© fra Necros
The work of an occultist permeates their life and essence. Seeking the correct path is a constant process, and upholding the practice of upward striving requires commitment. We are striving towards understanding and an increasingly perfect humanity. In the Star of Azazel, the work requires purification and unification; one must unite the left and the right hand paths. In this article, I will attempt to make a practical portrayal of how this work might unfold for an aspirant. This article may hopefully provide inspiration and encouragement, but it is crucial to remember that what works for one individual might not work for another. This is not a practical guide. It is unlikely to be beneficial merely to adopt nuances and practicalities from another person; if one considers such a thing, it should not be taken lightly. Aspirants must implement their means of practice, carefully understanding the essence of the traditions of their interest. This article is presented in a personal way, inspired by everyday actions and mundane challenges. One puts occult work into practice within small decisions and actions made in seemingly insignificant situations.
In everyday practice and changing conditions, it may be easier to implement a systematic approach toward the cyclical nature of our lives. Cyclic law can be found in all manifestations. We can realise that culturally we neglect disintegration, suffering, and death while we solely focus on comfort and longevity of life in an unbalanced way. Similarly to other aspects of our culture, this one-sided emphasis on mundane, material life brushes off aspirations of authentic spiritual aspiration. But on the contrary, in our work, we keep the balance of periodically emphasising both death and darkness as well as life, creation, and lightness. For an occultist, it’s both a spiritual blessing and an emotional curse to be incapable of identifying with our modern culture’s embodiment and emphasis. We might discover that we have a natural need to draw away from the world and our human society; this brings us freedom and solace but also pain. Our true Self is not found in the whims of our temporal personalities, or from social validation, or material wealth. We accept the practicalities of these things as we realise active rejection is not freeing but actually binds us deeper to any object of our repulsion. However, in the cycle of mortification, we seek to purify and decompose unusable and dispensable structures. This process is immensely painful and, as such, requires tenderness in the work of withering and transformation.
To an ever-increasing extent, we better understand the deficiency and imbalance of manifestation through mortification. Discovering our true Self is essential work, and, as with any worthwhile work, this process has its own dangers. Selfishness, isolation, and separateness are all mistakes. But death, withdrawal, and transformation all have their seminal purpose in the uplifting path, and they are the essence of the process of mortification. We must transform and purify ourselves, make ourselves complete and balanced beings so that we can provide succor to the whole. Receiving respect, fame, or prosperity has nothing to do with the perfection of the soul. As a matter of fact, an aspirant will face challenges of outer work and social distress since they have to approve of being despised. We will experience humiliation, insignificance, and feeling inferior, as that is how our lower personality is: temporal, unbalanced, dependent on society’s whims and crude materialism. How cruel it is that this lower personality seeks to escape the realisation of its true temporal essence, trying to uphold something that will perish. But an occultist does not emphasise the mundane or profane, and the lower personality is just the means to manifest our true Self in the spirit. Still, the lower personality is necessary and, in its essence, a pure and meaningful part of the whole. But the soul does not rejoice in cultivated fame or prosperity, nor does it grieve in unfulfilled personal whims of fleeting emotions. In death, our soul rejoices in the fruits of our spiritual work, defined by love and truthfulness.
We do not seek to stay in a state of mortification as it is not even possible. Naturally, the work in the spirit will bear fruit as mortification has renewed our essence. This rebirth will lead to joy. I propose that the process of purification in the work of the Black aspect will eventually transform into the Red aspect, where the inner flame will manifest in every day’s concrete work and sacrifices. When the inner flame has been cultivated, it will ignite the soul and demand comprehensive dedication in all areas of work. This tantric process transcends the mundane and profane, putting the truthful emphasis on all; everything is sacred and must be upheld towards one unified spirit. This is the burning joy and the sweet scorch of self-sacrifice. The aspirant may notice a deep longing to transform the mundane according to their devotion and ethical basis, their faith. These feelings can be demanding and heavy and may lead to an uncontrolled frenzy. Patience and care should be put into the work of transformation, avoiding fanaticism and violence. The magician reworks their reality with caution, understanding the necessity for the work along with its dangers both to themselves and the surrounding fabric of manifestation.
The White aspect in the Star of Azazel is Luciferian vivification enabled by the hard work of purification and unification. An increasingly perfected understanding of unity in the aspirant’s heart and the resulting openness invites one to a beautiful work of creation. Work is done on a common basis to help the whole. It is done devoutly and with joy in a personal and distinctive way. Our focus must be entirely on the spirit at this stage, which must be understood. The surrounding world can present a surprising challenge for a Satanist, as the aspirant may start to receive so many joyful experiences leading to overwhelming gratification and rejoicing. But easy-going work might be a concealed comforting inertia that lacks genuine striving and weight. Going through the challenges of authentic spiritual work is characterized by the outer discomfort of our personality and the inner joy of our soul. Suppose it seems the opposite, the outer joy of the personality and inner discomfort of the soul; this might indicate that our emphasis is wrong and we are just comforting the whims of our lower personality, clinging to outer temporal results and indolence. I suggest that recognising the different conditions reveals that the cycle must continue. Cyclic death must purify us again and again; the transformations alternating between the work of mortification and vivification will always lead to even greater perfection and balance.
Salome 