The Personal Genius: A Deconstruction
Today we'll talk about a critical subject for many Western magicians: the Personal Genius, Holy Guardian Angel, Daimon, or Higher Self (bear with me).
For sake of generality and consistency, I'll be going with Personal Genius (PG).
This post will not be a guide to achieving contact with your PG (also known as K&C of the HGA), and more of a guide to what the PG really is.
Let's start with the common ground. The Personal Genius (PG) is an entity whose primary function is to guide the individual through the mundane and magical triumphs and trials of life. Through consistent contact with the Personal Genius, the individual can self-actualize. This comes with higher knowledge and wisdom.
This is where the common ground diverges. Magicians debate with others and within themselves about the nature of the PG and what it means for their spiritual practice. Even Crowley's thoughts and beliefs changed over time.
So, what are the schools of thought regarding the PG? There are infinite shades of nuance, but like most arguments they usually boil down to one of two viewpoints:
The PG is a non-local (external) entity, or
The PG is a local (internal) entity.
In the first case, the PG is rarely seen as a deity in and of themselves. Rather, they are often assigned at birth by a higher deity and follow the individual throughout their lifetime.
In the second case, the PG is often thought of as some higher aspect of the Self, normally hidden from conscious experience. This perspective makes the PG firmly and entirely local.
But again, like most arguments it's not that simple. Let me break off into a brief tangent to illustrate a third argument.
I am panentheistic. I believe that the Monad is both the sum total of everything that is and isn't, while retaining a distinct identity separate from that sum. It's a heady concept, but it's an important premise.
Many traditions teach that there are components to the experience we call "being". In other words, everything we are is the sum of both the concrete and abstract parts of our selves. Just as the body is made up of organs, so too is our soul a composite (See the Norse parts of the soul for an example).
Some of these parts of us are closer in nature to the Monad than others. Generally speaking, the more concrete, the further it is from the Monad. Again, a heady concept—after all, wouldn't an implication of relative distance imply that the Monad is more abstract than concrete? I could continue, but that's another post.
One—or several—of these abstract components form(s) the Link between the Self and the Monad. It is distinct enough from both that it may appear and act as a separate entity, but is actually a bridge between the two.
On the surface, this looks like a cop-out. "Oh, it's both," I say, but why?
Remember that the Monad is not just the universe; it is also a discrete being. The Monad is both the observer and the subject. Think of yourself as one of the Monad's subjects and the Monad's distinct identity as the observer. The PG is a blend of both: it connects and harmonizes what would normally be completely separate beings in everyday experience.
What's the significance of the PG, then? As touched on before, the PG's primary purpose is to guide the individual through their life. In Thelema and some sects of Chaos Magick, this entails the revelation of the individual's True Will. This goes beyond a life's purpose and affects the very core of the individual.
How does it do this? By leveraging the link to the Monad's omniscience. The PG can speak to you in dreams, through divination, via synchronicities, the list is endless. Legend has it that some people have actually heard or seen their PG as though they were wholly concrete.
How do magicians gain access to their PG? That's a highly individual question; generally speaking it entails a lot of meditation, dream work, ritual, and prayer. But it's worth it. The first time you glimpse the wisdom locked behind the threshold between you and your PG, you don't really forget it. That sense of oneness, of peace and love, it's incomparable.
And it's possible to experience no matter which school of thought you take.
