the 13 Truths

The Four Magical Truths

1. The Truth of Magical Origin

All Magic originates from nature; the sun, the moon, the stars, the planets, the rain, the plants - Magic begins in the natural world. It is important to understand the origin of magic, and to remember the fact that we as humans are part of the natural world.

2. The Truth of Magical Purpose

Magic does not exist to satiate capitalist desire, to facilitate impossible ‘miracles’, or to manipulate the world to bend to an individual’s will. Magic exists as the oceans do - as the trees do - and as we do. Magic is more complex than we can yet understand, and while we can interact with, learn from, and direct magic - we cannot own it. To believe oneself above the natural order is to embody hubris, which should be avoided at all costs.

3. The Truth of Magical Power

Magic cannot create from nothing. It cannot craft material possessions, financial abundance, or emotional fulfillment without the intention and action of those who seek its aid. Magic can aid you, it can teach you, and it can guide you - but you must be willing to give in exchange. To only take from the magical world, and never give, will leave your practice empty - and your workings unsuccessful.

4. The Truth of Magical Intent

While magic is all around us, and can be found in any number of ways, humans beings cannot facilitate magic without purposeful action. Magic is an act of intention, of concentration, of effort. To perform magic is a conscious choice, and cannot be done on accident.

The Two Regulating Truths

5. The Truth of Neutrality

To ascribe the Natural World to the conventions of human morality is to misunderstand reality. The natural world is a neutral force that does not abide by human constructs. It is only natural for us to humanize the world around us to make them, seemingly, easier to understand. But we must resist the temptation to think ourselves equal to the unfathomable nature of the cosmos.

6. The Truth of Control

To desire or to seek complete control, over yourself, your life, or others, is to seek self-destruction. to prioritize control above all else is self-limiting; for to exist is to interact, and to interact is to engage with the unknown. Self-determination is a worthy pursuit, but only if you can recognize that control is an illusion.

The Two Divine Truths

7. The Truth of Divinity

The natural world is holy and liminal; it exists both in ways we can observe and comprehend and in ways that are unobservable and incomprehensible. To seek divinity is to seek out nature - to seek the Theoi is to worship the world.

8. The Truth of Ambiguity

To view the world as black and white, dark and light, wrong and right - is to prevent yourself from seeing truth. It is the nature of the universe, the earth, and the human world to be multifaceted. To deal only in absolutes will only lead to destruction.

The Two Ethical Truths

9. The Truth of Harm

harm as a passive act is unavoidable; to possess is to deny another possession, to have is to take, to consume is to destroy. But intentional harm, harm that comes from malicious intent, harm that is a result of recklessness and foolishness, harm that stems from selfish desires - that is to be avoided at all costs.

10. The Truth of Consent

The core of morality is consent. To act in a way that removes the consent of another is to misalign yourself with that which is just and right. Do not take that which is not yours to take, do not act on that which is not yours to affect, do not overpower the just will of others - for in such actions you will only cause harm.

The Two Inner Truths

11. The Truth of Devotion

To devote oneself does not require wealth, power, or material possessions. Devotion can be found not solely in private belief, but in action and reaction. To observe and honor the passage of time, the seasons, the cycles of the Sun and Moon - these are actions and reactions of devotion.

12. The Truth of Spirituality

Spirituality is a choice, one of many; some may feel called to walk down its long and winding path, and some may make another choice at the crossroads. Neither is right, and neither is wrong. The only wrong to be found is in those spiritual practices that harm others; the only wrong to be committed is to force belief upon another. Do no harm, and do not tolerate the harm done by others, this is how we keep our humanity.

The Final Truth

13. The Truth of Impermanence

Everything that is, someday will no longer be. Everything that has been created, will one day be destroyed. Everything remembered, will one day be forgotten. This is a truth that must be honored.

To be born is to die, to create is to destroy, to speak is to fall silent.