Apotheosis

Just a few days ago, Nick Farrell posted a list of Ten Tips for Young Occultists on his blog.  Although replete with personal experience and insight, it was also controversial, and ruffled some feathers in the wider esoteric community.  They too had their own valid insights and counterpoints.  I think the most unfortunate part of the quibbling was that the delivery and tone overshadowed the message in almost every case.

I've already written a lot about being careful of toxic teachers in the esoteric arena, but so far, there has been a fundamental point left unexpressed.  It is the seeker, the student, that has just as much responsibility for the situations and relationships they get themselves into.  I cannot count the number of times newcomers read the Survival Guide articles, have them agree with every word, and then go back and do everything the articles told them not to do.  (Needless to say, these people do not become my students.)   So yes, there are toxic teachers, but there are toxic students as well.  They are the ones who will generate tons of drama focused upon themselves, suck up the vast majority of the group's time and energy, and when the teacher tries to set a healthy boundary, they run off screaming that they got spiritually and psychologically abused. 

It is my aim here to present the same types of tips, not just for the student, but also for the teacher.  I also hope to present them in a much more composed and philosophical manner, and in that spirit, I look to one of the greatest philosophers in history, Socrates.

For Students

Tip #1:  "All I know is that I know nothing."

This is the original Socratic Paradox.  The initial spark of true wisdom lies in recognizing one's own ignorance.  When you are in the position of the student, this is a tenet that is fundamental to embrace.  Keep an open mind.

Tip #2:  "If he who does not know kept silent, discord would cease."

Instead of this tip being about the value of a student's opinion, I suggest it should rather be about silence itself.  This is not about muzzling underlings.  It's about basic discipline and common courtesy.  Elementary school children are expected to exercise such restraint in the classroom.  Why shouldn't adult-aged esoteric students?

Tip #3:  "Nature has given us two ears, two eyes, and but one tongue – to the end that we should hear and see more than we speak."

As a student, are you there to learn the mysteries or to express yourself?  This doesn't mean you shouldn't question the teachings, but it does mean that you can't receive the teachings if you're spending all your time chattering.  For everything, there is a season.  Let that open mind act as a sponge.  There will be plenty of time to share later, when sharing has greater value.

Tip #4:  “There is no greater evil one can suffer than to hate reasonable discourse.”

The Socratic Method has been used for millenia as an effective teaching tool which stimulates critical thinking (something woefully lacking in most new age circles).  Ask lots and lots of questions, but only ask relevant questions.  Be an active participant in your learning.  You, and you alone, are responsible for it!

Tip #5:  “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.”¹

Crowley said "Every man and woman is a star".  What he neglected to mention is that you're a single star in a galaxy 100,000 light-years wide, among 300 billion other stars.  You may be unique, but you're not all that.  On the other hand, you're not some cold, dead planet, either.  At least you have some light, so it's up to you how you want to shine.

Tip #6:  “My plainness of speech makes them hate me, and what is their hatred but a proof that I am speaking the truth.”

For being perhaps the greatest philosopher ever known, Socrates could get a little rough around the edges.  He didn't mince words when it came to children and their "bad manners", "contempt for authority" and the way they would "tyrannize their teachers".  Good teachers do not suffer fools gladly.  They will set you straight when you need it, and tell you the unvarnished truth when you don't want to hear it.  By all means, never tolerate abuse, but start developing a thicker skin sooner rather than later.  Because if you act like a dumb ass, you're going to get butthurt.  Suck it up, Buttercup.  You didn't think occultism was all unicorns and rainbows, did you?  If you got your wake-up call from your teacher instead of Andras, you got off light.

Tip #7:  “To be is to do.”

It is amazing how many students get their initiations and then do virtually nothing, as if joining is all there is.  If belonging isn't quite enough, they will tend to pull the group into becoming some social club with a casual interest in the mysteries.  Remember why you're there.  The only thing that matters is the Work.  You might make friends there, but you're not there to make friends, and the teacher is definitely not there to be your BFF.  Get your priorities straight, and don't waste people's time, either the teacher's or your own.

Tip #8:  “Socrates gave a lot of advice, and he was given hemlock to drink.” — Rose Kennedy

If the relationship has any tangible duration or depth, transference issues between student and teacher are practically inevitable.  Transference can either take a positive (attractive) or negative (repulsive) form, but either way, the teacher is always expected to gracefully deflect such things.  It doesn't always happen that way, and it's very easy and very human to cast aspersions.  Furthermore, if your opinion of your teacher swings suddenly from Angel on Earth to Demon from Hell, then the flaw is probably not on your teacher, but rather on your viewpoint.  This may come as a shock to new students, but teachers are human, too.  Instead, take the "more than human" approach, check your ego at the door and gain some introspection. 

Tip #9:  “Let him that would move the world first move himself.”

You didn't think that the Temple furniture and regalia just appeared out of thin air, or that the Temple was set up with a wave of the Hierophant's Wand, did you?  When you enjoyed the Mystic Repast, did you ever wonder where the rose and wine, bread and salt came from?  If you think traveling a couple hours to Temple once a month is such a hardship, instead try hosting that day and organizing the other thirty days of the month.  Stop taking your teachers and your Temples for granted.  Show your appreciation not just in words and dues but in deeds.  Bring something to the table.  If you don't know what, do what you do in the classroom: ASK.

Tip #10:  “I know you won't believe me, but the highest form of Human Excellence is to question oneself and others.”

Question everything and everyone, but do so discreetly and respectfully.  Learn that oftentimes, the delivery is just as important as the message.  Because Socrates also said, “To express oneself badly is not only faulty as far as the language goes, but does some harm to the soul.”  If the adults in the room stop acting like adults, it could either be a knee-jerk reaction which will cool down in time, or it might be symptomatic of a more systemic problem.  If the issue is irreconcilable, then it might be time to part ways.  So when you as a student do the questioning, have a clear line to your teacher, but also have a clear path to the door.


For Teachers

(You might see a pattern here)

Tip #1:  "All I know is that I know nothing."

This is the original Socratic Paradox.  The perpetual spark of true wisdom lies in recognizing one's own ignorance.  The more you study a subject, the wider the field gets, and more you realize how uneducated you truly are.  When you are in the position of the teacher, this is a tenet that is fundamental to embrace.  Keep an open mind.

Tip #2:  "If he who does not know kept silent, discord would cease."

You don't know everything.  You don't even know everything about the tradition you're teaching.  Some teachers are so insecure that they feel they have to pad their knowledge where their education is thin.  You would be surprised how much respect you would get from your students if you didn't have the answer and honestly said "I don't know".  You're a teacher, not a bullshit artist.

Tip #3:  "Nature has given us two ears, two eyes, and but one tongue - to the end that we should hear and see more than we speak."

As a teacher, are you there to teach the mysteries or to grab the spotlight and show off?  This doesn't mean you shouldn't disseminate the teachings, but it does mean that the students ought to be able to play a role in their own learning.  Let that open mind act as a sounding board.  Any teacher who can't learn something from his/her students is no good teacher at all.

Tip #4:  “There is no greater evil one can suffer than to hate reasonable discourse.”

The Socratic Method has been used for millenia as an effective teaching tool which stimulates critical thinking (something woefully lacking in most new age circles).  These are not just students you're teaching, but the next generation of teachers of your tradition!  Be an collaborative participant in your training.  You, and you alone, are responsible for it!

Tip #5:  “I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.”

You may be well-educated in your tradition, but you're not all that.  You may have more light than your students, but the light you shine won't make a lick of difference if your students aren't engaged and their eyes are closed.  Foster a contemplative environment in your classes.

Tip #6:  “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

If your students are not sycophants (and you don't want them to be), they are going to be a little rough around the edges.  By all means, you do not have to suffer fools gladly, but don't forget that you once were them.  Set them straight when they need it.  Otherwise, first pass it through the Three Sieves of Socrates: Is it true, is it good, is it useful?  In other words, don't be a cunt.

Tip #7:  “To be is to do.”

For teachers, it's easy to talk the talk.  But teaching is more than pontificating, it's about leading by example, so you'd better be ready to walk the walk as well.  Because if you do not practice what you preach, you're not going to be a respected teacher, you're going to be just another hypocritical poseur.

Tip #8:  “Mankind is made of two kinds of people: wise people who know they're fools, and fools who think they are wise.”

If the relationship has any tangible duration or depth, transference issues between teacher and student are practically inevitable.  Transference can either take a positive (attractive) or negative (repulsive) form, but either way, the teacher is always expected to gracefully deflect such things.  It doesn't always happen that way, and it's very easy and very human to cast aspersions.  Furthermore, if your opinion of your student swings suddenly from Angel on Earth to Demon from Hell, then the flaw is probably not on your student, but rather on your viewpoint.  New students are raw and haven't been refined in the fires of the alchemical furnace yet.  Take the "more than human" approach like you're supposed to, check your ego at the door and gain some introspection.

Tip #9:  “Let him that would move the world first move himself.”

You didn't think that these students appeared out of thin air to put you on a pedestal and wait on you hand and foot, did you?  The relationship is teacher and student, not master and servant.  Stop viewing your students as underlings.  Show some appreciation for their participation and enthusiasm.  Everyone brings something to the table.  If you don't know what that is, open your eyes and stop looking down your nose.

Tip #10:  “I know you won't believe me, but the highest form of Human Excellence is to question oneself and others.”

As a leader in the esoteric community, you are going to be questioned mercilessly, misrepresented constantly and judged harshly.  It's not going to matter what you do or say, so you might as well do and say the right things.  If the children in the room act up and act out, it could either be a knee-jerk reaction which will cool down in time, or it might be symptomatic of a more systemic problem.  If the issue is irreconcilable, then it might be time to part ways.  So when a student questions you, let him question you directly, but if he crosses the line, don't hesitate to show him the door.


For Students Who Think They Don't Need Teachers

Tip #1:  “Experience is the best teacher, but a fool will learn from no other.” — Benjamin Franklin

Enough said.





¹May be misattributed

Esoteric Orders: A Survival Guide
          Section I: How To Find An Esoteric Order

Last Chapter: Engaging the Community

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During your initial communication and interaction phase, you may notice that some members start to correspond with you more than others. They may send you a friend request, which of course you happily accept. You want to be part of the community now, right? They may even start to instant message you outside the discussion group and strike up a conversation. Wow! This guy seems super-smart and really important, and he’s taking a shine to me! Isn’t that great?

Uhh, no. Not necessarily. There are scores of bogus, self-exalted mentors out there who use discussion forums, not for deliberation on the tradition or the development of its community, but as a pool of unwary potential candidates for their esoteric Orders. These mountebanks put on a performance in front of the incognizant, luring them in with saccharine dialogue and the pretense of the grandeur of their Order. (I like to call this “candi-bait”, a portmanteau of “candidate bait”.)

Speaking of plays on words, using the term “fly-by-night” is a deliberate pun. On modern terms, the phrase refers to something transitory or someone who’s unreliable at best, shady at worst. Originally, it was a slang term, conceived in the late 18th century, to refer to a woman of reproach, suggesting that she might be a witch! How scandalous an accusation for someone in that time! But I digress.

Returning to the whole aura and idea around grandeur, keep in mind that, as it often goes, the more magnificent the title, the more bloated the ego. Furthermore, if someone introduces himself to you as the Chief of a multi-national Order with temples world-wide, there is probably something amiss with that Chief or that Order. Why would the spiritual leader of a global convocation of seekers be trawling the Web for the next single seeker? Maybe the Order is not really so multi-national or the membership is not nearly so flush with members. Even if so, then the Chief is putting new recruits over his existing associates, and with that kind of dereliction of duty, his order may not be world-wide nor populous for very long!

Regardless of position or title, once you’ve been “friended”, you can glean quite a bit from a person’s social media profile. Although you want to avoid sweeping generalizations, you will be able to catch glimpses of the person’s mindset, character, and even intelligence. If a mentor doesn’t have a good grasp of his native language, why in the world would you want that person to teach you spellcraft if he can’t even spell? “Grimoire” comes from an Old French word meaning “grammar”, after all. Someone who passes along sensational news or informational memes that are easily debunked by a five-second Google search clearly lacks critical thinking skills. Esoteric mentors should have a discriminating eye for the truth. Even with setting spirituality aside, would you expect anything less from any other teacher?

Whether it be on one’s profile, or in discussion, also take particular notice to assure yourself that the person is consistent and, preferably, balanced. For example, it is a fairly common thing to find mystics using psychedelic substances to achieve altered states of consciousness. However, a mentor who practically glorifies drug culture is likely to not function well in the mundane world, or worse, may not be able to separate fantasy from reality. Being a weapons enthusiast is entirely within one’s rights, but when a leader of a group of “white lighters” publicly advocates “second amendment solutions” to societal problems, things just don’t add up. Defending one’s rights is admirable, and fighting for others’ rights is honorable, but if a person voices opinions sympathetic to certain cultural or racial “pride” groups, don’t expect them to play nice with people that are different from them, especially if they’re “untermensch”.

Don’t get me wrong. Everyone is a hypocrite to some degree. Cognitive dissonance and unenlightened self-interest are virtually the forces that spin the globe. That said, it should be reasonable to expect that a spiritual advisor should be something better than that. “More than human” is the term Israel Regardie used. Bear in mind though, that “more than human” is still always going to be less than perfect.

On the flip side, let’s say you engage in conversation with a person who has some very strong opinions and even a little bit of inside information. Once friended, however, the person’s social profile seems to be conspicuously thin. He has very few other friends on his profile, no one else seems to know this person, and after a second glance, you notice that the profile was set up only a few days ago. Chances are this profile is a sockpuppet, designed to advocate and attract people to (or scare them away from) a particular Order, while disguising the person’s true identity. For some reason, this seems to be a favorite practice of some of the worst Order leaders out there. These sockpuppets, and the people behind them, deserve nothing more than your silence.

Sockpuppets aside, if a tangible tutor’s public profile is a total turn-off, that doesn’t mean you can’t have cordial conversations. Having an interest in the occult is a rare thing, so finding people who share that interest is something to treasure. Just be clear in your interactions that, if pressed, you prefer a peer-to-peer rapport, and not a mentor-to-student relationship. Furthermore, if that pressure takes on the characteristics of a hard sell, especially if there are consequences included for not acting soon, you should probably think twice about having that person as a mentor. The path that you take and the choices about it that you make need to be directed by you and only you. This is your path. Don’t allow yourself to be manipulated in any manner that steers you away from that.

When it comes right down to it, there’s no simple litmus test for occult tutors, so you’re going to have to do your esoteric background check all by yourself. By all means, you want to establish a level of trust with the people with whom you are choosing to interact. However, if one of those people can’t find a kind word to say about anyone else, all the while exalting himself above all others, he is trying to isolate you. Don’t be afraid, therefore, to ask your little circle of potential mentors about others in the community, most of all about the other mentors! Most of the community stalwarts are going to be kind about others, yet you will be surprised at some of the things they have witnessed and the stories they will tell. You will never know until you ask. Then, of course, always verify the information that you hear. You might be surprised to find, though, that some of the more outlandish rumors that you’re told, which you might normally reject as utterly ludicrous, are actually true. That said, it is a basic rule of thumb that the more discreet whisperings from the veterans of the tradition are going to have greater veracity than those you will find lingering about on slander sites littering the Web.

You also have to be on the lookout for the soft sell as well. Many of the fly-by-night mentors are very well practiced in the fine art of the schmooze. Some of them will try to fawn all over you, to try and ingratiate themselves to you, in order to bring you into the fold. The more seasoned ones are a little craftier. They will tell you exactly what you want to hear and just a little bit extra to whet your intrigue. Remember where you are at this moment. You’re not married to an Order, and you’re not engaged by an Initiation. You’re still on the esoteric dating scene, trying to connect on occult OKCupid. The smooth operators out there are going to tell you how wonderful you are and, if you just hook up with them, you’ll find all the resplendent brilliance and power of your dreams. Truth be told, however, they just want to get into your robes.

Again, if the question of tutelage comes up, don’t be moved. Really, the subject should be broached by you and on your timeline. Certainly, you can’t expect an esoteric suitor to hang around forever, but if he leaves at the first indication that you won’t be his pupil, then that will tell you what his intentions were all along. Same goes if the person gets impatient or pushy. That shows you his priorities, and he’s putting his over yours. Establish healthy boundaries now, because you may have to do it again, even after you’ve been a long-standing member of an esoteric Order.

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Next Chapter:  Making First Contact