Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Black magic is not a thing that any normal person would study or pursue for
its own sake but it is hardly possible, and hardly advisable, to study the
receives is for the most part confined to its black aspect; revelations of this
aspect can always command the kind of attention that is given to a street
struck by the fact that the would-be exposers never get their fingers on the
real evil. They sense the evil, just as animals sense an abattoir, but they have
The technique of black magic differs in no way from that of white magic; the
same principles apply, the same methods are made use of; the same training
operator, the symbolism employed, and the powers contacted thereby; just
orchestra or a jazz band. And even when we say that certain symbols and
for these symbols may be used, and these powers evoked quite legitimately,
just as dangerous risks are taken by surgeons upon occasion. One can safely
fail to arouse the baser instincts of the spectators, who are there for no
useful purpose. There are also certain techniques of sex and blood magic
which, though they may be harmless enough among primitive peoples, are
certainly out of place among civilized ones, and are only resorted to for the
But there are certain types of persons with a natural streak of cruelty in their
natures; these readily take to the evocation of evil for vengeful purposes,
46
and having had experience of the results of this operation, develop a liking
for it for its own sake and become cruelty addicts for the sake of the thrill it
gives. Unless we recognize this peculiar trait in human nature, which is much
for when cosmic forces are invoked, they always come up in pairs, action
and reaction being equal and opposite; but he would never dream of
evoking the unbalanced or Qliphotic aspect by itself or for its own sake, that
being too risky an operation. For practical purposes, when Elemental forces
are handled, they are dealt with in their sublimated forms, Skehmet, the