Practice of the Occult Arts of Alchemy, Astrology, and Tarot, and Contact with the Realm of Demons.....and then Maybe an Afternoon at the St. Joseph's Table? The Bizarre Concoction of Wolfgang Smith.
Dr. Chojnowski: To understand the full extent of the practices and beliefs that Wolfgang Smith is advocating we adopt as part and parcel of the NewTradCatholicism he is advocating, we must both look at his text, Quest for Catholicity and harken to the very recorded words of Manly Hall, the Canadian Occultist who inspired both Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. The practices and beliefs that Hall speaks about as "hermeticism," are precisely those being "baptized" by Wolfgang Smith and assorted occultists.
In the text, Quest for Catholicity [as if the Catholic Church does not have "catholicity" already]: Malachi Martin responds to Wolfgang Smith, Smith is clear as to his desire for a "baptizing" of the "sacred sciences," also known as the occult arts or as we "pharisees of the the far theological right," would say, "pagan superstitions" [N.B., by the very fact that Smith would put these in quotation marks indicates that he has lost his grip on the Catholic Religion.] From pp. 2-4 in the text, Smith explains that, "there exist corresponding sciences that are capable of yielding insights not only of interest to philosophers, but applicable knowledge beneficial to mankind....What stands at issue are the so-called traditional sciences, which may also be referred to as sacred sciences inasmuch as they pertain potentially to the religious quest." For man to practice these "sacred sciences" (e.g., astrology, alchemy, yoga, tarot, etc.) the practicing persons must be "purified" and their "finer energies" must not be "squandered on sexual promiscuity." Smith, here, says that the disciples of Pythagoras were subjected to the regime of chastity and silence maintained for years, in order to train the body and mind to be able to practice the occult arts so as to penetrate the "intermediary realm" --- the realm occupied by demons (Cf. p. 2, also, cf. p. 9, note 3).
For an understanding of the Hermeticism that Smith wants "baptized," listen to this recording of an actual lecture by Manly Hall concerning Hermeticism and his subsequent lecture on the implementation of Hermeticism:
If anyone ever wanted me to define the term "hack job" for them, I would direct them to this completely misconstrued, misleading, and malicious series contra Wolfgang Smith.
ReplyDeleteAll that any of it proves is that Chojnowski is a pharisaical philistine who — even in spite of his previous acquaintance with Prof. Smith — simply doesn't possess the intellectual faculties necessary to understand the first thing about him.
What am I doing but citing Dr. Smith's own books? I am just speaking of ideas that he himself mentions and emphasizes. I guess you either agree with him or you don't. I don't think anyone should follow him down the path that he is following.
DeleteFor there shall be a time when they will not endure sound doctrine but, according to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers having itching ears: And will indeed turn away their hearing from the truth, but will be turned unto fables. (2 Tim 4.3-4)
ReplyDeleteWhat Our Lady and many Catholic Prophets (Mystics and Stigmatists) have warned us. Still there are some people refused to believe. His falling was a warning sign to all of you who like to playing with the devils. The Church condemned witchcrafts and sorceries... this patch will open the door for the devils to get into your soul and possess you fast. Ask the Exorcists who will tell you, more
ReplyDeletelikely the persons who are possessed by devils/demons are the people who practice these kinds of sorceries (playing with the death, tarot, wizeeboard, palm reading... etc)
If we are "to understand the full extent of the practices and beliefs that Wolfgang Smith is advocating", certainly we should read him, instead of this capricious series of posts by Dr. Chojnowski, who is entirely bent on distorting the entire thing.
ReplyDeleteIt's unbelievable that he’s looking here to label Dr. Smith as an occultist., since he's the very first opposed to the occult.
The shameful relations this blog entry is ascribing to Dr. Smith are entirely wrong, it's complete misinformation.
And when he critiques putting "pagan superstitions" between quotation marks, with "by the very fact that Smith would put these in quotation marks indicates that he has lost his grip on the Catholic Religion.", that's a demonstration of the kind of insufficient, shallow and weak understanding Dr. Chojnowski has of his Catholic faith.
Similarly, when afterward he quotes Dr. Smith as saying that "there exist corresponding sciences that are capable of yielding insights not only of interest to philosophers but applicable knowledge beneficial to mankind.... What stands at issue are the so-called traditional sciences, which may also be referred to as sacred sciences inasmuch as they pertain potentially to the religious quest.", Dr. Chojnowski proves to be entirely ignorant of the learned attitude toward Christianity which Dr. Smith is actually endorsing—which has nothing to do with occultism—and in fact can be traced back to Clement of Alexandria, as can be demonstrated through the following excerpts of his work “The Stromata”, or Miscellanies:
"The oldest wise men and philosophers among the Greeks … most of them were barbarians by extraction, and were trained among barbarians, what need is there to say? Pythagoras is shown to have been either a Tuscan or a Tyrian. And Antisthenes was a Phrygian. And Orpheus was an Odrysian or a Thracian. …
Plato does not deny that he procured all that is most excellent in philosophy from the barbarians. … Plato thinks that some of the barbarians, too, are philosophers. … and these make laws and publish philosophy, 'than which no greater boon ever came from the gods to the race of men, or will come.' …
And as appears to me, it was in consequence of perceiving the great benefit which is conferred through wise men, that the men themselves were honoured and philosophy cultivated publicly by all the Brahmins, and the Odrysi, and the Getae. And such were strictly deified by the race of the Egyptians, by the Chaldeans and the Arabians, called the Happy, and those that inhabited Palestine, by not the least portion of the Persian race, and by innumerable other races besides these. And it is well known that Plato is found perpetually celebrating the barbarians, remembering that both himself and Pythagoras learned the most and the noblest of their dogmas among the barbarians. Wherefore he also called the races of the barbarians, ‘races of barbarian philosophers.’ … In the Timoeus he introduces Solon, the very wise, learning from the barbarian. The substance of the declaration is to the following effect: ‘O Solon, Solon, you Greeks are always children. And no Greek is an old man. For you have no learning that is hoary with age.’” (1. Chapter XV)
“And barbarians were inventors not only of philosophy, but almost of every art.” (1. Chapter XVI)
“Whence most beautifully the Egyptian priest in Plato said, ‘O Solon, Solon, you Greeks are always children, not having in your souls a single ancient opinion received through tradition from antiquity. And not one of the Greeks is an old man;’ meaning by old, I suppose, those who know what belongs to the more remote antiquity, that is, our literature.” (1. Chapter XXXIX)
In this account by St. Clement, we can see Pythagoras included between the wise one of antiquity, but since Dr. Chojnowski is claiming Pythagoras was “an occultist”, I guess he knows better…!
Have you actually read what Dr. Smith advocates? Have you actually looked at the texts that I have referred to in my articles? If he believes that so be it, but he cannot believe that this is Catholic or acceptable for a Catholic to believe or practice. In fact, these are teachings that were even rejected and viewed with horror by saints all the way back to St. John the Evangelist.
DeleteDr. Chojinowski,
DeleteYes, I've read very attentively the "In Quest of Catholicity" book along with the rest.
I believe you are unwilling to differentiate between what Dr. Smith calls "the need for a healthy esoterism" and what is properly damnable occultism.
With your criticism of him in these articles, and by trying to associate to him such occultist resources like texts and videos, you're mixing the good with the bad, as if it were just the same.
And that is an important mistake. The dimension of "healthy esoterism" is actually a part of the Christian revelation.
You accuse Dr. Smith of having embraced a series of damnable beliefs.
But let me ask you this, Dr. Chojinowski:
Do you think it's worth bashing this author, who currently is the only one providing resolutions and alternatives to the huge problems not only to faith but also to human existence posed by the scientistic belief?
WAIT A MINUTE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!... You say this "Dr. Smith is the ONLY ONE PROVIDING RESOLUTIONS AND ALTERNATIVES TO THE HUGE PROBLEMS NOT ONLY TO FAITH BUT ALSO TO HUMAN EXISTENCE POSED BY THE SCIENTISTIC BELIEF?" May I ask, what are his "resolutions" and "alternatives" that he provided to the Catholic FAITH? And what he did so far to give "ALTERNATIVES" for "human existence?"
DeleteI am afraid by your own words, you already hung yourself. Dr. Chojnowski doesn't have to say anything now. You clearly defend your Dr. Smith out of your own confusion. There is no SOLUTION BUT GOD'S SOLUTION. AND THAT SOLUTION HAD GIVEN AT FATIMA IN 2017 AND REINFORCED AGAIN IN 1929, AND AGAIN UNTIL THEY KILLED THE REAL SISTER LUCIA.
@ Fatima Messenger
DeleteAxel Castilla did not say "providing resolutions and alternatives 'to the Catholic faith' nor 'for human existence'."
What he said was "providing resolutions and alternatives TO THE HUGE PROBLEMS not only to faith but also to human existence POSED BY SCIENTISTIC BELIEF."
Rephrased: "providing resolutions and alternatives to the huge problems posed by ideological scientism — problems having harmful ramifications to the Faith and to our very humanity."
cf. https://philos-sophia.org/reconquest-interview
From the fact that the intermediary domain — what the Orthodox call the "aerial world" — is where the exorcist communicates with demonic entities, it does not follow that all one can say about this domain is that demons operate there. That would be like saying that because ICE spends most of their time in Texas and Arizona, all that one will find in Texas and Arizona are illegal immigrants.
DeleteWolfgang Smith does not promote occultism, nor does he suggest that we should communicate with the "intermediary plane" or the demonic. He makes the point that his theory of an "intermediary plane" was validated by Malachi Martin—who as a highly experienced exorcist encountered the demonic, and what he termed a "middle plateau".
ReplyDeleteWhat is either not understood or explained about the sacred sciences by the Dr. Chojnowski is that Smith recognizes that whatever is left of them is only practiced by the occult. The implication being that there is a history of legitimate use of the sacred sciences in the Catholic world (pre-Vatican II, incidentally) and in particular astrology—not as practiced by occultists who promise to tell your future or find you a mate—but to recognize what God has ordained “in the stars” so to speak. The three wise men — the magi —weren't chemists or astronomers; they were gentiles and practitioners of astrology who could read what God had announced in the stars, and who came to do him homage. It is significant that this is mentioned in Luke, and there are many other references in scripture, and legitimate astrology was practiced by the Vatican for millennia. It is only in recent times, when the Church—deceived by the “signs and wonders” of modern science—abrogated her duty to speak with authority in the realm of the sciences, which is now a godless enterprise that gives us materialist scientism, an ideology masquerading as science: Big Bang Cosmology, evolution, and reduction of life to quantum so-called “particles”.
Smith can speak with authority on these issues because he is a scientist—physicist and mathematician—and he understands how far the contemporary Western Civilization has gone the last 400 years since the “Enlightenment”, and he understands that what is being practiced is no longer science but scientism. His points is that we have lost all knowledge of these sacred sciences because we abandoned them in the face of modern science, which has "deceived even the elect" and taken that which is sacred—Creation—and made it profane and godless. In his own words:
“To put it as succinctly as I can: we have need of a sacred science because, collectively, we have succumbed to the spell and dominance of a profane science that is running out of control. In the face of this onslaught, we stand in truth as helpless as a child, without so much as a clue! Even the highest religion, moreover, will not suffice to neutralize this spell or break that stranglehold; the fact is that we are today encompassed and besieged by “signs and wonders that could deceive even the elect.” Science, in the final count, responds to science alone: a lower de jure to a higher. Hence the imperative need today for a glimpse, at least, of the traditional sacred sciences, which perceive the universe, not as a mere aggregate of particles hurrying endlessly to no purpose through the interminable reaches of space, but precisely as the tripartite macrocosm which in truth it is.”
Wolfgang Smith is a Catholic man. Here are his words again which you omitted:
“Let me be absolutely clear: I submit without reservation to the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church, which transcends both the pedantic and at times narrowness of the extreme theological right no less that the liberal fantasies and pipe dreams of the left."
By all means, let’s have the discussion, but it’s dishonest to selectively edit his printed words, which distorts his intent. You may not like what he has to say, but you are obliged to give a fair hearing before your audience—to let them decide, instead of engaging a public smear campaign in order to bolster your profile and readership.
@ Brian M
DeleteA. Men.
And one of the reasons that the traditional sciences (where "traditional" means "passed down from master to disciple by word of mouth") have, in our time, indeed become "superstitions" on the one hand, or "occult" on the other, is because they no longer have bona fide metaphysical foundations such as they once had — as in the time of St. Albert the Great, who was himself a practicing alchemist and astrologer.
Also, re: the intermediary, I'll reiterate what I said above...
From the fact that the intermediary domain is where the exorcist communicates with demonic entities, it does not follow that all one can say about said domain is that demons operate there. Which would be like saying that because ICE spends most of its time in Texas and Arizona, all that one will find in Texas and Arizona are illegal immigrants. Any being capable of operation in time but not bound by space (e.g., the lower choirs of the angelic hierarchy responsible with governance of the cosmos, nations, and human affairs) are operating within the intermediary sphere.
Furthermore, Wolf's corporeal-intermediary-aeviternal ternary is simply the macrocosmic corollary to the microcosmic body-soul-spirit anthropology (which has, incidentally, a scriptural foundation; cf., e.g. St. Paul, 1 Thes. 5:23). This has, unfortunately, been obscured by the reduction of spirit to soul in the late-medieval effort to make every theological notion fit the categories of hylomorphism; and this has been further reinforced by modernity's deeply sedimented Cartesianism, which will only admit of dualities and has flattened all sense of ontological hierarchy.
Let me add, that I attended Catholic schools my entire life and I was taught about evolution, Big Bang Cosmology, the Copernican Principle and I even believed that ultimately we all reduce to quantum particles. Then I encountered Rick DeLano’s amazing first film called The Principle, and his follow up film about Wolfgang, and his resolution to the quantum enigma, titled, The End of Quantum Reality. Then I began to read Smith, beginning with Science & Myth, Cosmos and Transcendence, Faces of the Anti-Christ, The Quantum Enigma-and others- I have never looked at the stars or another human the same again.
ReplyDeleteWhereas before I believed what science told us - what the church accepts - that we were on a rock speeding through space at 300,000km/sec; that the universe began in a “Big Bang” and evolved into its current state; that evolution was an acceptable belief for Catholics; and that ultimately we reduced to atoms and particles. It’s the most dehumanizing, anti-Christian series of beliefs, and Wolfgang Smith has spent his writing career exposing it as an ideology, not science.
Now when I look at the stars, I see a theophany - a universe that reflects Christ himself, with the earth and humanity back at its center where He put us, all reflecting “his eternal power and godhead.” It’s a beautiful thing to know that the empirical evidence points above, not below, and I have Smith to thank for setting the inverted world right side up, for putting Christ back at the center of the cosmos, and restoring a Catholic, Patristic understanding of creation.
This is a man to be listened to.