Should "Arcane" Knowledge be Kept Secret?

Question

The last couple of days, a question got posted about the Pentagram, and the best answer chosen included words to the effect of "and the other meanings should be kept hidden until one passes initiation because they are dangerous". This has got me to thinking.

Whether you "believe" in the reality of magic or not, there are certainly dangers there in a real and psychological sense in that you can start to play round with something like a ouija board and frighten yourself silly, perhaps doing yourself long term psychological harm. Most anything we invest our belief strongly into affects our psyche deeply, and is, at every level "dangerous"

Which begs the question of secrecy. Not a great believer in secrecy, not because information is safe, but because in my experience secrecy is usually used as a tool to hook people further into something, and to bestow authority into those who may have no great wisdom, just on the virtue they got in early. Like a pyramid marketing scheme. Thoughts?

Question referred to is here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AsG4fbNkpJQMUe2JkB2gn0Hty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071008154135AA5u9al&show=7#profile-info-bcf339cd11ac6396715e95827f77d9d1aa

To Davis: Et in Arcadia ego

Herbs and Poisons comments: Isn't a bottle of bleach dangerous too? Just because somebody knows how to make a poison doesn't mean they will be silly enough to drink it.

Answer 1

Traditional Shamans use poisonous substances for spiritual purposes all the time. In untrained hands these substances are deadly.

There is knowledge that can be dangerous to share with those who are not trained to handle it. Sometimes it is dangerous ONLY to that person, other times the danger is in the potential for misuse of the knowledge.

I would not teach advances NeuroMuscular Therapy techniques to a massage student who does not know how to perform basic efflurage and petrissage..... They do not have the basic training yet.

The same thing can be applied to Spiritual training. You have to learn the basics before you are able to learn the more advanced things.

Answer 2

There's a point where giving the untrained person too much information overwhelms them - at which point, they stop being able to make a truely informed decision. Take a look at computers - most average users have the privledges on their home computer to *really* muck things up, but no training on whether or not they should take a particular action. It's lead to more than a few issues over the years.

Certain pieces of information, when dealing with the arcane, starts to get in that realm. Stuff that sounds "cool" to some folks, but runs a bit dangerous when misused. Herbal lore seems to stand up and cry out the loudest, and that's fairly mundane. Plenty of other things that start getting a little dicey if you're not ready for it.

Same thing with any other discipline - the advanced knowledge goes to the people who have put in the time and effort to master the basics needed to understand the advanced material, and use it properly.

Answer 3

Well, yes, there are things which, as prairie crow said, ought only to taught to people who have been properly prepared, adequately trained, and have shown themselves to be mentally healthy.

I just don't believe in bringing up the subject when the person doesn't meet the criteria above. I have no problem with answering things from the standpoint of only what is OK to share with the public or what's already published. I am VERY unlikely to volunteer that there's something more about a specific subject that can only be told to initiates.

If I'm asked for oath-bound stuff, I'm far more likely to just say flat out - sorry, that's oath-bound info.



As far as I'm concerned, if something is really secret, there is no good reason to hint at it.


"To know, to will, to dare, and to keep silent"

Answer 4

I believe that responsibility/wisdom should go hand in hand with power. As such I am not in favor of forbiding anything at all, but I am in favor of restricting access until the correct responsibility/wisdom level is achieved. (I do NOT believe this to be age related.)

You don't want to hand out handgrenades and guns in kindergarten without supervision or training do you? Drugs have power just as weapons do and so can knowledge. I believe some knowledge should indeed be bound by a regulating code.

I will not get into the argument of who should legislate except for saying that if it works then it's fine by me (although probably too restrictive to my tastes ;).

Answer 5

There is yet another reason why some Arcane/Magikal knowledge is kept secret, or oath tied. It makes it easier to know when you are in the presence of one of your kindred if they are using phrases, word usage, symbols or herbal combinations that you know are only given to people who have met a certain standard.

Not every place in the world is Pagan/Witch friendly, so at least from my point of view, it's a good idea to have some means of recognition that doesn't compromise the safety of those involved.

Answer 6

There are some types of occult knowledge that are only suitable for "proper persons" -- that is, people who are properly evaluated, trained, and prepared to contemplate such knowledge. To reveal it to everyone would be to cheapen it and, arguably, to weaken its power -- not to mention the fact that if you present it to the unprepared, their usual reaction is, "Huh?", because to them it means nothing without having the necessary background information.

Is everybody trained how to use a scalpel for surgery? No, only those who have undergone sufficient training and possess the prerequisite knowledge to do so properly. And so it is with some arcane matters.

Answer 7

I agree with PrairieCrow. Also, most students take an oath not to reveal certain teachings. As a matter of respect to their teachers, mentors, their oath, and THEMSELVES they should not be revealing this information. If you are only as good as your word, than you obviously aren't much good if you would give away priviledged information at the first opportunity.

Answer 8

Although i do not feel as though i have much to add, as what prairie didn't cover, hestia did..etc...

All of the answers here are extremely true and valid....

I hope you find what it is you seek....
Blessings!
)o(
Trinity

Answer 9

The right answer to this question is in the question itself: "Arcane"

Solis sacerdotibus.