Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
The Disappearance of Rituals - Metapsychology Online Reviews
Byung-Chul Han is a prominent South Korean philosopher and cultural critic who has written extensively on various subjects, including the decline of rituals in contemporary society. Han argues that with the rise of individualism, technological advancements, and the acceleration of modern life, traditional rituals have diminished, leading to a loss of communal experiences and a sense of belonging.
In essence what he is saying is that a life without rituals is one where every moment blurs into the next. Have you ever found yourself on the couch having sat there for hours, moving from one distraction to the next. The TV playing on in the background while you play with your phone. Before you know it, it’s 4 am, you’ve “watched” 3 movies and you’ve barely noticed the time go by. Maybe you were having fun, but think back to those moments of the past four hours, can you pick out any distinct moments that you will remember doing tomorrow?
We might not remember our rituals if we make them a part of our day to day lives however the potential here as I see it is one where we become more mindful of the passage of time. In today’s world we are often just trying to make it through to the end of the day, we almost welcome our memories of the day smeared into obscurity in the back of our minds by reels and reels of content.
It occurred to me when hearing of this idea from Byung-Chul Han, that he is quite right. We are missing rituals in our day to day lives. It’s already the 5th of January and I have forgotten what I ate for dinner on Christmas Day. I’m looking to bring rituals back into my life in a meaningful, self-determined way, to help achieve mastery of the present moment and I will discuss ways to do that through the only means I know how: Magick
Magick, particularly occult magick, can be seen as a form of ritual practice that involves intentional actions and movements to bring about specific outcomes or tap into hidden forces. High magick and chaos magick are two distinct branches within the broader realm of occult magick.
High magick typically refers to ceremonial or ritualistic practices that draw upon esoteric traditions, symbolism, and elaborate procedures. It often involves the invocation of deities, the use of ritual tools, and the recitation of specific incantations or prayers.
On the other hand, chaos magick is a more modern and eclectic approach to magick that emphasizes flexibility, experimentation, and personal belief systems. It often involves the creation of personalized rituals, sigils, and the utilization of various psychological techniques to achieve desired results.
In the context of Byung-Chul Han's ideas, we can view magick practices as existing on a spectrum of rituals, ranging from the more common and socially accepted rituals like Birthday’s, New Year's Eve celebrations or Christmas to the occult, personal, and somewhat secretive ceremonial rituals associated with magick and or secret societies. This spectrum highlights the diverse ways in which rituals manifest in our lives, from the collective and traditional to the individual and esoteric.
To me, Chaos Magick is the Do It Yourself Relgion. You’re free to make up whatever rituals and spells your imagination can fathom in order to get the results you want regardless of tradition. Want to celebrate Christmas in July? Chaos Magick says you can. Where as a lot of High Magick usually has a list of things you will need to acquire in order to perform the ritual, Chaos allows one to MacGuyver their own process, utilising what the individual finds significant.
This approach can have its downfall if our ideas are half baked but if we understand why we do the things in magick that we do we can might find ourselves drawing closer and closer to our full potential and objective truth.
Byung-Chul Han's observation about rituals as a temporal technology for anchoring oneself in the present resonates with the erosion of rituals in modern society. In today's fast-paced world, where time seems to blend together, many individuals may find themselves lacking in meaningful rituals that provide a sense of connection and presence.
When considering the average human who engages in minimal or no rituals beyond daily routines like waking up and tuning into social media or TV it suggests a potential loss of deeper engagement with the present moment. These activities, while often habitual, may not offer the same level of intention, symbolism, or communal experience found in traditional or esoteric rituals.
Engaging in rituals, whether mundane or magickal, can offer a break from the constant distractions and help individuals ground themselves in the present. They provide a sense of purpose, mindfulness, and connection to something beyond the surface-level daily experiences. The absence of such rituals in the lives of many might contribute to a sense of disconnection, fragmented attention, and a loss of the deeper meaning that rituals can provide.