Magic

The magician in the tarot

Magic, understood as occult art or science, is the belief and practices that seek to produce supernatural results through rituals, spells and invocations.

Etymology

It comes from the Latin magīa, derived in turn from the Greek μαγεία mageia ('supernatural quality'), and from the Greek magiké (presumably used in the term «magical arts» together with the word tekhné, 'arts'), which is the feminine of magikós ('magical') which comes from magicians ('one of the members of the priestly and scholarly class').^{[citation needed]}

This term comes from Old Persian maguš (mágush), possibly from a Proto-Indo-European root *magh-, 'to be able', 'to be able'.

From that very ancient Proto-Indo-European word (from the middle and end of the 3rd millennium BC) the Sanskrit māiā ('illusion', ' unreality', 'deceit', 'fraud', 'trick', 'sorcery', 'witchcraft'), which is first mentioned in the Rig-veda (the text oldest in India, from the middle of the 2nd millennium BC). That word comes from the Sanskrit root māi ('work', 'move').

Contextualization of magic

Inversely to theology, philosophy and orthodox sciences that deal with and matter about causes, magic, to formulate and define itself, is defined as the manifestation of the supposed marvelous veracity of some effects that does not require finding out their causes. Knowing the causes or that the effect is not wonderful extinguishes magic and magical thinking migrates to other types of thinking, (from the supposed "magical effects" the historical metonymy with medicine and pharmacology is derived).^{[citation required]}

Through the acceptance of the existence of magic, it is implicitly accepted as the abstract or pseudo-abstract cause of the magical effect, as a principle or primary truth from which all pseudological paraphernalia. Since very remote times, there has been an aspiration to reveal, to know and to use what would presumably be hidden to the senses (cognition), hidden from classical sensory perception, from logic, to reason and criteria. These are, at a minimum, the three essential elements of generic magic:

• An "effect" that is perceived as "marvelous" whose cause is unknown and "inexplicable" at the time considered.
• Magic does not seek imperative axioms, an antonomasia of magic is the topic of "object that appears from nothing" or by magic art, magic is the very cause.
• Among its oldest functional powers and features (archetype) would be the faculty of divination, which should not be conceptualized along with prophecy.^{[chuckles]required]}

Magic, in its most archaic meaning, dissents from the rational axiom that would affirm that the universe would be exclusively governed by the «natural or material laws» known or to be known and inhabited only by matter. This archaic magic, with an inherent criterion of spirit-matter duality, gave rise to magical thinking and, in the environment of the first civilizations, to two evolutionary classifications of magic, historically called «natural magic» and «unnatural magics or occult philosophies».^{[citation needed]}

Natural magic and unnatural magic or occult philosophies

At some point in human history, these two conceptualisms of magic began to diverge. The playwright Lope de Vega, in his book Pastores de Belén, devoted a few paragraphs to literary descriptions of the differences between these concepts in the culture of his time:^{[citation required]}

«(...) The natural magic is not to understand, that is the one in which the infernal spirits are consulted, with such an infamous name as they have given him in the divine and human letters (...) The evil ones are those who use blood, victims, and dead bodies, such as the Pitonisa, who trusses Saul's body, to answer him. Truth is, that already the name of Magos is being introduced by those who exercite what I say, as Astrology for abuse has come to be vituperated, being the same as Astronomia: and if they say some that Pythagoras, Empedocles, Democritus and Plato were called Magi, in the manner of Zamolxis and Zoroastro, the son of Oromasco. (...)»

Natural magic: “natural magic” was defined as all observable natural phenomena in which matter intervened or was present, even if they were inexplicable. This is how astrology was considered and developed by the Persians, whose creators were called «the magicians or magicians», it became astronomy. As late as the 17th century, the famous German educator and physicist Gaspar Schott (Jesuit) titled his physics texts (which he himself prepared and then taught to his students) "acoustic magic and optical magic" (written in Latin), clearly alluding to the memory of the etymological meaning archaic term for «natural magic», a reserved phrase in Latin to allude to physical phenomenology still scientifically inexplicable at the time, such as light and sound.^{[citation required]}

Unnatural magic, occult theologies or philosophies: In summary, a possible generic definition would be the «idea of establishing a relationship contact with any type of spiritual entity or supernatural mechanism». Relationship contacts, such as invocation, evocation, divination, numerology or cabals, among many others. Another subjective and archaic classification would establish supernatural entities and mechanisms.^{[citation required]}

Etiologies of Magic

• Magical Thought: The magic constitutes, as first etiology, in the matrix of magical thought through which the ability to perceive and to perform physical or psychic alterations of any kind, at will or without it, is presumed not always subject to the laws of nature.^{[chuckles]required]}

• Material and spiritual entities: Lightning, fire, sun, darkness, stars, earthquakes, spirits or souls that would inhabit the air, water, forests, caves, the firmament, earth-specific places, forests, etc. It is currently assumed that during prehistory, for interaction with the "magic of nature» and with the «hidden magics or philosophies» would have served the «Magical» of methodical procedures, sometimes rituals, where specific or reserved words and dedicated instruments, sometimes consecrated, would be used for the intervention or mediation of supernatural material and spiritual entities of any kind and which constitute a Second etiology.^{[chuckles]required]}

Magic in anthropology

Magic according to Frazer

Chaman of the urarina tribe, 1988.

According to J. Frazer, the thought on which the concept of magic is based consists of a set of practices and beliefs that individuals in a society resort to to create a benefit or achieve an end, relating them in turn with certain order in nature, either as a group, when a natural limitation severely affects its social organization (drought or infertility) (witchcraft), or at an individual level, when it is required, for example, to get rid of an enemy that threatens life (taboo).

Evolutionists distinguished notably the public professions under which one or another society was constituted;

• The role of the magician played a key role in many societies in making important decisions.
• The councils of elders, in general distinguishing the tendency to the councils of elders, who represented the head of government of the "salvages" societies.

It represented a central point in studies that tried to understand the organization of non-Western societies that contrasted with Western ones. He can be divided into two aspects of analysis, by mental processes, according to the abstract principles on which the practice of magic is based, under a law called empathy.

It is for this reason that in this line of thought magic is a predecessor to religion on an evolutionary scale, that is, that magic corresponds to a stage of degree of evolution of certain societies considered savage and religion to others that They are supposed to have a higher degree of civilization. That is the interest of his study, which tried to understand the point at which magic ceases to be such to become a religion and thus mark a social advance towards another evolutionary stage.

Frazer understands magic as the expression of rules that determine the achievement of events throughout the world, as theoretical magic; and considered as a series of rules that humans will comply with in order to achieve their ends, as practical magic. This is divided into two types, each of them is based on the principles of similarity and contact:

• Imitative magic. Related to how such produces the like. This refers to the effects caused to something or to someone similar to the causes that provoked it, can be covered from who uses magic, who practices it, to what purposes.
• Polluting magic. That alludes to the things that once they were in contact, they act reciprocally at a distance, joining them for ever a bond, after being separated.

To reach an understanding it is necessary to resort to examples that may appear within these schemes. In Frazer's The Golden Branch, he constantly refers to examples of exotic societies, so to speak, that to some extent seem to be intact before the Western world, although the truth is that these societies were already having contact with western man, who was colonizing their territories.

Frazer believes that misapplied principles of association of ideas produce magic, which he even considers to be the "bastard sister of science".^{[citation needed]}

Magic according to Caro Baroja

According to Julio Caro Baroja, magic —like religion in general— derives from the "primary conception of the world and of existence" which is characterized by a "dramatic vision of Nature, in which the divine and demonic, order and chaos, good and evil, are in constant conflict and with an existence linked to man himself". The primitive human —or rather, primal— does not consider Nature "in the abstract as something impersonal, indifferent and articulate" but that for him it is "something direct, emotional and inarticulate. He is a being that people address as in the second person: it is not " he " ("heaven", "earth"), it is " you " & # 3. 4;.

The consequence of this "dramatic" or "vital" of Nature was "that in many peoples of Europe and also of other continents, the sky, the blue firmament, the illuminated day, were associated with the notion of a superior, ordering, masculine and paternal principle, with the idea of a supreme divinity in sum" —like Zeus or Jupiter of the Greco-Roman pantheon—, and in which the sun represented ideas such as "strength, beauty, vigor, life in short". On the contrary, the moon, the night and the earth are associated with a feminine principle, with death and with hell. Moonlight, unlike that of the sun, is cold and indirect, dead; during the night life is paralyzed and death reigns; The earth is where the souls of the deceased who appear at night reside and under it live the beings of the underworld, of hell, but it is also the mother of everything —the feminine principle— in the same way that the firmament is the father —the masculine principle—, which has given rise to the cult of mother goddesses & #34;with a chthonic character and with a lunar character".

Thus the "primary conception of the world and of existence" is articulated around two systems: "one, the one formed by Cielo on one side as a masculine element, expression of paternity, of the superior authority and the other the Earth as a feminine element, expression of maternity and of fertility. The other system is the one that constitutes the Sun and the Day as Life, as Force, as Good and the Moon and Night as Death and as Evil; as a feminine element as well, but not as fertile as the Earth". In these two systems are framed not only the physical phenomena, but also the moral facts, because "only an analytical thought manages to finally separate the natural from the moral absolutely".

Magic and religion

According to Caro Baroja, for a long time the thesis was held that magical thought was older or primitive than religious thought and that magical procedures (beneficial or maleficent) "were prior, as a whole, to the procedures typical of societies with an organized religion and with adequate rites to implore the favor of the Divinity or divinities. From the spell with which the will and desire are expressed... they went on to prayer, which implies compliance and vassalage". Frazier was the author who finished outlining this theory, although he was aware that events considered magical were very often associated with those considered religious. In this case, he took it for granted that the former corresponded to a different phase and prior to that of the latter.

Frazer considered that the first blow that transformed humanity, to give up magic as a rule of faith and practice, was to recognize "its impotence to handle at will certain natural forces that until then had been supposed within its mandate".^{[citation required]} Within this conception it is possible to understand that the intelligence of the people began to perceive that the practice of magic did not produce precisely the expected results, which previously meant a reality. This was followed by a long period of reflective thinking that transitioned to religion gradually, by the increased knowledge of the forces with higher power than the human and the development of knowledge. Frazer concluded that the definitive step from magic to religion occurs in "the confession of the entire and absolute dependence of the human with respect to the divine",^{[citation required]} culminates with the submission of the human before the immensity of the universe.

Julio Caro Baroja affirms, on the contrary, that religion and magic in the ancient world were part of a single system. He points out that Frazer and his followers have already found it very difficult to "separate the strictly magical from the religious, in systems such as the religion of the Egyptians, Chaldeans, and other ancient peoples." And what was ultimately deduced from his immense collection of data and other similar collections was that not only were religious rites linked with enormous frequency to magical acts, but also that each group of religious beliefs had its own particular Magic&# 3. 4;. To support his claim, Caro Baroja shows that magic and religion in Greece and Rome were part of a single system.

Caro Baroja concludes:

I think only one abuse of method is the one that has converted the Magi as a whole (and the Classical Magi in particular) in matter that can be left totally out or only circumstantially attached to Religion, thus susceptible of isolated study. The reality is that one and the other have been united in a much narrower way that even the generality of treaties is understood and so it turns out that the fields of action of one and another were interfering. We can admit, yes, in block, that the field in which magic thought operates most is the field of desire and the will that has broken other bonds, and that as far as the human mind is subjected fundamentally to ideas of compliance, Thank you. and submissionHe's still in the field of religious feelings.
Now, in one case or another, within the practical life, between the subject who desires a thing, good or bad, incited by hatred or love and the object of his desire, often interfering one Third which, in some cases, is essentially a magician or a sorcerer and in other priests. One conjures, the other usually prays and sacrifices. But sometimes also, the priest resorts to magic practices, conjures and the magician to prayers and sacrifices. [...] Sometimes they also combine a conjure and a prayer, or they happen. The fluidity of thoughts and emotions therefore prevents the decisive value of any rigid and formalistic separation from the magical and religious facts... It also prevents the establishment of a chronological successor order to say that, always, a procedure (the magic one, for example) is previous another (the religious) or vice versa.

History of magic

The term magic derives from magi, one of the religious elements incorporated by magicians in ancient Babylon. There were magicians in Rome, in Greece and in almost the entire western and eastern world of Antiquity, when magic or popular sorcery were related to ancient fertility rites and initiation into knowledge among the peoples called barbarians., mainly the Chinese.

Magic and sorcery were also linked to the beliefs of very ancient oriental peoples, in which the magician or sorcerer was both a healer and a connoisseur of the invisible world of spirits and played a preponderant role in the community.

In Greece and Rome, fortune tellers and magicians no longer had anything to do with shamans, although they were consulted above all for the powers of divination with which they were believed to be endowed.

In medieval Europe, magic was related to alchemy and astrology, occult activities considered demonic by the Catholic Church, and which were the object of persecution, especially during the Late Middle Ages and the Modern Era.. Some 500,000 people ^{[citation needed]} were prosecuted and many executed by civil and religious courts, accused of witchcraft, over almost five centuries.

It should be noted that none of the major religions accept the practices of magic (they do consider magic to exist as such), nor do other Christian beliefs. When it comes to the Judeo-Christian religions in particular, there are quite a few negative references to magicians in the Old and New Testaments.

Hermeticism (called ancient science in the Middle Ages) influenced Renaissance thought. This pseudoscience is linked, in some aspects, with the maintenance of ancient beliefs that, like magic, led to the knowledge and management of the spiritual laws of the universe. In 1463, Cosimo de' Medici commissioned the translation of the work of Hermes Trimegistus, which was supposed to have been written in ancient Egypt but which, for many, dates from the first centuries of the Christian era and which is the cornerstone of the Hermetic or Gnostic movement. (from gnosis, knowledge).

Tarot divination was a frequent activity at the dawn of the Modern Era and the symbol systems developed by cartomantists for knowledge of present and future reality are clearly indebted to other divination methods practiced by magicians, among them the reading of the flight of birds and the entrails of sacrificed animals.

Practices of simple sorcery, divination, astrology, reading decks and oracular books such as the ancient I Ching of the Chinese, or the runic alphabet of the Scandinavians, Wiccan magic with witch runes or wicca and alchemical magic with the runes of the sages rune magic. aspects of Hinduism, yoga and even the belief in the divinity of extraterrestrial civilizations and their presence among humans constituted from the middle of the XX century a loosely articulated conglomerate known as the New Age movement.

Criteria, terms and social opinions about magic

Criteria and academic studies to date

The interrelation of the ancient myths of the most diverse cultures, their similarities and relationship with animistic religions, in which magic played a central role, were studied by the British anthropologist James George Frazer in his monumental work The golden branch. They also deserved extensive consideration by the psychiatrist Carl Jung, who developed the theory of the collective unconscious.

Anthropology today distinguishes between magic and religion, and places magic on a plane parallel to the evolution of religions.

In psychiatry, various mental illnesses and personality disorders are characterized by varying degrees of magical thinking.

Terms related to magic and occultism

• Pseudoscience or false science are the theorizations or related activities that present a science-specific appearance and language, whose practice and accumulation of possible new knowledge contravenes the scientific method or which are not truly considered scientific. This concept is used by epistemological approaches concerned with the criterion of demarcation of science and has greater consensus among the exact and natural sciences.
• Superstition is the unsubstantiated belief that various voluntary or involuntary actions, like the fall of salt to the ground, under a staircase or the arrival of a Tuesday 13can influence the present or the future.

Social Opinions on Magic Today

• The magical thought, origin of magic, consists of certain beliefs of indemonstrable logic.
• The current use of words (of language) to make changes in a person, sometimes even without knowing it, is the basis of many psychotherapy, including psychoanalysis. Likewise, the use of techniques such as suggestion, hypnosis and neurolinguistic programming (PNL), and even placebos, are behavioral change tools that in ancient times could be attributed to enchantments, spells, witchcraft, magic, or miracles in the case of religion. We must also mention the well-known effects of self-fulfilled prophecies in which an affirmation regarding the future, in the form of prophecy, triggers a series of events that end up causing what had been predicted. The difference of all these techniques with magic is the absence of attribution of powers to spiritual or metaphysical entities.
• There is thought today, that many modern inventions would be magic for primitive societies, as they partly supplement some of the abilities sought by the ancient magicians.
• The word Magic. It is also used to refer to phenomena that do not have a rational explanation. The inexplicable can be "magic." Sometimes to refer to feelings such as love, happiness or when something happens about what is not known to certain its cause, it is said that "there is magic".
• The practice of magic is not exempt from an attitude that permeates thought and transcends all spheres of the individual's life that practices it.
• Basically, the magic praxis consists of the transaction between the human being and these powers to dominate them in their favor.
• Magic refers to metaphysical beliefs, whose central and differential element is the human ability to modify reality without strictly causal means.
• Brujeria strictly is not magic, although it uses many of its elements.
• Magic has been very persecuted in history (by religious or social currents) and, even today, contrasting its theories through the scientific method. During some periods of history, an accusation of magician could mean his imprisonment, torture and even death to the magician.

Magics and their classes

“Unnatural” magic in Europe

Since ancient times, “unnatural or occult magics” have been enunciated and classified. Under the generic denomination of "occultisms" the historical classifications of a heterogeneous list of beliefs and practices of the occult doctrines are included. According to the jurist Francisco Torreblanca Villalpando (17th century), among the catalog of types and their numerous subtypes are:

• Additions (contains numerous subtypes)
• Oracles (would contain numerous subtypes)
• Cavalry arts (contains numerous subtypes)
• Notorious art
• Pauline Art
• Auguries and auspicious
• Spells, spells and charms
• (contains numerous subtypes)
• Necromances
• Piromance, aeromance, hydromance and geomance (fire, air, water, land)
• Magia dæmoniaca (that the Greeks called Goecia)

Modernly they could be classified with the euphemism of occult Esotericisms.

Manitu or magic in North America

The philologist Pedro Estala refers to the following ancestral uses and customs in relation to magic and magical thinking of various Indian nations, compiled in anthropological observations made in Louisiana until the end of the century XVIII:

The girls

«I had thought of returning immediately to New Orleans but the desire to know and examine slowly the most courageous and numerous nation of the Louisiana, which is that of the Chactas, has forced me to move from judgment. (...) This nation can campaign 4,000 warriors (...) The Chactas are extremely superstitious; when they go to some expedition, they consult their Manitu, and the xephe takes it with them: they always expose him to the part where they are to march the enemy, and the warriors make him the sentinel. They have so much veneration, that before eating they give them their corresponding portion. (...) It is not dishonorable among these to flee in the battles, and they apologize that they did so for a dream they had. It is unbelievable the case they make of dreams: if a warlord of an expedition tells his warriors, he has dreamed that the company would be misfortune, to the point they return to his village. After they arrive, they do medicine, that is, their Jongleros use a thousand superstitions, and with this they return to the enemy. (...) They are not known any cult, but they give to their Manitu: they do not take care of the other life, and yet they believe in the immortality of the soul. They have a lot of veneration to their Jongleros, who, as I have said, pretend magical, divine and medical (...). They have a lot of authority among others, consult them as oracles, and come to them in all their needs. When he is sick, a Chacta gives the Jonglero everything he has to do his medicine; but if the sick man dies, the relatives attribute his death to the healer's imperfection or malignity, and often make him pay with life his impostures. Some of these often have knowledge of several very effective plants to cure the diseases of this country (...) The Chactas are very afraid of those who call themselves sorcerers, and when they find one of these impostors, they kill them without any formality. When I found myself in the Mobila, one was called a sorcerer was beaten to death, because all the misfortunes of his nation were attributed to him.»

The Alibamons

«They recognize a supreme Being, whom they call Sulbieche; having asked them what idea they had of the other life, they told me that those who have not stolen the woman of others, have not stolen, or died to anyone, will go after their death to a country in extreme fertile, where they will not lack women or parages of their own for hunting, and that they will have everything at their disposal; but that if they have been unpleasant, they will be mocked, (...) They bury their departed seated, giving for reason that man was born to have a head straight to heaven. (...) They put a pipe and tobacco on him to smoke and make peace with the people of the other world. When one kills himself or for despair or for not suffering any disease, they do not bury him and throw him into the river, because this is for a cowardice (...) By the time of the harvest, which is the month of July, they make a great feast: on this solemn day, they pass without eating, light the new fire so that the Jongleros will do their ceremonies, then purify and offer their Manitus the first fruits, concluding the day with religious dances.(...)»

Santerias

It is relevant to mention the colonial consequence of miscegenation, which is not only racial, as it would be approached from the biological point of view, but above all it responds to socio-cultural exchange. As an example we can take the so-called Santeria which, in general terms, is considered a set of elements that make up Catholicism and the Yoruba traditions that imported the black slaves captured in Nigeria and transferred to Cuba.

This conjugation of religious systems continues to be practiced to this day in various parts of Latin America, and is not only governed by devotion to the saints identified with the orishas, but also implies a priestly hierarchy. A clear example of contaminating magic is when, for the initiation of a priest, he is given a certain number of necklaces during the rite, which will allow him to represent a certain number of orishas and be in contact with them through the sacrifice of goats or another animal. These beliefs and practices also imply that the resolution of certain problems, such as restoring health to someone who requested it, is due to the fact that the spirit of his ancestors was invoked and the offering was brought to the indicated orishá. This is imitative magic and implies animistic beliefs.

White magic

White magic, as opposed to black magic, seeks the prosperity of the individual and is beneficial. This type of magic includes spells and spells of different types to improve crops, attract rain, good herbs to maintain health or attract cures for diseases, protective amulets and talismans. It is used to ward off bad luck. It was an official magic in many historical eras.

Black magic

The Theodosian Code promulgates, for the first time, a law against the practice of magic, in 429. In 534, the second Justinian Code prohibits consulting astrologers, magicians and fortune tellers because magic is a "depraved profession". The Council of Ancyra or Council of Elvira, in 306, declares that killing through a spell is a sin and the work of the devil. The Council of Laodicea requests, in 360, the excommunication of anyone who practices witchcraft, divination, astrology and magic. It is with Christianity that the manipulation of occult forces, traditionally in male hands - the only ones with enough power to perform beneficial spells -, become consecrated to female hands, the only ones capable of performing malignant spells, which opens the doors for Europe to enter, in the Middle Ages, at the time of the witch hunt, since witches are the only ones capable of performing black magic having agreed with the Devil.

Animisms

Animism encompasses various beliefs in which personalized supernatural beings (or spirits) inhabit animate and inanimate objects. Although within this conception there are multiple variants of the phenomenon.

The Dance of «Magos Prastigiatores» in Virginia according to book engraving «Admiranda narratio fida tamen, de commodis et incolarvm ritibvs Virginiæ» by Theodor de Bry and Thomas Hariot.

Shamanism

Shamanism or shamanism refers to a class of traditional beliefs and practices similar to animism that ensure the ability to diagnose and cure human suffering and, in some societies, the ability to cause it. System that gave rise to various cults and religions and whose origin dates back to the Stone Age. The shaman is a kind of healer, with special magical powers.

Candomblé

System similar to Voodoo popular in Brazil. It consists of the invocation of certain deities called Orixás.

Voodoo

Popular system in Haiti. Similar to Candomblé.

Umbanda

Fusion of Afro-Brazilian religions, especially Candomblé, with Kardecist spiritualism, with the latter predominating. It differs from candomblé, too, for considering various types of orixás as spirits of dead people.

Quimbanda

Magic system that deals with the invocation of entities called exus, being able to do both good and evil with the help of these entities.

Wicca

It is a neo-pagan religion billed as a 'renaissance' of the ancient religion of witchcraft and started by Gerald Gardner. Wiccan magic is especially supported by ancient manuscripts, grimoires and books of ancestral magic, which its founder, Gerald Gardner, collected and studied for years. He possessed a mysterious book of symbols, from which he extracted great information, which was believed to be lost or destroyed by the inquisition. Like Gardner, many priestesses, such as Patricia Crowther, studied grimoires and witchcraft books in depth, bringing to light the magical symbols of witch runes. It has been reformed by many non-traditional practitioners and covens. who are not comfortable with Gardner's early teachings. An eclecticism, in which most of its practitioners use magic carefully in aid of human evolution.

Many Wiccans first resort to the use of oracles to see if it is appropriate to perform magic in a certain situation. As one of its main means of divination are the witch runes, which unlike the tarot, its origin is totally Wiccan. Magick in Wicca is defined as the art of sending consciousness at will, sometimes backing up these thoughts or faith with objects or herbs that represent the intent of the Wiccan Wizard.

Classical magic, theosophy and new contemporary magic

Contemporary magic finds its roots in the work of insiders like Eliphas Levi and Papus. Theosophy, or modern Theosophy, has as one of its founders Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, who went in search of the East for the source of its philosophical system. This system is not presented exactly as the systems used by magic scholars, moreover, it intends to transmit the universal esoteric knowledge that would be contained in all philosophical or religious traditions. Blavatsky considers, for example, that all men are magicians in the ultimate sense of the word, since all can use the divine creative power, be it through thought, word or action.

Sex magic

Diverse systems are grouped in sexual magic: Thelemite, Gnostic, etc., which must certainly be differentiated from Tantra with which it has some points of relationship. The basis of these systems is the concept that sex is sacred.

Sex magic is divided into several different and divergent systems. Some of them derive from the system originally developed by Paschal Beverly Randolph and later by Theodor Reuss in the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) and by Aleister Crowley, by Kenneth Grant and by the artist Austin Osman Spare. We cite among the various systems of sexual magic:

• Ansarieth: Created by the Ansarichs or Alauitas (in English: Ansaireth or Ainda Nusairis) in ancient Syria
• Eulis: Created by Pascal Beverly Randolph, an initiate between the Alauitas
• O.T.O. System.: Sexual magic system that has some connection with some branches of East Tantra
• Saturni Fraternite System: derived from O.T.O.
• Maatlian System: Created by dissidents from O.T.O.
• System da O. T. O. A.: Derived from O.T.O., makes use of astral sexual magic practices
• Caos: Magical system that includes "autosexual magic"
• Universal Christian Gnostic Moment: A highly ascetic sexual magic system founded by the neo-gnostic Samael Even Weor
• TAO: Universal Christian Tao Church S.O.S. Movement of Interocean Rescue: Created by Kelium Zeus and his son Samel Joab Bathor Weor.
• T.O.T.O. Thelemica Tifoniana current developed by Kenneth Grant.
• Zos Kia Cultus. Sorcery system invented by A.O.S.
• La Couleuvre Noire: Modern Vodoun Cult that uses sexual magic along with the Odysian current, directed by Michael Bertiaux.
• Dharmic sex: Holo-orgasmic Meditation and Eco-Tantra. Contemporary current developed by the author and occultist Yhao Hani.

Thelema

Philosophy, cult or religion, depending on your point of view, created by Aleister Crowley from the Liber AL vel Legis ('book of the law'). With the reception of this book, a new era began, the Aeon of Horus, where the human being is perceived as the center of his own universe. θελημα thelema, in Greek, means will.

Samael Aun Weor

The Colombian Víctor Manuel Gómez R. (Samael Aun Weor), founder of the Universal Christian Gnostic Movement, taking sexual magic as one of the fundamental pillars of what he called the «revolution of consciousness». The main characteristic of it is what the author himself calls "revolutionary asceticism of the Age of Aquarius." According to the author, metaphysically, his process consists of "intelligent mixing of sexual desire with spiritual enthusiasm." This consists, in short, in the connection of the male and female genital organs called by the terms ioni and lingam (in the Sanskrit language), avoiding orgasm, both male and female. feminine, the loss of semen and transmuting, through processes indicated in his books, the semen into energy, light and consciousness.

Ordo Templi Orientis

The Ordo Templi Orientis, founded by Theodor Reuss and Karl Kellner at the beginning of the XX century was initially based on the application of sexual tantra with a structure reminiscent of Freemasonry. When the English occultist Aleister Crowley was admitted to this Order, his rituals and basic philosophy were reformulated to be interpreted and worked under the so-called law of thelema. The O.T.O. ended up being the origin of various dissidents that took different perspectives on magic. Among the dissidences that carry out work considered serious, we can mention the Ordo Templi Orientis Antiqua (O.T.O.A.) and the Ordo Templi Orientis Tifoniana (Typhonyan O.T.O. or TOTO).

Luciferic Magic

Saturni Fraternitas System. It is a system similar to that of OTO, centralizing its practices in sexual magic (especially in the practices of the "path of the left") and in ritual magic. The main difference in relation to the O.T.O. it is that, while it seeks individualized fusion with creative energy, as its central idea, the Fraternitas Saturni seeks to elevate the human spirit to a condition of divinity, represented by Lucifer. The system has 33 degrees.

Enochian Magic

Enochian magic is a symbolically complex system, consisting of the evocation of Enochian angels, discovered by astrologer John Dee and his seer, Edward Kelley. The system was later studied by the Golden Dawn Golden Dawn and by Aleister Crowley.

Music Magic

Created by renowned occultist, Juanita Wescott, a scholar of the Franz Bardon system. The system of musical magic makes use of secrecy and cabal.

A descriptive example of the psychology, philosophy and rituals of magic

Voodoo flag.

Magic is a set of rituals whose objective is to control the attributes of universal spirits, supernatural entities. Knowledge of magic allows direct (evocation) or indirect (invocation) communication with one or more deities or forces that have powers over natural laws. The spirits summoned during the ritual are obliged to comply with the magician's requests, as long as he knows his name or his attributes, or, equivalently, the lines that describe them are represented. In this case, the strokes are equivalent to pronouncing their names, pronouncing their name or 'writing it' they are one and the same thing and therefore have the same effect.

In magic several rituals are used that can be classified in different ways, however the most appropriate to undertake its explanation is the one that separates the rituals by the exposure procedure, then going on to differentiate the invocation rituals and the evocation rituals.

The evocation

The evocation is a summons for the called entity to appear, in which the magician directly demands that the entity comply with his wishes (within the 'legitimacy' of the ritual), either through threats or pleas. The first objective of a magician when he performs the evocation is to try to get the entity to reveal its attributes (powers) as well as its traces (signs), since in the future he can achieve the same purposes by resorting exclusively to the invocation. The evocation entails many risks since other spirits that have not been summoned by the magician can attend the entity, or even appear before the entity (or sent by it) and make the magician believe that it is the entity claimed. For this reason, the magician must begin every evocation by drawing the magical pentagram, which will protect him and from which he must not leave until the entity has been dismissed. He must also be cautious in his dealings with the entity, as he will always tend to deceive the magician or agree to his requests under a pact, a mistake that beginners often make.

During the evocation, the magician demands the precise description to achieve his objectives, since the objective will rarely be requested at the moment, but pursuing the idea of repeating it at will and at the precise moment that the magician requires, could lead to carry out your plans. All the required procedure will be reflected in the future in what the invocation entails.

The Invocation

The invocation is a request for compliance, there is no appearance of any entity, and formally it is very similar to the formula that is exposed in religions as prayers, with the difference that if the ritual is correctly formulated, it is expected that is actually fulfilled. The invocation is exhibited through amulets, and talismans. As explained, once the magician has obtained a precise description of the entity to achieve his objectives, the magician dismisses the entity and will get to work in the elaboration of the talisman, once elaborated, a more ritual simple (this is the invocation) stimulates the talisman to take on the effect that the signs and formulas engraved on the talisman describe. In this case, the ritual consists of prayers and formulations, where the magician introduces himself, praises the entity, reminds him of his duty and demands that he give the desired effect to the talisman that has been built following the indications that the entity described.

Means of contact

Rituals usually have two aspects for the magician to contact the entity, and often both subsist at the same time, one aspect is the pronunciation out loud, the other is the engravings.

When the magician uses the voice, his pronunciation must be correct, otherwise, as in any other language, one thing can be indicated instead of the desired one, which can be very dangerous for the magician. One of the things that a magician who wants to contact the entity by voice, must do at the beginning will be to claim the teaching and knowledge of the language or language to communicate properly and safely with the entity.

Engravings must always use elaborate inks as required by the entity, and the precision of the line must comply with what we would define today as according to topography definitions (the accuracy of the form matters more than the accuracy of the measurements), as well as the rest of the utensils that the magician needs to make everything he requires.

Consecration of the Magician's Tools

The utensils used by the magician must be consecrated, this implies several things:

• They must be collected (when they are natural as plants) or produced (shells, medallions, inks) on the dates in which the entity governs, considered both annual and daily and timetable - time of day - which requires by the magician certain knowledge also of astrology.
• Before starting each act, a prayer must be recited in which it is requested that in the object or utensil all the virtues in them be plastered.
• Thus prepared objects and utensils should never have another use than that intended for magic rituals.
• Although it is not essential it is advised that it is the magician who produces all the utensils and collects all the objects he uses, in order to ensure the proper observance of the rest of the rules.

The Wizard's Oath

The magician when assisted by a master agrees to take an oath and keep it. The magician is thus forced to comply with it to the letter, since in his absence evils are attributed to him or attracted by his non-compliance. To the extent that the magician becomes aware of the reality in his practices, he in turn becomes aware of the need to fulfill his oath.

Each teacher can impose different rules or the same rules with slight differences, however, the rule that states that the aspirant will never clearly reveal the knowledge acquired under pain against his soul for eternity is always obligatory, nor will reveal or have as a disciple, any aspirant who is not deserving. That is why the teacher delays the revelation of the highest secrets long enough so that he can know if the aspirant will be deserving or not. Many of the applicants who have been rejected in some state of knowledge are those who are in a position to practice witchcraft (if they wish), that is, any type of magic limited in knowledge.

The greatest difficulty in knowing magic is that in order to make the first evocation where the magician or aspiring magician can evoke the desired entity and obtain its favors, it consists precisely in the fact that it requires knowing its name, stroke and evocation ritual as well as knowing in depth the dangers he faces and how to protect himself against them, by virtue of the oath, implies that without a teacher any aspirant could dedicate a large part of his life to solving these enigmas by his own means, without a guide to help him. solve those first doubts.

Once a magician successfully evokes an entity, he can claim the knowledge he requires from it and thus advance on his path, always of course, exposed to the danger of deception. Even in that case, the entity requires the masterless adept to take an oath of non-disclosure.

Magic Today

Nowadays, in the modern world, it is very common to believe that magic exists. The idea of magic is commonly used in many places, mainly books, stories, tales, animation or others, in which magic appears as an extraordinary power to modify or manipulate nature at will. Likewise, since the XIX century, shows by magicians and illusionists have been a constant in the performing arts, where a tacit pact between viewers and artists through which they "pretend it" he has supernatural powers with which he impresses a presumably gullible audience through tricks.

January 31 was declared the day of the magician, chosen for being the date on which Saint John Bosco, patron saint of magicians, died in 1888 in Turin.

Complementary bibliography

• Martínez-Conde, Susana and Macknik, Stephen L., "Magia y cerebro", Research and Science390, March 2009, pp. 32-39.