High Magick Vs Sorcery [Esoteric Saturdays]

Summary

In this enlightening video, Foolish Fish delves into the nuanced distinctions between High Magic and Sorcery, two often misunderstood practices. High Magic, often equated with Theurgy, is about realizing one's divinity through spiritual rituals, while Sorcery focuses on manipulating supernatural forces to fulfill worldly desires. The video clarifies that these approaches are not opposites but serve different purposes, similar to how both the upper body and lower body are essential, yet serve different functions. Foolish Fish also touches on the cultural sensitivities around appropriation and the importance of understanding the origins of these esoteric arts. The discussion also extends to a book recommendation for those interested in exploring the balance between these magical practices.

Highlights

• High Magic and Sorcery: not enemies, just different goals. 🎯
• From Theurgy to worldly magic, these practices balance transcendence and tangible gains. ⚖️
• Sorcery isn't morally bound; its effects depend on its handler's intent. 🌀
• A steam engine from sorcery and magic? A metaphor for synergy! 🚂
• Cultural roots in magic: understanding and respect matter. 🌿
• High Magic practitioners may unknowingly use Sorcery arts. Awareness is key. 🔎

Key Takeaways

• High Magic and Sorcery are not opposing forces, but distinct practices with unique goals and methods. ⚖️
• High Magic is about spiritual enlightenment and unity with divinity, known as Theurgy. 🌌
• Sorcery focuses on achieving tangible goals by manipulating supernatural forces. 🎯
• Sorcery can support or hinder spiritual goals based on its use. Dual usage requires caution. 🔄
• Cultural appropriation in magic practices is a concern; understanding origins is crucial. 🌍
• Both practices can coexist beneficially, akin to combining a steed with a steam engine. 🚂

Overview

In this video, Foolish Fish embarks on an insightful journey to clarify the distinct yet complementary roles of High Magic and Sorcery. High Magic, or Theurgy, aims at spiritual ascent and unity with the divine, a path of self-realization and enlightenment. It involves various rituals and practices intended to connect with one’s higher self, often seen as the Holy Guardian Angel. This journey is about finding harmony with the ultimate divinity and is considered a serious, transformative spiritual endeavor.

On the other hand, Sorcery is seen as a practical tool for achieving worldly desires and goals through the manipulation of supernatural forces. Unlike High Magic, Sorcery has no inherent moral dimension—it is a means to an end. From summoning spirits to elemental magic, its vast scope can aid both mundane and spiritual objectives. However, the intent behind using Sorcery determines its ethical standing, making it a versatile yet cautious art.

Foolish Fish also touches upon the sensitive issue of cultural appropriation, urging magic practitioners to recognize and respect the origins of their practices. He balances the discussion by pointing to the synergy that can be achieved when High Magic and Sorcery are used together thoughtfully, enhancing the overall magical practice. Viewers are encouraged to explore these topics further, including through the book ‘The Dancing Sorcerer’ by PT Misselburger, which offers additional insights into balancing these esoteric practices.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 01:00: Introduction to Distinctions The chapter begins with a reflection on a past video about the left-hand path, noting a missed opportunity to discuss the distinctions between high magic and sorcery beforehand. The speaker acknowledges this oversight and aims to clarify these concepts in this current chapter, providing viewers with a proper introduction to these distinctions.
• 01:00 - 02:30: Clarifying Terminology and Concepts The chapter delves into the distinctions between different magical practices, particularly highlighting the confusion caused by terms like 'high magic' and 'sorcery.' It argues that equating sorcery with 'low magic' perpetuates misunderstandings. The chapter suggests that the conversation about 'left hand' and 'right hand' paths in magic is mostly unrelated to these terms, emphasizing the need for clearer terminology to avoid misconceptions.
• 02:30 - 03:30: The Purpose and Practice of High Magic In this chapter, the author discusses the concept of high magic, emphasizing its importance and how it should be understood similarly to how we perceive the functions of the upper and lower body. The chapter points out that there should not be a division or competition between different parts, as each has its own unique function and importance. The analogy suggests that just as both the upper and lower body are crucial, so are the different practices and purposes within high magic. The author conveys the idea that there is a need for integration and appreciation of all aspects rather than pitting them against each other.
• 03:30 - 04:30: Understanding Sorcery The chapter discusses the nature of sorcery in contrast to high magic, highlighting common misconceptions about the two. It notes that despite their differences, neither form is more crucial than the other. The author points out that outsiders often confuse these practices with other dualities in philosophy, such as the left and right-hand paths or dualist and non-dualist ideologies. The chapter emphasizes that this confusion arises because high magic is often linked with certain philosophical or ritualistic practices.
• 04:30 - 06:00: The Interplay Between High Magic and Sorcery The chapter discusses the concept of 'high magic,' which is sometimes used interchangeably with 'theorgy.' Theorgy involves the process of recognizing one's divinity, both intellectually and practically. This involves numerous rituals and practices designed to connect the practitioner with their higher self, often referred to as the holy guardian angel or holy demon in contemporary western mystery traditions.
• 06:00 - 07:00: Cultural Appropriation and Respecting Origins The chapter discusses the contrast between apotheosis and sorcery. Apotheosis is described as the ultimate goal of achieving unity with the divine, while sorcery is depicted as the use of supernatural forces to achieve worldly goals, like fulfilling human needs and desires that do not necessarily align with the pursuit of divine unity.
• 07:00 - 08:30: Conclusion and References The conclusion discusses the relationship between mundane concerns and spiritual growth, or apotheosis. It explains that while it's possible to pursue spiritual growth without securing material stability, practical issues like financial insecurity can impede this process. Sorcery, which can be used to manipulate material circumstances, is frequently discouraged by Western mystery schools because it might foster the practitioner's ego rather than their spiritual self. The focus is on balancing material and spiritual needs to avoid hindering spiritual progress.
• 08:30 - 09:30: Acknowledgments and Channel Support This chapter, 'Acknowledgments and Channel Support,' discusses the role of the ego and its distinction from the higher self. It acknowledges the necessity of the ego but warns against inflating it beyond its rightful place. The chapter advocates for maintaining the ego in check rather than suppressing it. Sorcery, or low magic, is described as a tool, highlighting the encouragement of certain forms while emphasizing the importance of understanding their place.
• 09:30 - 10:30: Membership Information and Farewell The chapter titled "Membership Information and Farewell" explores the concept of morality in the context of using tools and practices that might traditionally be considered magical or mystical. It argues that there is no inherent morality in the use of such practices, much like there is none in using everyday tools like an electric drill. The chapter discusses sorcery as a broad practice involving interactions with angels, demons, spirits, divination, elemental work, and necromancy, emphasizing that morality is defined by the user rather than the tool or practice itself.

High Magick Vs Sorcery [Esoteric Saturdays] Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 a few videos ago i was talking about the left-hand path and i started off with a disclaimer that that video in particular was not going to be about high magic versus sorcery i realized with hindsight that it might have been a good idea to make this video on sorcery and high magic before the left-hand path video if i really wanted that disclaimer to have any meaning for many of you kindly giving of your time to watch these videos so let me make amends with this introduction to the distinctions that
• 00:30 - 01:00 should be made some basic some more subtle between high magic and sorcery just to clarify my suggestion that the conversation on left hand and right hand paths is almost if not entirely unrelated the names high magic and sorcery really don't help in this respect and the fact that some circles call sorcery low magic probably makes things even worse i mean what's going to sound more like the opposite of high magic than low magic
• 01:00 - 01:30 and yet the distinction is more like when you talk about the upper body and the lower body nobody's pitting those two against each other nobody's suggesting you pick a camp like oh you like having a rib cage better not get used to that pelvis there's a war on haven't you heard those lower bodyists walking around like they own the place what's the world coming to obviously this scenario makes no sense both halves of the body have their own function and one half of the body is no more nor less
• 01:30 - 02:00 essential than the other and its absence is certainly not experienced as a relief to the other half obviously one is actually directly useful to the other i think it's quite natural for an outsider to confuse the distinction between high magic and sorcery with the distinction between say left and right hand path practices or between dualist and non-dualist philosophies simply because high magic is mostly associated with the
• 02:00 - 02:30 theorgic schools in fact some circles use the term high magic as an equivalent alternative to the word theorgy which is essentially the process by which a human realizes his or her divinity realizes intellectually and also practically a number of rights rituals and processes are involved to put the practitioner first in touch with his or her higher self variously called the holy guardian angel or holy demon in many of the modern western mystery schools with
• 02:30 - 03:00 apotheosis or unity with the ultimate divinity being the ultimate goal or at least the realization of unity with ultimate divinity on the other hand you have sorcery which is the manipulation of supernatural forces for the purpose of worldly goals such as putting food on the table finding a romantic partner or any other human need or desire that doesn't necessarily directly lead to apotheosis
• 03:00 - 03:30 can one exist without the other sure it can only for apotheosis to happen it helps if you're not worried about the bailiffs taking over your home or how you're going to feed your kids on the other hand some of the outcomes that sorcery can facilitate actively get in the way of apotheosis so naturally many of the western mystery schools discourage such practices basically anything that tips the practitioner towards the growth of their ego or lower self at the expense of their spiritual
• 03:30 - 04:00 advancement is discouraged they recognize that the ego is necessary of course which is why they not only permit but encourage certain forms of sorcery but they warn that the ego should simply not be confused with the higher self and as such shouldn't be inflated beyond its rightful place as i've mentioned many times before that doesn't mean it should be suppressed only kept in check sorcery or as some people call it low magic on the other hand is just a tool
• 04:00 - 04:30 there is no morality associated to it any more than there is any morality associated to using an electric drill a moral or an immoral person can both use a power drill and black decker definitely have no mention of the concepts of good and evil in their user manuals sorcery is a wide term that encompasses work with angels demons and spirits of any other denomination energy work acts of divination elemental work necromancy
• 04:30 - 05:00 and so on all of which can be used to age the practitioner towards apotheosis but can also be used for any number of other things ranging from extremely helpful to absolutely destructive to the self and to others so to resume you could say that high magic practitioners actually use a lot but not necessarily all of sorcery and people who identify as sorcerers specifically tend to be but are not necessarily wary of high magic
• 05:00 - 05:30 they see sorcery as an end in itself and i often see sorcerers who are even resentful of high magic practitioners for adding this moral dimension to the craft to me it doesn't seem so much as an addition of a moral dimension as much as it is a selective use of a power tool that is simply being handled with the kind of caution that such a power tool calls for now the flip side of this of course is certain high magic practitioners not necessarily realizing
• 05:30 - 06:00 the heritage and origins of some of the sorceress arts that they use and while i don't see anything wrong with using a process that works we do have to be aware that appropriation so in other words taking in other cultures practices changing them and claiming they were ours the whole time and that this is the way they were supposed to be performed well i think we're generally as a society slowly coming to an understanding that that's not a good look so yes i can completely understand that
• 06:00 - 06:30 some sorcerers would have legitimate bad feelings against certain high magic practitioners but i'm sure we can differentiate between bad manners and the cancellation of humanity's natural reach towards divinity by association well i hope so anyway even if that reach isn't at the top of everyone's to-do list it doesn't have to be to admit that it is at the top of some people's and has been for as long as we can collectively remember that reach isn't illegitimate it's not unnatural
• 06:30 - 07:00 and if some people can empower that reach with the power tool that is sorcery well then surely that's like empowering a horse driven cart with technology originally designed for boiling potatoes or brewing tea bring the two together and you have a steam engine but that shouldn't stop anyone from still enjoying a stew and a nice cup of el grey there's a terrific book by pt misselburger on the topic of high magic and sorcery and the healthy balance that can be found between the two the dancing
• 07:00 - 07:30 sorcerer is a book that i've already reviewed so you can definitely check out my video linked in the description if you're interested in reading more on this topic in the meantime all that remains for me to do is to thank you for your time and attention and to invite you to put down your own thoughts on the matter down in the comments section in your usual respectful common ground seeking manner that i never cease to admire and for which i'm really eternally grateful now speaking of eternal gratitude let me say a word of thanks to the foolish fish members all
• 07:30 - 08:00 of whom contribute to making this channel sustainable i really can't thank you enough for your incredible support it means the world to me and thank you in particular to all the level 3 members whose names are scrolling by on the left hand side there i honestly don't know where i'd be without you definitely not making videos on youtube on this subject i'm so passionate about if you're watching and you're wondering what memberships are about i'll invite you to click on the join button next to the subscribe button which takes you to a
• 08:00 - 08:30 page that explains how it all works and what you get in exchange for your support and so on and if you can't see that join button it might be because you're on an ios device in which case you can get around that by visiting youtube and any of my videos in chrome for now i'll wish you a fantastic morning afternoon evening or night wherever you're watching please hit the like button if you enjoyed the video and the subscribe button if you haven't done so already of course and i'll see you very soon with another video