Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

I been meaning to post something about this here, jus' never got around to it.

I want to discuss the concept of <i>magic</i>.

I believe in magic. Wholeheartedly. Do you?

First I'm going to try to explicate what I mean when I use the word "magic." Everyone has some associations, connotations, and perhaps even denotations of the word that I would postulate to be erroneous.

The word "magic" is an English word derived from the Latin "magus." One of the most common translations of the word "magus" is "wise man" (as in <i>the three magi</i> of New Testament fame). This is a noble attempt, this translation, but a bit weak. I would suggest the term "wizard" as a better translation. Now I must explicate what I mean by "wizard." The word "wizard" is an English word derived from the same Germanic roots as the word "wisdom." So this is *close* to "wise man," but rather different -- a "wise man" sounds like a village elder or a guru in the mountain; wizard has more of a flavour of scholarship, power, and action.

The most common misconception that people have with magic is that it is somehow supernatural. This is completely erroneous. "Supernatural" means "beyond the natural realm," and that simply doesn't describe magic at all. Magic is completely natural.

A second misconception that people have with magic is the concept of <i>ritual</i>; occultism, hocus-pocus, mumbo-jumbo, biggledy-boo. Arcane symbols and candles and goat's blood smoothies and Aleister Crowley. I put forth the statement that although there are those who utilise ritual to perform certain magic, ritual has nothing to do with magic. Ritual and ministrations are arbitrary; what matters is the <i>intent</i> (I can't really define what I mean by <i>intent</i>. Hopefully you'll be able to pick up the concept as I go along. It's a concept that I've had for a long time, but only recently applied a name to. The name, in all fairness, I took from the work of Carlos Castaneda).

A third misconception is that magic is the domain of mystics, shamen, enchanters, and all other sort of mythical personages. I say that magic is a lot less "magical" than people think. There's nothing to magic besides getting your shit in order.

Everyone practices at least *some* magic.
All religions are forms of magic.
Science is a form of magic.
The certain way that your grandmother stirs the stew that makes it taste better than when you do it even though you use the exact same ingredients and otherwise prepare it the exact same way? Magic.

How do you move your arm?
Well, your brain sends an electrical signal to muscle cells, causing them to contract, pulling on your skeletal frame and thus moving the arm.
But how do you <i>do</i> it?
You <i>intend</i> to move your arm. That's all. It's an <i>intent</i> that you learned as a baby. It's easy and simple. You don't even have to think to do it, you just <i>intend</i> and it happens. Without even a *thought*, you <i>intend</i> something to happen, and it happens. If that ain't magic, then I don't know what is.

I'm going to go out on a limb(o) here and say that a human being (or anything else, for that matter) can do anything simply by <i>intending</i> it.

Of course, you have to learn the specific <i>intent</i> of any action. We didn't start off knowing how to walk or speak. A musician doesn't start off knowing how to play an instrument; he has to learn the <i>intent</i> of the instrument, he has to get to a point where he's not thinking about the placement of fingers, he is simply <i>intending</i> to play a specific note. Through practice, he eventually gets there. His fingers learn the <i>intent</i> of his instrument.

Okay, so it may be easy to accept this concept of <i>intent</i> as pertains to physical functions of the body, but what about doing anything? Something more... "magical"?

First I'm going to say that Science is a limited field under the heading of Magic. Science is limited because it can only use our default mode of perception, which is grounded into us culturally. To assume that everything in the universe can be described and measured by our meagre 5 senses is not only arrogant but foolish. Science is really little more than rules-of-thumb, for it cannot know the truth of cause and effect -- the domain of science is the tip of a cosmic iceberg. There are factors at work in all things that science can't hope to measure and describe. The universe is far, far more mysterious than we give it credit for.

Now that I've got the concept that science and its concepts of fact, data, and reason, are but a candle in a vast underground cavern of darkness (or an island in a vast sea, or a planet in the vast void, whichever analogy you prefer), I'm going to present an idea that is altogether unscientific, and indeed "mystical" (although many discoveries have been made in quantum physics that hint at such an idea):

The universe is an immense network of energy.
We are at root energy beings, as is anything else that exists. The physical body is a shell of matter that our energy body, or our essence, or, as I like to term it, our soul, inhabits and uses to interact with the physical aspects of the universe. This soul is the source of awareness and consciousness, and our ability to <i>intend</i>.


Our ordinary perception is just an interface that makes interaction with the physical world simple and easy. It has become grounded into us for its usefulness in survival, but it has also become inflated so as to hide from us the concept of any other sort of perception.

One of the best descriptions of perception comes from the work of Carlos Castaneda, and his don Juan Matus (whether he be fictional or real). This model describes the human energy body as a sort of luminous egg shape. On this luminous body is a point of particular luminousity, a ball about the shape of a tennis ball. In the average human, this ball is located a small distance (a few feet, I think, I forget exactly; the exact distance is irrelevant anyway. It is only a model) behind the right shoulder (for in this model, the energy body is larger than the physical body). The energy of the universe, seen as white cords emanating all around in an infinite network, passes through the energy body, and part of it passes through this ball.
This ball is known as the "assemblage point" and is defined as the point on the energy body where perception is assembled. In its ordinary position, the perception assembled is the ordinary 5 senses with which we are so accustomed. However, this point can be <i>intended</i> to move to another position, where different bands of energy will pass through it, and thus different stimuli perceived.

I like to describe perception as the interface on a piece of software. All that the interface does is represent data that is going on invisibly inside the software. However, in order to accomplish some things, the interface must be expanded, or customized, or completely revamped. Our ordinary perception can be hacked, so to speak, to yield a different perception, one that reveals stimuli that were before unnoticed or is more useful & efficient for performing various tasks.


I will also put forth the idea that matter is just an expression of energy.
Therefore, all actions are energy acting on energy.
So, you can see where, if we are energy beings and all the universe is a network of energy, we are connected to all other energy and therefore can act on it to yield effect.


The task of <i>intending</i> outside of our normal perception is difficult, because we are so accustomed to our normal perception, it is so firmly grounded in us, so entangled with everything we do, that perceiving in any other way is incredibly difficult. And you'd be hard-pressed to act on something that you can't perceive (how well can you walk with your eyes closed? Or imagine trying to walk without your sense of sight *or* touch. Inconceivable, right?).

I think a useful solution here is to trick the ordinary perception, and its methods of science and rational thought -- thus, your own rational mind -- into thinking that something so fantastic makes sense.
The power of prayer is an excellent example. Here is something that scientifically makes no sense, but the sheer <i>faith</i> that it works is enough for some people to <i>intend</i>, for example, healing.
This is also where ritual comes in. Lighting candles, chanting, all that hocus-pocus has nothing to do with the actual *magic*; only the <i>intent</i> does. Ritual only helps to silence the rational mind so that such magic can be performed. However, ritual easily stops becoming a means and turns into an end -- missing the forest for the trees. So it should be remembered that ritual is arbitrary -- it's the belief that gets you there.

I'm tired of talking. Someone else talk. I'd like to discuss these concepts

Ritual keeps me in touch with intent and I believe, also brings about the energies I want to tap into, it's part of my intent. Too often, one's intent is overruled by the intent of others, and without ritual it can be hard to get back on track.
Oftentimes, I'll get a call from someone experiencing a need for a tarot reading and more times than not, they'll leave feeling better and revived for it, they'll have a noticeable glow. This is not because I have told them of a happy future, or of a terrible event forthcoming they can now avoid. Hardly. It's always because the ritual of a reading has helped them tap back into their own intent/magic. I see this very clearly with about every reading I do. In this respect, I think ritual is extremely neccesary. What's difficult is that our society really wants to breed sheeptypes, those who will follow the leader and not tap into magic/intent of their own, choosing to follow what I call the "bully's intent/magic." Bully magic has gotten awfully strong these days. My hope is that more will see this as blatently as I see it, and rechoose to tap into their own magic, instead of following what's "safe", or "acceptable", two words which I intend to not fall for so much anymore myself, despite the fact that there are those, in the very town I live in, that think I am doing "evil things" with "evil cards". I could do evil, with the cards I suppose, but that's not my intent.

An interesting and valuable post Marksman. Much much more could be said about this, and it's always fascinating to me. My own circumstances are slowly getting better, because I realized I was letting "other's intent get in the way of my own, using excuses like, "I have to do this to survive", etc.
Ah the glory of that not being so, of tapping into and focusing on my own magic/intent. It's everything really. But it's not just like having an intention....it's a knowing intent, you get to know it slowly, consciously, like a friend. I think that this is where many people give up their magic, in the slow, conscious phase of getting to know it. They opt out for someone elses, the majority. They give up on themselves because someone is telling them that their's is evil, or not natural! We are such a fearful people.

Thanks for posting this Mark. I hope to see more discussion about this subject too. There is so much to share and learn about regarding magic.....nice to see it out in the open here.

H

Interesting topic sir. I too am a believer in magic. My dad and mom, as many know, were clowns and my father a magician but his 'magic' was based on deception. Real magic is based on transformation.

I am not so much into the ritualized magic although I will light a candle when I want to focus on someone who needs help but I think we all use magic to one extent or another, whether we realize it or not. I think you hit the mark (hah!) when you akin it to energies. Everything has an energy, everything is movement of this energy if we could 'see' on that level, we would see that all is connected by dots...

Scientists are beginning to realize that this universal energy affects all around us and thus give some credence to the 'butterfly effect'. This is something I have always innately known, that one action affects another, even thoughts, thus you have a karmic effect.

I use many forms of divination to 'realize' on a conscious level what I already know on an subconscious level for I don't think that anything that is revealed is something we didn't already relate to or know, it just brings it to the fore. The I Ching, Tarot, Runes, or other forms of divination are just ways of enlightening oneself to what is already possible or existing.

Another form of magic I use is shapeshifting. This sounds very mumbo jumbo but is actually something quite common that we all use in our communications with another person or animal. I take the form that others see me as in order to 'relate' to them in a way that enables me to reach and touch them on their level.

Some people are very sensitive to others energies and thus, unless they are 'aware' and 'awake' become subject to being abused and/or manipulated by those who misuse their 'magic'. I am awake and aware of this and try to protect myself from malicious or negative use of this energy. This is especially true if you are open to the energies (psychic or empathetic) and knowing how to aikido those energies is important.

So, yes...I believe in magic...have always believed in magic and it transforms my life.

Peace,
SooZen

On the subject of divination - It's my theory that since we're all connected to everything, it's all already there for us, as "silent knowledge." I've often intuited things that I couldn't possibly have known. In high school I made excellent use of this on the quiz bowl team. When I was "on" I could get most of the answers before the question had even been asked halfway. It was somehow gratifying when the opposing team thought I was cheating.


I think that if science would admit that it doesn't have a monopoly on cause-and-effect, it could lead to a great number of wonderful discoveries.

As it is, though, science is a powerful, although very limited, form of magic. It's especially adept at shutting down other people's magic, filling the local energy field with anti-intent through the extreme scientific disbelief of anything "magical"

I'm a big fan of Captain Beefheart. I love the man's music to no end. But if I listen to it around my dad, who doesn't like it, it doesn't sound as good. His intent ruins it. He's very good at doing that, and uses it very effectively to make himself seem right even when he's not.

O I remember that you are a big Beefheart fan...o foolish one, Hah!

I like your musings on 'intent' and think it has great credence.

Peace,
SooZen