"high" magick vs "low" magick

I haven't read his book on "low magick", but I heard DuQuette speaking about it on the podcast, "Occult of Personality" and he said that the low magick he performed under dire straits was for financial improvement in order to feed his wife and family. So how could this kind of magick pull one to a lower level?

I don't think it's about level as far as status or spiritual heirarchy...rather level of intricacy of preparation....

It's like a comparison in music between say, Beethoven and Folk music. One is not higher that the other, but one took much more time in the composing.

Or the difference between DaVinci and Grandma Moses in Art.

"High" magic involves years of study and each ritual/spellworking takes literally months of study and preparation. In "Low" magic, we might grab a few herbs and colored candles at the Magick shoppe and put something together in an afternoon.

And i am not qualified to make a judgement as to which is more effective. I think that's about the individual/s doing the spellwork.

Chana Siegel said:

I haven't read his book on "low magick", but I heard DuQuette speaking about it on the podcast, "Occult of Personality" and he said that the low magick he performed under dire straits was for financial improvement in order to feed his wife and family. So how could this kind of magick pull one to a lower level?

Click to expand...

Only if it were contrary to your Will. It's all relative, so the dichotomy of high magick versus low magick has no meaning outside the sphere of the individual magician. Action X in context Y may be just what is required for one person, but for someone else in different circumstances it may be completely wrong. Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

The only way the traditional concept of High vs Low can be understood is if you are working within a conceptual framework that has as one of it's postulates an absolute morality that is external to the magician. It may be worth bearing in mind that much of modern day magick originated in a dualistic Judeo-Christian context.