Charles Williams and Magic

From Charles Williams's point of view; the most relevant aspect of magical societies (in the Golden Dawn tradition*) was that training (initiation) was a matter of inner visualization and concentration. For instance, in meditation, holding attention on imagined scenes, leading onto imagined journeys. 

These scenarios were then populated with symbolism, and the meaning of this symbolism had previously been assimilated by meditation. 

Golden Dawn symbolism was rooted in the Qabalah (variously spelled), which was regarded as a complete categorization of reality, and its inner relations. 

This inner work of imagination was linked with everyday reality - so that what happened in imagination, and via the symbolism, had effects on the inner plane, which necessarily affected material life. 

To put it differently; members of the GD who were conducting a magical ritual or ceremony, would do so with the conviction that what was happening in the minds of the participants here and now in their temple, would be having general effects (effects for the good, beneficial effects - or so they intended) on other people elsewhere, and the world at large. So this kind of white society was a serious and high-minded business, much like a church; or more accurately a monastery consisting of priests and acolytes.   

The Golden Dawn ceremonies and rituals were really just a way of enhancing the above inner processes. 

There was also the matter of "energizing" the above processes, infusing psychic energy, generating (or tapping) the power to make these work. This was the sex magic aspect ("polarity") analogous to Hindu Tantric sex stuff, "raising the Kundalini" - or generating sexual desire, but re-directing it to energize the above processes. 

There seems to have been disputes and schisms about this aspect. Alistair Crowley, for example, was one extreme - using polarity, and drugs, to fuel manipulative power and attain pleasure. (I have not studied Crowley, however, just picked up bits and pieces). 

Dion Fortune is another (good) extreme in which the process was celibate and the energies directed to Christian and altruistic goals. 

All this magical method/ technique/ process was regarded as value neutral, a means to an end; and could be used for evil and selfish goals, as well as for good. 

This was the reason for oaths of secrecy and the screening process of Golden Dawn members (through multiple levels of initiation) - the leaders were trying to prevent this power from falling into the hands of evil-motivated people (black magicians - like Crowley  - who pursued the left hand path; and intended to use the power for gratification or domination). 

The white magic GD societies used these powers for "good" - rather variously defined. 

Early on this was Christian ideas of good (albeit, various understood Christianity), but after the schisms other ideas splintered off; sometimes more secular and utilitarian ideas of promoting the general well-being of the nation, or the world - sometimes with a socio-political focus. 

However, these white magical societies were intense and controlling, very constraining - and it is not surprising that CW left them after he had learned all he could - which seems to have been a lot. 

Williams was apparently what would be called an "adept" of the Greater Mysteries, rather than a mere initiate of the Lesser Mysteries - self-sufficient, and a potential leader, in terms of his magical stature. 

Adepts often went on to found their own magical societies; as did Willaims; because that was the nature of the Companions of the Co-Inherence. 

Alice Mary Hadfield was (she has said) unhappy that the Companions were Not Christian primarily; e.g. she noticed that "substitution" was being regarded by CW as a pure technique or technology - rather than a high level spiritual activity requiring the support of the Holy Ghost. 

This is confirmed by the descriptions of of substitution was administered/ imposed top-down by CW on the other Companions (instructing one Companion to substitute for another in specific respects). The magical society quality of the Companions also fits with the "homework" (e.g. memorization of passages of writing) that Williams demanded of (especially female) disciples - and the sanctions and punishments (including physical) he imposed upon them for their errors in such tasks. 

 All of which makes me think that the Companions of the Co-Inherence were primarily (in effect, and by CW's intention - if not explicitly) a magical society. 

(I tend to think CW's secrecy about the magical societies was not so much a matter of honouring the oaths, as simply wanting to conceal the nature as sources of his remarkable mental powers - which so many people remarked when they met him. These powers were exactly what the Golden Dawn system was intended to train.) 

With respect to CW; it seems to me that - as an adept - he had highly developed his powers of concentration (focusing attention) and inner visualization, and all the other magical methods; such as being able to perform ritual movements and speeches with a high degree of physical control and continuous self- and other-awareness - practised and repeated until they became spontaneous and habitual. 

My inference is that it was these habitual abilities of Williams - magically trained to a high level - that contributed significantly to the charismatic personal magnetism that so many found impressive, or even overwhelming.  

But Williams seems to have used (or desired to use) these magically-derived powers to generate his creative writing, especially poetry; rather than for the usual purposes of magical societies - whether white or black.  

It seems that to use magic for writing was not the intent of the white magic side of the Golden Dawn, and would not have been regarded as a valid purpose - except insofar as such writings were dedicated to "good" ends, perhaps. 

(This was probably another factor in CW leaving the official GD societies). 

I think CW also somewhat deviously abused the powers and methods of GD magic in order to manipulate others; attempting to make them go along with and do things they would otherwise not have done. 

I think he justified this to himself as necessary (or at least permissible) for the generation and energizing of poetry, which he justified as a positive contribution to God's work. 

But I personally don't find these self-justifications convincing - I think there was a great deal of ego and hedonism mixed in with CW's motivations! 

In plain words; I think that Charles Williams was sometimes (but recurrently) guilty of using his Golden Dawn training for black magical purposes, on the left hand path. 

At least, that is what comes through in the utilitarian and pragmatic ways Williams talked about his work - writing for money was a recurrent theme; even something his insisted upon as right and proper. If CW's poetry and writing had been the kind of sacred practice that would have justified the use of magical methods, then I do not think he could have taken this materialistic attitude in public utterances (and in some of his writings). 

Also the self-justification of magical usage is contradicted by CW's long-term concern for attaining greater personal status and recognition - for fame and fortune! 

While such conceits are normal and understandable - when it comes to justifying manipulating and exploiting others by magical techniques - this was surely to abuse his occult powers is on the dark side, on the left hand path. 

And then there are the ways that CW dissipated his time, energy and opportunities - all those pot-boilers, all that writing for money instead of working on poems (money which he mostly spent on unnecessary rather selfish frivolity, and buttering up women!).

All those pointless lectures to all and sundry, all that socializing with strangers - when he claimed to lack time and energy for his core creative work! 

What, for me, contradicts Williams's self-excuse for using Golden Dawn techniques on fascinating and influencing younger women, for deploying polarity/ sex magic, and for forming a magical society that he ruled in a controlling fashion; are things that Williams did instead of doing the best poetic work of which he was capable in a disinterested spirit. 

The Golden Dawn White magicians intended their magical system to be used for the general good of Mankind; especially with a Christian understanding of good.

Instead, Williams claimed that he used the abilities developed by his Golden Dawn magical training to energize, shape and enhance his own writings - specifically poetry of the spiritually highest kind. This was supposed to be the real and only justification for CW's deployment of magic.  

And this he did, but only to a limited extent; and he did much else besides - including activities which would seem intended to benefit CW himself; in terms of personal gratification, domination of others, and status.  

 

*The original Golden Dawn magical society had ceased before the time of Charles Williams, and schism-ed into various strands, in a complex and interactive way (which seems not to be fully understood); several groups persisted for various periods - some groups continue to this day. 

Note: H/T - The above was generated by a query from, and letter to, Sorina Higgins on this subject. It represents my current level of understanding of the Golden Dawn tradition is drawn from the past several years of reading widely but unsystematically in the field; especially Dion Fortune, Gareth Knight and writings of those who influenced and interacted with them - these two are explicitly Christian magicians, but many of their descendants are not Christian. Therefore I have been engaged in some dipping into material from those in contrast or opposition to that tradition - neo-pagans (some of whom I rather like), anything-but-Christians, magical leftists, and those who use magic as de facto psychotherapy. I have also sampled from some of those I would regard as Black Magicians on the left hand path - whether they acknowledge it or not; most of whom have been and are linked to the Crowley tradition in schism from Golden Dawn... Those using magical techniques aiming to get sex, money, attention/ fame, domination; or subversively to attain personal or societal destruction etc. In sum: magic used against The Good. There is a great deal of this on-line, including YouTube.