Since I was twelve years
old I have always been disillusioned with mainstream religions. This is not from any
sense of falling from grace, nor any aspect of losing faith in divine or otherwise
quintessential energies that make things move and grow in the world.In
all honesty, the choice to find my own way in life stems from my inborn need to accumulate
any information or data I can to develop a well-rounded and eclectic understanding of the
human condition, as well as the nature of reality in all of its splendor. By no
means should I be considered completely dissatisfied with the religions of the world;
there is truth in every experience among cultures, but I will admit that my eclectic
interpretation does come from a general sense that no one particular path or people have a
single "right way" of acknowledging the beauty and laws of existence. For
example, there are over a hundred different cultural forms of the greeting
"hello" - but they are nonetheless the exact same context!
Why can the same not be also said of the human condition and its connection to
divinity (if one would be so bold to use that controversial term to define the ambiguous
control system for existence)?
What then is my own way?
When I contemplate the nature of divinity and humanity I find that there are
always new things to discover about our past and our possible future. To me, life
and existence are one specialized system that is a constantly inter-connected and evolving
relationship of forces and energies. To the Pagan (Wiccan, Druid, Asatru, Koldun,
Coptic, Native American, Aboriginal, etc.), this is the power given to us by the God and
Goddess as well as ancestral spirits and natural energies. To the Thelemite,
Christian, Jew, and Muslim it is a multifaceted relationship with one's self and purpose
as it relates to a higher influence or singular entity that is the divine creator.
Between the above opposites are such paths as Universalists and Spiritualists. To a
Buddhist it is one's life cycling through choices, past choices, and striving for the
perfection of nothingness.
The list could go on and on but I choose to only mention those that are
"commonly known". The point is that anyone - even the atheist - must
eventually decide their purpose and contemplate the ever elusive "Why?"
regardless of the need for any deity or rule to follow.
To answer the question, I will have to confess that I lean more towards the
former (Pagan) and Thelema systems, hence those ways being the first mentioned. But
before one reading this rolls their eyes, contemplate this...
No matter how much common sense and "logic" one regurgitates, usually
to not be looked down upon by their own peers as opposed to sincerely feeling such
discomfort with the subject, every human has experienced things that cannot be explained.
Everyone in one subtle way or perhaps through more extreme situations gets a
glimpse of the hidden nature of creation, and the surprises along the way of life.
It is in this point of view I have gathered common aspects of Wicca, Kabbalah,
Thelema, Slavic Mysticism, and personal philosophy to create my own way of achieving the
ends prescribed by these paths. Through the application of all of these I can achieve the
Great Work, and thus evolve spiritually and magickally as a practitioner of the arcane
arts. As Khalell Zen Paraldan, I draw upon the knowledge available to me, and the divine
blessings to better myself as a human being and fellow Star among the souls that traverse
the sometimes difficult abyss that is the material world. I have always had a difficulty
naming my personal system - for it is a melange of those most applicable and empowering
paths for which my years of study have been devoted. To the uniniated, I simply call
myself a "metaphysics consultant". To the Wiccan, I am a solitary eclectic
practioner. To the Kabbalist and Thelemite I am a magician of self-initiation, not
adhering to any observable dedication to the O.T.O or related fraternal groupings. To a
slavic shaman, I am a znakhary healer and a koldun blessed with the art of gadalky
holiness and the divinating talents equal to that of any surviving vorozheia seer. To the
skeptic I am simply a young man who has lost touch with "conventional" reality.
I dare them to see why such labeling is odd if they themselves do not adhere to the
conventions of their contemporaries.
The Art
In any case, these different distinctions present a problem because I have no
word or path to call simply my own. Should it be the Way of Khalell? Or should I call my
personal approach to spiritual insights and magickal implementation of True Will something
more obscure and nonesensical such as: "Znordogentism" and prescribe my own
personal name to the Divine Source of all things as "Znordogent". I think this
in itself would be folley because I may choose to call God something else later on. To
solve this dilema, I take an easy but not necessarily meaningless method to solve my
internal question and struggle by refering to my amalgamated practice as simply: The Art.
This is both ambiguous, which I prefer, and also creates for me a foundation by which to
use metaphors in explaining my perspectives on things divine and mundane. I am an artist,
and yet I am also an "Artist". Those familiar with magickal texts and symbolism
would not miss the significance of a capitalization.
The Error of the Skeptic
Scientists have fallen victim to something they would not otherwise acknowledge
without pointing it out directly: The Quarter Vector to Single Vector Rule of divine
explanation. What is this? Simply enough, it is the in-born nature of humans
to divide nature into four parts and attempt to interrelate these pieces as a single whole
system. There are variations but in my studies I have personally come to name this
homo sapien instinct. To the Alchemist and the Pagan, nature is four (or more
elements) combined together to a unified force that binds them as well as generates them
to bring forth existence. Science has made the same assumption...though in a much
less hokey manner (or have they?)
UEF Theory
Theoretical physics has touched upon the concept over the years that all matter
and existence can fundamentally be broken down into four unified systems of wave-patterns
and energies. For the sake of the general visitor to this site I am drastically
simplifying these ideas but nonetheless I am retaining their essential message.
Gravity, Electro-magnetism, Strong Force, and Weak Force are these four Vectors of
creation. By careful analysis, many have made a startling conclusion...they are the
same as the four basic elements of pagan cultures: Earth, Fire, Water, and Air.
The four vectors combined form the Unified Energy Force/Field model. The
Four Elements of Magick combined form Akasha, Ruach, Chi, Kundalini, Manna, or simply
"Spirit" for the uninitiated.
The similarity cannot be a coincidence. As it is said: "There is nothing new
under the sun..."
This connection is one of many I cannot detail for the sake of creating too
long a read for the foreward, and I do not want to distract you as the reader from
enjoying the rest of my work, but I do hope that this little interesting introduction has
made you curious.
-Khalell Zen Paraldan, S.R. CLXVIII, W.W.B.D.*
modified July 28, 2004 e.v.
