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Amonjinn asked me over dinner, “What’s special about direct magick?” It’s a common question. I’m still figuring out how to answer concisely.
This time I tried a math analogy:
Say you solve a problem with a computer program. You put in some numbers, it spits back the answer. You have no idea how it works, it just does. That’s indirect math, like ritual magick.
Other end of the spectrum: You solve everything by hand, doing long division and all. You understand every step. That’s 100% direct math. Note: It’s often not practical except for figuring out how to solve a problem the first time.
The middle-ground: You understand all the steps, but use a calculator for the division. Or you write a program in Matlab, offloading the repetition to the computer. That’s practical direct math.
To bring this back to magick: Systems (the forces you channel, that help you do magick) are like magick computers. If you let them, they can do magick for you, without you needing to understand what’s going on.
Direct magick is mostly about not relying on systems without understanding them. It’s not a matter of “did you do that without a calculator?” but rather “do you understand what calculator did, and can you see why that step goes there?”
Is learning long division worth it? Depends on your goals. If you want to solve one problem once, and never go there again, then no. Just use a system that solves that problem. But if you want to advance the field, create new math equations / magick techniques, then understanding the inner-workings of the old ones is vital.
The other reason direct is worth it: Curiosity. It lets you understand how magick works. Which is probably the best reason of all.
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