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Spiritual Benefit of Goetic Evocation

Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2017 10:11 am
by Strider
Dear Friends,
Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this. I am new here and I'm hoping this post will do "double duty" as an introduction and a way to ask my specific question. I'm also going to ask an almost identical question on the Enochian forum; I apologize in advance for what will seem to be virtually a repeated post, but while my basic question is the same, I realize that we're dealing with two different "beasts" in terms of magical tradition, and that some who read the Enochian forum might not read or be interested in this one, and vice versa. I've been "lurking" here for a while and found quite a lot of valuable information and insight, and so I have pretty high hopes that some of you might have helpful things to say about my question. I also know that this is something I need to find answers for myself, which I am trying to do through research, meditation, etc--but at the same time it doesn't hurt to ask people who may know ;)

First some background on my specific orientation, which I include only in the hopes that it will give you some idea of where I'm coming from on the "magical spectrum": I'm basically a traditionalist, with sympathies for the old Golden Dawn and the mysterious tradition of continental Rosicrucianism. I've been a student of magic for about three years now--mostly an "armchair wizard" reading Agrippa, Hockley and Golden Dawn stuff. I have however experimented with some angelic evocation, which is my primary interest, as well as developed a consistent daily practice of the LRP and Middle Pillar Ritual, meditation, and concentration. In terms of spiritual orthopraxy, I'm sort of a universalist Anglican Protestant with theosophist leanings, inspired especially by Boehme, William Law, Saint-Martin, and people like Johannes Kelpius.

My basic question is this:what is, or what could be, the spiritual benefit in practicing Goetic (and similar) evocation? I ask because I used to think that Goetia and similar grimoires were only for "black magicians." No doubt some of them are; but I have also spent some time studying the Elus Coen doctrine and practices, as well as Tantric doctrines, and hence it occurred to me that there might be an implied higher and theurgic purpose for the Goetia, i.e. calling out to "prevaricated" spirits and seeking to place them under the dominion of the Word, and ultimately help them to seek Reintegration--the "ministry" of the Spiritual "Minor" or Homme-Dieu in Martinez de Pasqually's (and Saint-Martin's) theosophy. This "macrocosmic" work would necessarily reflect upon the microcosm (as above, so below). Am I on the right track here? Could Goetia be viewed as such a work? What interest, for instance, would someone like Mathers have in translating the Goetia if it were merely "demonic magic"?

Any insight on this will be much appreciated!

Thanks for your time.
Sincerely,
Strider