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anyone that took courses from Jack Grayle- PGM1 or 2- could share a feedback , please?
Any impressions, way of teaching, anything related to angels invocation or similar, reformulated magical approach step by step based on the ancient texts? any gnostic texts analyzed there?
Thanks!
the Hekate class is very good, and gets into some gnostic texts at the end. Theres not really much work with angels, maybe a little in some of the PGM stuff, but not much at all. PGM 1 is ok. PGM 2 is less well researched, or at least I noticed inconsistencies and adaptations that seemed incorrect when I looked at some of the source texts. I've noticed a growing cult-like devotion to him and dogmatic adherence to his style that some of his students exhibit that is a little disturbing. If you look at threads in other spaces where they are active and anyone questions the cost of his book or the value of what he offers, they get rabid and defensive. If you point out an alternative interpretation of a spell or something that reveals that some of what he puts out there might not be entirely accurate, it doesn't seem like he's open to considering that or that he appreciates any kind of critique or feedback like that. That's a red flag for me. I'd recommend the Hekate one. The others could be worth it if you have a discerning eye, but if you do your research and explore the PGM on your own, you might come to some different conclusions and approaches and honestly get more out of independent research. Over time I think his style has changed, and I've liked it less and less.
the Hekate class is very good, and gets into some gnostic texts at the end. Theres not really much work with angels, maybe a little in some of the PGM stuff, but not much at all. PGM 1 is ok. PGM 2 is less well researched, or at least I noticed inconsistencies and adaptations that seemed incorrect when I looked at some of the source texts. I've noticed a growing cult-like devotion to him and dogmatic adherence to his style that some of his students exhibit that is a little disturbing. If you look at threads in other spaces where they are active and anyone questions the cost of his book or the value of what he offers, they get rabid and defensive. If you point out an alternative interpretation of a spell or something that reveals that some of what he puts out there might not be entirely accurate, it doesn't seem like he's open to considering that or that he appreciates any kind of critique or feedback like that. That's a red flag for me. I'd recommend the Hekate one. The others could be worth it if you have a discerning eye, but if you do your research and explore the PGM on your own, you might come to some different conclusions and approaches and honestly get more out of independent research. Over time I think his style has changed, and I've liked it less and less.
I have taken the Hekate, PGM1 and PGM2 classes and honestly, I didn't see any specific red flag. He doesn't encourage anyone to do only as he says, mentions several times how he himself adapted many PGM or gnostic spells and how anyone can just do exactly the same. If some people behave like chosing a master and wanting his word to become a dogma, this is those people who are problematic in their approach. Of course, I don't know everything and didn't get especially close to him in any specific way. But I appreciate that he does have real historical knowledge and knows the sources, I also appreciate that he says what is from ancient sources and what is changed. Basically, the Hekataeon is all based on ancient sources but all re-creation or our own modern time. I enjoy that he doesn't claim that what he writes or teaches is what was done in ancient times. I appreciate that there is no "this has been revealed to me and I know the one true mystery".
Of course, these classes cost some money and that is to my opinion the main drawback. I personnaly think that the money I spent on it is well invested but this is all very subjective. But except this, I find that his approach is very well balances between ancient practices and modern re-creation. It is not UPG or whatever and anyone who is seeking a solid basis for Hekate practices or ancient practies of PGM, I would totally recommend his teachings who are not meant to create a new tradition but give tools to people who want to learn and practice ancient forms of magic in our contemporary time.
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I'm replying to your PM here as for now, I don't have enough posts to reply PMs. I hope you won't mind, anyway it might interest other persons.
PGM1 is mainly focused on "traditional" PGM from the Betz book. Each week a spell is studied and they are mainly of greek flavour, sometimes with egyptian or other late antiquity/gnostic flavour, but I would say it gives really a feeling of what kind of magic was practiced in the late roman Empire time in Egypt, for many purposes.
PGM2 is more egyptian oriented, wether pre-hellenism (like coffin texts) or really early medieval (with christian and gnostic spells of early medieval times in Egypt). There are comparatively not a lot of spell with greek gods or greek style (even if there are also). The whole course is oriented towards "developping one's Heka", so one's own power within our own life. "Being the king/queen of our own kingdom". In that way, it has a little a flavour of self-development. I was not especially interested in that approach, but honestly, the spells by themselves were not designed for self-developpement and can be used just like any, without especially setting the goal as only "developping one's power, not letting anyone break us, ruling our own life".
I would say that I prefered PGM1 but only because basically, I am not so egyptian oriented. But still I have learned interesting things that I wouldn't have otherwise and I think that PGM1 and PGM2 complete each other well.
General rule of thumb- people selling instructions in magic or magical services ought to be able to attract money directly using magic in other ways. So it's self-negating
Well, except if you do enjoy teaching, sharing, contributing to the global occult knowledge and want to make part or total living out of this. Lots of people who really write their own material, design complete teachings based on sourced knowledge spend a huge amount of time to do so and making people pay for that is nothing more than paying school teachers who spend their life teaching and correcting. Noone would ever think that they do it out of passion and so should make it for free.
By the way, it is not because one is into occultism that one wants to spend his/her life doing money spells. I never did a single one and don't intend to do so. Maybe out of superstition, maybe out of good reasons but after all, you never know where you may get the money from and who may need to die so that you get it... especially if you don't target a money spell directly to an own private business. Who knows, maybe he did use magic to attract money through his own business...
General rule of thumb- people selling instructions in magic or magical services ought to be able to attract money directly using magic in other ways. So it's self-negating
