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My lovely mate and I had an interesting talk this weekend. I was looking over The Key of Solomon the King (Clavicula Salomonis) by by King of Israel Solomon and S. L. MacGregor Mathers. This classic book is the basis of much ceremonial magic. Wulfwalker told me that she had spoken to a ceremonial person who swore that he did not use magical intent in his work. What is magical intent? One definition of it is that magical intent is associated with some form of desire at least equally powerful, and difficult to forget. If this is the case then the ceremonial person was correct. He did not embrace his work with desire. Instead he worked by rote, relying on the correct methods to make things happen.
This may be the case, but Wulfwalker and I believe that some degree of intent is involved with any magical working. In our thinking intent is necessary even if it is just a purposeful focus on an outcome. Purpose is a close cousin to desire, and hence even the ceremonial guys cannot completely escape the grasp of intent.
In the end Wulfwalker and the ceremonial person agreed to disagree. We suspect that the gentleman had a definition of intent that he could not approach. It had become something of a four letter word for him, at least in respect to how he did his magic. Wulfwalker says that the ceremonial person could not come anywhere near the word intent. Instead he said it was all about the mechanics. In this word, mechanics, was tucked away purpose, focus, and something like intent. Interesting...
This may be the case, but Wulfwalker and I believe that some degree of intent is involved with any magical working. In our thinking intent is necessary even if it is just a purposeful focus on an outcome. Purpose is a close cousin to desire, and hence even the ceremonial guys cannot completely escape the grasp of intent.
In the end Wulfwalker and the ceremonial person agreed to disagree. We suspect that the gentleman had a definition of intent that he could not approach. It had become something of a four letter word for him, at least in respect to how he did his magic. Wulfwalker says that the ceremonial person could not come anywhere near the word intent. Instead he said it was all about the mechanics. In this word, mechanics, was tucked away purpose, focus, and something like intent. Interesting...
