Is Marketing, Magick?

While using the Google+ Sparks function a few days ago in search of articles using the keyword “esoteric” I stumbled upon a most peculiar and enlightening blog post…

“The esoteric art of non-coercive persuasion — sometimes called advertising — evolved long before there was a Manhattan avenue named after our fourth president. Even the Scriptures tell of blind and elderly Isaac being persuaded, through gentle deception, to yield his older son’s birthright.”

The headline to this article written by Stanley M. Aronson, M.D. hit me like a ton of bricks in the “when the student is ready the teacher will appear” kind of way.

As an open minded young man I have a deep thirst for knowledge in regards to both the exoteric and esoteric dynamics of well, pretty much everything. I generally develop a deep interest in whatever topics that resonate with me.

As a human being who has found himself in a rather successful career as a marketing and sales professional I have often asked my self…

Is Marketing, Magick?

There are no words written else ware in the world however, that have spurned such a question for me personally more than the following paragraph also from the article mentioned above.

“Inducing people to choose paths or to purchase things that had not initially been on their shopping lists requires a special virtuosity that combines a malign knowledge of motivation with skills in inveiglement, witless repetition and selective button-pushing. Sometimes the promises accompanying the advertisements exceed realities (a gentle euphemism for fraud). And if the product offered somehow does not approach the promised expectations, there is always yet another product to promote.”

By now you are probably wondering two things. What is Magick and or who cares if Marketing is a form of said art?

Magick by definition is "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will." ^- Aleister Crowley

In plain English this means forcing your will whether good or ill on the world and it’s inhabitants.

I cannot help but to assume that this same goal is at the heart of many marketing departments.

This aim is not in and of itself wrong or dare I say evil…

That being said, what I mean to point out here in this post however is that marketing whether related to said art or not has a similar aim and it bothers me that so many products such as cigarettes (to name the most obvious) have been so easily implanted into the minds and bodies of the American public as a “good” thing and what’s worse is that even those consumers who know that product is killing them, often times choose to continue in their consumption of said products due to how their minds have been molded to think.

(I am not judging I smoked cigarettes for about 5-6 years)

I suppose what I am really trying to get at here is that everyone has an agenda and there are many folks in powerful places who utilize tools such as marketing to implant ideas into the minds of those who they wish to manifest some kind of control via their will.

Whether their aim is to get you to buy soda or to vote for a political candidate, be warned..

You are bombarded with subtle messages every day for all years of your life to make choices that serve an others agenda and or will.

Be aware and be awake.

Ask why do I need this product? Do your homework and find out about the things you put in your mind and your body and question the message from who it comes from.

As a marketing professional myself I can assure you, if you want to know anything about the products and services I sell for my company or for my own gain I will answer what ever questions you have.

I simply suggest that you do the same with everyone else.