Sometimes having an eclectic pagan perspective can get a bit messy, or at the very least, tricky to keep track of. In most cases, it's as simple as resolving one mythology with another; belief in Odin for example does not prevent belief in Zeus. In other situations, however, there are a wealth of potential obstacles that come into play.
For me, one of the biggest obstacles in this sense is in my fascination with Enochian magic. I have no interest in the concept of a single creator "God" figure being central to the world's origin (I personally prefer the idea of an inhuman entity that became the world rather than creating it, and that entity being either consumed or destroyed as a result -- tidies up the question of inaction quite nicely), and Enochian lore is so richly steeped in a so-called monotheistic tradition that it can be hard to separate the two. Nonetheless, I was drawn to this conceptual system of ritual magic for various reasons I choose not to describe in detail here, and was confronted with the question of how to make the two seemingly rival elements of polytheistic paganism and the Abrahamic-"mono"theism of Enochian lore cooperate and coexist within my personal paradigm.
Enochian magic is an evocative idea: calling on ancient secret names and symbols to call forth primordial entities that tie into the nature of the world around us. These so-called "angels" (or demons, depending on who you ask) are related to the world itself -- the air, the seas, the land, etc -- and fulfill a wide variety of different cosmological roles that suit their position and stature. Enochian magic presents its own pantheon of sorts, despite the original texts of John Dee and Edward Kelley pressing forth such a heavily focused mantra of worship of God over all others.
It would be easy for me to dismiss this as the pressures of their era coming into play. Written at the height of the Renaissance, it would have been tantamount to suicide for a person of any influence to go so heavily against the Church in such a direct way. I'm not so quick to make that assumption, however. In my opinion, the concepts behind Enochian magic work very well within a monotheistic world-view, albeit one that remains monotheistic by undermining the power of other divinities. In many ways, the concept of a single higher-power is somewhat comforting amidst the vast depth of the system itself, providing a rock to latch onto if the metaphoric oncoming storm gets too strong. It also cooperates well with polytheism by empowering those same entities instead, and giving them the proper respect and authority that they ought to be given.
I vastly prefer the polytheistic view. I am a proudly Norse-Celtic pagan, who celebrates both mythic traditions as a part of my personal heritage. I do, on occasion, pray to the gods in times of uncertainty, and have no qualms about calling on different gods or goddesses to suit the relevant situation. Enochian lore falls much the same way, particularly as I have long equated the concepts of angels and demons from Abrahamic tradition with the pantheons of European pagan tribes; you have a wealth of specialized entities that relate back to the source of existence, each representing a certain facet of reality. Pick a divine entity and extend your prayers, hope for a result, and carry on living.
Where it then gets complicated is reconciling how the two interact. Enochian angel lists alone can rival the entire divine pantheon of most European tribal groups, so the room for overlap is immense. Do you try to line them up and rationalize similar entities as the same individual? Or do you try to pick and choose which entities are right for you from each set? As with most of my theories on combining mythic traditions, I'd give the answer as "Whichever you prefer" and leave it at that. Personally, I view the two as separate sets of entities and limit my lure toward the Enochian side quite heavily. I don't call upon the angels when I feel the need or desire to pray, though I would not begrudge another to do the same, nor would I rule out doing so myself one day if the impulse felt right.
For me, the concept for Enochian magic just feels right. I'm not suggesting that it turns you into a wizard or any such nonsense; no one is throwing fireballs or flying through the air without one hell of a personal special effects rig. But the mindset that perusing lists of angelic hosts for one that suits your needs and then preparing and naming that angel correctly, with the full intent on what you wish to accomplish is one worth pursuing. If nothing else, it demonstrates a higher-level of concentration and consideration in what is done in will-working, as what is will-working if not just another elaborate form of prayer? The more consideration behind the prayer, the more productive you will likely find yourself being in seeking those goals.
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