So earlier I asked if someone can practice Hermeticism and the Left Hand Path at once. I decided to say yes. And I wanted to talk about my reasons why. First, I have to give how I understand the LHP and the RHP aside from the act of becoming one with the divine vs becoming divine.
To me, the Right Hand Path is the act of offering up your self and your services to another power. This can be something like a god, organization, cause, other person, or ideal. Morally speaking, a practitioner of the RHP accepts doctrine and tradition as is and shapes his or her self to it. When they give back to the community, it is because they want to find a purpose. In Dnd, a RHP practitioner would possibly be a paladin, cleric, or druid. So to summarize, following the RHP means to seek to be of use, the tool for a greater power.
The Left Hand Path is the act of taking back ones self and personal liberty. It means to be self oriented and to act upon one’s self interest. Morally speaking, a practitioner of the LHP is willing to question whatever does not serve them, or threatens them, and is willing to change things into their favor. When they give back to the community, it is because they see a personal benefit to doing so, such as becoming more established or simply making said community an easier place to live. In Dnd, a LHP practitioner would possibly be a wizard, sorcerer, or warlock. In case of being a warlock, one would be offering their services to an entity in exchange for benefits, as opposed to just looking to serve. So to summarize, following the RHP is about being the “USER”, taking advantage of the available resources.
As for whether or not a LHP practitioner can use hermetic magick; IE conjuring angels and invoking the names of God, I’d say why not? An LHP practitioner is one who uses, not one who is used. I originally thought using divine names gives power to God. Though, what I’ve been reading suggests that its like the true name magic you’d see in fantasy books. So I’m instead taking power from God and therefore using God. Or perhaps, the “God” being mentioned is actually the totality of the universe as opposed to the God of the bible. Who knows. Religion is one big game of telephone.