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..

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..

Like you, I consider myself a Christian and most of my family is Catholic (although I am not). Only you can decide which path is right for you. Keep in mind that much of the Christian religion is founded upon the words of people who were visited by spirits, took spiritual journeys, had visions, etc. St Paul himself claimed to have experienced his conversion because of a vision he had in the desert. Most all of the disciples were taught and practiced healing, considered themselves prophets, etc.. The entire course of Judeo-Christian history is full of people who, you could say, practiced magick. St Paul is just one example... there are many others.... for instance - The founder of the Mormon church was a man who claimed to have met an angel and received divine instruction. Jesus instructed his followers to continue his work after he was gone... and he may have been the most powerful magician who ever walked on Earth.

Study the history of the first two hundred years of Christianity... I am very confident that you will find that on one hand, the church considers people who've "meddled with spirits" to be saints, while on the other hand, warns the flock that meddling with spirits is the path directly to hell. Think about it..an organized church wants to have all people believe that the only way to talk to God (or Gods, or angels, spirits, ect) is through the priest... because that is what benefits the church and gives the church control, power and money.

There is always a chance that you may end up being unwittingly worked by some unknown entity, but couldn't that happen anyway? If your intentions are pure, then you have nothing to fear.