What Do You Think The Purpose Of Magick Is? Options

I guess I came to Magick trying to find Gnosis, enlightenment, as well as daily peace and meaning. I have practiced and studied several spiritual paths, and found this one to be quite right for me. However, have been having doubts lately as to whether these goals can be attained through the Western Mystical Tradition. I am wondering if anyone practicing Thelema or Golden Dawn or any other Western Mystical path has attained anything akin to samadhi, or enlightenment, or if it's all just a sham.

I acknowledge that using these rituals and overall philosophy can induce brain change. I know my brain has changed since I started. Yet what is the end result? I read books by Crowley and Regardie, yet what was the result of their Work?

I just wanted to know what other people think. Does anybody else have any thoughts?

I just wanted to know what other people think. Does anybody else have any thoughts?

The single main thing for me is to die in a state that's hopefully better than the state I was born in, developmentally; basically to learn. Part of that is Uncle Al's Great Work, but part of it is other stuff as well. I at least try to be more theurgically inclined rather than leaning in the direction of base sorcery. Spell tossing might be fun, but about all it really does for you in developmental terms is reinforce the knowledge that the atheistic view of reality is BS. (Although that in itself is important)

Part of it is also an identity/temperament thing, in my mind. Not everyone is a magician, but the people here are; magic is what we do, in the same sense as birds fly or fish swim. As Darkmage said once, it's a way of life.

Evocation specifically in my mind serves three purposes:-

a) To gradually establish very firmly in your head that there isn't a spoon. (Which goes back to the Great Work)
b) To serve the same purpose as other dangerous sports like skydiving or bungee jumping. (Building courage and thrillseeking, which some of us need)

c) To Get Stuff.<tm> "Stuff" in this context is defined as anything more primarily related to the physical world; money, a new house, etc, but is also defined as paranormal abilities which are primarily useful within a real-world context. (Pyrokinesis, breathing underwater, talking to animals, instinctive knowledge of machinery, and the various other cool things that the Goetics can supposedly teach you to do)

This post has been edited by Petrus: Oct 5 2008, 12:25 AM