Emergent Magick – Purpose

To determine our role in society, it helps to examine the
roles magi have taken through history and how they have changed. Keep in mind
these changes have not always been for the “better.” Once again, it would be
impossible to form a complete picture of the magus in every era and culture in
the scope of the book. As with the previous chapter on the history of magick,
we endeavor only to present the EMK perspective, with the focus on Western
magick.

Archaeological evidence and observation of contemporary
hunter-gather societies show that the magus in pre-history had a rich and
varied role that changes from culture to culture in these groups. However,
certain aspects cut across cultures and these elements in differing
combinations can be found in most.

These societies often turned to the magus for their ability
to heal. The ability to treat illness and injury made the magus central to
tribal life. In some cultures, all magick was viewed as a healing act. This
goes beyond the scope of physical illness, and can include healing non-humans—animals,
spirits, and the land itself. It was most often the duty of the magus to keep
the herb lore. The identification, preparation, and uses of plants and
sometimes animal components required years of training, practice, and
experimentation. We tend to downplay the importance of this knowledge in the
light of modern medicine, and we would not argue that traditional practice
should take the place of modern medicine in its entirety, but one only has to
take a cursory look at the multitude of cures that have been found by
scientifically testing ancient medicine to know it should not be dismissed.
Tribal people turned to the magus for healing because many times their cures
worked, or at least alleviated symptoms. We have direct evidence that the
practitioners in these societies knew of plants with analgesic, disinfectant, stimulant,
and psychedelic properties. Not only could they identify the plants, but could
prepare them and combine them in ways that released and enhanced these
properties. This healing included psychological illness as well. The magus
commonly counseled those whose behavior had become a detriment to the tribe. By
helping those individuals find narrative and thus meaning to their lives, and
cultivate empathy for their fellows, many could be turned from violent and
self-destructive patterns.

How did a society without microscopes, limited knowledge of
biology, and before the invention of the scientific method learn to do this?
Perhaps, if we take off our lenses of racial and cultural superiority, and took
these societies at their word, we would know. For the magi plainly state that
the spirits imparted this knowledge. For almost all of the cures and miracles a
magus performed contained a spiritual element, most often the contact of spirit
entities. Another role of the magus in hunter-gatherer societies was to
contact, converse with, and keep a catalog of the spirits. It included spirits
both helpful and malevolent. The spirits advised the tribe through the magus on
when and where to hunt, when to move the camp, who should perform certain
tasks, and when to go to war. Through the spirits the magi learned of the wider
universe. This included the movement of the stars, the changing of the seasons,
and predictions of what was to come.

The magus was also responsible for contact with a certain
class of spirits—the spirits of the dead. In this respect, the magus kept the
history of the tribe, and taught others their shared heritage. In essence, the
magi created culture. The keeping of knowledge and the practice of ritual to
appease the spirits coalesced into the practices of drawing, music, and poetry.
The most basic celebrations that mark a human’s life, the seasons, the hunt, the
harvest, birth, adulthood, and death, were handed down to the tribe from the
spirits through the magus.

Into antiquity, the magi solidified these roles by becoming
the priesthood. They handed down the names of the gods and goddess, their
purpose, and created mythology. The magus became responsible for organization
and construction on a massive scale. As we have learned now, the first
large-scale constructions of many societies, even before towns and cities, were
centers of religious observance. The ability to inspire human beings through
the use of narrative and common cause cannot be over stated. In fact, it has
been one of the central reasons why a species of talking apes has been able to
spread to and transform nearly all of our planet.

One should note, however, that the magi have never been
strictly within the social order. Even as they rose to prominence in places
like Egypt, and coalesced into a monolithic Catholic Church in Europe, the
place of the magi was often outside the ranks of the majority of the society.
The Catholic Church being a prime example. While it certainly made it much
easier to reach a position of influence if one came from a wealthy or noble
background, even the lowest peasant could join a monastery and perhaps one day
become an abbot or a bishop. The prohibition against marriage for priests does
not stem from a moral directive. The nobility, in order to keep a check on the
power of the Church, insisted that their wealth and power could not be inherited.
In fact, the original prohibition was against marriage specifically, and did
not include celibacy. It’s not that priests weren’t expected to have sex, they
just could not produce legitimate heirs. Though they could rule vast lands and
be the advisors to kings, any attempt to create a political force was
eventually put down. The original ideas of separation of church and state comes
much more from the state insisting they keep a monopoly on force than some notion
of tolerance.

The very identity of the magi includes the idea that they
have always been the outsider. The other. Even in tribal societies the magi
were considered dangerous to the social order, and were often relegated to
living at the edge of the encampment, lest their practice disturb or inspire others.
As the power of the church in the West (and in many Eastern societies as well) waned,
the magi found themselves pushed even further into the outskirts. Into the
Renaissance and Enlightenment, the wealthy could still afford their eccentricities,
which included astrology and alchemy. The poor suffered accusations of witchcraft,
and at best were sought out only when needed, at worst, burned alive or hung
from the neck until dead.

The ultimate attack against the magi came from the
scientific revolution as those methods were applied to propaganda. Anyone
advocating drugs, sex, and the freeing of social bonds, anyone who would dare
to provide culture outside of what could be sold, were simply made
non-existent. No doubt science produces its own miracles, but to transform
other forms of magick into meaningless stories was a cultural choice, and
perhaps it was how materialism took over the creation culture is how it was so
successful. Persecution of the magi continued, more often taking the form of
social ostracism. To even believe in magick became a liability, and those
practicing it outside of more palatable, lukewarm, archaic institutions became
charlatans and crack-pots.  

The only reason that magick persists at all comes from an
innate sense among certain individuals that the universe holds more than can be
observed. That we have some purpose to fulfill other than buying a new house,
new phone, or new car. This assault can only be turned back if the magi
re-discover one of their primary purposes, and return to being those who create
culture instead of consume it.

Tarot Readings

scrollofthoth:

In case you missed my post earlier, I have been a huge Nine Inch Nails fan for over twenty years, but I have never seen them live. I now have a chance to see them in Chicago, and tickets go on sale on May 19th. If I can afford them.

So I am running a special on full, three-card readings for $9 dollars. 

For a three-card reading I set up an altar properly banished and blessed. Working with spirits well known to me, I pull three cards and divine their personal meaning for you. You can ask a specific question, or just ask for a general reading.

You may choose from one of the following decks for your reading:

The Light Visions Tarot  (a deck I received for my birthday with fantastic art)

The Tarot of Ceremonial Magick (my standard go-to deck, I will use this one if you voice no preference)

The Necronomicon Tarot (this deck always gives brutal answers)

The Magician Longs to See (Twin Peaks) Tarot (a surprisingly excellent deck)

The Mage: The Ascension Tarot (because I’m a geek)

The Shadowrun Tarot by Echo Chernix (because I’m a geek that loves Echo Chernix, that’s one of her pieces I am currently using as a backdrop for my tarot altar)

At the end, I pull a Portals of Chaos card to find an entity that can help you with any tasks or obstacles described by the cards.

You can contact me for three-card readings on tumblr or through the contact page at the Scroll of Thoth website.

Please reblog if you think your followers would be interested.

historytellrsworld:

Offering table :
2350 BC, 5th Dynasty, Old Kingdom. Found in Memphis. It is a libation offering table in alabaster with lists of the permissible offerings including beer, water, meat, bread, etc. The seven recesses along the top are for the 7 sacred embalming oils used in the mummification process. The central circle of three on the bottom contains a glyph for incense. This table was most likely used for a nobles tomb of high stature because of the quality of craftsmanship and style of writing. It is an offering table where visitors to the tomb would leave an offering in respect to the deceased.

I think that every magus who looks at all the pretty, illuminated magical journals on tumblr and thinks to themselves, “mine will never be that good,” should take a long hard look at this.

Tarot Readings

scrollofthoth:

In case you missed my post earlier, I have been a huge Nine Inch Nails fan for over twenty years, but I have never seen them live. I now have a chance to see them in Chicago, and tickets go on sale on May 19th. If I can afford them.

So I am running a special on full, three-card readings for $9 dollars. 

For a three-card reading I set up an altar properly banished and blessed. Working with spirits well known to me, I pull three cards and divine their personal meaning for you. You can ask a specific question, or just ask for a general reading.

You may choose from one of the following decks for your reading:

The Light Visions Tarot  (a deck I received for my birthday with fantastic art)

The Tarot of Ceremonial Magick (my standard go-to deck, I will use this one if you voice no preference)

The Necronomicon Tarot (this deck always gives brutal answers)

The Magician Longs to See (Twin Peaks) Tarot (a surprisingly excellent deck)

The Mage: The Ascension Tarot (because I’m a geek)

The Shadowrun Tarot by Echo Chernix (because I’m a geek that loves Echo Chernix, that’s one of her pieces I am currently using as a backdrop for my tarot altar)

At the end, I pull a Portals of Chaos card to find an entity that can help you with any tasks or obstacles described by the cards.

You can contact me for three-card readings on tumblr or through the contact page at the Scroll of Thoth website.

Please reblog if you think your followers would be interested.

How to become a magician

I see a lot of advice on Tumblr. Most of it is from people
who are locked into a certain system of magick and they are giving you that and
calling it gospel. If you have your own deep spiritual beliefs, that’s great.
If your magick requires certain things from you, follow it. But don’t tell
people it’s the only way things are done. Magick is a highly varied ancient
practice. Also, highly personal. What works for you may not work for others.

Magick is an art. Would you tell an artist how they should
paint, or sculpt, or make music? No. It is up to the artist to learn the
fundamentals and then apply them as they see fit.

Here’s my advice. This is what has worked for me. Maybe give
it a try.

Do something with your magick every day. Keep your magical
consciousness active. Learn to see the world as a magical place. Magick does
not break the laws of nature. Magick is what the universe is made of.

Do it when you are tired. Do it when you are angry. Do it when
you are sick. Do it when you feel like there is no point to doing anything. It
can be small. A tiny intentional act. As simple as pouring water for your
ancestors. As simple as a prayer.

But keep doing it. Every damn day. Let it build. Keep doing
it until it is a part of you. Do it because you are magus.

severalowls:

severalowls:

The story of the Distant Goddess is absolute proof that it’s a crime that Ancient Egyptian mythology hasn’t entered the popular conciousness in the same way as Greek stuff.

Short, super paraphrased version: Ra is sick of humanity being rebellious wee bastards, so he sends a goddess as an embodiment of his vengeance, usually Sekhmet in the form of a great fuckoff lion – first to the southern deserts to wipe out the followers of Set. She does so, and then for unspecified reasons, Ra decides maybe humanity is redeemable hey call off the murderlion. But being an embodiment of pure divine retribution, she isn’t really having it.

So Ra sends Thoth out in an effort to soothe the goddess before she arrives in the north and wipes out everything including the gods (she’s just that strong). He’s terrified, but he tries all sorts of cunning and wisdom and trickery and tells her moral tales and all that, but all he can do is delay her.

In the meantime, Ra’s priests of the north are hard at work. They brew thousands of barrels of beer, and mix pots and pots red dye. And when the goddess inevitably arrives, they mix it up and pour it into the reeds of the nile. Believing it to be the spilled blood of her enemies, she drinks it up proudly… And gets EXTREMELY drunk, calming down and transforming into Hathor, goddess of joy and love.

And once a year to celebrate this momentous occasion, Egyptians would get Absolutely Plastered.