RE: Step V - a few questions (cont)

["Richard Scott" <rscott@...>]

Hi Johannes

In your email the other day, you wrote,
<<In part five of the IIH Bardon talks about setting a pice of cotton 
on fire and lighting candles. This is of no importance to the work 
and not a prerequsite to the practice as I understand it, >>

This prompted me to check out my own understanding of that aspect of
the training. I reread that portion of Step V, using both editions, and I've
arrived at a slightly different conclusion.

I see where you're coming from, but to play devils advocate, I reckon it 
does have importance, though I'm still undecided about its measure as a 
prerequisite.

Both editions make it clear that the Step V trainee needs to master the
condensation of the elements to the degree of physical tangibility - 
i.e. able to be observed by a non-initiate.

Then Bardon tags on the end these little tricks as a measure of competence.
Depending upon the edition, the emphasis of their importance is slightly
different. The Merkur edition uses words like 'must', 'should', 'every 
magician'.
Clearly the level of skill is considered important to Bardon. What I haven't yet
decided is whether he's simply referring to tests that a 'well trained magician'
should be able to master, over time, rather than a definitive prerequisite 
before starting Step VI.

Bardon did on occasion discuss various abilities that a one-sided, unbalanced
regimen of exercises would develop. However, his manner of writing is different
in this section. Rather than describing possibilities, he's giving instructions 
as
to how a student can test their level of mastery.

I agree with you Johannes, unless one's a keen student of bushlore, where you 
find yourself in desolate wilderness as a matter of routine, being able to 
light fires
without external tools isn't a terribly useful skill, but as a yardstick Bardon 
uses it
as a measure of skill. Once that standard is reached, you move on.

As a beginner, I'm just offering my own interpretation of reading the text.
Yet I do reckon these exercises are important, if not necessarily a prerequisite
for Step VI, then important in the long run, especially as the true keys to 
magick are 
based round mastery of the elements.

I remember Bill Mistele mentioning somewhere that he failed to master the basic
condensation exercises to the degree that Bardon expected of his students. As 
a consequence, Bill has for many years continued to return to the basic 
exercises
to try to master them to the extent that Bardon intended, but with greater 
obstacles
in place than if he'd tried to master them fully the first time round.

Many thanks for the question, its made me think about an area of the IIH text 
I'm 
not fully conversant with. I guess I'll find out more when I reach Step V.
In the meantime, excuse my long-winded machinations.

regards

Richard











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