In modern occultist/magic circles, we keep finding this discourse on training the will. It always requires means of ascesis (which means training, by the way), such as performing the same rituals every day at the same hour, invoking protecting forces, banishing mallevolent ones, ablutions, abstaining from alcohol, food, sex and/or other earthly pleasures during specific time periods. However, this discourse tends to keep the effort very much self-centred, as in ‘I will do this to sharpen myself and improve my skills in magic’.
But what if we do these ascetic exercises not only as self-improvement, but in the name of a higher spirit as a form of sacrifice? Sacrificing, etymologically, is turning something profane into something sacred. That’s it. If you pray even when you do not want to, you are sacrificing your time in the name of something above you. Your profane time, which you can spend doing anything else, becomes sacred. Simple as.
But, if we only see these things as self-improvement, the commitment required becomes entrapped within our selves. From my experience, the fuel to keep going at it requires more than just self-betterment. If something as simple as house chores are a burden, why not dedicate that super banal gesture to Saint Zita, the Catholic patroness of domestic servants, to intercede for us? This not only works as a minor spiritual promess (and we must strive to fulfill these!), but also establishes a relationship with Saint Zita. The same if you fight the urges to watch pornography. You can abstain from it, but at the same time consecrate that effort to Saint Catherine of Siena, who struggled with intense temptations in her bedroom. Of course these are only examples from a Catholic spiritual framework and you can apply this to your personal belief context and spiritual path towards the One.
Benevolent spirits do exist and will help you if you keep nurturing the relationship with them. There is more than the altar you have at home for the rituals and prayers. Your whole day is filled with things that can be sacrificed in the name of the spirits you work with. These moments go beyond planetary hours, sigils, specific prayers. Spiritual relationships can be nurtured almost continously if you see your whole life as an altar where laborious, mundane stuff can be sacrificed. This, for me, is the cornerstone of the Jesus Prayer in the hesychasm, which the Orthodox monks recite non-stop. Naturally, this is one of the most extreme examples of what I’m saying, but the point remains. Instead of doing something just for you, do it for something above you.
A little example of my own: today is May 13, the 109th-anniversary of the apparation of Our Lady of Fátima. Since I’m devout of the Virgin Mary, I will only eat today after sunset, besides my regular daily prayers. It’s nothing compared to the pilgrims who walk hundreds of kilometers, of course, but a small act of devotion such as this keeps the relationship alive.
I do think that the 20th-century magic, much like astrology from the same period, put way too much focus on our own selves, instead of seeing these arts are spiritual avenues towards something above. It started to psychologize everything and seeing all actions from that lens. There are spirits out there and they are not just complexes of the psyche. They do not exist inside of us, they are outside. And, like all else around is, the relationships with what is outside of us can be nurtured and taken care of, so that they can help you when you need them the most.
Kύριε ελέησον