Roman Catholic Worried... Options

As you can tell from the topic title, all this stuff interests me and I'd like to be able to perform some of it, but everything about the Golden Dawn, Hermeticism, and Ceremonial Magick in general tends to freak me out. I'm a Roman Catholic and I'm obscenely worried about my spiritual self getting into some trouble by doing this stuff. Are there any 'Judeo-Christian' roots to these rituals? I mean it doesn't take a lot to notice the archangels and God's names in the rituals, but seeing videos of people using sinister voices and generally acting like they want to be Lucifer's best friend during said rituals is a little worrisome.

If anyone has any advice for me I'd really appreciate it. I want to be closer with my HGA and thereby God by doing a little magick everyday, I desperately want Him to work through me, but what if unwittingly I allow myself to be worked by an entity with less than amiable goals? Etc., etc.

Thanks in advance..

I think a certain degree of introspection is in order. Consider to yourself why practice any form of magick outside Catholic dogma? What is it that you hope magick would bring you that Catholicism doesn't already?

In my mind its not a sin to read about or study mysticism and the occult. In fact, when I was younger a priest from my old Catholic Church encouraged me to read into such topics. When one enters seminary school they don't just study the bible either. They study all kinds of different forms of religions. Where you create problems for yourself is when you start practicing magick not accepted by Catholicism. Which really anything that doesn't have to do with Catholic ritual and prayer is forbidden.

Once you've read more into other religions you may decide to convert or toss out religions in general.

Beyond that I do not think there is any loop hoop in Catholic dogma that would allow you to practice cerimonial magick.

Hmmm maybe i can help. Im no mage but i am a practicing sorcy. The same rules apply to all of us though. I lucid dream and obe and even scry quite often. The fact is what the rest of the world thinks i could give two dead flys. As a dreamer i would never do anything while dreaming that i would not do while awake. Its unfortunate you cannot go by just feeling on this because its been drummed into you that all this is wrong. So in the end some real soul searching and thinking about the deeds of the catholic and christian past may help.

It's not so much the Church disagreeing, I tend to judge religious institutions by what they have evolved into the present, not the past.

I think a certain degree of introspection is in order. Consider to yourself why practice any form of magick outside Catholic dogma? What is it that you hope magick would bring you that Catholicism doesn't already?

In my mind its not a sin to read about or study mysticism and the occult. In fact, when I was younger a priest from my old Catholic Church encouraged me to read into such topics. When one enters seminary school they don't just study the bible either. They study all kinds of different forms of religions. Where you create problems for yourself is when you start practicing magick not accepted by Catholicism. Which really anything that doesn't have to do with Catholic ritual and prayer is forbidden.

Once you've read more into other religions you may decide to convert or toss out religions in general.

Beyond that I do not think there is any loop hoop in Catholic dogma that would allow you to practice cerimonial magick.

I guess I hope magick will bring me closer to God. Praying is all well and good, but I need something deeper, something more spiritual.

Its not a sin to read about or study mysticism in my mind at all either. I also think it's ridiculous for the church to prohibit people from experiencing something that will bring you closer to God, so I don't pay attention to that, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) I have too much respect for the institution, and too much respect for the laws i DO agree with to abandon it. I'm a die-hard catholic in that sense, and always will be.

The issue I'm having is more of a 'this Satanist is using the LBRP in the same manner I am, that makes me feel icky.' (IMG:style_emoticons/default/fool.gif)

This post has been edited by JackConnor: Dec 6 2006, 09:41 PM