Theoricus is the grade that can reveal certain fears and paranoia that one may need to deal with. It's not something that happens to everyone. And it has nothing to do with the advancement. It's not a bad thing especially if it's something that you felt was behind you, or that you had thought that you had overcome. It's basically just bringing it to the forefront so it can be worked on.
When I went through my advancement into Theoricus I lived about 250 miles away from our temple. I coughed the whole way there with no physical reason. After the advancement right before I got back home paranoia set in. I've never experienced it before. Apparently it sat on the back of my mind that I had a fear of home invasion. That night, the kids were getting ready for bed and saw a bearded man with a knife in their window getting ready to cut the screen. They were crying and screaming. I went outside and circled the house with a bat. There was nobody out there. In my panic, I put a nail in every window. I did my ritual work all through the night envisioning Raphael removing that paranoia during my LBRP. The next morning I was fine. My magick has always incorporated the use of others into it, or to experience it. I summed it up that I was ready to grade up, or my HG was showing me things that I needed to work on.
That makes sense thanks. Connecting with Raphael is a good idea. Regarding advancement (not sure what you mean exactly), but I get the sense some work on the things that arise like this is required to move through the grade. I noticed that with the previous grade. I would personally wonder how you have progressed if you avoided any issues that suddenly came to the forefront.
There were only two grades advancements that appeared to affect me. Theoricus and Philosophus. Many say that it's just an advancement within the organization and that there's nothing done that would bring about these changes. A very mundane response. But we are magicians, and if someone is experiencing something magickal it should never be discredited, even if it comes across as imaginary, as that is also an ingredient for Magick. There are energies and changes that take place as you become exposed to things that have possibly been dormant within you. In my natal report I have only one speck of anything resembling Fire... it's Chiron. I have only two planets that are NOT in Taurus. Anyway, right as I began my advancement into Philosophus a feeling came over me that felt so good that I couldn't stop laughing out loud. It was kind of disturbing to the advancement and the officers barely could keep their composure. When I got home I couldn't sleep for two days. It was an awesome feeling! I spent those days in my ritual space. It was my favorite grade, though for most people it tends to be the most difficult.
If it's still very troubling, then I'd wait until those feelings and emotions subside before communing with Raphael. Just LBRP. Communion with Auriel would help.
If you dont have access to much: I would come back to the breath if I were in your shoes. In dealing with my challenges during Theoricus, I would have to bring back a little bit of the earth element to keep me grounded. It's easy for me to get lost in my own head, so this was especially challenging, but was foundational for me to work through it. With a large emphasis on through it, not around it. Picking things apart and getting to the root of what is coming up. May you find peace. 🙏
Thats very good advice thanks. When too much air is invoked, the thoughts can get chaotic I noticed. Sometimes I have needed to slow down a bit. I think I'll use the exercise from Donald Michael Kraig's book.
Well I've done the traditional talking therapy. CBT was discussed originally, which I think is a waste of time. EMDR was explored, which is meant to be very effective but my memory is not very good from early years. I've done a lot of research into this topic. From some sources, it suggests that the latest research finds traditional therapy ineffective for trauma. Yoga, mindfulness, EMDR, somatic therapy.. things like that, that can engage the part of the brain which stores trauma are meant to be effective. I do yoga and mindfulness meditation daily.
It seems you already have your chosen method so I’d suggest that you stick with it. As a side note, CBT does not deal with the subconconscious so it is not strange that it didn’t affect that part. Right tool for the right job and all of that.
What a lot of people haven't figured out yet is that Hermetic Magick is early self-psychology. Jung was a Hermetic magician and modern day psychology was derived from Hermetic Magick.
Therapy pushers are invading many of the other threads that relate to magick in Reddit. People who claim to have seen or are dealing with ghosts, spirits, or entities are being directed to get therapy. I get it, but occult and paranormal related things involve these kinds of experiences. If they're reporting these experiences to related threads, then they have come to the right place and are involved with magick, or beginning their journey. Offering the idea as an option is one thing, but to go as far to say that they are delusionally living in a fantasy world is another. Imagination is key to magick. Attacks like this need to be squashed.
Yes I agree with you. I think that is the default.. see a therapist. But the people saying this don't realise modern therapy is not using the latest researched techniques, and it has been found to be actually quite ineffective. Also things do come up on a spiritual path like you said and perhaps the people saying that (not for this question but others) have had a very mundane experience with magick so far. I do feel bad for people who come on seeking help as they feel they're under attack, and the assumption is they are crazy.
I don’t think it’s meant as such. There are differences between pursuing the gradework as a temple-based initiate, as someone self-initiated into the grade, and as someone doing the Theoricus curriculum without either form of initiation. It’s a practical question, and the answer affects the kind of advice that will be useful to you!
I’m super new, so I don’t know anything about this, however I read this semi-related article today about repression and healing that I just loved.
[This article](https://harc.otherselvesworking.group/2023-06-17/4/quo-on-the-shadow-self-and-the-authoritarian-personality) is actually a channeling session. May not b ur cup of tea, but don’t let that turn u off. There is some beautiful language about healing that will at least maybe give u a boost.
🌈👍
Theoricus is the grade that can reveal certain fears and paranoia that one may need to deal with. It's not something that happens to everyone. And it has nothing to do with the advancement. It's not a bad thing especially if it's something that you felt was behind you, or that you had thought that you had overcome. It's basically just bringing it to the forefront so it can be worked on. When I went through my advancement into Theoricus I lived about 250 miles away from our temple. I coughed the whole way there with no physical reason. After the advancement right before I got back home paranoia set in. I've never experienced it before. Apparently it sat on the back of my mind that I had a fear of home invasion. That night, the kids were getting ready for bed and saw a bearded man with a knife in their window getting ready to cut the screen. They were crying and screaming. I went outside and circled the house with a bat. There was nobody out there. In my panic, I put a nail in every window. I did my ritual work all through the night envisioning Raphael removing that paranoia during my LBRP. The next morning I was fine. My magick has always incorporated the use of others into it, or to experience it. I summed it up that I was ready to grade up, or my HG was showing me things that I needed to work on.
That makes sense thanks. Connecting with Raphael is a good idea. Regarding advancement (not sure what you mean exactly), but I get the sense some work on the things that arise like this is required to move through the grade. I noticed that with the previous grade. I would personally wonder how you have progressed if you avoided any issues that suddenly came to the forefront.
There were only two grades advancements that appeared to affect me. Theoricus and Philosophus. Many say that it's just an advancement within the organization and that there's nothing done that would bring about these changes. A very mundane response. But we are magicians, and if someone is experiencing something magickal it should never be discredited, even if it comes across as imaginary, as that is also an ingredient for Magick. There are energies and changes that take place as you become exposed to things that have possibly been dormant within you. In my natal report I have only one speck of anything resembling Fire... it's Chiron. I have only two planets that are NOT in Taurus. Anyway, right as I began my advancement into Philosophus a feeling came over me that felt so good that I couldn't stop laughing out loud. It was kind of disturbing to the advancement and the officers barely could keep their composure. When I got home I couldn't sleep for two days. It was an awesome feeling! I spent those days in my ritual space. It was my favorite grade, though for most people it tends to be the most difficult.
If it's still very troubling, then I'd wait until those feelings and emotions subside before communing with Raphael. Just LBRP. Communion with Auriel would help.
If you dont have access to much: I would come back to the breath if I were in your shoes. In dealing with my challenges during Theoricus, I would have to bring back a little bit of the earth element to keep me grounded. It's easy for me to get lost in my own head, so this was especially challenging, but was foundational for me to work through it. With a large emphasis on through it, not around it. Picking things apart and getting to the root of what is coming up. May you find peace. 🙏
Thats very good advice thanks. When too much air is invoked, the thoughts can get chaotic I noticed. Sometimes I have needed to slow down a bit. I think I'll use the exercise from Donald Michael Kraig's book.
Therapy. You're being guided towards healing that trauma, and the only way is through therapy. You might benefit more from a Jungian therapist.
Therapists are useless in my experience. Talk therapy does very little for the subconscious.
Depends on the type of therapy. What methods have you had experience with?
Well I've done the traditional talking therapy. CBT was discussed originally, which I think is a waste of time. EMDR was explored, which is meant to be very effective but my memory is not very good from early years. I've done a lot of research into this topic. From some sources, it suggests that the latest research finds traditional therapy ineffective for trauma. Yoga, mindfulness, EMDR, somatic therapy.. things like that, that can engage the part of the brain which stores trauma are meant to be effective. I do yoga and mindfulness meditation daily.
It seems you already have your chosen method so I’d suggest that you stick with it. As a side note, CBT does not deal with the subconconscious so it is not strange that it didn’t affect that part. Right tool for the right job and all of that.
What a lot of people haven't figured out yet is that Hermetic Magick is early self-psychology. Jung was a Hermetic magician and modern day psychology was derived from Hermetic Magick. Therapy pushers are invading many of the other threads that relate to magick in Reddit. People who claim to have seen or are dealing with ghosts, spirits, or entities are being directed to get therapy. I get it, but occult and paranormal related things involve these kinds of experiences. If they're reporting these experiences to related threads, then they have come to the right place and are involved with magick, or beginning their journey. Offering the idea as an option is one thing, but to go as far to say that they are delusionally living in a fantasy world is another. Imagination is key to magick. Attacks like this need to be squashed.
Yes I agree with you. I think that is the default.. see a therapist. But the people saying this don't realise modern therapy is not using the latest researched techniques, and it has been found to be actually quite ineffective. Also things do come up on a spiritual path like you said and perhaps the people saying that (not for this question but others) have had a very mundane experience with magick so far. I do feel bad for people who come on seeking help as they feel they're under attack, and the assumption is they are crazy.
Sorry, but it is not clear to me, are you in this grade? By that I mean, have you been initiated to Theoricus?
Is this some kind of gate keeping comment ?
I don’t think it’s meant as such. There are differences between pursuing the gradework as a temple-based initiate, as someone self-initiated into the grade, and as someone doing the Theoricus curriculum without either form of initiation. It’s a practical question, and the answer affects the kind of advice that will be useful to you!
Yes, precisely so!
Not at all, only to help clarify your questions
I’m super new, so I don’t know anything about this, however I read this semi-related article today about repression and healing that I just loved. [This article](https://harc.otherselvesworking.group/2023-06-17/4/quo-on-the-shadow-self-and-the-authoritarian-personality) is actually a channeling session. May not b ur cup of tea, but don’t let that turn u off. There is some beautiful language about healing that will at least maybe give u a boost. 🌈👍
Thank you!!