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Christian Magic and Divination

To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.magick,alt.religion.wicca,alt.pagan.magick,alt.divination,alt.christnet.ethics
From: nocTifer 
Subject: Christian Magic and Divination
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2003 06:10:00 GMT

50030730 viii om Happy Nulatix!

> I have really enjoyed the conversation on Crowley. 

Crowley is perhaps not the best source for the Christian occultist
(since his path tends towards the transcendant of and blasphemous
to strict Christian concepts and formulae).

> I am having a difficult time myself studying him and 
> I needed some input. When I use the deck I get great 
> readings. I am at a crossroads though and I do not 
> know what to do.... How does Christianity fit in with 
> reading cards? Does it? ....

recommendation

better to ask the particular authorities of whatever religion
you may accept as regards how it fits with any particular thing.
religions are odd about things like sex, food, worship, and 
magic, sometimes associating moral qualities with these 
things and their specific content.

asking this question within a forum on tarot will necessarily
contain a variety of particular or generality of vague responses,
especially as a particular deck is not included in the query.


generally

a good number of Christians will eshew the symbolism and theory
associated with Tarot on account of its eclectic iconography 
and questionable foundation (depends on the deck of course).
reading cards may well be accepted by Christians when they 
are using ordinary playing cards (especially those who do not
have proscriptions against gambling or gaming) or when using
some cartomantic or fortune-telling cards such as the LeNormand
or Salon cards popularized in Europe and available in a variety
of art and deck styles.

the usual objection to the reading of cards is based on some
scriptural, ecclesiastic, or cosmological prohibition that
characterizes the reading as contravening limitations of
knowledge set by the divine (e.g. prognostication) otherwise
only available to prophets; or consorting with questionable or
downright nefarious agents (e.g. The Devil, demons, or merely
miscellaneous spirits) whose counsel is liable to lead the
faithful away from reliable sources of spiritual authority
(e.g. the Lord Jesus Christ, the Church, the clergy, etc.).


christianity

beyond the limitations of church and scripture that might be
brought to bear against the practice of card reading, there
are no absolute restrictions separating the Christian from
the activity. not only are there Christian witches and mages
who make their occult interests and studies known far and
wide, going so far as to establish forums where Christian
magic and divination may be discussed and explored without
intrusion or criticism, the Synoptic Gospels display a
formula which may be used for solitary self-initiation as
an elementary baptismal sequence demonstrated by the Christ.

additional information on this self-initiation may be found
within the following set of files investigating and founding
a Christian Gospel Initiation Formula for all to use:

  http://www.luckymojo.com/avidyana/gnostik/xtianmgk.rite.1
  http://www.luckymojo.com/avidyana/gnostik/xtianmgk.rite.2         
  http://www.luckymojo.com/avidyana/gnostik/xtianmgk.rite.3         

with supplementary files discussing the character of 
Christian magic that may in some ways apply to that
of Christian divination.
 
  http://www.luckymojo.com/avidyana/gnostik/xtianmgk.txt1           
  http://www.luckymojo.com/avidyana/gnostik/xtianmgk.txt2           
  http://www.luckymojo.com/avidyana/gnostik/xtianmgk.txt3           
  http://www.luckymojo.com/avidyana/gnostik/xtianmgk.txt4           
  http://www.luckymojo.com/avidyana/gnostik/xtianmgk.invdmns        

commentary on non-Tarot-related items welcomed off-list.


standards

the immediate interest to the Christian should be the 
connection with whatever spiritual authority one accepts 
as legitimate and with whom one is working (e.g. the 
Christ, Mary, Yahweh, Michael, etc.).  therefore the
cards one selects and one's methods of employing them
should sustain and should not in any way compromise this
connection. this is as true for *any* religious as for
the Christian, though some discover within their path a
specific religious guide whereby divination or consulting
regarding the future or spiritual insight ought to be
instructed (Thoth amongst Egyptomaniacs, for example :>).

beyond this, the use of Tarot or any system of divination
ought not interfere with whatever aims or objectives are
presumed as part of the religious path if one is to remain
firmly on that religious trajectory and include its use.

comments welcome.

nocTifer
    nagasiva@luckymojo.com

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