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To: alt.lucky.w,alt.magic.folk,alt.paranormal.spells.hexes.magic,alt.magick.tyagi From: catherine yronwodeSubject: Questions i was asked about magic Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2000 12:58:54 GMT (followups set to alt.lucky.w) > > 1) Where does magic derive its power from? Is it derived from gods, > > spirits, general essence, the psyche of the mage, all of the above > > or something I left out? I practice folk magic, so i shall reply from that perspective. In most folk-magic you will hear prayers to a deity, but not much overt interest in mystical concepts such as karma or reincarnation unless those are inherent in one's chosen religion (e.g. Hinduism). Likewise, the concept of "the psyche of the mage" is not one you'll hear a lot about. Other adjuncts of current Western religio-mystical belief, such as the division of the self into a triune body, mind, and spirit (with special rules governing the debelopment of each sector of the self) are also notable by their absence from most schools of folk-magic. One theory behind magic -- especially object-oriented folk-magic, is that certain objects, including but not limited to natural curios such as roots, herbs, minerals, and animal parts, have within them a certain a-causal link to some realm of human endeavour, often by virtue of their shape, colour, size, or scent. Thus, to give two examples, violet leaves, which look like hearts, are used in love magic, and lodestones, which are natural magnetic rocks, are used to "draw" wealth, love, or luck to the holder. These operations may be carried out with or without reference to religious entities (gods, spirits, saints). An overlapping, but actually slightly different form of magic involves human-made artifacts -- amulets, lucky charms, talismans, and the like. These can be made by the magician him or herself but are often prepared for clients by a conjurer, craft-worker, or jeweler. > > Are there gods, spirits, etc. that live independantly of us? I don't know. I function as though there were, and that works for me. > > 2) Are there general rules, axioms on which magic rests, or does one > > make it up as one goes along? Each culture (or social sub-culture) seems to have its own rules regarding the workings of magic, but many of these rules are found in more than one culture. For instance, ritual cleaning and bathing occurs in the magic of most cultures, including urban ceremonial magick (with a k) and Sicilian folk magic (without a k). But some forms of ritual or rule are not as widespread. For example, footprint or footstep magic (performing magical operations on others through use of their footprints, shoes, or by scattering material where they will step on it) is typically an African magical custom, which is found also in African-American magical practice. However, once the rules of each system of magic are internalized by the practitioner, a grat deal of improvosation may be done for any given ritual or magical job of work. The mark of a good magician in his or hr own school of magic is his or her ability -- to boprrow an analogy from music -- to seemlessly improvise a tune within the chord structure of the system being used. > > 3) This one is to me the crux of the matter -- is reality objective, > > consensual, or completely dependent upon the 'eye' of the beholder? What i tell my customers and clients is this: even if you use magic only to concentrate upon your desires and to pray, you will at least have clarified what it is you want. If a spell works for you, however, as it very often does, then you will not only have clarified your desires, you will have achieved them. > > 4) How does one work magick -- is it one's own belief in the forms > > used that counts, one's usage of primal symbology, or manipulation > > of a sixth sense etc. ? For most folk-magicians, symbology is very important -- far more important than such modern, urban concepts as extra-sensory perception or a sixth sense. Folk magic often works by assuming that objects have inherent power and that one can determine the form of that power through a special form of symbology sometimes called "the doctrine of signatures" -- which means that natural objects contain visual, tactile, or olfactory clues as to their best magical uses. Take hoodoo for an example: in this system of magic, if you want to win the lottery, you might carry a mojo hand containing a John the Conqueror root, a dime with your initials scratched on it, and a lodestone dressed with magnetic sand. Why? Examine the symbolisim: The root looks like a man's testicles and implies generative personal power. The lodestone attracts the magnetic sand and implies the act of drawing money closer. The dime symbolizes money coming your way, and since your initials are scratched on it, that money will be meant for you alone. You could also burn a green candle for money-luck. Why? Examine the symbolisim: In the USA, the colour of folding money is always green, and to farmers, green grass means plenty of rain and a good harvest. Finally, you could anoint that candle or mojo hand with Fast Luck oil. Why? Examine the symbolisim: Fast Luck Oil contains cinnamon, and that is hot, so it draws money fast but not over the long haul. It aslso contains Pyrite, a metallic ore that looks a lot like Gold, and so acts as a "decoy": for money. See what i mean? Entire systems of magic exist -- and are used by millions of people -- in which there is no perceived need to postulate an extraordinary belief in a "sixth sense" or develop a philosophy of "incarnation," or undergo a dissection of the self into triune portions called body, mind, and spirit. Folk magic is not the only magical path around by any means, so look at other options (ceremonial magic, religious magic, and so forth) before you settle down to study the path that is right for you. When you do, you will find only ONE meta law behind all magical systems: the belief that magic WORKS. Good luck, cat yronwode The Mage's Guide to the Internet ------ http://www.luckymojo.com/magi Lucky Mojo Curio Co. http://www.luckymojo.com/luckymojocatalogue.html Send e-mail with your street address to catalogue@luckymojo.com and receive our free 32 page catalogue of hoodoo supplies and amulets
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