Metaphysics of ritualism

Andrey

Jedi
C's advise against rituals, saying the energy goes to 4d sts. By ritual, are they referring to spiritual ritual or does this also extend into fixed habits? Isnt daily routine technically a ritual?

What about ritual simply to feel good or to reset oneself? Or for artistic purposes?

I have a friend who is into ceremonial magic and magical lore, etc. He says he's building his "Astral temple" and says some really profound and beautiful stuff. Really poetic and artistic this guy. More than doing these rituals to change his external reality, he does it to change himself and is looking to reach his higher self. He's not totally religious about it but just does it out of some kind of inner need to "beautify" his subjective realm. It's sort of inspiring actually and I kind of want to get into it. I think if he randomizes and breaks up elemwnts of the ritual it would be better.

Anyways I wanted to understand more on the intricacies of the concept
 
Here's what CassWiki says about Ritual:

In general usage, a ritual is a formalized sequence of actions, often ceremonial or symbolic, performed according to a fixed format in a fixed circumstance. Rituals most often relate to religious or spiritual contents and seek to mark something or to obtain something from the spiritual world.

Some rituals are purely secular and are done for added solemnity, as if associating the secular process to a spiritual content. The value of pomp is well understood by government, perhaps even more so when this government recognizes no spiritual authority above itself.

Sometimes the word is used in an allegoric sense and simply means engrained habit.

A ritual by definition is not creative. The idea of a claim to power is central to the idea of ritual. Even when a secular body engages in rituals such as national celebrations, it makes a formalized statement where it claims and displays power. This is a message of power to the constituency, as in evoking patriotic sentiment as well as to the rest of the world where the government entity proclaims its separateness and power.

Some rituals are markers of passage. Various initiations, whether inauguring a government or accepting a new student to a class or the graduation formalities of a school all play on the concept of establishing a link. The power there has to do with claiming the authority of a tradition. Whether by nature or culture, man is generally susceptible to this and this claim seems to meet some inner need of security.

In a religious or spiritual context the claim to power also exists. The most obvious example is the black magician performing rituals with the intent of commanding spiritual forces. Church rituals are not as obvious in this regard and there is much variation among them.

The difference between ritual and a procedure done for a specific end is that in the case of the ritual there is a belief and expectation that the ritual will accomplish a function simply because it is done as it always has been. Performing a procedure involves understanding the steps and how these interrelate, why they are done and what the effect of each is. Even though it may be done for a specific end and in the same way each time, baking bread is not a ritual, that is, unless its ostensible purpose be something other than making bread.

The idea of ritual vests the ritual act with some power that the person performing the ritual wishes to appropriate. The power is seen as external to the self, a sort of mechanical resource that can mysteriously be commanded by will and form.

All these properties make ritual a feature of the service to self polarity. The Cassiopaeans have linked ritual to anticipation, restricting the creative potential of the universe by placing limits on what is accepted and seeking to command and control.
 
Thanks. What do you suggest I recommend to my friend? He seems very emotionally invested into his magical practices.
 
It's not your job to give unless asked. Did he ask for your advice? Probably not. So teach by example, not preaching.

Hi Laura! Big fan! And thanks for the advice! :)

To be honest, I asked this question on here more for myself. I don't practice any magic, but read a whole lot about it and enjoy it as an art, especially ceremonial/ritual magic. Do you think there might be any "energetic backlash" by actively pursuing some of these even with expanded knowledge and awareness? Sort of like "I know this is all just subjective psychodrama and not actually objective, but I'm going to do it for the sake of art anyways." I know this is how many rebelling teenagers (and adults even) end up in sticky situations so I'm definitely being cautious here.
 
Hi Laura! Big fan! And thanks for the advice! :)

To be honest, I asked this question on here more for myself. I don't practice any magic, but read a whole lot about it and enjoy it as an art, especially ceremonial/ritual magic. Do you think there might be any "energetic backlash" by actively pursuing some of these even with expanded knowledge and awareness? Sort of like "I know this is all just subjective psychodrama and not actually objective, but I'm going to do it for the sake of art anyways." I know this is how many rebelling teenagers (and adults even) end up in sticky situations so I'm definitely being cautious here.

Yes. There IS energetic backlash no matter what explanatory narrative you create.
 
What about ritual in Buddhism?

Over the last few years I have had some personal experience of Buddhism. I admire the Buddhists' sense for disciplining the mind and working with one's emotions, which could actually be helpful in denying food for our overlords.
But still I can't bring myself to enjoying and understanding most of the rituals in Buddhism.

From: Ritual and Buddhism

If you are to practice Buddhism with formal sincerity rather than just as an intellectual exercise, you will soon confront the fact that there are many, many different rituals in Buddhism. This fact can cause some people to recoil, as it can feel alien and cult-like. To westerners conditioned to prize individuality and uniqueness, the practice observed in a Buddhist temple can seem a little scary and mindless. [...]

However, this is exactly the point. Buddhism is all about realizing the ephemeral nature of ego. As Dogen said, 'To carry yourself forward and experience myriad things is delusion. That myriad things come forth and experience themselves is awakening.' In surrendering to Buddhist ritual, you quiet yourself, abandon you individuality and preconceptions, and let the myriad things experience themselves. It can be very powerful.

There's no magic power in lighting a candle or bowing to an altar or prostrating yourself by touching your forehead to the floor. If you perform a ritual, no force outside yourself will come to your aid and give you enlightenment.
Indeed, enlightenment is not a quality that can be possessed, so no one can give it to you anyway.

So if rituals do not magically produce enlightenment, what are they good for? Rituals in Buddhism are a upaya, which is Sanskrit for "skillful means." Rituals are performed because they are helpful for those who participate. They are a tool to be used in the overall attempt to rid yourself of delusion and move toward enlightenment.


It's often said that you have to practice Buddhism to understand Buddhism. Through the experience of Buddhist practice you come to appreciate why it is the way it is, including the rituals. The power of the rituals manifests when you engage in them fully and give yourself to them completely, with your entire heart and mind. When you are fully mindful of a ritual, the "I" and "other" disappear and the heart-mind opens.

But if you hold back, choosing what you like and rejecting what you don't like about the ritual, there's no power. The role of the ego is to discriminate, analyze and categorize, and the goal of ritual practice is to abandon that aloneness and surrender to something profound.


The C's tell us that Rituals are self-defeating.

Am I being unnecessarily suspicious about the habits and practices in Buddhism, or could it be that I just haven't been able to wrap my head around this complex religion?
 
I see. Well, there must be some way I can pacify this interest. Maybe I can do some screenplay writing or something based on some of these traditions! Thanks Laura!
 
In the transcripts, Laura remarks: "Pure universal knowledge includes everything, and if you establish a ritual, that means you are adhering to one line of thought, one mode of thinking, one idea structure, and, excluding all others."
 
The answer to your question would be what is your true intention in doing the ritual/action as "your focus determine your reality" (jedi master qui gon to skywalker). There is nothing wrong with praying, meditation or charity if you are doing it right. Take example if you pray but asking for stuff or destruction to your mortal enemy then probably different result if you ask for guidance in purification/development (like please guide me in to discover my error and to know why/how to eliminate it). Another example in charity if you give money as weekly ritual in church because the box is in front of you and mindlessly put some money. It would be different in charity event bidding for a date with someone famous (either you want to impress other/pride or the hot date instead of the cause). Totally different situation when you are starving refugee and saving that piece of bread for tomorrow but give it away to that stranger who need it more than you. Now remember inner peace eventually goes to two different direction dark or light (depend on your preference). The problem with a lot of successful religion is that they prioritize in maintaining their power hold to the bureaucrat instead of spiritual development thus sts win out as you surrender your freedom of choice (regarding Buddhism you should read the original ancient text as the modern one often tainted with other cultures in india with hinduism or japan become zen you need to adapt to local taste for market penetration if not the first religion in the region. It is still the one least distorted major religion teaching). Religion is very powerful tool by the dark side to stall spiritual development if you prescribe wrong solutions (you just follow the crowd thinking you are doing something but not getting anywhere then you indulge in pleasure of materialism for solution). Every situation has different solution instead of the rigid law prescribed. That is why you are reincarnated as every decision you make change your vibration (not just action, thought actually count more in spiritual world). Here is a little rule of thumb to recognize evil 1: harmfull, 2 materialism, 3 distortion. They usually act in this 3 prescribe manner 1 self will (even if harmfull) 2 pride (need to elevate over other) 3 fear (you arent as good as you thought put mask or blame other).
 
I see. Well, there must be some way I can pacify this interest. Maybe I can do some screenplay writing or something based on some of these traditions! Thanks Laura!

You do realize that this is just another narrative to do whatever you want to anyway? So perhaps better not to lie to the self, do whatever you are so aching to do, and then just face the consequences whatever they are? Life offers all kind of lessons. This will be yours.
 
Well, I've been reading up on this stuff for awhile without getting my hands dirty. Everything from egyptian magical texts to medieval grimoires, etc. Also have interests in hermetic, planetary and chaos magic, etc. I personally don't see a problem with incorporating various elements from these fields for creative/intellectual pursuits. Reading the C transcripts and Ra material among other stuff has helped a lot as well, and am now definitely rethinking the whole ritual aspect and wondering how I can incorporate whatever magical knowledge I have acquired so far with overall knowledge in general. I find the expressive and symbolic nature of magic/occult lore to be beautiful/profound/epic, etc., on many levels, and wanted to bring some of it to life in my own personal way.

I am starting to understand how this can be limiting though, as there are literally countless sources of beautiful, profound expressions, symbols, allegories, etc., in all of creation. Perhaps I should learn to expand my horizons some more.
 
I do want to have a more indepth discussion on how and why ritual is limiting. I mean it makes a lot of sense why, but the subtle intricacies involved and perhaps a few inferences on how it limits and projects into 4d sts would present some eye openers for sure.

The casswiki article is informative, but I think more could be added
 
On the casswiki article, it says "The Cassiopaeans have linked ritual to anticipation, restricting the creative potential of the universe by placing limits on what is accepted and seeking to command and control."

What is meant by "placing limits on what is accepted?" Could someone clarify this for me?
 
On the casswiki article, it says "The Cassiopaeans have linked ritual to anticipation, restricting the creative potential of the universe by placing limits on what is accepted and seeking to command and control."

What is meant by "placing limits on what is accepted?" Could someone clarify this for me?
Hi johndeexxxxxx
Read down from #21
The Ra material and the Cassiopaeans

btw, are you being deliberately obtuse?
I've been reading up on this stuff for awhile without getting my hands dirty.
How would you get your hands dirty if all you've 'done' is "read about it"?
 
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