Spiritual Community

[Medeia]

Thank you soror & you are welcome. As mentioned before elsewhere, I’v been somewhat connected with SoA some time now as a member and not, and there seems to be something weird (in the most fascinating way) about the formal membership, a sigil – or would seal be the correct word?, much more real than ‘just a formality’ and more weird than just belonging to a group. To that I hold as something-of-a-proof the experiences also mentioned earlier in the introductions thread.

[Nefastos]

and there seems to be something weird (in the most fascinating way) about the formal membership, a sigil – or would seal be the correct word?, much more real than ‘just a formality’ and more weird than just belonging to a group.

It may sound banal to say that there's an astral side of an esoteric group, and that astral connection can be felt when (and only if) the participant starts to Work inside that group. But that is how it goes. The seal that you mentioned is like an item, a curiosity, and when such item is received, a member faces two possibilities. One either excepts such an item to start working its magic on him on its own, in which case it will be soon forgotten in the shelf with the other relics – for it will not work this way for long. Or, if one studies it in earnest, she will gradually become more and more fascinated by it, because there seems to be more and more inside patterns, like layers in a puzzle box. Opening that box (via Work) then becomes mostly an inside journey, which might have only a small social aspect. And yet its insides are shared and common to the esoteric group in question. Thus these patterns themselves are the spirits of that particular shared Working, parts of its genius loci.

And this, by the way, is also one reason why it demands a great deal of juggling to be part of several different esoteric groups, and still avoid the snares of surficiality and dilettantism. It is possible, but now very easy, since the different groups are working with slightly different "spirits." Even while they are connected to the same archetypes, their differentiated secondary and tertiary patterns can belong to different puzzles, so to say. The problem is instantly solved to the measure the tertiary & secondary spirits are purifiable back to their primal archetypes, but to the point they are not, the separate patterns can clash as easily as mundane ambition clashes with true occult striving.

[Nahumatarah]

I was never really an active member in any spiritual communities before joining the Star of Azazel. I was baptized into the Lutheran church but resigned when I turned 18. I did take part in some activity of my local congregations youth activities mainly playing in a band comprised of other kids belonging to the congregation but I was subtly left out. I really didn't even think about it much then as I was busy in other aspects of life. Later I heard they didn't want me there anymore because my sense of fashion at the time was too much for the conservative parents attending the concerts. Well I guess i sort of asked for it wearing death metal shirts while playing gospel in front of devout christians.

I have no bad feelings towards christianity or my ex-congregation but like Frater Nefastos said:

bad things outweigh the good ones so heavily that I am happy giving that respect from distance

Joining the Star of Azazel for me is not so much about community, at least in the mundane sense of the word, as I'm not a very sociable person. Don't get me wrong, i very much do enjoy your company and felt an immense warmth in my heart when I was accepted. An experience i will surely treasure for the rest of my existence.

I have studied and put to practice ideas of the Star of Azazel for some time now. Practicing this faith has birthed a sense of duty in me to take part in the workings more closely. It is not a duty that feels like a burden, quite contrary infact it is something very reinvigorating for me. Weird enough as posting on discussion boards is far for my comfort zone becoming a member has even started to help me ease into that.

It may sound banal to say that there's an astral side of an esoteric group, and that astral connection can be felt when (and only if) the participant starts to Work inside that group. But that is how it goes.

As you probably remember from my application praying for me is at the very heart of my practice. Losing my self in prayer is when i feel truly alive, connected with others, my surroundings, with God, with everything. The moment I was accepted i immediately dropped everything to pray the rosary of Azazel. This form of prayer/meditation has been very dear to my for a long time before joining yet this time it felt very different from all the others. The experience was something words fail do describe.  I guess you could call it an astral form of "first communion".

[Aquila]

I've never really been a member of any other spiritual community besides Star of Azazel. Of course I was baptized as a child but I don't know if it feels like any sort of communion. For some time almost fifteen years ago I searched for a community to join and went to meetings of Zen and Tibetan Buddhist groups but either something was lacking (in the case of zen buddhism) or something strange seemed to be all over the place (the tibetan buddhism group). I guess our mentalities were just not in tune. Neither I'm a strong "believer" in the way that I could just pick up a religion and start practicing and learning it's doctrines. It's also a cultural thing I suppose. Maybe I searched for something "exotic", which could be an aspiration to seek connection with the otherness, but everything seemingly exotic often turns out to be a projection of one's own wishes and hopes. To me Star of Azazel answered to something our life and culture is today and that's why it felt relevant. It's not just a worldview from the past but it feels possible to be lived today, in our age. Yet, I think that I'm no longer merely in need of a spiritual community I belong to. Instead I feel that I long for a connection with all people, not limited to any certain worldview or religion, opinion etc. I do think Star of Azazel is a good base for that too and I'm not suggesting that everyone should think and believe like members of SoA. Maybe it's just a change of point of view where one has already found a place to be and there's not really a need to search for that anymore. There's other kind of Work to be done after that phase.

Thinking of spiritual community brings me an idea which some might disagree with. Although spiritual (or occult/esoteric, I use these words very hastily and interchangeably here) life is often considered to be something that aims to gaze within more than at some outwardly actions, I do think lot of spirituality is about communication. I do not mean this in the strict sense some might might say that culture is about symbols and communication. I mean that if all existence is oneness, communication is seemingly separated shards of existence aiming at communion on and between various levels of being, through different energetic means to do so. Oneness, then, is the ultimate communion where communication becomes useless.

[Nahumatarah]

I find myself agreeing with a lot of what you said Frater Aquila.

Maybe it's just a change of point of view where one has already found a place to be and there's not really a need to search for that anymore. There's other kind of Work to be done after that phase.

For a long time I was searching for spirituality from a more orthodox forms of religiousity, eventually finding them all lacking in some ways or another. Becoming interested in studies of comparative religion and then discovering theosophy and occultism was major breakthrough for me in starting to see the essence behind the form.

if all existence is oneness, communication is seemingly separated shards of existence aiming at communion on and between various levels of being, through different energetic means to do so. Oneness, then, is the ultimate communion where communication becomes useless.

Sometime ago I came to a similar conclusion. It could be said that it was one of the main reasons why I decided to apply for membership. For a long time I though that attempting to influence the world through prayer was enough but now I see that this communion must happen in all possible levels of existence to be truly effective

EDIT: Ps. When i claimed earlier that I'm "not very sociable" i should have added that it's in no way a final conclusion of my personality, but aspect of myself that I'm constantly trying to improve for the benefit of myself and others.

[Seferoth]

Yes, i am currently a member of Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis. Their spiritual philosophy and teachings have been most invigorating to me so far. I have seen a very positive changes happening in me since i decided to start walking this path and really dedicate myself to the great work. Mental Alchemy and the quest for self knowledge/understanding clearly brings forth good fruit when it comes to me, but not without a cost. It's extremely difficult to change who you "really are"...if that makes any sense. Still, i am very happy where i am currently and i am excited to see what further developments the future brings.