Mysticism And Wicca Options

MYSTICISM and wicca


Mysticism and Wicca. The two words are rarely used in the same sentence, much less thought to correspond or tie in to one another an any way. While studying
Aleister Crowley's Book Four(Liber Aba) I came across certain passages in Part two chapter VII (concerning the Holy Cup) that brought revelation, and shed
light on the subject of mysticism and Wiccan practice. I have included Websters definition of mysticism below. Other mystics I have found have a quit different
definition for the term all together. Some define it as the attainment of a higher state of mind or contiousness through certain religius or Magickal practices
I have found through my own study of Mysticism that the very subject itself is very intuitive and cannot be fully understood by a simple definition of the term.
I don't even claim to understand it fully in every venue. I find a more suitable definition to be somewhat, The attainment of the wisdom and understanding of
Of God through knowledge obtained from a source other than common train of thought. To obtain a sense of being which exceeds normality, as standing in the stead
or authority of God. Also as a note here,; The very term (God) here is used to express both God and Goddess as one being Known as the all in all. The Christian
God of the bible is refured to as the all in all. Also in most wiccan circles the all in all is recognised to be one diety having both male and female attributes
and is broken down into specific deity names male and female, seperate so that the qualities of one or the other may be expressed or used as a channel for magicks
or addoration for that aspect of God. Some Wiccans refuse the belief in the all and all and aknowledge the existance of God and Goddess with out the deity above
them in class, sharing both the female and male attributes. Either is fine the argument between the two is not the point. What is the point? I hope to bring
understanding to the connection between Mysticism and wiccan ritual. If I may make a few quotes from Book Four, pages 73 and 74. First is food for thought.
"As the Magick Wand is the Will, The wisdom, the Word of the Magician, So is the Magic Cup his understanding." "Kant has shown that even the the laws of Nature
are but the conditions of thought. And the current of thought is the blood of the mind, it is said that the Magick Cup is filled with the blood of the saints.
All thought must be offered up as a sacrafice." Even the bible tells us that we must bring every thought into captivity and make it obedient. Now how does
Mysticism tie into Wiccan ritual ? Upon exposition of the foot note in Book Four, page 73."As the magician is in the position of God towards the spirit he evokes,
He stands in the circle, and the spirit in the triangle; so the Magician in the triangle with respect to his God." Now before one yells blasphemy, it should be
understood what this foot note is actually making reference to as far as being in the position of God. In this form of ceremonial Magick, The magician stands
inside a triangle which is surrounded by a circle. Inside the perimiter of this circle are different the different names af God written all around taken directly
from the bible itself. The spirit evoked(conjured) appears on top of a sigilum(sigil)(seal) that is inside of a triangle. The names of God in the circle of the
Magician serves two purposes. one, to keep the Magician safe from any hostile energies that may have been attracted by the the very act of the conjuring itself
and the other is this, the spirit evoked recognises the Magician as an agent of God and has no choice but to obey. So, how is this demonstated in Wiccan ritual ?
In Wiccan ritual and magick, during the casting of the circle, there is an invokation the God and Goddess, The ritual or Magick is done in the names of the
chosen deity. The wiccan uses the power and attributes of the Gods to cause change to occur in conformity with Will. This is mysticism in it's most basic form
of that perticular venue of Mysticism itsself. What the Magician has done with the names of God written around the perimiter of the circle, The wiccan has done
verbally during the casting of the circle. Both stand in the stead or authority of the deity. They have attained the very understanding of something higher than
than themselves. And are able to stand in the power and authority of God to bring a specific thing to fruitation or completeness. That otherwise may have fallen
to the power and authority of anothers will other than that of best intrest. This is Mysticism at its root. If I may quote again from Book Four(Liber Aba).
"The understanding of the Magus must include all things, and the understanding must be infinatly profound." "Every word of which a man is ignorant represents an
idea of which he is ignorant. And it is impossible perfectly to understand all things unless all things be first known." "Understanding is the stucturalization of
knowledge."

-Kelsey S Ralls (wiccadwitch26)

Seems to me that the essence of mysticism simply is the endeavor for fully Awakening to - and then living illuminated in that Wakeful Light of - Oneness. As such, all mystical teachings, stories, and practices focus upon initiating and attaining that goal.

Although that can be considered as the simple essence of mysticism in the proverbial nutshell, mysticism can be engaged according to several different approaches, just as one can arrive at the mountain top according to different routes. Hence, the different "schools" for mysticism.