"high" magick vs "low" magick

I have lots of questions, and not even sure where to post, so bear with me.

I'm interested in the comparison of Ceremonial Magick (High Magick...terminology?) vs. ....what...folk magick? Low magick? Heathen Magick?

I'm sort of a beginner at this stuff. 25 years ago, I started getting into Tarot, and then I naturally and spontaneously started doing impromptu rituals...what i would call "meaninful acts" or ceremonies around signifcant events in my life. Then, about 15 years ago, I started doing QC, LBRP, Middle Pillar, Circulation of the body of light, and a "fountain"...I did these for oh, I dunno, maybe a year... and then I got "blown off course" for about 15 years.

Now, to my joy, I am getting back to it all, and also, to my joy, I've learned thru...I dunno, an inner teacher (?) that the pathways I established way back then, are still there, I don't have to start over all from scratch, and I just have to "dust it off" and get back into it.

Back then I was also studying (on my own for a coupla years, then thru B.O.T.A) Kabbalah...which is probably what got me into doing the "ceremonial" style of magick.

I guess I'm wondering the benefits/differences between the two paths (High/Low) and trying to figure out where I am at with all of this...I haven't done that many "spells" or actual "practical" magic...although there are exeptions....I understand the principal of focusing on correspondences...and also that Ceremonial seems to take a lot more extended focus.

Further, I read a book about 3 years ago (Hulses book on the Cube of Space) that rocked my world...and it seemed like pagan folk magic pertained to the north side and the ceremonial to the south.... I feel attacted/drawn to both of these systems... I suppose folks blend bastardize them quite a bit?

Just interested...

I'm a trained musician and spent my young years training in Classical Music, and then later got into folk music...a similar comparison...Art Music vs Folk music.

I'm also wondering if I should get involved in the local GD group here in Denver...there's also a BOTA group....

ANy and all feedback/disussion would be much relished and devoured by me.

Thanks.

(perhaps someone up to it would be willing to do a reading for me around these issues?)

.....

http://www.amazon.com/Low-Magick-Your-Head-Just/dp/0738719242

You might want check out Lon Milo DuQuette's book on low magick. I found it very fun and helpful.

AW

Thanks AW I've put it on my list!

I am reading Lon Milo's Illustrated Goetia - in first chapters he explains the difference between the two (high and low), while the very book is about the latter.

I don't know what current opinion of him is, but Scott Cunningham wrote a few books on "low magic" - he called it "folk magic" - before his death. I have a couple; "Earth Power: Techniques of Natural Magic" is interesting and is probably the most appropriate to mention here. It's all about simple tools and simple spells; he specifically eschews elaborate rituals.

Barleywine

Yeah, I read some of his stuff years ago...

ok, a short excerpt from the book
"Goetia is the intentional conjuration of spiritual beings who are, by definition, Fallen Angels, Evil Spirits and Demons... From their infernal abodes these naughty Spirits are called forth
to act as personal servants to the Goetic magician to extend his power and execute his will on Earth. The magician must be ever vigilant to the wiles of the Spirits. If he is unskilled or loses control even for an instant, he runs the risk of being obsessed, possessed oreven destroyed. This sounds uncomfortably like Black Magick. Such behavior is certainly beneath the altruistic purity of purposethat characterize the quest and disciplines of High Magick and can
serve only to bring out the lowest qualities of the practitioner's character..."

Lon Milo further describes a difficult financial situation he was facing back then , which he could not improve by normal means; so he wanted to perform a Goetic evocation to improve his material life. Further on he describes how his spiritual teacher - a senior officer with Eastern Mysticism and Western Hermeticism (whose teacher had been a personal student of Aleister Crowley and a resident at his (in)famous Abbey of Thelema in Sicily ) - reacted to his asking whether she personally has performed Goetic evocation - she answered "Certainly not! That is Low Magick. "
Lon Milo DuQuette; Afeister Crowfey' s Illuustrated Goetia

I am not sure about this particular definition, don't have a firm opinion in this camp - just sharing thoughts on what i am reading at the moment

According to one definition high magic is ceremonial type magic that deals with angels and demons, and low magic is of a more casual, folklore or witch type nature: I think this is the most popular distinction (according to which the Goetia, albeit it deals with demons, would fall under the category of 'high magic')... not an easy definition to apply in practice as folk and shamanic type magic is often itself highly scripted and ritualized, and the distinction that is often made more often appears to be between elitist, self-righteous stance of judeo-christian practicioners of 'practical kabbalah' or 'hermetic' type magic staking claim to the moral high ground over the rest...

Another definition defines high magic as 'theurgic', with knowledge and union with God(s) as it aim, or which at least places supernatural power in that of the other, the divine; as compared to 'goetic', low magic in which the practitioner seeks development of personal supernatural powers in pursuit of selfish materialist ends and the control of others.

The line between the two is often a fine and confusing one...

kwaw said:

According to one definition high magic is ceremonial type magic that deals with angels and demons, and low magic is of a more casual, folklore or witch type nature: I think this is the most popular distinction (according to which the Goetia, albeit it deals with demons, would fall under the category of 'high magic').

Another definition defines high magic as theurgic, with knowledge and union with God(s) as it aim, or which at least places supernatural power in that of the other, the divine; as compared to low magic in which the practitioner seeks development of personal supernatural powers in pursuit of selfish materialist ends and the control of others.

The line between the two is often a fine and confusing one...

Click to expand...

Bingo!

Lumpy's original question is a mixture of both and therefore difficult to answer.