The essence of the psyche, stated Set in the Book of Coming Forth by Night, is such that its existence is neither dependent upon the material nor imprisoned in it for testing or task-fulfilling purposed. Rather the physical body provides a vehicle in which the psyche can become aware of itself and then reach out towards the limitlessness of its conscious existence.
Dr. Michael A. Aquino, Temple of Set
Your life is not a test. Your Work is not something you are doing in the hopes of qualifying for Immortality. Your existence, and its attendant pleasures and pains, are from the vantage point of the Eternal Word of the Aeon of Set, a means by which you can become more self-aware. By making Xeper the fundamental value that frames your entire life, by casting off the mistaken notion that “This is a Test,” you are capable of diving deeply into the experience of being alive and being willing to embrace whatever must arise as a result of your full engagement with the Real.
This orientation provides a model of existence very different from those of conventional religions and those of conventional occultism. If taken seriously, it opens up the notion, stated by Ipsissimus Webb at the 2001 CE Conclave presentation released as “The Task of the Magus,” that one is alive to learn the nature of consequence rather than trying to bring about predetermined results.
The Setian path is not one of transcendence and exclusion. You are not looking to make this alignment with your neter to avoid the Manifest Realm, to flee from life, or to find solace from an unfulfilling existence. The task is to place yourself in your proper center to more fully include and refine the Manifest Self.
Functionally this has some implications. It is far easier to set aside a healthy, fit body than one in chronic pain. Ramana Maharshi‘s pre-modern yogic practice of sitting still until the body becomes decrepit and incapable of movement does no quantifiable good for the Setian.
Similarly, fighting and suppressing the cycles of your emotions will only lead to significant “noise” in your being. Struggling against the mind and looking to eliminate it only hampers its proper function to no useful end. Tending to your health physically, emotionally, and cognitively becomes a powerful means of ensuring you can integrate these aspects of your Self-complex. When you need to set them aside, it can be done without their making distractions and can just as quickly be returned to.
Setemheb 