Thirteen Pathways of Occult Herbalism. Daniel A Schulke

consider the nature of our desire. Is knowledge sought for progression of the Pathway, or for pathological purposes? Are there emotional attachments to acquiring the knowledge? If, as a seeker after power, one can assume a state of mind in which all expectations of outcome are broken, one attains a state of placidity and pristine emptiness, likened to the Virgin, in readiness for the awakening of experience.

      This ‘cult of the perpetual neophyte’ as I personally refer to it, is aligned in the magical orders with the grade of 0º, and is represented by the symbol of the empty vessel, or the magical circle. It assumes a constant station of receptivity toward all experience, and is assumed not only by the Virgin, but also by the Master.

      Παράδοσις • Paradosis

      THE PATHWAY OF TRADITION

      Humanity is a matriculating species, and the biological sciences increasingly observe the teaching of distinct skills among our animal brethren. The ascent of schools of thought, and traditions of knowledge, is thus a phenomenon of our nature. Masters command their art in an exemplary fashion, and those of the correct aptitude are chosen as apprentices to pass the Art to via instruction.

      Where occult herbalism is concerned, a number of pathways of tradition exist, especially in animistic cultures whose religious and magical practices have survived into the modern era. Admittedly, however, most of these traditions rigorously protect themselves from those outside the culture, for various reasons that are as valid as they are severe. Such knowledge, therefore, is admittedly not available to everyone.

      However, there are also worthy traditions in education and the sciences which may be aspired to: pharmacognosy, folklore, pharmacy, medicine, chemistry, botany, perfumery, ecology, agriculture, anthropology, the culinary sciences, and theology. Occupying a middle ground between learning from a traditional healer and attaining one’s M. D. are schools of herbalism, a number of which have emerged in the past fifty years. Each of these represents an empirical and academic approach to these subjects, a way that, in my own culture, is nothing if not ‘traditional,’ and also offers considerable breadth in the study of plants and their esoteric properties. In undertaking the Pathway of Tradition, one might, for example, decide to pursue learning the art of botanical illustration. On the surface of things, one may wonder how such an activity would lead to esoteric knowledge. Yet the creation of art by necessity involves non-ordinary states of consciousness, and for many serves as a meditation. In the formation of images through hand and eye, a certain resonance with the plant is attained.

      The tradition of the passing of knowledge from master to prentice must emerge from that most rare of virtues—care. In other words, concern for the stewardship of the knowledge passed that it, like a seed, be sown in good soil. But if we liken knowledge to a seed, care and respect must also be present for the plot in which it is sown. The great institutions of higher learning do not always require this from teachers and professors, but our Way cannot flourish without it.

      To walk this pathway, one must be willing to accept the rules, protocols, and decorum of the informing tradition—for tradition in fact constellates a set of rules and governances applied to its focus discipline. There will be, among some, a resistance to this. Taking occult herbalism as a point of contemplation, any rule which provokes a sense of restriction or rebellion may be considered as both a challenge to the sorcerer’s level of self-control, as well as a sacrifice for the gain of knowledge. In a more immediate example, plants will impose greater rules upon the seeker than any human. Monkshood (Aconitum napellus) will kill if abused—that is its rule. If its rule is respected, I may safely use it to relieve the pain of a sprained ankle.

      Obstacles on the Pathway are numerous, and foremost among these are maladies of the student-teacher relationship. Among these, is the ego of the teacher becoming central to the process—a problem which may stem from the master, or from the student, and often both. A strong craving for the appearance of knowledge is a pathology unfortunately all too common in esoteric circles, as is the desperate need to be ‘saved’ or ‘given the secrets,’ symptoms of shriveled spiritual virility and infantilism of the ego. At its best, the process of teaching is less about conveying facts than facilitating an experience wherein the seeker ‘learns to learn’ in a manner peculiarly suited to him or her. As each of us knows from personal experience, teaching is an Art which has both masters and pretenders; the true master regards instruction as a sacred process, and is willing to learn, as the Pathway of the Virgin embodies. Similarly, being a ‘learner’ or a student is also an Art, though it is seldom cognized as such: both teaching and learning magnify the power of this Pathway.

      Another caution on the Pathway is accepting the value and limitations of anecdote. Another person’s personal experience can be valuable on many levels, especially if approaching the breadth of a constant. The value of anecdotal teachings, however, must always be weighed against the voice that disseminates them, its authority, biases, and personal agenda. For example, it is easy enough to hear a teaching and accept or reject it, but less easy to ask why that teaching was given. Beyond a necessary engagement with basic critical thinking, common sense shall illuminate.

      Aside from respect, the great responsibility for the student of Tradition is to become a House of the Ancestors. This is to say, maintaining the flame of the transmission of knowledge. In doing so, one honors one’s master or teacher, and thus assures his or her place in Eternity, but also maintains a vital link in the chain that will empower future students. Such is the blessing and burden of knowledge!

      Συγγένεια • Syngéneia

      THE PATHWAY OF AFFINITY

      In contemplating sorcery, we needs must consider the nature of that magical act of ‘binding.’ Most magical philosophy regards binding a spirit as commanding it, or assigning it a task or power. In most models of magic, especially those at play at the level of folk sorcery, this translates as control or coercion, with the sorcerer seeking to establish complete dominance over the spirit. With a few exceptions, this dynamic also predominates in the high magic of the European renaissance, where the operator binds or constrains spirits within a theoretical rubric of near-total control, often with the aid or permission of God and his angelic ministers. A spirit thus ‘bound’ passes within a sphere of magical enchantment and is alienated from its previous spirit-context; this linkage between sorcerer and daimon is principally defined by commandment. The coercive model of magical binding does have some applications within the realm of plant magic, but they are few, due principally to the nature of the phytosphere and the human relation to it.

      And yet there is a different model of magical binding, one which resonates with occult herbalism, and animates syngéneia, the Pathway of Affinity. Less a matter of constraint than natural resonance, these bonds circumscribe a linkage between magician and plant based upon symbiosis or communion rather than commandment. In accord with this principle, each person—and indeed each phenomenon—despite any spiritual or magical practice, is linked to other specific phenomena purely by ipseity, or the inherent manner of its being; these strands are latent, or ambient, in that they are perpetually spun between objects and powers but not necessarily activated. In humanity, these include what we would call talents, skills, charismas, fortunes, or affinities: the natural magnetic powers of an individual that translate as powers within the world. One person may exhibit an uncanny grace and strength in feats of agility, while others may excel at high mental calculus, while others may be artistic prodigies or savants. These abilities arise naturally due to the individual’s phenomenological constitution, his or her aetherically linked power, but also importantly, the magical strand or ‘bond’ linking them to the power in question. The strands are different for all people, and of differing qualities, but should be regarded as an essential medium for magical congress between the world of plants and humankind. As stated, many of these powers are natural, and a few can be pursued. This principle of magical affinity is not new; it follows on the ancient emanationist doctrines of rays promulgated by the Arabian philosopher Al-Kindi, and in turn upon the vincula (‘chains’), the bonds of magic written of by the Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno.

      The question for those who walk the Pathway of Affinity becomes ‘what