Western mysticism

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_bigfoot.com>
Date: Sun, 05 Nov 2000 00:46:58 +1300


David Cake:

> >The Zzaburites are also sorcerous mystics too as is stated in
> >HW:RiG p218 "...[non-eastern] mystics include the Perfecti and
> >the Zzaburites among westerners (being the perspectives of a
> >personal and impersonal god respectively)..."
>
> I think of the Perfecti as being gnostic/cathar like, and the
>Zzaburites as being alchemists/hermetics. Their mysticism takes the
>form of a drive to self-transformation and reconciliation of natural
>opposites, etc.

I don't think that the Zzaburites are inclined to selftransformation  and the reconciliation of natural opposites.

IMO the Zzaburites are more Schopenhaueran in outlook, being intent on developing their Will (i.e. the only "thing-in- itself" that people can know). They do this through mastery of the Five Actions, although at the basic level this looks indistinguishable from ordinary sorcerous magic. It's only after the mastery of the Grimoire's secrets that they start taking trips "past the Sun" to master the next action.

While the Perfecti way can be defined as self-transformation, I doubt that reconciliation of opposites figures largely in their scheme of things. IMO it follows the Hrestoli quest outlined in ToTRM#13 Crusades article. The Perfecti take a skill from each caste (from the Wizards, they use Piety) and raise it to the W2 level to become Perfecti.

>Some kabbalism is probably in the mix as well, which I see as
>one of the better models for how sorcerers look at the otherworld,
>but 'real' kabbalism is probably too religious for the Zzaburites
>(jewish kabbalist magic workers see themselves as a conduit for the
>divine power, not as imposing their own will).

IIRC Kaballah sees the cosmos in essentially human terms (ie crown, head etc) which would be rather inappropriate for the Zzaburi in general with their view of God as impersonal.

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