I tend to be someone who tries to establish a philosophical or metaphysical foundation for my beliefs and practices. As such, I believe it to be important to apply philosophy and metaphysics to the occult and to magick especially and to understand these things within a framework to ensure consistency and to be able to place experiences and observations into their proper places in relation to other things. For example, I prefer to work within what might be considered a Christian framework, although, of course, my beliefs and practices would be called unorthodox or taboo perhaps by those within mainstream Christian movements and denominations. Now, what I mean when I say that I work within a Christian framework is that I use Christian terminology and sources from past Christendom and Christian tradition to describe and define my beliefs and practices (such as, angelology, demonology, the Garden of Eden, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil).
With that said, I am able to maintain consistent identifications and definitions in my work, that is, the metaphysical aspect of magick and the occult. Furthermore, I am able to ground workings in the realm of philosophy by establishing a set of principles and beliefs taken to be true on which I can base what I do. For example, by taking the principal notion that angels, demons, and other spiritual entities exist, I understand that the world is alive and full of agency; and when I take the working (or energies) of these beings to be active in the world, I now I have a foundation for engaging in magical and occult practices.
In all this, I hope to search out the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, or as it is called in the book of Enoch, the Tree of Wisdom, so that I may know true from false, reality from illusion. I desire to see behind the veil and participate in true reality.
A most noble goal indeed, though one that is bound to be filled with many trials and tribulations.
I too seek an understanding of objective reality, to peer beyond the subjective and often times illusionary reality unfolding before us. Knowledge and wisdom sadly tend to be learned through a subjective lens from my observations thus far.
It is really inevitable to look at the world subjectively. Even if I were to make the claim, "I am looking at such and such objectively," the very use of the word "I" betrays me. We are always the subject of our observations. When I say "I see a stone," the "stone" is the object. I can assume the stone's existence, but I cannot see the world objectively as the stone. Even if the stone had eyes and if I could see through them, it would still be "I" who sees through them.
However, that does not mean that there is nothing which exists objectively. In a sense, one can see existence itself as observation and interaction. Wherever there is an observer, there must necessarily be that which is observed; and wherever there is someone who interacts, there must necessarily be something which is interacted with.
Now, wisdom is not merely the application of knowledge, but it is the ability to see the patterns of knowledge and the patterns which underlie reality. In that way, all of reality is actually symbolic. This is also the basis of occult knowledge and wisdom, that is, seeing and understanding these hidden patterns (the word "occult" meaning hidden") and making use of them. It is understanding that the world is not merely a chain of mechanical cause and effect or a series of random events but rather a grand narrative made up of smaller narratives.
