Did you get "onward and upward" from somewhere specific? I've heard gnostics say that.
I try to avoid actually practising magic, which is what that mantra is. Slope too slippery, IMO.
Discussion
Onward and upward is not a gnostic saying. It’s just a saying. Meaning we keep going on with our lives and aim to to achieve our goals.
I stay away from Gnosticism as well.
The first prayer is an Eastern Orthodox prayer.
Magic is a very loose term. From my perspective. Magic can be good or bad.
I would argue the Catholic mass is a magic ritual/ceremony. Reciting prayers, songs, and the culmination is Eucharist becoming the body and blood of Christ. This is a good form of magic.
Bad magic is also present. I can see it very prominent in mainstream media (music, satanic symbolism in brand logos, etc.)
You're going to a dark place, if you've been sucked into Eastern Orthodoxy. I'm worried.