“The Great Work” or Magnum Opus, as the term would imply, is considered to be The Ultimate Achievement of One’s Life’s-Calling. It is also the guiding axiom used by certain occult traditions and religions. Many believe that “The Art” and “The Great Work” are synonymous; however, this is incorrect. Rather, The Art is practiced to achieve The Great Work.
The Great Work
During the 18th Century, the term “The Great Work” was expanded upon by Eliphas Levi (1810–1875), who consequently shifted its usage towards a more spiritual connotation than its previously and more mechanistic and material inference.
Levi is considered to be one of the first modern ceremonial magicians and the inspiration for the creation of the “Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.” In his book, Transcendental Magic: Its Doctrine and Ritual (1854), he writes: “The Great Work is, before all things, the creation of man by himself, that is to say, the full and entire conquest of his faculties and his future; it is especially the perfect emancipation of his will.” [1]
And so, The Great Work, above all else, is a matter of enlightened self-mastery culminating in the manifestation of True Will. The True Will of each Artist is self-reflective in that each has a unique and inherent nature that is identical to its "destiny." To the extent that the intent of one’s Magnum Opus, Great Work, is pure, so the True Will of The Artist moves forward effortlessly, in synchronicity with the universe or, as Socrates instructs, union with the One or The Good.
The Art
Within the “Akashic” context, The Art is usually referred to as those spiritual and ritualistic practices which lead to the discovery of the True Self which, in turn, lead to the mystical union of the Self and the All.
From an objective point of view, The Art is considered to be both form and content; and while it is true that Art is in a constant state of change, it can be said that The Art will always be both functional and aesthetic to The Great Work.
Form is the arrangement of elements of The Art (or the individual Working) via the use of contrast, emphasis, proportion, and juxtaposition of ideological or archetypical themes. Form, in this context, concerns itself with the principles of ritual design. Form is inclusive of the actual physical materials that the Artist choses to use based on its perceived psychological influence. Ultimately, form must be in accord and balanced with content vis-à-vis intention. Herein, the Form is regarded as the composite elements of Ritual; i.e. the setting, the instrumentation used, magickal formulae elected, and the medium used for “incantation,” whether they are poetry, prose, graphic, or motion.
Conversely, “Content” is idea-based; it is the objective that the Artist intended to invoke or evoke, as well as how The Artist (and we as individuals) react to both the intended and actual messages, of which the influences of religious, political, and societal values, as well as perceptions and sensibilities, are manipulated and converted to the Artist’s ends -- namely, the Great Work.
In this view, out of a body of worldly knowledge and substantiated personal gnosis, the Artist seeks to uncover, answer, and satisfy his or her yearning of The Great Work by using the common mystical essences of world myth and literature, philosophy, theology, the sciences (both physical and social), and the general arts.
Of course, herein lays the crux, for it is all of these factors together that make up The Art in which the singularity of mind strives to achieve the perfect emancipation of will through ritualistic or ceremonial use of form and content.
In this way, an amateur knows what. A novice knows how. A master knows why; but, only experience is sublime.
[1] Levy, Elphias, Transcendental Magic: Its Doctrine and Ritual (1854)
