OVO

Science, at least by Karl Popper’s definition, is always and forever open to criticism. No matter how sure a thing seems, it can always be tested. No matter how many times a thing has been tested, it can always be tested again. No matter the authority of who tested a thing, it can always be tested again by ‘amateurs.’ Contrast this with magic, which never hesitates to say something is a mystery (“shut up” he explained) or that it is parts of a centuries-old tradition (you ask too many questions, kid). That is why when something like theosophy, Golden Dawn, Crowley, Gurdjieff, Wicca, TOPY, chaos magick, etc. pops up people get excited – they can feel the weight of their chains and the idea that they can question tradition is liberating. I have benefited from learning about all of these things, but at the end of the day I refer each of them to the James Randi Educational Foundation to collect their million dollars. More often than not these sparks of thinking for oneself in the occult world are (a) led by charismatics (b) ossify into tradition once more. It is science that is anti-authoritarian, not groovy / spooky / hip / alt magic.