The Magical Power of Limits

Learning to play my guitar; my second anniversary and my public, IRL recital

Note to readers: I picked up a net 42 new subs with my last post. That is an extraordinary thing for this Substack, particularly from a piece I thought might be rejected, as heretofore any time I have discussed the esotere/occult/Western magical tradition, I lost two subs for every three I gained. Perhaps this shift in the political climate, with the recent election, is deeper than that? I said I, like my country needed a change, in a recent post, post election. This is what that change is shaping up to look like, more talk about Hermeticism, Alchemy and natural magic, less political hyperbole.

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I recently had my two year guitar anniversary, first ever guitar recital at a local open mic. I sang and played four songs. I sang better than I played the guitar, but I’ve been singing a lot longer than I have been playing, and my hacking away at the strings does not make my singing better. Nevertheless, I did it, like I planned, this time last year.

I forgot to add the muzzleloader to the picture. Deer camp.

Most of my life I told myself I could not play the guitar. There was no real reason for me to tell myself that, but I did. Then one day, after I went through the training of the Octagon Society, Order of Spiritual Alchemy, it occurred to me, the guitar is just a tool. I have used a lot of tools, the guitar is a tool more elaborate than I am accustomed to using, but I can probably figure it out.

Most people have been propagandized to think the study of magic in the Western esoteric tradition is about summoning demons or some similar sort of dark pursuit, manipulating people. That is sorcery, a lot of what we are awash in these days. The kind of white magic I study is about how to be more creative, to achieve the life I want for myself, that I might better serve God by fulfilling the gifts the Creator gave me, for my family, friends, community and nation. Imagination, intention and will is the fundamental basis of creativity and magic: imagine the outcome, set the intention to achieve the outcome, use your will do whatever is necessary to achieve that outcome.

The Law of Limitations

Limitation, counter-intuitively, is the most fundamental key to magic and creativity, according to Dion Fortune.

Limitation is the first law of manifestation, therefore it is the first law of power. This is not sufficiently appreciated…in order to bring any energy into manifestation it is necessary to provide it with a form or vehicle…and through this channel is directed the force it is desired to invoke. To invoke a force without directing it is to disperse it. It is only by a knowledge and utilization of the Law of Limitation that power can be conserved. In order to achieve an end you must outline that end and limit yourself to it, rejecting all that is irrelevant; and note, this point, the first process in the invocation of power is the rejection of that which is irrelevant. This is another name for concentration. The Law Of Limitation means the concentration of power by the rejection of the irrelevant…in all undertakings the prime requisite for success is to know what you cannot do. This is discrimination.¹

When Dion Fortune is talking about invoking and channeling power, she is referring to the astral, creative power that is power flowing from the Creator, becoming all things/form. Magic is learning how best to channel that power to create, to bring your imagination into being. The Law of Limitation means you cannot achieve what you want if you are not in fact capable of achieving what you want, if you do not know and understand the limits of your ability, skill and power. I arguably have a better chance of being elected President of the united States of America, than I do playing a guitar like Billie Strings, no matter how much I can imagine or intend to play the guitar like Billie Strings. There is no amount of will that is going to make that happen, necessarily. Billie has been playing most of his life, his father is a very fine guitar player who taught him how to play from a very young age. I started at age 49, with no experience, after 35 year of manual labor. Billie’s primary focus all his life has been the guitar.

If my goal were to play the guitar like Billie Strings, I am necessarily going to be frustrated in that pursuit, probably not following through, my energy dissipating; rather than simply aspiring to be able to play the guitar well enough to sing along and make music with other people, which after two years with a guitar I am well along the way to achieving. Setting reasonable goals, achieving those goals, builds confidence and character; my goal after one year was to learn three songs to play for my audience here - I played five; my goal for my two year anniversary was to play for a live audience - I played four songs; my tentative goal for my third anniversary is to play an extended set IRL, leading a band. At my current rate that is achievable, and a very long way from where I started.

That is a great cut by Max. My right hand was bloody after this song (Ain’t Got No Money, James Townes Earle.)

My guitar teacher said it was a right of passage. I made a mistake halfway through, about to repeat the first round of lyrics, but I recovered just as that guy passed in front of me, and the video ends just right. This is a shout out to my paid subscribers, all nine of you, which I recently was honored by two new paid subscribers! (Substack is not good about letting me know who are my paid subscribers. DM me.) I do not thank you enough.

This is a point I could close this post off for my paid subscribers. It is amazing you support me, for merely the (deserved) satisfaction and my gratitude.

This was the first take, the first video I have made of myself in a year, since the last time I was muzzleloading. The sound isn’t great, the phone was on top of the speaker, but it is a testament to my progress I think. What if I had picked up the guitar 40 years ago, that guitar a friend owned but did not play, that sat in the corner while we played Atari? Or one of the many times I thought about learning how to play the guitar, prior to the time that I did?

It might be too, whatever I think my limits are, maybe they are a bit higher than I imagine? There is something to be said about striving after the best, no matter what you do. Taking risks. Challenging yourself. Whatever it is you are trying to do, substitute the guitar for a book, a new skill, taking better care of your family, going to Mars, dismantling the deep state, know your limits and fine tune your focus.

Anyway, I’m alone at deer camp muzzlelaoding. This is kind of how I feel about these woods, fields and waters, substack, my favorite writers at substack, the dissident/new right, America, my family, friends and community, and my Substack subscribers. Thank you for your support.

And for every Patriot, imaging the restoration of America.

I added the musket

1. The Cosmic Doctrine, Dion Fortune, chpt 26, The Law of Limitation, pg 152, 2000 Millennial Edition.

See also A Commentary on The Cosmic Doctrine, John Michael Greer, Chpt’s 25-26