Spreading the Word

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Do you cultivate secrecy? No, but I agree with privacy, so I try to be discreet; I neither force myself on other people nor welcome nosy intruders. As for 'secret teachings', that sort of thing has a wonderful habit of refusing to be bottled up. It tends to reveal itself. I have no wish to expose myself to the public gaze, but I am happy to show myself when people are genuinely interested. It would be good if everyone stopped presenting Occultism as if it were being serialised in a science fiction magazine. We shouldn't be childish about matters of the spirit, although I would recommend a child-like approach. People who recognise the difference are ready to start the quest.

May I convert my family? By all means offer, but I fear you will be disappointed at their lack of blazing interest. What a pity that Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses do not think twice before knocking on doors; their missionary zeal just reinforces prejudices and hardens attitudes. Do not push your luck. When you babble on enthusiastically about Occultism, you will probably bore everyone. In any case, we do not want to make converts at all; we just try to be there for the few people who come looking.

Can I share my interest with other people? Believe me: if they have any potential, wait until they notice you. You are free to advertise, to put announcements in magazines or shops, but you shouldn't stand on a soap box or bang a drum at street corners. Take my word for it: the gods have already sown the seed and there are plenty of people just waiting for some sort of sign. All you have to do is indicate that the teaching is available, and allow them to come to you. I call it 'putting a lighted candle in the window'. You'd be surprised how many passers-by will stop for a chat. Show proper respect and they will begin to see the truth. Point out that there are no strings attached and that everything is free. You should not aim to overcome any sales resistance, just their fear; and that is best done by honesty and friendliness .. not by being pushy.

How many students have you got? More than I need, more than I deserve or more than I know what to do with. It all depends on the state of my liver, I suppose, and if I am feeling really bad I will tell you that it is none of your damn business. What difference does it make anyway? I am kept busy, so I do not waste time touting for custom. You will not catch me trying to persuade someone to join me. If people are meant to come with me, they know it in their hearts. So I leave the initiative to them. If anybody is interested in becoming my student then they are free to make the first move.

We do not measure truth by the numbers who endorse it. That would be sheer populism and the devil is the master at getting to people with his winning ways. People elect their political representatives, and they vote for top of the pops, but spiritual truth does not depend on human assent. It exists whether we acknowledge it or not. Having said that, you will notice that certain Occult organisations do indeed boast about how many members they have got as if they saw themselves as rivalling television programmes.

Should a priest preach the word? A priest is appointed by the people to minister to their needs and to act as their intermediary with the Beyond. That is his primary concern. If he is good at that, it does not follow that he'd also be good at preaching to strangers or bringing outsiders into the fold. Normally, it is not his duty to spread the word but merely to deal with those who believe already, but if newcomers expressed an interest it would be churlish of him to refuse to explain matters. As I said: there is a vital difference between putting a candle in your window and haranguing the crowd at Speakers' Corner.

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