Glossary - exWitch Australia (formerly 'Born Again Pagan')

CHAOS MAGIC

A comparatively new and radical occult tradition which began, in England, in the late 1970's, the principles of which are claimed to run parallel with the scientific theories of Chaos.

Chaos Magic was largely the invention of artist Austin Osman Spare in his Zos Kia Cultus. Later, a form of Chaos Magick was developed by a few others in the 1980's as a form of the magic of solipsism.

It was best expounded in the 1980s by theoretical physicist Pete Carroll in his Liber Null & Psychonaut and comprised the magic of the "Illuminates of Thanateros", and in the 1990s is best exemplified by such groups as AutonomatriX and Z-Cluster, and moreover by myriad individual (or rogue) practitioners such as Andrew Chumbley and Stephen Mace.

These publications were closely followed by that of Ray Sherwin entitled The Book of Results. The authors, in conjunction with the mathematician, Charles Brewster, determined that Chaos theory held the most likely explanation of how magic actually works, a radical departure from the previously held notion of 'Results Magic', which argued that all magical acts should aim at producing a quantifiable result. Results Magic had originated in the climate of a growing concern that most Western Magical systems focused on meditation and celebration without any affective means of evaluation.

Basically, it is that aspect of magic that deals with entering the "Abyss" or, put more simply, facing the unknown Chaos being simply "The Unknown" as apparently devoid of meaning.

The very mystery of being itself, said Carroll, is fundamentally connected to how we deal with chaos. We react to chaos by earthing it to its opposite. Once an action or result enters consciousness, then the chao-energy or "cause" has to be carried all the way through to its end "effect" and hence is already implicitly manifest in the thought, even as it rises. If the impulse, however, is thwarted for any reason or scattered by ignorance, it falls back and disappears into its opposite polarity, i.e. its concealment in chaos. Hence pre-meditation is the bane of action and Aleister Crowley used to warn against the "lust for results." (The action is the result!).

Chaos Magic incorporates the Sigil magic of Austin Osman Spare coupled with the basic format of opening and closing circles, drawn from the German Fraternatis Saturnii, and embellishes these with fictional concepts. It supports few core principles, arguing against dogmatism and in favour of contradiction, implausible as well as plausible arguments and constant flexibility of personal position.

Personal experience ranks high on the agenda and stress is laid on doing rather than theorising. In apparent contradiction to the above, rigorous self-assessment and analysis are encouraged. Chaos Magic is mainly practised by individuals or independent groups.

The anthropologist T M Luhrmann observes that Chaos Magic "appeals to heavy metal motorcyclists without means". It encourages an eclectic approach to magic and argues that one of the primary tasks of the aspiring magician is to detach from the established web of notions about self, society and the world at large. It goes on to extol the merits of altered states of sonsciousness.

Among its more recent proponents are Phil Hine and Steve Wilson, both of whom have developed results-based systems of working Chaos Magic.

In 1987 a Symposium of Chaos Magic was held in Leeds, England and Chaos Magic now enjoys a home site on the Internet. Through the efforts of at least one of its adherents, the German Ralph Tegtmeier, it also has a following in Continental Europe. The notion of Chaos science was popularized through the character of Ian Malcolm in the film Jurassic Park and Chaos Magic now enjoys a following in North America, Europe and Australia.

see also CHAOS; ILLUMINATES OF THANATEROS

PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.

Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one definition may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.

Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differing practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc