This was going to be a response in another thread, but I think this topic warrants its own discussion or acknowledgement...
A few days ago I was on an hour long conversation over the phone with one of the mods on a pretty popular reddit subform. We spoke about all sorts of things, but mostly kundalini, inner alchemy, and lastly morality and ethics when conducting any magick or esoteric arts. He drew my attention to the wiki’s of r/kundalini. Which basically states there are unwritten “cosmic laws” that basically states the following:
1.The First Law: Don't mess with others' minds.
2.The Second Law: Kundalini is for knowledge, wisdom, growth, and defence, not attack.
3.The Third Law (more of a guiding criterion): Always send or use Kundalini with the condition "With No Karma Back To Me." If karma would result, Kundalini does nothing
This is similar to the concept in Wicca/Witchcraft of The Threefold Law.
We also spoke about Qaballah, The Qlippoth, Thelema, cause/effect, and maintaining balance in the natural world when conducting magick. In the past I’ve used a method that sort of expands my weiqi out to shield myself from extremely windy conditions when I was out walking and once to lessen a torrential down pour. He thought that even those acts could possibly have a karmic backlash via upsetting the natural order of nature.
Any of this is very well and great as an opinion, but I do also acknowledge strong evidence for this theory. I see the value of defence and not offence. I note that it is important not to mess with the minds of others, which would be considered black magick to some and unethical. I've also heard some occultists say these rules or laws don't exist at all.
The last thing he pointed out to me was how many old sorcerers do you know? Demonologists? Necromancers? There are not many that make it into old age. (Paraphrasing) But is that true?
The most famous mage of modern times that I can think of is The Great Beast, Aleister Crowley, he lived until 72, which is an extremely interesting number in and of itself. 72 years isn’t too bad in my opinion, although he did die in poverty, with poor health and addicted to opiates.
Jack Parsons was a protege of Crowley's, he died in an extremely violent fashion while attempting to his own Babalon Working.
Jake Stratton Kent, a modern formidable necromancer, mage and occultist. Apparently on his death bed the nurses had to take his pen away as he was overcome with drawing sigils and spewing forth unintelligible incantations.
Rasputin the mystic was murdered in his late 40's.
These are just a few modern occultists that practised in a more darker tone that I can name off the top of my head.
Now, one death in modern times that struck me as interesting was that of Christopher Hitchens. While not a sorcerer or necromancer, Hitchens, an atheist, was a man who spoke out quite dramatically against the Abrahamic streams, be it Judaism, Islamic, or Christian. He died of throat cancer.
Western folk magic we often hear about the Crone Archetype, The Wise Woman, she who helped the younger women with birthing, protective spells, shamanistic rites and various incantations. The Wise Women were to be feared and revered in their communities. Unfortunately many of them were also burned at the steak. But, they did make it into old age and many of their practices carried on into modern times.
We often see depictions of Chinese Mages or Sages who reach a very old age. But what about necromancers wrought with more darker practices?
So, what gives?
Maybe balance, integration and transcendence? What you put out- whether good or evil comes back, if you shoot an arrow expect the recoil and unbalanced practices drains life force. Failure to integrate both light (healing, purification or devotion to a higher principle) and dark forces results in the practitioner staying in the shadows or remaining begotten to chthonic forces. Remaining in those dark places without seeking the balance of higher devotion (the Dao, Sophia, Shiva, etc), cultivating life or transcendence those places sucks the literal life from you. We see many old Sages, but rarely do we see old necromancers and demonologists. We often see those practitioners stuck in the shells of the Qlippoth, unable to transcend them and their minds or bodies (or both) ravaged in the process.
