Towards an Odian Philosophical Framework
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Looking For Mr Wednesday: Towards An Odian Philosophical Framework Christopher Jon Sharp Submitted for the degree of Ph.D. University of East Anglia September 2013 This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with the author and that use of any information derived there from must be in accordance with current UK Copyright Law. In addition, any quotation or extract must include full attribution. Looking For Mr Wednesday: Towards An Odian Philosophical Framework Abstract Christopher Jon Sharp The thesis explores the theory and praxis of Odianism in order to articulate the fundamentals of a possible philosophical framework underpinning the Odian paradigm of reality. It is argued that Odian magical praxis needs to be understood as a discrete category of experience offering a specific understanding of and a particular route to self- becoming. Magic is a problematic category to define and shares fuzzy boundaries with a number of other concepts related to non-ordinary states of consciousness. The thesis seeks initially to clarify the specific nature of magic and to contextualise Odianism within the broader Western Mystery Tradition. The main body of the thesis considers the philosophical framework proposed by contemporary Odianism. This narrowing of focus is inevitably limiting, but necessary to allow a sufficiently detailed examination of a particular approach to magical praxis. The thesis explores Odian epistemological, ontological and ethical positions. Odian magical praxis is examined in the context of those philosophical perspectives. Particular attention is paid to the concept of Odian self-development or Self-becoming. It is argued that Odianism regards non-ordinary consciousness as essential to all forms of magical praxis. The thesis concludes by exploring the wider relevance and value of Odian perspectives and of magical praxis in general. 2 ii. Contents Page i. Abstract 2 ii. Contents 3 iii. Note On The Text 8 iv. Statement of Word-count 8 v. Acknowledgements 9 vi. Glossary 10 1. Introduction 28 1. The Thesis Structure 28 2. The Occult Nature of Occultism 30 3. Background to the Research 32 4. The Broad Aims of the Research 35 5. Wider Areas of Application 36 2. The Aims and Limitations of the Research 38 1. Background 38 2. Developing the Research Approach 39 3. Giving a Voice to Magic 43 4. The Problem of Validity 44 5. Ideology and Methodology 47 6. Analytical Framework 48 3. Odianism in Context 51 1. Introduction 51 2. Is Occultism a Form of Active Mysticism? 51 3. Defining Occultism 57 3 4. Esotericism 59 5. The Occultist Magician 60 6. The Relationship Between Magic and Spirituality 63 7. New Age Spirituality 64 8. The Western Mystery Tradition 68 9. The Northern Tradition 70 10. Introducing the High One 72 11. A Summary of the Rune Staves 77 12. The Rune Gild and Odianism 84 13. Óðin and the Dark Side of Liberalism 89 14. Beyond Left and Right? 90 4. Towards an Odian Epistemology 95 1. Introduction 95 2. Odian Categories of Knowledge 95 2.1 Non-Reflective Knowing (Seeing – Hearing – Troth) 97 2.2 Analytical Knowing (Knowing About – Knowing How – Understanding) 100 2.3 Wisdom (To Think – To Remember – To Be Fully Conscious) 103 2.4 The Embodied Experience 106 2.5 Progression Through The Triads 107 3. The Application of Odian Epistemology 110 3.1 Odian or Dumézilian? 112 4. Intuitive and Experiential Knowledge 113 4.1 Intuitive Knowledge 114 4.2 Experiential Knowledge 116 5. Magical Routes To Knowledge 118 5.1 Magical Language 120 6. Knowledge and Consciousness 122 4 6.1 The Role of Bracketing 123 6.2 Perceptual Consciousness 123 6.3 Representing Non-Ordinary Consciousness 126 6.4 Non-Ordinary Consciousness as epoché 127 7. Conclusions 128 5. Towards An Odian Ontology 130 1. Introduction 130 2. The Self-Complex 131 2.1 The Constituent Elements of the Self-Complex 132 3. An Odian Cosmogony 135 4. An Odian Cosmology: 138 4.1Yggdrasil 138 4.2 The Nine Worlds 140 4.3 The Ontological Status of the Runes 144 5. The Embodied Experience Within Odianism 147 5.1 Temporality 148 5.2 Subjective and Objective Existence 150 5.3 The Experiential Reality of Objects of Consciousness 153 5.4 An Odian Approach to Trans-human Entities 154 5.5 The Reality of Spiritual Experience 155 6. The Process of Being and Becoming 158 7. The Centrality of Paradox 162 8. The Multiple Realities of Odianism 163 6. Odian Magical Praxis 167 1. What is Magic? 167 1.1 The Aims of Magical Praxis 169 1.2 Explanations of Magical Causality 170 1.2.1 Magic and Spirituality 172 2. Odian Magic in Summary 172 5 2.1 The Distinctive Nature of Odian Magic 172 2.2 The Relationship of Odian Praxis to the Western Mystery Tradition 174 2.3 Causality in Odian Magical Praxis 178 2.3.1 The Power of the Will 179 2.3.2 Magical Communication 180 2.3.3 The Physical Dimension 183 2.3.4 A Magical Formula 184 2.4 Spiritual Dimensions of Odian Magical Praxis 184 3. Odian Magical Praxis in Detail 186 3.1 Preparatory Praxis 186 3.2 Ritual Structure 189 3.3 Galdor 190 3.3.1 Magical Speech 191 3.3.2 Non-Ordinary Consciousness 192 3.3.3 Galdor and Desire 194 3.3.4 Effective Galdor Praxis 194 3.4 Divination 195 3.5 Taufr Workings 196 3.6 Staves and Symbols 198 3.6.1 The Cultural Dimension 198 3.6.2 Galdor Staves 199 3.7 Seiðr Work 201 7. Towards An Odian Ethical Framework 204 1. Ethics and the Occult 204 2. Left Hand Path Associations 205 2.1 Self-deification 208 2.2 Of the Devil’s Party? 209 3. Relativistic Aspects of an Odian Ethical Framework 214 3.1 The Exclusivity of Odian Ethics 214 4. Odianism and Society 216 6 4.1 Odian Ideology 217 4.2 Elitism 218 4.3 A Problematic Inheritance 220 4.4 The Occultist as folk magician and magician of the folk 221 5. The Role of Traditionalism 224 5.1 The Northern Tradition 224 5.2 The Perennial Tradition 226 5.3 Hierarchy and Tradition 228 5.4 The Social Role of Tradition 230 5.5 Meta-Genetics and the Biological Inheritance 231 6. Conclusions 233 8. Odian Self- Development 236 1. What is Odian Self-Development? 236 2. Traditional Sources of the Odian Model of Self-Development 240 3. Manifesting the Self-Complex 244 4. The Role of Wyrd 249 5. The Polarian Model of Self-Becoming 251 6. Holism and Odianism 255 7. Conclusions 259 9. Conclusion 262 1. Approaching an Odian Philosophy 262 2. The Relevance of the Thesis in the Wider World 263 3. Magical Praxis and Research Methodology 264 4. Future Research Possibilities 267 Bibliography 270 7 iii. Note On The Text. Many of the terms found within the thesis have a number of etymological cognates. Except where explicitly stated, terms have been rendered in Old Norse. Similarly, Old Norse orthography has been applied to proper names and associated terms. Quotations from the Edda and the Poetic Edda have been taken from the Faulkes’ (Sturluson, 1987) and Larrington (Larrington, 199) translations respectively, except where otherwise stated. Where material is quoted in translation, the translator is provided in the bibliography. Where non-published translations have been used, this is made clear in the body of the thesis. iv. Statement of Word-Count. Total Word-Count: 101,125 Word-Count excluding Title-page, Abstract, Acknowledgements and Contents: 99,873 8 v. Acknowledgements First and foremost my huge appreciation goes out to my family, Caroline, Vicki and Joanne. Without Caroline’s encouragement this thesis would have remained no more than an aspiration. I would like to thank my supervisors Campbell and Judy for their encouragement, incisive critique and most of all for their ability to see how an unusual and problematic research theme could be most usefully approached. I would extend my heartiest thanks to those with whom I have explored the Mysteries. Magical work, like academic endeavour consists of long stretches of frustration punctuated by flashes of inspiration and is much more rewarding when the experiences are shared. I must also thank my fellow Odians within the Rune Gild and in particular the members of Eormensyl Hall. Each member of Eormensyl Hall has taught me much and what I have learned from them has proved invaluable in the process of working on my thesis. This thesis will also serve as my Master Work within the Rune Gild and it is to the Gild, the Old Gods and the Master of Secrets that my work is dedicated. :rtr: 9 vi. Glossary A:. A:. : The A:. A:. was an occult organisation established by Alastair Crowley. Initiates worked with a variety of magical and meditative techniques within a grading system that drew on the structure of the Order of the Golden Dawn. Aesir: Within the Northern Tradition, the Gods belonged to either the Aesir or the Vanir. There are a number of theories about the basis for the separation between these two groups, but it is generally agreed (and etymologically supported) that the Aesir are the Gods of consciousness. Alchemy: Most people are familiar with the concept of alchemy as a form of proto- chemistry. However, alchemy involves a range of practical experimental approaches such as Spagyrics (working with plant tinctures). Moreover, alchemical praxis often focuses on internal or Self-development as well as the generation of external effects. Armanen: The term was coined by List to describe the earliest Priest/Magicians of pre- Christian Germania.