Confused A Bit, Help Perhaps?, lalalala Options

Okay, so I have copies of The Keys of Solomon and the 6th and 7th books of Moses, and other grimoires. I keep reading and it seems like they all seem to have a lot to do with God. I don't quite believe in the Biblical God, thus am having a bit of a problem devoting myself to get started here. Ceremonial Magick is one path I've never done before, and now I know why. Am I missing something about the concept of God here, or is it really at face value? As the introduction of the Key of Solomon puts it, you have to have a deep love and understand for God, and the implication would be the Biblical God. Opinions?

Am I missing something about the concept of God here, or is it really at face value? As the introduction of the Key of Solomon puts it, you have to have a deep love and understand for God, and the implication would be the Biblical God. Opinions?

The persons who wrote the grimoires had a different concept of God than we do today. But you don't have to believe in their concept of God (nor any particular "modern" concept either).

Sounds like your real beef is with God as you understand It. I'm guessing that you were taught, or have seen, people parroting ridiculous ideas about God that you disagreed with and threw away. Maybe you disliked the animistic idea of a man riding around on a cloud and making miracles, or the sense of sin some persons heap onto themselves and others who don't follow his (actually their own culture-bound) moral laws. So throw God away as you understood it.

God can represent something more than what you were taught. "It" doesn't have to be Biblical. That begs the question though of what a "God" actually is if it isn't Biblical. In any case, you don't have to believe in God to practice magick.

I can't really help much without more information, though I do understand the frustration of being interested in grimoires and occultism in general and being turned off by the mention of "God."

So after all that...no, it doesn't have to be the Biblical God. There is something more to it.

This post has been edited by monkman418: Aug 11 2010, 09:23 PM

Thank you for the insight. There's definitely a lot more work I need to do with myself in this area. I need to look at the way I understand God and move on.

If you go to court, a theater, or any sort of official function, you will have to abide the codes of conduct for the place or the event. There is a dress code, many prohibited behaviors and items, and compulsory respect for the people involved in the function. Whether or not you respect those involved, you must go along with the social event in a manner that accommodates the designs of the organizers, the judge, or whoever established the guidelines.

The people who made the grimoires were religious, and to work with those books is to step into a system that they created, whether they are Solomon or Moses or Alibek the Egyptian. The sort of religion that those people had, either in the ancient world or in the 17th century, is very different from the sort of religious belief that exists these days. The way we approach it, practice it, everything... even the more conservative religions have evolved to meet their modern congregations.

Consider also what the grimoires you are reading actually say about God. There is, in many instances, a profound sense of devotion and awe given for the God invoked, and some of thagt may resonate with your while the rest of "religion" remains dismissed.

Remember also that a great deal of the ritual for most occult systems is purification. They expect you to go into the act more or less unsuitable to perform it, unworthy for one reason or another, and to make yourself fit to perform by the ablutions. It won't make you a better person any more than wearing a suit to cout makes you less guilty, but it will make you acceptable to the powers invoked by the ceremony insofar as is required for that act.

If you go to court, a theater, or any sort of official function, you will have to abide the codes of conduct for the place or the event. There is a dress code, many prohibited behaviors and items, and compulsory respect for the people involved in the function. Whether or not you respect those involved, you must go along with the social event in a manner that accommodates the designs of the organizers, the judge, or whoever established the guidelines.

The people who made the grimoires were religious, and to work with those books is to step into a system that they created, whether they are Solomon or Moses or Alibek the Egyptian. The sort of religion that those people had, either in the ancient world or in the 17th century, is very different from the sort of religious belief that exists these days. The way we approach it, practice it, everything... even the more conservative religions have evolved to meet their modern congregations.

Consider also what the grimoires you are reading actually say about God. There is, in many instances, a profound sense of devotion and awe given for the God invoked, and some of thagt may resonate with your while the rest of "religion" remains dismissed.

Remember also that a great deal of the ritual for most occult systems is purification. They expect you to go into the act more or less unsuitable to perform it, unworthy for one reason or another, and to make yourself fit to perform by the ablutions. It won't make you a better person any more than wearing a suit to cout makes you less guilty, but it will make you acceptable to the powers invoked by the ceremony insofar as is required for that act.

I think, I want to read your books, now. I've read a lot of your posts on here and I think I should like to learn more from you.

Well I believe in the Biblical God. so I am going to say that works best. My opinion.

Well I believe in the Biblical God. so I am going to say that works best. My opinion.

On the bright side, my paradigm is subject to change, so you never know. It's a never ending journey, and who knows, I may just end up believing myself.

That's good. I think really as long as you are moving forward, and not stopping or getting stuck, it is just a matter of time and patience before you solve any problem