Spiritual guides are a somewhat controversial subject among occultists and spiritualists alike. While most who approach the occult accept at least some form of spiritual involvement in their lives, not everyone is ready to accept the idea of certain spirits having the primary function of helping them. Even so, there are a few key spiritual figures that have become highly referenced, if not universally accepted.
Many occult authors have written about a "gatekeeper" spirit, a sort of primary guardian that serves to keep your life on "track" (whatever that track may be). I find this concept interesting on many levels. I certainly agree that most seem to have a singular spirit entity that watches over them, for good or for ill. In some interpretations, this is manifest in the form of a spirit that only allows certain predetermined events into your life; in others, the spirit serves to hold those who would do you harm at bay. I see the concept not so much as a gatekeeper, but as a guardian standing in a spiritual bottleneck; they may try to hold the line, but no defense is infallible, and some negativity is bound to breach their protection. These spirits take up a sort of choke-point between your inner-self and the outer-world and do what they can to keep the two separated, but can be overwhelmed by particularly extreme situations.
Guardians are similar, but not singular, and don't have as much of a primary role. They're still relevant, just not as highly involved, as their role is usually more situational. If the gatekeeper stands in the bottleneck, then the guardians roam either side and try their best to help with crowd control.
The Scourge is what I call the "shadow", mostly out of my personal belief that shadow is not in and of itself in opposition to a benign and good life. In all the talk of light and darkness, shadow gets a bad rap; people forget that shadow isn't darkness, it's just a dimming of the light due to a physical obstacle. The Scourge still fits that idea, but with a heavier accent on the challenges that it presents us. The Scourge isn't a guardian per-se, rather it is a reflection of what we most fear and despise about ourselves and what we must overcome to improve ourselves during our lifetime. It's possible to have multiple Scourges through the course of one's life, and it's important to understand that overcoming one will only lead to another surfacing; no one is perfect, and those imperfections will always turn up eventually.
Now, anyone with a passing understanding of psychology will notice a parallel to the Ego, Superego, and Id across the three spiritual guides. This is far from a coincidence, and is in many ways accurate. One that balances the inner and the outer, one that focuses solely on maintaining the sanctity of the self, and one that is ultimately selfish and unconcerned with anyone else. Psychology and spirituality aren't that far off from each other on a functional level, it's all a question of how one chooses to look at and label these things. Regardless of one's skepticism, anthropomorphizing one's internal struggles can help to cope as long as one keeps it all in perspective. Inner myth and psychology go hand in hand, and this is no exception.
Part of that recent turning point of mine is coming to terms with the simple fact that I have been wrong in my interpretation of my personal spirits, in particular, I had come to view my scourge as my gatekeeper. I make no secret in having had some very dark times in my life, spiritually and psychologically speaking, and having spent so much time in those darker states is likely what clouded my judgement there. If anything, I had come to identify with my scourge so greatly that I forgot why I loathed those aspects of myself that it represented. A few months ago, my perception righted itself and I saw the scourge for what it was:
It was a manifestation of my self-imposed solitude and my unwillingness to communicate my feelings and my thoughts (ironically, this was well after the end of a three-year engagement and
not a contributing factor to why I left that relationship). It was every single repressed thought and desire I'd spent nearly two decades stifling and silencing. It was almost spiritually blinding when I realized this to be the case. I'd gone so long thinking and treating this silent withdrawal from the world as the best way to protect myself that the truth was a major system shock. I've since focused on overcoming that negative pattern of behavior and thought, but trying to correct 15-18 years of reclusive habit takes time. Still, I've felt an immediate change in my demeanor and my attitude; when people say that admitting there is a problem is the first step toward solving it, they're right on target. Recognizing that this was an issue was enough to start me toward making good on overcoming the problem.
For the first time in my entire tenure as an occultist, I can say that my scourge is subdued, if not defeated. I know that another will take its place when the time comes, but for the moment, I will enjoy this victory and continue to assert myself over its legacy of silence.
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