless.
By the way, I suspect myself being a bit biased regarding this topic
I really like Montalk’s conclusion about proper application of will, lower impulses, awareness and the heart as motivator. One thing that has come to my mind: Are there terms like "joy" or "inner freedom" mentioned somewhere in this book? I’d say, no. But this thread made me curious to re-read it, so I’ll have look for myself…
Green plants are tender and filled with sap. At their death they are withered and dry.
Therefore the stiff and unbending is the disciple of death. The gentle and yielding is the disciple of life.