Baptism in the Catholic Church = Legitimate Esoteric Initiation?

[Thee Nightfool]

Curious as to how people think about this subject. I was pondering today how being baptized in the Church of Rome as a newborn was, technically, my very first esoteric initiation. I'm wonderered if it's given me certain blessings in life while, at the same time, making other initations or practices of mine much harder (as a sort of mystical "deterrant" towards what it sees as maelfic beings).

Any thoughts on this? How many of you are baptized in a sacramental church? (Catholic, Orthodox).

 

[tranmut3]

I head that baptism rather functions as an method to put the mark of the devil on you, and, in fact, block any magical / psychic abilities.
it depends on your perspective. there's a great deal of discussion that the Catholic Church rather operates in a devious magical way, functioning to maintain its enslavement over its pitiless followers.

 

[Amadeus]

I got baptized into Russian Orthodoxy, on my request as an adult. I decided to do it after years of spiritual practices, I felt like it was the right thing to do. I have a lot of Orthodox ancestors as well.
In my case it gave me exactly what I was looking for. The ritual worked as some kind of format-c. Boosted increased connection to working with psalms, saints, monastic practices.
It also gave a better connection to other practices, multiplied effects.
Depending on what you're doing it can bring excellent effects.
It puts you into a certain connection to the system. There was an immediate renewal effect.
You get a permanent connection and a boost.

 

[MorganBlack]

I say try it and find out. Many Catholic magicians, or magicians who converted, say the spirits notice and are more respectful if you are baptized.

Not saying convert, I was not originally a "believer" and only did so becasue of some amazing and extreme Catholic theophanic manifestations , but the daimons sure seem to snap to. (I think it's becasue of the manifestation of the Demiurge we have locked in the Vatican basement. Heh!) That said, I'm still a Pantheist and say there are many ways to get to the same place... PGM Headless Rite, etc.

But really, has nobody else noticed that pretty much all of traditional Western magic is essentially Folk Catholic and Eastern Orthodox (Folk Orthodoxy)? Are people not aware that most New World Sorcery is Folk Catholic across the majority of the entire Western hemisphere? Every Haitian Vodouisant and Mexican brujo is Catholic, or grew up Catholic.

We wouldn't even know about the pagan philosophers if it were not for the Catholic love of the Greek pagans. Other historical Catholic magicians include: Marsilio Ficino, Cornelius Agrippa, and his teacher Abbot Trithemius (who was a Benedictine Abbot). There was also Giordano Bruno, Paracelsus, Johannes Reuchlin, Athanasius Kircher, Tommaso Campanella, and others such as Benedetto Rinio , who was a 15th-century Venetian physician and scholar who compiled massive herbal grimoires.