The Two C's of Dark Seduction By Phaedron Curiosity and convenience are two guises the darkside uses to seduce not only the magickian but the layperson as well. Magick, both white and black is not just formal ritual. Every act causes a result, thus every act is magick. An act in accordance with the laws of Nature is called white magick; if it is against Nature (or the Will) it is called black magick. The dark forces fascinate, attract and possess victims without them even knowing they are carrying out the ambitions or goals of the dark side. Evil operates when you are not aware of it. Don't make the mistake of believing that evil, the dark side etc. applies only to specific groups or people. These terms refer to any general dark energy, and can exist as a vibration as well as a specific person. It is said that no one chooses the dark side, they only fall prey to its influences. Thus, the factors contributing to a dark alliance usually start with small insignificant brushes with evil. Convenience Convenience is the first of the two C's the dark side uses to get you to sacrifice your principles. A shortcut can be at your expense if you succumb to dark energy. The dark side offers you a route that seems a little more convenient or easier for achieving not just attainment but anything you are doing. Just feed it a little bit of energy and it will work for you. A spiritual teacher tells a student to walk across the field and bring back a large round rock to fill a hole. The student reasons it is quicker and easier to drive around the field and put the rock in the trunk of the car. So he does. When he returns, his teacher asks if he saw the symbol that the bird in the middle of the field held for him. Of course the student missed it entirely, but he got the job done quicker, easier and more arrogantly. Most importantly, his indiscretion was against the direction of his spiritual teacher. He traded the instruction of his spiritual teacher for convenience's sake. The most common example is a person knowingly supporting a business or store that may be against their principles but is more conveniently located. Instead, magickians will go out of their way to support a business or person that they believe in. There is nothing wrong with convenience if it doesn't require that you go against your spiritual principles or the harmony of Nature. But, just think of how many times you chose to momentarily risk your well being because it was faster or easier. Evil always conceals itself by making your spiritual concession seem so small as to be meaningless—it's in the little everyday things that this evil occurs. Curiosity The other C the dark side uses to entice is Curiosity—allure, fascination, intrigue, but not curiosity that would satisfy a constructive growth. Evil appeals to the base-self that is in every person but is usually controlled. It excites that low chakra energy. This titillation overcomes the controlling mechanism of the Higher Self by way of the individual's intellect—the fascination with a certain taboo. The thinking at the time is always I can dabble with it that one time only; cross that line just once. But the appetite for darkness gets stronger as you feed it. You slowly become possessed by it. Rampant among people pulled into the dark side are: it just felt right at the time, I don't know why I did it and I can't explain it, I just did it. All these phrases have one thing in common. Possession—possession of the Lower Self by the dominating dark force. If you don't know why you do something, there is a problem. Sometimes the most righteous people don't know they are doing black magick. They'll make an excuse so they can rip-off their neighbor or make an unethical business deal—then go to church on Sunday, never suspecting that they took a walk on the dark side. When it's in front of you, dark magick is concealed in a sensible garment. It might seem rational to take one shortcut or to dabble just once in something evil, but titillating. That's how Crowley dabbled in the destructive segment of his magickal career—that one time led to many times. Some knowingly chose black magick, but this article is for those who chose not to pursue the dark side. It is no one's place to judge another's spiritual path. People must have the right to make choose which path will bring them their karma and provide the lessons they have to learn in their framework at that time. We have to accept that people are not perfect and will occasionally confuse white and black magick. Staying on the Path Ask yourself if the most convenient choice goes against anything within you or your principles, no matter how slightly. Don't willingly partake of the cravings of the Lower Self. Be aware of your motivations. Be in control of yourself. Taking the convenient route and giving in to curiosity are so much easier than the labors of controlling the self and rigors of white magick. Practicing positive magick daily is not easy, but this Great Work yields a very beautiful end and is how one can assist Nature. 1994 The Holy Order of the Winged Disk, all rights reserved. Phaedron is the G. H. Hierophant of the Holy Order of the Winged Disk, Director of its International Academy of Hermetic Knowledge and author of The Practica Arcanum. For more information call (804) 293-7485, or send $1 for information to: 1710 Allied St., Charlottesville, VA 22903. | 
