Good and Evil

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What is the biggest evil? Everyone is shocked by cruelty to animals, abuse of children, neglect of old-folk, and religious massacres. Usually though it is possible to see how such tragedies might be due to a distorted personality or a twisted mind. It sounds controversial, I know, but something is not evil merely because you, I or someone else disapproves of it. The reactions of mere human beings cannot be the basis of such a classification.

The universe is not run for our benefit and the laws that govern it do not necessarily run parallel to our own. Religions seek to understand the will of the gods and to set standards of morality against which our behaviour can be measured. However, there are different religions and they produce different lists of right and wrong. A Jain, for example, would not wish to step on a fly, but other religions say that flies should be swatted.

Evil is something so grave that it could lead to the end of all life or even the whole of creation. If an atomic war might lead to destruction of this planet then it becomes evil knowingly to sell nuclear arms to irresponsible maniacs or to supply them with uranium.

Are there lesser evils? Anything that leads wantonly or recklessly to the destruction of the human spirit is evil. For example, it is one kind of wrong to rape someone violently, but it is another to force their loved ones to watch it happening. It is heinous evil to obliterate human reason or to do anything that causes our species to devolve, or to regress into a more primitive state. From this, we must also consider our position vis-a-vis the use of recreational drugs and alcohol when it can be shown that their use can lead to some of the evils that I have already defined. The sheer amount of damage that has been done by men to women and to children while under the influence of drink suggests that evil makes use of our weaknesses, our whims and our liking for things. I do not advocate total avoidance but we must exert our will if we permit ourselves to use them.

Where else do you see evil? While applauding the liberalisation of many laws to do with marriage, age of consent and so on, I cannot help but deplore the way we now use these changed circumstances in a selfish and irresponsible manner. Modern moral attitudes do lead to breakdown of the nuclear family, harm to children, homelessness and mental disorientation. We cannot yet foresee the long-term effects on society at large, but they are likely to be devastating. I am in favour of relaxation of oppressive restrictions - a bandage that is too tight can cause gangrene - but total freedom leads inevitably to the rule of the jungle, and this flies in the face of all progress and all the reformers of history. Moreover, I strongly suspect that this attitude of "letting go" will lead to the lowering of our guard, and there will creep in to our daily lives forces or influences that may lead to radical changes in human personality. Standards will have to be redefined and madness may be accepted as normality.

Do you have enemies? Oh yes, of course I do. Anyone as outspoken as I am is bound to attract ill-will. If ever I am murdered, the police will not have to look far for a list of possible suspects. If you had that same list in your hands now then you might even see it as a wonderful endorsement of my character. I mean: it cannot be bad if the devil hates me, can it? And if organised crime detests me? Or if the Nazis abhor me? And tobacco companies wish me dead? I ought not to be ashamed of foes like these. Do you see? The mere fact of having enemies is not itself a mark of disgrace. But who those enemies are .. that is what counts.

Now it follows, as night follows day, that anyone who is friends with my enemies has to be ruled out as a potential guest in my house. If someone serves the devil or practices black magic then he and I are not going to get on well. Many people consider themselves to be true followers of Aleister Crowley and they also snuggle up to the devil on the grounds that - in their opinion - my father was a black magician. They are wrong. He was not a black magician at all. I knew him and they did not, so there! Many folk detest me without ever having met me, but this is irrational and I urge them to see their doctor.

Do you fight wicked people? Not unless I have to. I mean: I do not go looking for a scrap with anyone. Every person is perfectly free to make his own choices and to harm his own soul if he wants to. All we can do is make some attempt to dissuade them, but apart from that - if they are in a normal state of mind - we must let them jump. Of course, we could interfere if someone else were trying to lead them astray or if they were being unfairly attacked. But we have no right to dole out punishment to the wicked. Wrongdoers earn whatever they get .. and they will certainly get it, sooner or later. If one of them tries to harm an Occultist though, then and only then may a Master intervene. It goes without saying that if they are daft enough to try attacking a Master then not only may he set loose the astral Rottweilers, but he may use a magic mirror to deflect their ill-wishing and return it to the sender.

Do Masters have authority over Evil? We are servants to the Lord of All and He does have authority, and He can delegate part of His authority to us. Like Generals in a cosmic army, we may do as we think fit, knowing that we are answerable to our God. So Masters can stop, search, confiscate and destroy. Did you know, for example, that a Master has the power and the right to summon and to detain spirits? I am sure you have heard about genies being trapped in brass bottles .. well, who put them there? A Master can order a spirit being to appear before him and bind them to behave in certain ways under pain of a certain punishment. When a Master speaks as the representative of the Beyond then his word must be respected. This is a heavy responsibility, so you shouldn't be too surprised if he relieves his stresses and tensions in jokes and a love of horror films.

Are there lesser punishments? Quite commonly, it is punishment enough simply to 'point the finger' and to tell the offender that you have drawn his conduct to the attention of the Beyond. The magic behind this ritual is called: the Naming of Names, as in the English expression "I do not want to name names, but ..." A Master has only to point at someone and either pronounce their name, or say 'This one', and the ancient power swings into action. As a check against the accidental invocation of this power, a Master has to use a special tone of voice which operates as a 'key'.

Do you believe in the Devil? Whatever I may believe, it can make no difference to you since I do not require you to believe the same things. You may keep your own opinions provided that you examine them critically and think matters through. I cannot bear to discuss things with an ostrich while its head is stuck in the sand.

Whatever the truth may eventually turn out to be, it is perhaps prudent to act on the presumption that devils do exist. Let's not argue here and now about their nature or what their real names are .. I am simply pointing out that it does you no harm to take precautions. You'd like me to go into it more deeply and in greater detail, but I have to balance this against man's fatal fascination with anything that is forbidden. I have to find a middle way between saying too little and saying too much .. between being evasive and being too frank. Deciding what would be 'too much' for beginners is one of the trickiest decisions that a Master has to make.

Is it dangerous to study Occultism? Yes, but it is even more dangerous not to study it. Everyday life is full of risk too, but we all manage to take things in our stride. Driving a car is getting more dangerous every day, and there is a calculated risk in eating convenience foods. Good heavens! Even eggs can be fatal. The enemy might well like to aim at Occult students, but it prefers to get a General in its sights rather than a common soldier. A sniper may let off a stray bullet in your direction, but I have got artillery units firing cannon at me.

When you choose your Master, you are aligning yourself with his cause and declaring that you support all the principles that he stands for. All of a sudden, you are no longer a simple peasant with a neutral attitude. You have signed up with the army of light and so the army of darkness no longer ignores you. But it never did guarantee to leave you alone. It only ever ignored you, and whereas one side or the other will usually win, the peasants have always suffered.

Can I just remain a coward? Now, now, you cannot stand on the sidelines and refuse to get involved. But you do not have to be afraid or try to run away. There is a great cosmic law which states that no human being can ever be exposed to a danger that he is unable to resist. So there you are, you see. You are not up the creek without a paddle! When you become an Occultist, you are given enough power to fight off any likely attack. As you climb higher, you become a more interesting target, but your powers increase too. Instead of being scared of any assault by evil, you should be proud that they confirm your spiritual worth.

In any case, running away would not save you since a moving target is easier to see than one that lies still.

But what if I am terrified? It proves that you are normal. I am also afraid, but I am even more alarmed at the prospect of what would happen if I were a coward and refused to act out my appointed role. Nature makes us afraid for a positive purpose. She wants to put us on our guard so that we take precautions against the danger that threatens. The fear is not there to paralyse us but to provoke action. It is not meant to cause panic but bravery. If you let fear dominate without allowing anger and courage to respond, then yes, you might just as well abandon ship .. and wait for some other peril to grab you. Far, far better to stand your ground and exert your will.

Can I fight evil? Yes, there are psychic defences, magical weapons, rituals and all that, but before you rush into battle, the best preparation you can make is to bolster your will. A good way of doing this is ridding yourself or negative emotions such as jealousy, the thirst for power or the hunger for revenge. Those are the most debilitating ones. But you could also strive to bring your own sexuality under the control of your will so that you are less subject to rises and falls of hormones in your bloodstream, like a dog on heat, and more like an angel mustering his energy. Let your sexuality be based on love and not lust.

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