What is the place, if any,of secrecy in the magickal community? Secrecy is a holding a-part, a hiding from view. The question that this paper concerns itself with is this: how does this holding apart manifest in the community and what purpose is served by the separation that is always an integral part of secrecy?

Secrecy shows itself in two major areas. The first of which is seen in the reticence of some occultists to make themselves and their practices known to the larger society. Historical precedent and consequence is invoked as.rational. The time of the burnings is not long distant. This is true and the time of the burning is not now. 1984 is a time of subtle repression. One is more likely to lose ones livelihood than ones life. The Book Of Shadows in its many forms was written long ago and its adjurations to secrecy must be interpreted in the light of present experience. Secrecy was necessary for survival of the body. The separation engendered by secrecy may now be necessary to prevent loss of job, status, and ostracism/harassment by some elements. The point here is one of choice. Choice may be defined as a decision freely come to after the consideration of possible alternatives. It is not really important whether one remains in secrecy or not. What is important is if a position of secrecy is come to as a matter of choice. Blind loyalty to a doctrine that mandates secrecy does not facilitate choice any more than does a slavish adherence to openness.

Secondly, secrecy asserts itself in the dealings of occultists with one another. Secrecy in this arena takes many forms and each form has its own unique rationale.

"Power shared is power lost"...this is an often encountered maxim. The line of thinking demonstrated here is based upon scarcity. There is a limited amount of power available at any given moment and to share this power is to decrease the amount available to oneself. A closed system is predicated. If the system is truly closed, secrecy leads to right action. It is my assertion, based upon personal experience, that magickal power need not operate in a closed system. A way to maintain a position of magickal power is to give the power away as soon as it makes itself manifest (apparent to sight or understanding). Power is derived from the Latin posse - to be able. Without this "giving away" of power one is always filled, and past ability dominates present opportunity. One is, in a sense, possessed by ones own power. Share is derived from the OE scieran - to shear; and hair is traditionally associated with power. Losing one's hair is associated with losing ones power. Implicit here is a fear of emptying out. The usefulness of a vessel is not found in the containing walls but in the space created by them. So it is with the magickian. The system is as closed as the magickian is closed.

Would you give a bomb to a child? This question points to another rationale for secrecy. Magickal knowledge can be used to harm oneself or others. Secrecy is seen by some as necessary to contain these possibilities. But, then again, is it? Curiosity is a given in the human condition. An excellent way to excite curiosity about a thing is to shroud that thing in secrecy. In fact, secrecy may be creating a possible problem and then offering itself as the solution.  There is a type of double think involved here. The slow disclosure of secret formula is used, on one hand, as a lure to those on the path of initiation (carrot before the mule) and, on the other hand, secrecy is supposedly used to protect and discourage the use of certain formula. Secrecy can not be used to both encourage and discourage at the same time. Of course, there are people who would purposefully use magick to harm others. It is interesting that these "people" are somewhere out there ....never are they ourselves. Why would a child want a bomb in the first place if its potential for destruction is explained, and,.better yet demonstrated?

Yet another reason given for secrecy is based upon the undisputable fact that certain (if not most) initiations are experiential and to speak over much of them conveys nothing or, worse still, gives a false and misleading impression. What this means is that there are processes that can not be adequately represented in the words presently available to us. Not speaking of that which is in our language unspeakable is not the same thing as invoking secrecy. Communication does not rest on words alone. It is possible to give a feeling or a sense of an experience without using words. Also, if the force of an initiation/ritual can only be appreciated after a long period of preparation then that is the truth. The initiation /rite is not secret; it is dependent upon a thorough preparation. I say that all initiations, rituals, etc. are best conducted in a spirit of openness. Those who wish to view them and can demonstrate (here is where the spirit of openness is crucial) the ability to maintain a ground of being appropriate to the event should be admitted. The imagination, fired in an atmosphere of secrecy, is the most fertile ground for false and misleading impression.

Secrecy in the relationship of the magickal community to the greater society is most profitably based upon informed choice, not upon unexamined belief. Within the magickal community itself, secrecy engenders more harm than benefit.

Copyright Louis Martinie 1983

RESPONSES TO SECRECY

A few comments concerning Frater S.M.Ch.H. 353's article on "Secrecy and the Magickal Community."  It brings to mind Levy's tenent to "To Know, To Dare, To Will, and to Keep Silence."  This is Old Aeon thinking, and most of what we read in books concerning magick is Old Aeon thinking. All the magickal orders I came into contact with during my "teeth-cutting" phase of learning what Magick was about held this belief.

With the Age of the Crowned 6 Conquering Child upon us, and the Dawning of the Age of the Daughter manifesting itself to a
growing population, the time has now come when this thinking cannot be tolerated by those looking Forward.  My experience has shown that Secrecy and it's associated Silence are masks for Ignorance, and often those who require the swearing to such
secrecy border on the verge of charlatanism.

I must whole-heartedly agree with S.M.Ch.H. 353 in his assessment of the situation. I can see the benefit of secrecy in only a few limited cases. One such case involves the individual's work setting. Quite often undue discrimination and harassment results from the un-Enlightened employer. However, whether or not the secrecy is warranted should and must be determined by the individual.

Copyright  MARK KRUBSACK 1983
 

As a whole, this paper opens a vital issue, and is well thought out; well stated. I would propose that we open this forum further, and examine areas not en-lightened by this paper such as 1) Is magic(k)al secrecy hiding real power or false bravado? 2) Are magic(k)al secrets encoded in such an archaic language that they remain hidden even to "initiates"? The Burning Times of which this paper speaks but briefly are an avenue of study for the deep re-searcher. They uncover facts in need of further contemplation/reflection, such as the relevance of why women were burned in a ratio to men of 20:1. These facts speak to an aspect of secrecy which is subtle to superficial examination: the erasure of female-identified consciousness from the record of patriarchal his/story. Gynocentric power is the power of empathy in which secrecy is necessary for discretion as opposed to androcentric power which manifests power as Power Over. When empathy is the key, and perpetuation of life/nurturance of en-spiriting is the goal, the entire arena of secrecy shifts into a context where secrecy can be examined for Self/Life support rather than maintaining one-up-Man-ship.

Copyright -Delphine 1983
 

Response to Secrecy And The Magickal Community: Agree whole heartedly.  Secrecy should always be a matter of choice ad hoc for any given event/occasion. Slavish adherence to a policy is not only restrictive and childish, its boring, One ceases to grow & becomes: depressed and frustrated. Change & Creativity are what Life thrives on. What is Alive Responds to each unique situation uniquely. What is dead, reacts; rigidly ruling behaviour according to a preestablished pattern.  That which deviates from the pattern is disposed of like a scratched phonograph record of a song one no longer likes. ( I must stop here to
laugh at my own passionate intensity. Nothing like an excursion into slavery to sharpen ones appitite for freedom.)  It has so far been my personal experience that Power Shared is Power Doubled.

The following are some inner reasons (from personal observations) why some people refuse to Share Power:

a) they just don't want the responsibility for the intensity of shared Power;
b) They are just so caught up into the Competition Ethic that they look on Co-operation as if it were a filthy 4-letter word.
c) They have an exaggerated sense of Responsibility very much akin to a scrupulous conscience.
d) Others don't share because they believe consciously or unconsciously, that they really have nothing to share. In the first case their secrecy is a well devised defence mechanism to keep from being exposed.   In the second case to shelter their own minds from awareness of a felt emptiness.

And yes the person I have observed falling into all catagories was myself at one point or another during my life. These are by no means all possible catagories. Just the ones I'm aware of at this time.

Copyright Jan 1983
 

CONCERNING SECRECY

There are, in my opinion, 3 acceptable reasons for secrecy:

1) The great "secrets" of spiritual attainment, which simply can't be communicated to those not prepared to hear them.
2) Those key words and rituals and symbols that a group uses to define its group-mind and which are unique to the group.
3) Silence concerning works in progress.

In other words, secrecy is required or desirable in certain technical ratters, but most social resons are just power games, and should be abandoned. Free flow of info and power are absolutely required for the new social forms we hope to evolve.

That's it for this time. Next time, some new material!

Ad Astra
Blessed Be!

Copyright Ian Corrigan 1983
 

RESPONSES TO SECRECY----

Bravo- Abolish all envelopes, stop pidgeon English and open the gates to all for all-Rule thyself and see what you measure up to. It's like a bunch of fallen angels diving for riches in murky waters. Open the veils; purify the waters; let the light come in; and always shine on-

Copyright NORMAN KAESEBERG 1983