“If you are ever tempted to look for outside approval, realize that you have compromised your integrity. If you need a witness, be your own.” Epictetus.
The more time I spend online with the “Occult Community” the less I want to be there. One thing that has become apparent is that while the community isn’t purposely “toxic” there are elements to it that are poisonous none the less. The chief issue is that no matter what one does or produces there are folks waiting in the wings to pounce upon them with critiques, accusations, and best of all their own anecdotes and opinions. Ultimately a tool that was supposed to unite us, has become a means to divide us.
The only way to effectively deal with this system is to disengage. Present what you will, and step away from the feedback. It ultimately means nothing. Positive or negative. No matter what you do or how well you do it, someone who has contributed nothing will criticize it. There is an addictive quality to internet drama and some folks need that dopamine. So rather than feed them, starve them of attention. If the Desert Mothers and Fathers can ignore demons you can ignore critics and trolls.
“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.”- Simone Weil.
I’m not feeling very generous.
That being said its worth making one of those statements that will piss people off and upset folks to no end.
Creating a functional and modern Goetia is a popular topic in occult circles. INspired by Jake Stratton Kent’s work folks are out there Grimoire Verums in hand looking to get up to no good and be modern Goes.
Good for them, and good on them too. However in all the rush to do it now, and revive ancient traditions these folks are making many of the same mistakes that Contemporary Pagans have. Mind you they have better scholarship but due to preconceived biases they are missing the forest for the trees. If one is looking for a functioning modern interpretation of the ancient Goes one need only look towards the various independent sacrament groups . These organizations Offer a range of services; sacraments, magic, and spiritual guidance to those who are marginalized, refused service by the church proper, or exist outside the norms of society much like the Goes. Existing as a fringe alternative to the more pedestrian “Church” experience these folks are out there in the world doing what has become known as “Hot Priest Shit”.
Mind you the fact that these groups have some flavor of Christianity really irks some folks. Religious trauma is a real thing, but its not an excuse for purposeful obtuseness. Hey you can’t claim to fulfill the modern role of a modern goes while being Christian, that’s impossible. Perhaps we should step back and explore what the role of a priest is and how those who work outside
The main role of a priests is pretty straight forward. They perform the 7 sacraments serve a special and unique position as a mediator between the Holy and the human. The priest’s mission is to be a mediator, a bridge that connects, and thereby to bring human beings to God, to His redemption, to His true light, to His true life’. Priests are here to be conduit to humanity and the Divine. They’re not perfect, they’re human and through that humanity they understand and acknowledge the issues of the human condition.
The basic work of a priest is to proclaim the Word of God. Mind this is more than pushing a specific book or a single way of live. The path to God is multifold and priests are merely those who have been trained to perform the sacraments and serve as way points along the path. Now this can be done in a number of ways. A priest has to spend time preparing for, and then performing the Sacraments—Eucharist, Reconciliation, Baptism, Funerals, Marriages, Sacrament of the Sick. Part of each day should be set aside for prayer whether through homilies or through teachings. A priest does a lot of direct work with their community, visiting the sick, working with the needy, and engaging with people. Sometimes is practical spiritual work, blessing, sacraments, dare I say spells, other times it is simply being present. Listening, seeing, and validating.
If you’re out there, with apostolic succession, working with those that the Churches…er Temples see as outsiders and rejects then you’re doing far more than most. Keep doing it. If you want to see what an organized group of folks doing the work looks like:
Perhaps it is best to start with some of the central themes of the Order of St. Cyprian. These nine core themes are not hard and fast rules, rather they are waypoints that can assist in guiding Novitiate to understanding that the Order is about and how we live our values:
- Exploration of the non-material world and a life focused on healing the damage done by Materialism and Empire.
- Sharing resources with fellow community members and the needy among us
- Hospitality to the stranger and the Other
- Lament for racial/sexual/gender/cultural/economic divisions within the church and our communities combined with the active pursuit of a just reconciliation
- Nurturing common life among members of an intentional community
- Living a life that offers support for celibate singles alongside monogamous/polyamorous partners regardless of sexualities and gender.
- Care for God’s earth given to us along with support of our local economies
- Peacemaking in the midst of violence and conflict resolution within communities
- Commitment to a disciplined contemplative life
Exploration of the non-Material world and a life focused on healing the damage done by Materialism and Empire.
This theme is perhaps the most complicated to understand for folks, however once prospective members are ready to joing this you’ve had the benefit of working through the ELU Catechumenate. You’re already versed in how to connect with spirits, deities, and the “Others” that exist outside the physical material world. We are not anti-materialism (I sincerely hope all of you have secure housing, finances, and food.) This is more about disengaging with the rampant materialism that has defined our modern world and the often ignored damage that we as beneficiaries of Empire have thrust upon folks. The Order of St. Cyprian encourages members to seek their own path as practioners of magic. However we also encourage responsible engagement in magic and the cultures that formed it. The Order is not condemning responsible approaches to eclecticism and syncretization. Rather, in the spirit of St. Cyprian’s spread throughout Europe and the Americas, we suggest that:
a. one cannot easily pull practices from other traditions out of their context without losing something
b. if one’s intent is spiritual advancement and enlightenment it is not very productive to be making a spiritual “map” to somewhere you’ve never been out of pieces of other people’s “maps!”
c. we need to listen to and respect the communities whose traditions we engage with, listening and centering those voices, particularly when those groups are historically oppressed.
d. one should always be willing to find and explore the “hidden mysteries” however these mysteries are not mysterious or hidden if they can be readily purchased in retail stores. Rather than chasing the “new” thing in the heavily commodified world of occultism seek to go deep into a subject and plumb its depths. Often the most hidden of mysteries require time and effort beyond reading and consuming. [i]
Sharing resources with fellow community members and the needy among us
We are a small order by design. We are selective in our membership because we are a community. We are expected to share resources with each other and those in need. Before going further, we must clarify that resources need not and should not mean money. Professed members of the OSC pay no dues in terms of hard currency. Rather we give our time, labors, prayers, and perhaps most precious of all our attention to each other. A spirit of communal work in the charism is expected, and the Order should function as both a resource and a refuge. In your daily life one should try to find ways to be of use to their communities and the needy there. Again, do not assume that cash donations remove this burden from your hands. Do work in St. Cyprian’s name, where you are, with what you have, how you can.
Hospitality to the stranger and the Other.
While we have no monastery to offer shelter and comfort to those in need, the Order strives to promote a community where all feel welcome. We might live in the world, but we are not of the world and as such should e free of the bias, bigotry, and hate.
, “Hospitality to the stranger implies wisdom, love, and justice—rather than intimacy, warmth, and familiarity—in our dealings with others in public.” [ii]
Take a moment and put this issue of hospitality to the stranger into practical terms, imagine that you are one of the greeters at the door of the church welcoming people to worship. A couple you do not recognize—visitors, strangers—comes to the door. How are you to view these people and what is your responsibility toward them? Should you imagine that the most important thing you can know about these visitors is that they bring needs for intimacy that you and the congregation are to meet? To do so would be presumptuous and theologically naive. It would assume that these visitors are really just like you, that there are no real differences between you and them, and that the highest goal possible is that you and the other members of your congregation will become intimate friends with them and invite them into the private spaces of your life. While you might not be a greeter at a church you are, whether share this openly or not, a representative of the OSC, St. Cyprian, and the Morning Star. How you interact with these theoretical couple is significant for both you and them. How do you greet them in the light and liberation of the Morning Star? How do you live the Charism through this interaction? For those of us who are ordained how do we offer them the holy services we are obliged to carry? You are always at the door of the Church, how do you greet those who are strangers to you?
Lament for racial/sexual/gender/cultural/economic divisions within the church and our communities combined with the active pursuit of a just reconciliation.
The Order is Committed to acknowledging, engaging, and reconciling the racial/sexual/gender/cultural/economic divisions in our communities. We bar entry to no one based on the above differences and like our parent church we celebrate the diversity of our members. Over the years we’ve strived to eliminate the outdated and divisive trappings that have long been a part of Christian religious orders. Those in the Order refer to each other as Amicus/Amicii (Am.). This was a decision made early in the life of the Order to do away with the gendered terms found in more traditional organizations.
Nurturing common life among members of an intentional community.
We are a dispersed order however we are united in both prayer and purpose. Our charism is a guide for how to celebrate and venerate St Cyprian in the world. We strive to offer a nurturing and supportive community for our members to develop both their magical practices and their spiritual relationship with St. Cyprian and the Morning Star.
Living a life that offers support for celibate singles alongside monogamous/polyamorous partners regardless of sexualities and gender.
The Order does not require celibacy, we also do not deny it is a valid choice for some. We celebrate the multifaceted aspect of human relationships. We do not concern ourselves with the private sexual lives of our members and encourage safe, consensual exploration of sex and gender. We also encourage our members to live their lives authentically and while we are not political in nature, we fully support political options to secure equality for all.
Care for the Earth given to us along with support of our local economies.
As Luxumbrians we all forged relationships with out own “Land” during the catechumenate. This respect for the Land and its physical and on physical inhabitants continues within the Order. While we do not have a share plot of land to tend to, like the Church forests in Ethiopia, we are each living embodiments of the Order. Each professed member is a room in our shared Monastery. Traditionally monks have worked the land and engaged with the local economies and we can share in this tradition as well. Where possible engage with your local economy and tend to your own land.
Peacemaking in the midst of violence and conflict resolution within communities.
The Order is committed to peaceful resolution of conflict both internally and externally. We follow the guideline of our parent church in these matters. Furthermore, in dealing with external conflict we encourage non-violence and a lack of engagement. We need not engage with every critique and claim that might be thrown our way. In your daily lives non-violence is encouraged. However, we do not require pacifism. If a peaceful avenue exists to solve an issue within both the Order our your worldly communities it should be explored.
Commitment to a disciplined contemplative life.
The Order serves as an intentional community for ELU members who wish to engage in both a contemplative religious life and a life dedicated to the veneration and celebration of St. Cyprian. As a dispersed Order we do not, nor do we seek, to govern the lives of our members. As such our requirements are kept simple and few. Pray the daily Orisons, pray the rosary of St. Cyprian, construct and maintain and Altar to St. Cyprian, follow the Charism, engage with the community in a meaningful way. These simple requirements form the internal structure of the Order. One may always do more. One may not do less.
St. Cyprian of Antioch.
While a full biography of our blessed Saint is a book unto itself the Order does focus on some key aspects of St. Cyprian’s like and it would be remiss if this guide didn’t touch upon them.
It is important to note that in the vas majority of literature on St. Cyprian he is presented as being a powerful and accomplished sorcerer. Some of his accomplishments include:
- Baptized a servant of the Mysteries of Apollo
- Mithraic Initiation (United by Handshake)
- Bearer of the Torch of Demeter
- Served the Sorrow of Kore in white robes (Ephepi robes while traditionally black, white was used later)
- Initiate of the Mysteries of Athena (as the serpent Pallas) at the Acropolis
- Received Daemonic Communion (the mysteries of echo) at Olympus
- Received knowledge of psychedelic plants
- Learned elemental weather sorcery
- Learns spirit vision (Beholds the great multitudes of infernal spirits and natural spirits)
- Receives Chaldean initiation (29 days of dietary restriction are the hallmark)
- Age 15: Initiated into the magic of the Celestial Bodies
- Learns the mysteries of the elements, magical herbs, and daemonic correspondences with the same
- In Argos receives elemental mysteries as related through the secrets of Hera and Zeus (and Zeus Cthonios)
- Receives the mysteries of Artemis in Elis
- Learns divination from the Phrygians (vivisection and interpretation of animals)
- Learns the voice of the dead
- Learns blood magic (or more likely vampirism)
- Learns medicine, isopsephia
- Receives the secrets of malediction, disease, and their spiritual consequences
- Gains access to unknown numinous knowledge
- Learns of the written spell
- Receives initiations in Egypt at Memphis related to the stellar gods
- Learns astrology
- Learns the Egyptian mysteries of Kekui(t) and of the Powers of Darkness
- Receives the mysteries of earthquakes, storms, and torrents
- Has vision of the Titans which Zeus has imprisoned under the Earth
- Learns of the manner in which sorrow is seeded unto man
- Receives the knowledge of the Dragon and the machinations of the Powers of Darkness
- Learns the methods of using demonic offerings
- Learns the methods of metamorphosis
- Learns the wisdom of dualities, opposites, and reconciliation
- Learns of the symbolic spiritual manifestations of human vice
- Receives the mysteries of formal philosophy
- Learns the Chaldean Oracles
- Age 30: Is granted an audience with the Prince of Darkness who recognizes him as a great Magus and bestows upon him command of an army of Infernal Host
- Is granted title and a position of rulership in the Undying Realm
- Masters the wonderous occult potencies of shadow and night.
- Receives the Powers of Darkness.
- The Dark Lord teaches him the mysteries of eternity, permanence, and potency in all realms.
So, one can assume that he was not only accomplished, but a very powerful and successful sorcerer. Why then does he convert Christianity? Some say he did it for power, wanting to tap into the Holy powers that St. Justina used to protect herself from his demonic charms. Other say that it was love for St. Justina, if he couldn’t win her via dark magic he would win her with devotion. However, a third option is often ignored, that he was awestruck by the power and majesty of God and converted right then and there. We will never know, however the fact that he stayed close to Justina until their joint martyrdom, that he rose to the rank of Bishop of Antioch, and that he was willing to die a horrible death in the name of his new faith doesn’t strike me as a man living a lie for easy power.
Such is the duality of St. Cyprians life. His litany of sorcerous accomplishments balanced against his conversion, role as bishop, and death a martyr. Much of St. Cyprian’s life and his dual role as sorcerer and saint can seem complex for those new to the Order and our way of life.
We are monks who live in the world but still work to not be part of it. We are witches who use magic and traffic with spirits for a myriad of purposes but are still devout in our love of St. Cyprian and Christ. We are both active participants in the “other” world but retreat from the mundane world. Like St. Cyprian we operate in a liminal space existing between:
The Real world and the “other” world
Flesh and Spirit
Individual being and Collective existence
Angelic and demonic nature
Moral deeds and immoral deeds.
We of the Order of St. Cyprian stand in a unique place. We are LuxUmbrians, Sacramental Witches who stand in a space between light and shadow. However, we have made the decision to follow St. Cyprian’s example and willingly place ourselves in this space. Where LuxUmbrians venture monthly into this ephemeral space we have chosen to dwell here for an extended period. Those of us who have made life long professions have dedicated our entire lives to standing between these extremes. The World is our cloister, the Land our territory.
Living the Life
I am by no means a perfect example of how to live a religious life. I’m flawed and falter in the life as much as, if not more so, than anyone. However, I try. I do my best to live the life authentically while not ignoring my other roles. So lacking a perfect example of a day I suggest you simply try and find time to fill your day with prayer, service, and magic as much a possible.
[i] Taken in part from thenephilimrising.com’ post Decolonizing Luciferianism
[ii] Patrick R. Keifert, Welcoming the Stranger: A Public Theology of Worship and Evangelism (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1992), 16-26.
Gyrovague: A Monk of Light and Shadow 