An Outlook on Our Inner Western Way by William G Gray (1980).pdf

AN OUTLOOK ON

OUR

INNER

WESTERN

WAY

WILLIAM G. GRAY

SAMUEL WEISER

NEW YORK

Contents

1. Our Inner Western Way,

2. Symbolic Significance, 16

3. The Sacred Self-Sacrifice,

4. Looking Over the Line,

5. Magic and the West, 76

6. Towards the Temple, 93

7. If We Would Stand, 111

8. "The More It Changes, the More It Stays the Same",

123

9. What Now?,

140

1. Our Western Inner Way

Considering the widespread revival of interest in the occult in

recent years, it is still surprising how few people raised in the West

are consciously aware of its Unique Inner Tradition—the secret

spirituality behind our Western way of life. It has not only made

us what we are today, but, more importantly, it can help prepare

us for the future. This reaches far deeper than our historical or

cultural heritage alone. It is the lineage and progress of what can

only be called the 'Western Soul', which develops as we evolve

upon this planet.

This evolution is perceptible from a purely spiritual view-

point, quite apart from the restricted beliefs and physical

boundaries of material existence. Unless we strive to reach

beyond rationality, and acquaint ourselves with the spiritual and

magical realms where our 'Real Selves' reside, we shall never

understand the purpose of our incarnation. To understand these

inner spheres of reality, we must enter and experience them.

Perhaps the greatest single obstacle to achieving this

awareness lies in the extraordinary elusiveness of our Western

Inner Way. If we were seeking enlightenment through the

mystical or spiritual disciplines of the Orient, we would have well-

defined paths on every side. Yet, when we try to contact

2 / AN OUTLOOK ON OUR INNER WESTERN WAY

equivalent systems in the West, we discover an apparently

disjointed collection of Folk tales and apocryphal writings,

interpreted through the bigotry and ignorance of modern

commentators and translators. At present, our surviving tradi-

tions, and their revivals and adaptations, would take entire

incarnations to trace—let alone evaluate. In future generations,

who knows what could—or will—be constructed out of something

so superficially confusing and conflicting. It is fortunate for us

that a few souls in each generation have the patience and

dedication to find—and follow—this old line of faith in Life, which

steadily leads toward the Western Way of Enlightenment. To

discover this as individuals, we must plunge very deep, avoiding

surface obstructions that hinder us from consciously claiming our

rightful, but carefully concealed heritage.

* * *

What is the Inner Way of the West? Anyone asking this

question in all sincerity will encounter strange replies from many

unexpected quarters. Unfortunately, the intentions of many

would-be guides to the Inner Planes are more like guided missiles

aimed at the seeker's wallet. Seldom have so many sharks snapped

so eagerly as the unsuspecting plunge into deep occult waters

unsupported by anything except a well-inflated money belt. From

mystic supply shops to witch covens, 'Orders' of this, that, and

other, stretch greedy hands toward the gullible. None but the

truly poor in spirit could possibly navigate through such pirate-

infested waters and emerge enriched by the experience.

Incredibly, the muddle confronting modern pilgrims of the

Western Way is actually part and parcel of its program. It can be

considered a contemporary version of the dangerous and delusive

'Dweller on the Threshold' who guarded the gates of the ancient

Mysteries. This fabled horror represents everything in ourselves

that seeks to prevent us from achieving a state of spiritual

perfection. Either we challenge and conquer this negative side of

our nature, or we remain an outsider and get no closer,

consciously, to the truth of our Inner Identities.

This is exactly the problem set before us by the reputed

representatives of our 'Hidden Holy Tradition'. What, if anything,

is genuine and what is deceptive? For those able to detect the

difference, and make their way through the workings of the

Western Mysteries, this is a crucial test. In the past, this quest was

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