Fundamental Topics in the Study of Magic
Because the
study of magic is such a vast area of study, we
break it down into seven separate areas of study for your convenience. Each
of these areas is discussed in further detail in later sections.
Return to main article "How to Study Magic"
The Four Elements of Air, Fire, Water and
Earth
There are many paths to developing magical and
shamanic abilities. At the foundation of all these paths, though, is
an understanding of the four elements of magic: air, fire, water and
earth. One of the basic tenets of magical studies is that everything
in this Universe is made up of some combination of these four
elements, and if you understand and know how to work with these
elements, you can understand (and create) anything you desire.
That's why four element magic is the first area of
study for our apprentices - it is at the heart of everything in the
Universe, including magical powers and abilities. For instance, you
can develop clairvoyance and telepathy, which is access to knowledge
not available to the five senses, by developing and working with
your water element. Water, being the language of Spirit, allows you
to access almost any information (or emotions) at a Spiritual level.
Another ability, levitation, is the result of increasing your air
element and decreasing your earth element. And telekinesis is the
ability to channel your fire energy toward a specific object. For
instance, we teach our students to begin using their telekinetic
ability by throwing firebolts at a candle flame. They know they have
begun to develop that ability when they can make the flame jump and
split by pointing their finger at it.
Beyond the development of these psychic or magical
abilities, however, the four elements help us develop and follow our
birth visions, listen to our Spirit guidance, and
generally live more creative and peaceful lives. By understanding the basic "makeup" and
laws that drive our Universe, we can learn to go with the
flow rather than swim upstream. This is the true benefit of four element
magic.
Is the development of magical abilities great fun?
Absolutely! It's useful, too, for self-defense, personal power and
more. But it's also the beginning of a deep understanding of the
driving forces of life. It's a strong first step onto the path of
direct knowledge and spiritual scientism.
When the shamans were
kicked out of the tribe centuries ago, the world lost access to such
direct knowledge. Now we need the shamans more than ever, and we
invite you to step on this path by studying the four elements of
magic!
To study
the four elements, Click HERE for the Four Element
Courses.
Click here to study more about
the Element Air.
Click HERE to study more
about the Element Fire.
Click HERE to study more
about the Element Water.
Click HERE to study more
about the Element Earth.
Back to the Top of the Page
Hand Magic and Self Defense
As magicians, it's
important to study the area of self-defense carefully since we have
considerable power and force. The inappropriate use of that power
and force can cause Universal backlash. We must be especially
careful to control our tempers and not use our abilities reactively.
According to Western magical practice, "You have a right to be here
and follow your own path so long as you hinder no one else in doing
likewise." This foundational principle asserts our right to exist
and follow our own path and by extension, our right to defend
ourselves against those who might seek to prevent us from walking
our path.
As you grow in magical ability, you will inevitably
attract beings on different levels that seek to interfere with your
path in some way. Writer Clarissa Estes, author of Women Who Run
With the Wolves, so accurately states, "If you have beauty in your
life, know that it will attract the dark as well as the light. Don't
be surprised. Be prepared."
Here's a good rule of thumb to use when it comes to
self-defense: "In cases of direct and violent personal harm you are
entitled to defend yourself by any means available, provided you did
nothing to encourage or provoke the attack."
To study magical self defense, check out the Magical
Self Defense Course.
Back to the Top of the Page
Basic Magical Tools
Firebowl, Wand, Athame, Chalice
and Plate
Firebowl
Throughout history almost every spiritual,
magical and religious system on earth has used the Firebowl
(sometimes called a "thurible"). While it has primarily been used
for cleansing and purification of areas, people and objects, the
Firebowl can also be used as an aid to meditation or divination. To find out more about the how the Firebowl is used for magical purposes...
Learn more about
the Firebowl
Learn more about our Firebowl
ebook
Order our Firebowl ebook
Wand
As Magicians, we use the Wand as an extension
of our own energies. Contrary to much of the popular literature, the Wand is an Air tool and not a Fire tool, meaning it can handle only Air energies. Like the tools for the other three elements, the Wand
magnifies our "reach" since it can handle more air energies than we
can with our hands. The Wand is a great tool to start with since it
can't do as much damage as other tools, such as the Athame (magical
knife). The Wand allows beginners to practice many techniques that
more advanced magicians would do barehanded, or with an Athame.
Magicians and shamans use the Wand for communication,
healing and shielding. Unlike what is portrayed in Harry Potter
movies, the Wand is only one of many magical tools, and can only
handle air energies. Throwing lightning bolts or other types of fire energy through your Wand will
cause it catch fire! To find out more about the Wand, how to make a
Wand, how to store and protect your Wand, how to personalize your
Wand so only you can use it, and how to use a Wand for magical and
shamanic purposes.
Learn more about the Wand
Learn more about our Wand ebook
Order our Wand ebook
Athame
Like the other magical tools, we use the
Athame to extend our own energies and magnify power. The Athame is
the magical tool of the Fire element. Many of the magical procedures performed with the Wand
in Harry Potter movies should actually be performed with the Athame,
which easily handles all color bands of Fire energy.
The Athame is commonly used by
magicians for firebolts, lightning bolts, shielding, healing,
banishments and self defense. It is also used to create sacred space
and full cast circles for ritual. Like other tools, your Athame should be "keyed" or
personalized to your own energies, so that only you can use it. To
find out how to select, key, store, protect and use your Athame for
magical and shamanic purposes.
Learn more
about the Athame
Learn more about our Athame ebook
Order our Athame ebook
Chalice
The Chalice is the tool of the Water
element, and Water is the language of Spirit, so the Chalice could
properly be said to be the tool of communication with Spirit.
Magicians and shamans use the Chalice for scrying, divination,
psychic communication, healing, creating sacred space, purification,
ceremony, ritual and blessing.Unknown to most, the Chalice is also effective for
self-defense against certain kinds of entities, and can be used with
the Plate (the Earth element tool) for shielding and protection.
Like the other magical tools, your Chalice should be
properly selected and keyed to your own energies. To find out how to
select, key, store, protect and use your Chalice for magical and
shamanic purposes.
Learn more
about the Chalice
Learn more about our Chalice ebook
Order our Chalice ebook
Plate
The tool of the Earth element, the Plate is a
magical tool commonly used for shielding, healing, protection and
self-defense. Also known as the "pantacle," the Plate is a powerful
healing tool, capable of knitting and healing broken bones in a
matter of hours.
The Plate is often used in conjunction with other
magical tools for protection and shielding, such as during Tarot
readings, divination or scrying. The Plate can also protect and
shield magical tools, such as Tarot decks and pendulums, when they
are not in use.
To find out how to select, key, protect and use your
Plate magically.
Learn more
about the Plate
Learn more about our Plate ebook
Order our Firebowl ebook
Back to the Top of the Page
Divination
Fortune tellers, psychics, palmists,
intuitive healers, shamans and magicians all use the art of
divination. Divination is the art of accessing information that is
not directly available to the five senses.
There are many forms of divination, including direct
and indirection divination. Examples of divination include the Tarot, I-Ching,
pendulum, scrying in water bowl or Chalice, and the Firebowl. Each
of these forms of divination is suitable for different purposes.
Some, like the Tarot, are good for deciphering complex situations
that include a lot of different factors and influences (such as
stopping legislation from passing in Congress). Others, like the
pendulum, are useful for simple and direct answers, such as whether
a certain herb will be useful for your healing.
Tarot
The Tarot is a powerful and practical magical
tool for divination and spellwork and working the Tree of Life, and is one of the core arts in
the study of magic. The underlying symbology and concepts found in
the Tarot go back thousands of years. For instance, in the early
Christian Church, around 600 AD, the priests had little memo cards
with pictures on them. The gypsies also used similar cards. The old
emerald tablets in Egypt also had pictures of plates and discs.
These concepts are very old but they are at the root of modern day
tarot card meanings.
Because there are so many different decks, spreads and
card meanings out there, it can be difficult to know where to begin. We recommend starting with the Waite-Rider deck, which is a
straightforward deck with practical symbology. The cards are easy to
interpret and it takes the least amount of time to learn the
meanings.
We've discovered that two basic Tarot spreads or
layouts, a simple way to interpret cards and a basic history of the
Tarot is all you need to become a proficient reader. From there, you
can branch out to using other decks, such as the Thoth deck. To get
a comprehensive, basic start in the Tarot.
Check out our Tarot Home Study Course
Order our Tarot Home Study Course
Back to the Top of the Page
Sonics
Sonics is the study of sound to produce
magical effects in ourselves or the world around us. Sound of any
kind is a form of energy that creates physical, mental, emotional
and spiritual effects. We are affected by sounds even if we can't
hear them, including ultra-sonics (sounds too high for our ears to
pick up) and sub-sonics (sounds too low for our ears to hear).
Navajo healing singers understand the effects of sound (or sonics) and can heal mental, physical and emotional conditions
using only sound. These singers may use voice, rattles, flutes and
drums. Their work demonstrates one of the most advanced uses of
sonics.
Back to the Top of the Page
Spellwork
A spell is any psychic or magical
operation that combines a number of elements (air, fire, water and
earth) and/or program factors that produce a particular result over
a period of time. A spell could also be defined as a formalized
intention that is carried out over time until completion. We use
spells when we are unable to directly affect a situation or
condition, especially when dealing with complex factors or barriers
which require a lot of force to overcome.
By the above definition, chants, litanies, sonics,
voodoo dolls (simulacra magic) and directors and limiters are all
spells. Prayers are also spells. Spells are energy matrices
programmed to build momentum and overcome obstacles until the end
goal is manifested. Unless otherwise programmed with directors and
limiters, spells take the path of least resistance to the goal.
While the goal may be appropriate relative to Rules of the Road, the
path of the spell may be highly destructive (and not appropriate
according to Rules of the Road).
According to Seven Arrows research, when the entire
civilized world prayed that something would rescue Germany from the
inflationary depression after World War I (because it was dragging
everyone down economically) without specifying what or how, those
prayers brought Hitler to power. Hitler tried twice before to take
power but failed both times. At the same time, the Jews were
fervently praying to return to the Holy Land. However, at the time
the Jewish population was too large to successfully return to the
Holy Land (they would have been killed off by the Arabs) - only a
small population could successfully return. The Jewish prayer tied
into the prayers that brought Hitler to power, and by the path of
least resistance Hitler's methods reduced the Jewish population so
that their prayer of returning to the Holy Land could be
realized.
A person involved in a meditation group, which taught
people to get what they wanted using white light had similar
trouble. The meditation group taught people to put the thing they
wanted to manifest on a bulletin board and sit there imagining what
it would be like to have it, holding in mind no harm. A woman with a
difficult life wanted to pay off her house and car and receive a
reliable income. She took a picture of her mortgage and wrote "paid"
on it. She did the same thing with the car, and then asked for
$250.00 free and clear. When she was asked whether she was worried
about how this manifestation would come about she replied that she
was not. Then, her husband who had been a very stable person,
instead of going to work one day stopped at the liquor store to buy
liquor, bought a gun and killed himself. The life insurance paid off
the house and car, and gave the woman $250.00 free and clear. He was
the weakest link in the chain so, by taking the path of least
resistance, the spell worked through him.
Before designing or launching any spell you must be
very clear on the use of directors and limiters, basic magical
operational laws and the terminology involved with spellwork. Remember, the Universe
doesn't care what you intend to do just what you actually do. Magic
is a precision science and altered procedures produce altered
results!
Back to the Top of the Page
To access the other topics in this series, click the
links below to jump to that section.
Included in each of these sections are links to ebooks
and resources for further and deeper study.
|
