On Religion

       By Frater Serpentis Satori 9=2

 

          19 March 02ve: Sun in Pisc; Moon in Taurus

 

           Religion today evokes some of the worst images possible to well-educated seekers- either the dry masses of Xian belief, the zealots of the Taliban and Al-Qada, to parades of chanting Hare’ Krishna’s. Each equally pathetic in its’ own absurdity. Such is the result of separating the Mysteries from The Faith.

              Faith itself can be empowering, humbling, even healing but it should always remain personal. The mistake most evangelists of any religion are making is assuming that the Vision of Divinity they have seen is the only truth. Even the Saints within any single religion have had different encounters, often completely contradictory. This is usually lost on those trying to save your soul, so you can share in their revelation.

              Mysticism itself and the methodology of religion do not have to be either preachy or dogmatic. More ancient faiths like Hinduism and Judaism permit wide varieties of belief by letting most of religion are a social function, and faith a personal connection with The Divine. This diversity has allowed them to be broader in compassion, service and saner in the treatment of Religious Ecstasy.

             The more developed faiths learned at early stages that Madness and Mysticism are Siamese twins. Campbell says, “ The very waters the mystic swims in, the madman gets pulled into the tides”. Faith itself cannot change that in fact alone it is the greatest cause of it. The Agonies and Ecstasies of Mysticism without sane guidance lead to all the fore-mentioned religious absurdities.

           This led the elder faiths to create levels of comprehension within their own prayers, holidays and rituals. The outsider sees a pretty ceremony, the seeker sees a symbolic road to Divinity, the mystic sees the daily miracle, the priest sees the Divine blessing the world, the initiate sees the ecstasy and agony of the Divine: all through different levels of training and devotion. The paths divide and that is acceptable because ultimately the goal is the matter.

          Yakov Lieb Kohan once said, “Religion is the Qlippoth of Kether”, meaning each path can lead us to The Divine, but then we must see the truth they share. This is the importance of religion and mysticism and why it will exist as long as we can speak, sing, write, dance and create Art. For to become Divine we must take one of these faiths- its mysticism, worship and symbols to its conclusion.