What do you know about MAGIC?

Spells, charms, rituals and invocations are the practical resources that enthuse my curiousity to explore the truth lies beneath. When I was naïve (decent kid), I was told magic is a very powerful practice that you would never believe the outcome and how commanding it is when a person knows how to perform the ritual adequately. Charmed, my favourite movie series which I never missed. From this series, actually it gives us some useful lesson of how magic is used for protection and saving others. Black magic is the malevolence side of magic that is performed to hurt someone or creates pandemonium in society. As a result, of course s/he will receive thousands fold of retribution from what s/he has done – Karmic reprisal.

The purpose I post this White Magic practice to share with you guys of its origins, and what can be done by magic for any occasions. On top of that, one must abide the rules for any reason to perform the rituals, as you’ll be working with the forces of nature for personal empowerment and successful spellweaving.

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INTRODUCTION

Essentially, magic is the art of making things happen by drawing on the powers of the natural world. But even if we are not yet able to influence events, most of us retain a sense of the magical, despite living in an urban, technological society and, for the most part, out of touch with the natural world and its powers.

“Magic” is often the world we instinctively use to describe a stunning sunset, a leafy forest glade, or a wintry landscape transformed by a carpet of snow. It may also be how we refer to an idyllic time, such as a love affair or dream holiday, or to one of life’s very special moments, such as the birth of a child or an outstanding achievement. All of these experiences, however diverse, have something in common: they touch us at our deepest core, enchanting, surprising and delighting us.

We may also use the term “”magic” to express our sense of wonder and awe at creation and our place in it: the feeling that for this moment at least, all is right with the world. Magic is what can happen when we step outside our everyday reality to connect with something precious and much bigger than our “little selves”

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The Otherworld

Regardless of time or place, is based on the understanding that behind the ordinary, everyday world, there exists another dimension, or “otherworld”, a spiritual domain that is said to co-exist with the mundane. A realm of deities, spirits and other discarnate beings, it is also a place of knowledge and sacred power, and whenever we experience a “magic” moment, we are tapping into this dimension, albeit accidentally. In this context we can say that the world “”magic” describes the inner nature of the beings that make up the universe – the spiritual part of all things that is cosmic and eternal.

The practice of magic involves making contact with this otherworld through special rituals and ceremonies, and because this world is invisible to the naked eye magic often referred to as “”the occult” (literally “concealed” or “hidden” in Latin). Magic then is primarily concerned with a spiritual experience of hidden worlds; this lies at its heart and informs magical practice.

Refining our values

In modern western society, with its emphasis on reason, logic and scientific enquiry, a living relationship with the otherworld has largely been lost. Although we are materially wealthy, many people feel dissatisfied with their lives; there is feeling that something is missing but we are not quite sure what. This condition has engendered a search for meaning and a spiritual that makes sense, and it is in this context that interest in magic is steadily growing.

Magic suggests that there is more to our world than can been seen with the naked eye, and that a rational and objective approach is not always the best way. In fact, to establish a relationship with the irrational , emotional and intuitive, or the forces of “unreason”. Connecting with the world of magic means rediscovering the languages of dreams and visions, imagination and fantasy, myth and story, image and symbol and to be prepared to enter the unknown.

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Magic and the sacred tradition

Since the earliest times, magic has been practiced in many different guises throughout the world, despite opposition from orthodox religion and mainstream society at various points along the way. Magic is an ancient art, and far from being something “bad” or “evil”, it has played an important part in the psycho-spiritual development of the human race. To many, this may sound preposterous, yet if we look at cultures other than our own we can see evidence of “magical” thinking and how this informs the way people live. For instance, Native American Indians regard the Earth as a living spirit whose voice can be heard in the roaring, sighing or whistling of the wind. Consequently, they believe in treating the land with respect and living in harmony with nature’s laws.

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The Origins of Magic

Throughout the world, human beings have developed a multitude of beliefs and practices to explain and give meaning to the cosmos. Almost without exception, early cultures evolved with a world view wherein magic and spiritually were inextricably bound, and in some parts of the world this is still true today. In fact, the word “magic” comes from the Greek mageia, which derives from magoi, an ancient Persian caste of priests who studied astrology and divination. Even before written records were kept, however, cave paintings daring back some 30,000 years indicate that our earliest ancestors practiced what we would now call magic in the form of shamanism.

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Shamanism

Claimed as the oldest spiritual practice, shamanism is still embraced by many small-scale societies around the world – Siberian to the Amazonian region to Africa – albeit under increasingly difficult conditions. A shaman takes on the role of mediator between the everyday world and the spiritual dimension. By entering into a trance, he or she “journeys” to the otherworld in an attempt to resolve some difficulty or dilemma in the human domain. Shamanic cosmologies are frequently formed from three regions: a middle world corresponding to our everyday reality on earth; an upper world relating to the sky and celestial realms; and a lower or underworld, which reaches deep down into the earth. These three regions are connected by central axis, and are often represented by a tree.

Most of the world’s sacred traditions have been influenced in one way or another by shamanism. For instance, magic was very important in the Chinese royal-ancestral religion of the Shang and early Chou (16^th-18^th centuries BC), where the wu was a shaman or sorcerer who sacrificed to and invoked the spirits, and also cured physical and spiritual complaints or maladies by means of medicinal plants and spells.

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Ancient Egyptian beliefs

The dual development of magic and religious custom and belief become more sophisticated in ancient Egypt. Egyptian magic dates back to a time when the region’s pre-dynastic, prehistoric inhabitants believed that the earth, the underworld, the air and the sky were populated by countless supernatural beings, some of whom affirmed life and were friendly while others caused death and destruction. Complex rites and rituals beings – the vast pantheon of Egyptian gods and goddesses – and temples were constructed in their honour. Priests became the guardians of a secret knowledge revealed by the deities to help humanity, and their books of spells and other magical formulae were safeguarded in temple and palace libraries. In popular tales, they were credited with the power to bring wax animals to life, or roll back the waters of a lake. The priests’ role was eventually taken over by magicians (hekau), who carried metal or ivory wands as symbols of their authority and ability to summon and control powerful spirits.

Mainly concerned with healing and self-preservation, ancient Egyptian magic permeated every aspect of daily life. Rituals were conducted for all kinds of purposes – to protect the king, to safeguard a woman and her baby during childbirth, or even to help the dead in the afterlife. Egyptians of all classes wore protective amulets inscribed with magical symbols and the names of gods or pharaohs.

Destructive magic was also practiced in ancient Egypt. It was believed, for instance, that foreign enemies and Egyptian traitors could be weakened or destroyed by inscribing their names on clay pots and figurines, then smashing, burning or burying there. Enemies if the divine order could be similarly cursed. For example, to counter the influences of Apophis, the chaos serpent, his image would be drawn on papyrus or modeled in wax and then spat on, trampled, stabbed or burnt in temple ceremonies; any remaining pieces were dissolved in buckets of urine.

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Magic and ritual in India

In India magical thought was inseparable from the sacred tradition. According to legend, the ancient sacred texts known as the Vedas (meaning “what is known” in Sanskrit) were revealed more than 4,000 years ago to 52 great rishis, or seers, during meditation. The Vedas praise and appease forces of nature and “higher beings”, which are depicted as deities. A rich source of magical ideas, they reveal the unity of creation as a mysterious interconnectedness and co-dependence. Each bio-organism, element or species has a purpose within a larger scheme and is sacred, and reality is built up from various networks of affinities or connections, which can be evoked and controlled by human beings.

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Magical rites in the Indian Vedas

The ancient Indian Vedas are divided into smaller books, of which the Atharva-Veda contains a rich collection of spells and magical rites. These are arranged according to those concerned with positive welfare and the pacification of evil influences, and those directed against hostile powers of individuals. The priestly Brahmin caste, or class, performed the rituals, which were to do with restoring equilibrium rather than controlling nature. Their purpose was to keep the life processes of the universe moving and to maintain good relations with the powers of the unseen. They were held on special occasions, such as festivals, and for specific purposes, such as curing disease or exorcising spirits.

A ritual might include divination and the manipulation of spirits or deities. Sacred sounds, such as ceremonially uttered word or mantra, were often used in spells and rituals as a way of making contact with the hidden world. Many mantras were believed to hold so much power in a awakening the spirit world that they could only be performed under the guidance of guru. Extensive preparation – such as astrological readings, long recitations and a knowledge of how to regulate breathing – was also necessary before it was considered safe to use them.

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Magic Workers

Nearly all societies have some concept of witchcraft in which individuals are thought to possess a form of extraordinary power. A belief in witchcraft is part of a magical world view that sees inherent in the universe powers and forces that may be directed by certain people. These “magic-workers” have been called by many different names, most commonly witches, magicians, sorcerers, shamans or witch doctors. Having all manner of special abilities, they are thought to be able to change their shape, fly and sometimes trick and deceive. Often regarded as frightening, they have been the subject of folklore in numerous countries and used as scapegoats for unexplained or unexpected elements of everyday life.

Witches

The word “”witch” comes from the Old English wician, meaning “to cast a spell”, but the meaning of witch and witchcraft changes from society to society and there is no neat and precise definition with which everyone agrees. In general, however, witches are usually female, associated with darkness and night-time, and with the reversal of normal human lives. Roman literature is full of references to a creature called a strix (a word of Greek origin meaning “”to screech”), which flew about at night, uttering piercing screams and feeling on the flesh and blood of human beings. The Yoruba of Nigeria believe that witches are generally women who fly about at night and meet un secret places. In European folklore, a witch is frequently depicted an ugly old hag, or else a beautiful enchantress, who uses her powers to allure and seduce. Witches are also commonly believed to have special spirit animals or familiars that perform services for them; typical examples include black cats, newts and snakes. They also have knowledge of plants and herbs, and they concoct their spells using a giant pot, or cauldron.

Theories about how witches get their power vary. In some parts of the world it is thought that power derives from an association with carnivorous predators; gained through acquired knowledge or skills; or inherited, as in the African society of the Azande. At the time of the witch hunts in Europe (16^th – 17^th centuries), the Christian church convinced that a witch’s power was reward making a pact with the Devil.

Wise Women, Cunning Men

Alongside the idea of “bad” witch there co-exists the idea if magic-workers who use their powers for the good of the community. In the European tradition these are often referred to as “cunning folk”, also known as wizards, wise folk, wise women or white witches. Once found in every village, these magical practitioners were commonly consulted for identifying witches (of the bad kind), fortune-telling, finding lost or stolen goods and naming the thief, as well as for providing remedies for a wide range of illness. In fact, many illnesses and misfortunes were attributed to the workings of spirits, so that a sick or unlucky person or animal was considered to be “bewitched”. It was the job of the cunning worker to lift spells and to provide antidotes to, and protection against, witchcrats.

Shamans

Common in early traditions, and still practiced b some societies in Siberia, the Amazonian region and Africa, shamanism is a tradition whereby an individual works magic for the benefit of the social group from magical aggression and natural calamities. They also heal sick people, communicate with the spirits of the dead, find lost objects and predict the future. They can do this by entering a trance during which the soul leaves the body and changes, or shape-shifts into spirit forms, such as various animals. This altered state enables shamans to battle with spirits or forces, or to gain valuable information.

Magical medicine

The link between magic and medicine exists in many cultures and healers are often referred to as medicine men or women. A medicine may be used for more than healing the body, however. In many traditional African societies, for instance, magical “medicines” may be used to bring or prevent rain, to delay sunset, as an aid in hunting, for success in love affairs or to find stolen property, as well as for treating illness.

The medicine man, or diviner, may also use spiritual power in amulets or charms to protect individuals. The magic may also involve rites using medicines made from trees and plants, with the magician telling the medicines what he wants them to do. In most Bantu languages the term used to refer to a medicine man, magician, herbalist or shaman is nganga. The nganga goes into the forest to collect herbs, roots, bark, and plants for the medicine. Some nganga families have a tradition of healing that goes back many generations; the living members receive guidance from their ancestors, who speak to them in dreams, instructing them about which herbs to use and where to find them.

(Consultant Editor, Raje Airey)

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