Presented by: Jason Augustus Newcomb

Transcription

1 Presented by: Jason Augustus Newcomb Author of The New Hermetics

2 DISCLOSURE: I must admit at the outset that some of the ideas in this presentation were inspired by the use of psychedelic entheogenic drugs in a sort of neoshamanism in my twenties and the potentially skewed perspective that these experiences may provide.

3 This is a Magical Presentation Not a religious presentation Not a mystical or spiritual presentation Not a scientific presentation This is a magical presentation

4 I Do Not Wish to Challenge Your Beliefs or the Way You Do Magick This is not really a presentation about different kinds of beliefs lif Not about whether your coven does a better ritual than your neighbors This is not a presentation on magical skills This is a magical presentation

5 I am not really even presenting a theory about how magick works although we can discuss that a bit. This is more simply about what magick ikis.

6 The Reason for this Presentation I want us all to be able to understand different people s ideas about magick ikand how we are all really describing the same thing, though from different perspectives. Grimoiric Traditionalist Entirely interior psychological Magician New Thought ( The esecret ) et Indigenous Shaman What they have in common All are attempting to understand and to control meaning in a confusing cosmos. All magick functions first and foremost on the plane of meaning, which is to say with our experience of the universe, rather than any notion of empiricism at all.

7 The Two Directions for Consciousness Expanded free wholeness Contracted trapped separateness

8 Definitions of magic(k) Aleister Crowley: Magick is the science and art of creating change in conformity with will. (there are various sub definitions of this that have (there are various sub definitions of this that have been proposed)

9 Lesser Key of Solomon Magic is the highest most absolute and divine knowledge of natural philosophy advanced in its works and wonderful operations by a right understanding of the inward and occult vertue of things, so that true agents being applied to proper p patients, strange and admirable effects will thereby be produced; whence magicians are profound and diligent searchers into nature, they because of their skill know how to anticipate an effect which to the vulgar shall seem a miracle.

10 Dictionary Definition of Magic(k) 1. The art that purports to control or forecast natural events, effects, or forces by invoking the supernatural. 2. a. The practice of using charms, spells, or rituals to attempt to produce supernatural effects or control events in nature. b. The charms, spells, and rituals so used.

11 More clinical i l Dfiii Definitions of Magical Thinking: The belief that one's thoughts, words, or actions will produce an outcome that defies normal laws of cause and effect; the belief that one's words have the power to make things happen. For example, a client may believe his or her thoughts can cause earthquakes. Occurs in schizophrenia. Subjective logic wherein it's supposed that one's own thoughts can influence events, create good "luck", or establish tblih uncanny coincidences. id Also can include the concept that to know the "true name" of something gives one power over it. Or that chants, incantations and mystical phrases will alter the course of objective events. Magical thinking is a term used by historians of religion to describe one kind of non scientific causal reasoning. Scholars like James George Frazer and Bronislaw K. Malinowski emphasized that magic is more like science than religion, i and that t societies iti with magical beliefs lif often had separate religious i beliefs and practices. Like science, magic is concerned with causal relations.

12 Theses of the Unified Theory Magic is the original and most important meaning creating function of the human organism Magic is the science and art of meaning manipulation Every conscious experience is based on a successful act of inner magic Consciousness+Meaning=Magick

13 Magick is a profession currently being underserved by the unscrupulous and the flaky

14 Historical Developments in Magick and their polarities Shamanic/Maleficent Sorcery/Priest King Traditional/Heterodox religious science /quest for radical truths Revivalist/Psychological

15 The battle between the purists and the psychologizers py is really a nonsensical argument. Psyche means soul. Psychology is the study of the soul and is the continuation of the activities of the shaman. The fact that certain unimaginative and mechanistic have attempted to shrink the psyche within the cranium is just their limitation and should in no way mean that they own the word. Magick and modern science operate with entirely different first principles and that is what separates magical and nonmagical. If someone thinks about things psychologically but uses genuine magical principles then they are doing magick. (many so called traditional magicians fail this simple test too, and are in fact magic deficient themselves).

16 First Principles of Magick There is a realm of truth (in which may exist perfect forms or ideas [archetypes]) and by creating meaning connections between things as they are and their perfect forms we do magick. What we want is true (or truth, or possible) in some way on the spiritual plane. The magical act connects the truth on the spiritual plane with the physical result.

17 The Magical Planes 1. The plane of meaning (spiritual) [ideal, spirit, archetype] 2. The plane of thought (mental) [thinking, ideas, beliefs] 3. The plane of image (astral) [dreams, feelings, percepts] 4. The plane of objects (physical) [outer life experience] Preceding these four there is often considered to be a voidground but this not particularly relevant to practical magick at this moment.

18 Most Basic Difference Between Magic and Science Magic Meaning Science Object Thought Image Image Thought Object ** Science is essentially meaningless Magick operates under the principle that meaning (or spirit) precedes physical manifestation. Modern science operates under the principle that physical manifestation precedes meaning (or spirit).

19 Human consciousness naturally operates magically, unless it has been severely retarded by too much scientific indoctrination.

20 Some Survival Advantages of Magical Thinking Intuitive Hunches unconscious pattern recognition Pronoia the suspicion that unseen forces may be conspiring for your benefit Confidence in Abilities Lucky charms and rituals improve performance (as does imaging) Decreases Likelihood of Depression you feel empowered over environment and sense of purpose Increases Success you take more action

21 Magical lconsciousness: Some Demonstrations

22 I Need a Vl Volunteer from the Audience

23 The truth this in the palm of your hand.

24 Choose a Number between 1 and 9.

25 Numerology Numbers 1. Independence 2. Cooperation 3. Creativity 4. Work 5. Change 6. Home 7. Wisdom 8. Money 9. Humanitarian

26 Qabalistic Numbers 1. Unity 2. Connection 3. Cycle 4. Form 5. Force 6. Harmony 7. Aesthetic 8. Order 9. Horizon

27 I Ching Trigram Numbers 1. Heaven strength 2. Wind flexibility 3. Sun brightness 4. Mountain resting 5. Lake pleasure 6. Rain danger 7. Thunder Exciting 8. Earth Receptivity 9. The Way

28 Which one of these two images seems more Venusian? (love related)

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33 Aesthetic Choice

34 Aesthetic Choice

35 The Wilber Fallacy

36 The Hero s Journey

37 Charlatan and the True Wizard Functionally similar both manipulate meaning Charlatan physical plane own material benefit. True Wizard spiritual plane to exalt and inspire other. Charlatan contracts the client to produce fear, need, greed, etc. True Wizard expands and exalts the client to produce hope, achievement, advance and success.

38 Three Operational Theories of Magick Awareness Energy Formula

39 Three Operational Theories of Magick Awareness (New Thought, Creative Visualization, The Secret, Buddhist and Yogic siddhis, etc) Energy Formula

40 Three Operational Theories of Magick Awareness (New Thought, Creative Visualization, The Secret, Buddhist and Yogic siddhis, etc) Energy (chi and prana, orgone [reiki] some other forms of hands on healing, some modern wicca) Formula

41 Three Operational Theories of Magick Awareness (New Thought, Creative Visualization, The Secret, Buddhist and Yogic siddhis, etc) Energy (chi and prana, orgone [reiki] some other forms of hands on healing, some modern wicca) Formula (sympathetic magic, much of folk magic generally, natural magic, grimoiric magic, talismanic magic, [reiki])

42 All these operational theories are basically equivalent to meaning but with different foci.

43 Three Regions of Magical Exploration 1. the Now world as it is 2. The Ouranian sky ground 3. The Chthonic earth ground and underworld

44 Imbalanced Forms Objectivism, nihilism Extreme asceticism, Dualistic Gnosticism Crude Satanism, misanthropy

45 Three Magical Structures 1. Doctrine of Signatures 2. Magical Contagion 3. Sympathetic Action

46 If You Need Scientific Models for the Impossible Rupert Sheldrake MorphicFields David Bohm Implicate Order Karl Pribram Holonomic Brain Theory Ken Wilber Integral Theory (not really relevant to practical magick) ik)

47 Why/how does magick work? When you know that the system works When there is a logical (or at least plausible) path to result When you are flexible in the meaning of success Forgetting about it (chaos magic theory only necessary if you can t ring yourself to consciously believe in magic)

48 Why/how does magick not work? Doubt (this is not as problematic as many seem to think Too fixed (lowers success rate) Impossible goals

49 What is a Spirit, Angel, Fairy, God? Lives in a region without time Lives in a region without space Largely Unchanging (eternal)

50 Meaning Mti Matrices (Meditation)

51 Synergistic Meditative Flows

52 The Brotherhood of Light and Darkness

53 The New Hermetics

54 21 st Century Mage

55 The New Hermetics Equinox Journal Vol. 5

56 The New Hermetics Equinox Journal Vol. 4

57 The New Hermetics Equinox Journal Vol. 1

58 Hand made Incense