Masters

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Do Masters dominate their students? The boot is on the other foot. A Master is at the behest of his students, and in my experience, don't those students just know it! No, seriously, the term 'Master' has more to do with school than with kinky nightclubs in Amsterdam.

Why use the term then? As it is commonly used, the word Master comes from the Latin, Magister, as in the English term magistrate. It really means elder or senior. However, in another sense, it comes from Magus, and it means a senior magician. In Occultism, we teach by a system of oral training, such as that followed in mediaeval times, and so our use of the term indicates 'a senior magician who teaches his band of students'.

Do students need a Master? A Master is a teacher-cum-guide. Genuine ones display the three golden marks of: (a) knowledge, (b) teaching skill, and (c) divine authority. He is not just a widely read person who happens to have collected books from all over the world. He is far more than merely a colourful character with an amusing personality who knows how to beguile daydreamers. He does not just talk about something called magic, he actually makes it happen, and in doing so he makes use of powers that he has been building and refining throughout his life. For him, the world is not the ideal place that it ought to be, and so he strives to change it. He works to turn it into a better place for all of us.

There are other kinds of Magician, of course, mostly self-serving, and they are less concerned with the general welfare of mankind. However, a Master is a Magician of some excellence and he enjoys the support of a whole entourage of attendant spirits and astral entities.

Madame Blavatsky spoke of 'hidden' Masters? To be fair to Madame Blavatsky, the lady is dead or, to quote the famous parrot sketch of Monty Python, she has gone to join her Maker. Moreover, she has been dead for a long time. If this comes as any great shock to you, I am sorry that I did not put it more gently, but the world has moved on since the mid-nineteenth century. We are in a new century, a new millennium even, and nothing is as it was in Madame Blavatsky's day. Had she still been among us, investigative journalists from newspapers and television might well have harassed her. They would have given her an even harder time than they gave Uri Geller.

Since leaving the scene, few of her utterances have withstood the test of time. Her views were wrong, and several of her reputed "miracles" were open to other explanations. In fact, not to mince words, she sometimes cheated. As if this were not enough, her dedicated followers quarrelled among themselves and after her death, they interpreted her theories in several different ways. Far from helping their interest in mysticism, this lady puts many people off it for good. Her books are still read, but mainly out of historical interest. If you dip into them, do not take her too seriously. Be selective and proceed with caution.

Are Masters superhuman beings? As with the population at large, a few suffer from mental illness and delusions of grandeur. We must ask if such people were ever really Masters in the first place. There is nothing to stop anyone from proclaiming himself a Master, though he runs the risk of being shredded alive by astral Rottweilers. Using hand-held mirrors, I have examined myself from every angle, and I am pleased to report that I seem to be normal. Most bits are in their proper place and occur in their correct number. No horns or tail, and only five digits on each of four extremities. As far as it is possible to tell, I am ordinary from a physical point of view. Psychologically though, I have a magnetic one might almost say overpowering personality. As for the spiritual aspect I send shivers up and down people's spine. However, that could be my expensive after-shave; perhaps it is corked.

Are Masters really 'of this world'? Absolutely, and just to prove it, we use the toilet at regular intervals. However, I see what you are getting at, and the answer is tricky. It would be fairer to say that Masters have a foot in both worlds this one, here and now, and that one, there and then. Dead Masters stay "over there" most of the time, but can visit us occasionally. Otherwise, they are difficult to get in touch with since their telephone number is ex-directory. This is to protect them from silly enthusiasts. Living Masters are a different kettle of fish and, being of this world, they have to be protected and guarded. In certain ways, they are like the Buddhist concept of Bodhisattvas human beings who are entitled to advance to higher planes, but who choose to stay here in order to help others.

In what way are Masters special? Masters who are still among us-as opposed to Madame Blavatsky, Aleister Crowley et al, who are now ex-Masters, to misquote John Cleese-have gone through several reincarnations and are none too common. It is hard to find. They are rare or, as my father put it: "We are as few as unicorns". However, do not worry; there are enough to meet current demand, and if interest should grow then presumably they would have pups.

You are not likely to catch sight of a Master. While we do not exactly hide ourselves, we tend to shun publicity. This rules out at once the self-styled Masters who stand in the spotlight, court popularity, and try to imitate a disintegrating pop star. We do not seek celebrity status, though the world may thrust it on us. Seekers start the quest with a set of expectations like a shopping-list. They are primed to see and hear certain indications and to ignore or be blind to the rest. Consequently, they do not recognise a true Master even when passing within a short distance of him. Quite possibly, this is a test of their suitability for training: can they see the smile on the face of a holy man?

Where should I look to find a Master? They do not ride on sightseeing buses through the streets of London, and they do not sit in shop windows while tourists come to gape. In fact, a genuine Master is hard to find but if you need to meet one, then you will certainly do so. It is cosmic law that every person's footsteps will cross those of his ideal Master at least once in his life. Nobody has to go hunting. When the idea crosses your mind, when the light dawns or the penny drops, at that moment a master will be so close you could catch a whiff of his after-shave. Put it another way: at the right time, everyone has the opportunity to approach the Master who is perfect for him. He must seize the moment or- and it happens often- he loses it.

They say Masters never show themselves. The ones who say so may wish it were true, but it is not. Speaking as a Master, I hardly ever wear a cloak of invisibility. I disguise myself as a tramp or a dropout and people no longer notice me. To all intents and purposes, I become invisible. I meet new people all the time, but they just do not recognise me. I often stand in bookshops and speak to people who pick up something I have written. If it seems appropriate, I introduce myself, though this can have an extraordinary effect. One person will sink to his knees and kiss my hands another screams and shoots into the street as if he had found a terrorist bomb. After that, there are the ones with weak sphincters ...

Why do people talk such rot about Masters? There are many self-styled 'experts' who like to lord it loudly in pubs and sushi bars, giving out opinions without ever once having performed any effective magic in their lives. By pontificating about Masters, they are trying to conceal their own incompetence and mediocrity. Perhaps I ought to throw down the gauntlet, or issue a challenge. Perhaps I should accost them and invite them to choose their magical weapons and meet me behind the barracks at dawn? Aleister Crowley was a character when it came to vendettas and settling scores but I cannot be bothered. It is hardly worth the trouble. I mean: why keep Rottweilers and do the barking myself?

How much does a Master cost? Oh, please. I am not a male model or a member of an escort agency. My services are free. Yes, yes, I do it for nothing! I cannot speak for all Masters, of course, and much less can I speak for all the phoneys whose claim to authority stems from paperback books they have read or a three-week course on Feng-Shui. I met one Master who screws crystals into people's belly buttons-I feel sure that a pull-tag would be better. He is expensive though, and extremely shallow. You can always tell a swindler; they invariably assume that you are the same sort of person that they are, that you have the same fears, the same ambitions, and the same superstitious gullibility. If you want to dabble and enjoy a cheap thrill, then consult a Gypsy at a fairground, but only approach the doorway to the Beyond if you are seeking Truth.

Do true Masters try to make money? They have no need. Ancient tradition forbids a Master to ask for payment for his help. He has to live, of course, and every man is worth his bread, but he trusts his clients and students to offer what they can, and he believes that this will always be sufficient. If you are poor, all he gets from you is a smile and a hug, but it is a precious smile and a hug that does his soul good. If you are well off then you give him food, a clean shirt, or even some cash. What he offers you is beyond price and it does not form part of a commercial transaction. True, there are 'mercantile Masters', just as there are medical men who only work for money, but a good man does not seek riches in this world.

Do students have a special duty? You would imagine so, but the majority seem somehow to let it slip their mind. In the past, students left home and family to go and live with their Master. They would have apprenticed themselves. One or two still do this, still consign themselves to the service of the gods and the Beyond. However, most folk went on living their ordinary lives and to compensate for their lack of total dedication, they might give the Master a chicken, a loaf of bread, or offer a day's work in his garden. Nowadays, people do whatever they can at their own discretion. The truth is neither bought nor sold, but we all serve it as best we can.

Are there other Masters, besides Amado? Well, there must be. It stands to reason. Common sense says that, gifted though I may be, not even I could teach the whole world. Not yet anyway. When mobile phones become more common or when I own a broadcasting studio. On the other hand, as I have already said, Occult Masters are not terribly thick on the ground; not a lot of them. Well, there is no need, you see, because there are not many Seekers either. Numbers fluctuate. They rise and fall. On the other hand, as Aleister was fond of saying, students go up and down! If ever there were to be a sudden glut, then we could expect there to be a parallel increase in the number of Masters. This much I can tell you: every single Master would dearly love to coach his own successor.

How do the Masters relate to one another? With fraternal respect, I hope, but some are grumpy and others are impolite, so one can never be sure. Not that they meet often. Since I am the son of Aleister Crowley, I have the honour to be regarded as their Elder. I could be fooling myself because it could also be because I am old now too. However, in terms of lineage and descent of knowledge, I was a hand-trained apprentice and I took my place in a chain of incarnations. I have access to a wide range of powers, I am respected by spirit entities, and I can communicate with the Beyond. It is not difficult therefore to get in touch with other Masters.

If that sounds absurd, should I withdraw? I have not yet asked you to believe anything so I do not see why you should be alarmed. I am merely explaining what the great brotherhood of Masters thinks. Since you are not a Master, you do not have a thing to worry about. Only one question counts and that is-do I, Amado, fit the bill so far as you are concerned?

How can I tell if a Master is right for me? The best bet is to go by instinct or feel, or judge by some flickering flame in the heart of you. If a Master is the right one for you, he will usually know it before you do, but he is not allowed to say anything unless you put the ball in his court by 'popping the question'. You might just as well do this as soon as you feel the least 'twinge' and then leave matters to him. One thing is for sure: he is not going to take you on unless he is sure that this is the right thing to do. If you sense a Master's power then ask yourself: how many chaps like him have you met up to now, and how often are you likely to see him again? It is not for me to say but if I were in your shoes, I would make the so-and-so work for his breakfast by popping the question and then watching him sweat.

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