What is the Nature of Crossing of the Abyss?

The experience of Crossing the Abyss is triggered by a liminal rite and results in a series of liminal experiences in our everyday lives. It describes nothing other than the actual process of crossing the Abyss, i.e. the passing over the visionary threshold that lies between creation and divinity - as well as hopefully a safe return of the practitioner into creation. The term is not specific to a particular rite or tradition of magic but describes an underlying pattern of human existence: When we cross from creation to divinity we are stripped bare of all created forms that we hold as part of our own being: our body, our ego, our memories, our mind, etc. What passes through to the other side of the threshold is the individualised spark of divinity that we carry within ourselves. Rather than the crossing itself, it’s the process of re-integration into the world of creation upon one’s return that can be the even more problematic and painful experience.

How this process of passing over the Abyss is done is the subject of much speculation. Personally I know of three pathways and have only practiced the first one: in vision, in meditation or in ritual. Each of these paths over the Abyss leans on different skills in the practitioner. Therefore it’s wise to choose our path in line with our main field of practice and experience. However, whatever path we choose the consequences on our everyday lives are likely to be very similar. Interestingly, these consequences and the related process of re-integration upon one’s return is almost neglected in the occult literature. Maybe we can take this as a hint at how many of the authors actually are writing from first-hand experience?

The truth is that many people who have never set their foot into a magical circle are dealing with the consequences of passing over the Abyss: People who have been traumatised through severe injuries, war experiences, natural catastrophes, etc. From a psychological point of view we could describe one aspect of the experience as a trauma that results in dissociation with ourselves, the life we lead, the people around us, possibly even our own bodies and ways of thinking. However, while the actual real life experiences might be the same for non-magicians and magicians, there are two essential differences to observe:

The magician is undertaking this passing deliberately and with very well defined intent. The non-magician is thrown into the experience and will mostly perceive themselves as passive and victimised. For a short period the magician is encountering divinity on the other side of the Abyss; the non-magician remains focussed on the pain and horror of losing oneself and being torn out of one’s personal existence.

Wether we go through this experience as magicians or non-magicians, the crossing of the Abyss comes with the end of meaning as we knew it - and the beginning of a journey towards a new kind of meaning. The magician is supported on this path through a brief encounter of divinity as well as the fact that they chose to undertake this journey voluntarily. The war victim or cancer patient do not have these luxuries: Instead of divinity they only encounter the pain of losing parts of themselves and instead of voluntarily letting go, things are taken from them. So while the psychological consequences both groups are dealing with might be relatively similar, the magician is offered a much broader set of resources and better coping mechanisms to overcome them.

The real-life consequences of crossing the Abyss are whole different minefield again. Many people think that this experience is a psychological one and therefore just ‘in their heads’. They are simply wrong. If done properly the actual passing happens on a level that might be accompanied by our consciousness but actually happens on a much deeper and more essential level of creation. The spark that passes over the Abyss in the end is the spark that has maintained us over many incarnations. It has nothing to do with the person that carries a specific name or eye-color in this very life. It is our essence as a created being. Upon our return, therefore, we should expect all layers of our existence to be affected by this magical act. Yes, we might experience severe life changes, we might loose relationships or jobs and we might get very sick. Most of all, however, we shouldn’t expect to recover from these events as the same person we have been before. It's the nature of significant change that it leaves us as a different being to who we once were - with all bridges burned to our previous selves.

As part of my own journey I have experienced much of the above: In addition to the severe psychological distress that came with it I almost lost my job as well as the wonderful relationship to my wife. Maintaining and re-building both of it was the work of many months. Like many others I also needed to redefine my entire magical path as much of it had turned meaningless as a result of this visionary act. Finally, later on I was faced with emergency surgery, I lost an organ and was confronted head-on with the possibility of dying.

It was a pretty full on year. But the point is this: We can’t reverse the decisions we take; yet as magicians we hold the privilege of choice! If we are allowed to choose we better know what is at stake and all the things we might be paying with… ’Choose wisely’ is just another way of saying ‘Be careful which doors not to open.’ Not all experiences that are possible are needed. Just because we can doesn’t mean we should. The real question is: Is it necessary? And to answer this question we really need to know ourselves.

Now, I hope the above helped to clarify that the actual experience of crossing the Abyss as well as the specific consequences will differ in each of our lives. However, where we should expect some consistency at least is the way how these consequences of loss, weakness, dissociation and meaninglessness are experienced from within. Ultimately the makeup of our human minds and bodies is relatively comparable. Thus if we get exposed to specific spiritual forces we should expect similar reactions.