Does magic still have a role in Paganism?

I've never really identified myself as a Pagan. I think of myself as an occultist, when it comes to my spirituality, and I'd have to say that what primarily defines my spirituality is my practice of magic. To my perspective and experience with Pagans, there's been a tendency to treat magic as a religious practice. It's not a primary concern, and as such it hasn't surprised me when I see blog entries such as this one, which shows the deepening awareness that some pagans are turning away from magic. I think the reason for that is due to a desire to be perceived as a legitimate religion, and because magic always carries a stigma with it, some pagans want to divest themselves of it, and embrace more traditional religious trappings. Then too, the traditionalism that grips a lot of Pagan practices strikes me as similar to the fundamentalism that I've encountered in Christianity. I've encountered pagan fundamentalism at various times and usually it's been a reaction to magical practices that didn't toe the traditional line of thought and inquiry.

It seems to me there is a definite subcultural difference between occultists and pagans, as it applies to magic's place in spirituality, and for that matter experimentation with magic. When there is drive by some pagans to remove magic altogether from the equation, it seems like their also taking an essential part of Paganism out as well. But then again, are they really if magic is more of a secondary concern in paganism?

I couldn't imagine a life without magic or magical practices. For me, my spirituality is my magical practice, with all that entails. I've always identified as a magician and an occultist as opposed to a pagan, because of my own negative experiences with pagans. While the majority of experiences have actually been good, the experiences where pagans tried to naysay my approach and practice of magic have been experiences that demonstrated that what's really important is not the label so much as the practice, but that people will use your practice to label you and if they don't like what they see, they will attack it.

Does magic still have a role in paganism? It's up to the pagans who practice it to make a case for it. I hope they do, because I think getting rid of magic is getting rid of part of what has made different pagan traditions what they are.

Making an offering

When I was eighteen I made an offering to the elemental spirits and every so often I make offerings to different spirits I work with. Sometimes the offering is an exchange of one service for another, but sometimes its just to make an offering, with no strings attached. The reason I make the offerings is to show respect, but it's also sometimes a release of attachment. An offering gives you a chance to give something that has meaning, but also release you from that meaning. The other day I took my old wedding ring and the handfasting cord off the wall and decided to make an offering to the elemental spirits. I no longer felt a sentimental attachment to either object and I realized I needed to let go of them, to let go of whatever lingering emotions there were that were attached to the objects in question. I took a walk with both objects and found a place where I could make my offering to the elements...and I made it.

The release was palpable, as was the response, a surge of energy that shot up my body after the offering was made. A sure sign of approval as any, and also a release for me. They accepted the two objects, accepted the meaning associated with them, and accepted the value of the release of those objects for me.

How I like experimental magic to other people's practices

Recently when I taught a class on Space at Pantheacon, one of the issues I had to address was how my focus on space could actually be converted to other people's more traditional practices of magic. I'll be the first to admit I'm not a traditional magician by any means, although I am well versed in ceremonial magic and other traditional approaches. Still a glance at my book Multi-Media Magic, or any of my other books wouldn't necessarily convey how my approaches could fit into or apply to more traditional approaches to magic. Nonetheless all of my books are based in part on my own background in ceremonial magic. The main difference is that I've looked to outside inspiration for a lot of my workings. So in Multi-Media Magic I've combined my interest of acting methods with traditional techniques for invocation, and I've looked at how art can be used for effective evocation of entities. To me that's part of what magic is about: It's taking those creative activities we already do and integrating them into our magical work.

My writing and my experimentation is driven by what fascinates me. I have a boundless curiosity as it applies to the world around me and to what other people are doing. But I'm also interested in how all of it can be meaningfully applied to magical work and that's what my writing is about. I think any of the concepts and practices I discuss can be applied to more traditional approaches to magic. For example, my workshop in space focused on how we define ritual space as well as what we bring into it. By helping the participants understand space from a creative perspective, I was able to provide insights into how movement and arrangement of space could play a role in creating an effective sacred space for ritual.

If you haven't read my books, consider giving them a try. They will provide new insights into your magical work and perspectives and sources for you to look at that don't necessarily fall into the usual resources you'd draw on. But those non-traditional resources can provide some useful ways of thinking about magical work and the processes we use.

My model of space time magic

I've been doing a lot of thinking about my own model for space and time, prompted in part by the elemental working I've been doing, but also by writing Neuro-Space/Time Magic. Some of the inspiration for this model is derived from Oryelle's book a Brief Hirstory of Time and some of it is derived from some experimentation with Quantum selves (See the article by Andrieh Vitimus in Magic on the Edge for more information). A lot of it however is derived from my own experimentations and explorations of time and space as separate, but related elements. There's a tendency to conflate time and space as being one and the same, no doubt due to a combination of pop culture and physics, but I've never really been satisfied with that kind of perspective. I accept that time moves through and marks the changing of space, but I also think space has its own characteristics that define time, and that what really changes is not the space itself, but rather the movement through space. There's a fine distinction there, which I explore a lot more in the new book.

When I think about working with space and time now, I tend to think of a 3 dimensional web that goes in all directions. Each nodal point on the web is a space, and that space can be defined as an event, a person, a place, etc. that has influence on the center nodal point, which is the magician. The strands that connect the nodal points are the movements of time, both in terms of memory and imagination, which are how we access the past and future respectively. The magician uses the strands to access other nodal points and influence them, but necessarily must also recognize that s/he is also influenced by those nodal points.

That's a rough picture of the model. There's a lot more to say, but it's for the forthcoming book.

What's missing from academic inquiries into magic

I'm currently reading A Cognitive Theory of Magic (affiliate link) by Jesper Sorenson and the Anthropology of Magic (affiliate link) by Susan Greenwood. So far, they are fascinating reads, but in looking over their bibliography I find myself annoyed because in their effort to comment on magic the only sources they have pulled from are academic sources, and they have not even done a complete survey of that body of literature. But most importantly they have not also drawn on what occultists actually have to say about magic. Greenwood, being an actual practitioner, has no real excuse for not doing this, but Sorenson also doesn't have an excuse because he hasn't even drawn on contemporary academic examinations of magic. Actually neither of them have, instead drawing on the academic work of scholars from the early to  late twentieth century. Certainly it's good they are drawing on those sources, but both authors have done something I see occur in a lot of academic work on magic, namely limited themselves in drawing on very specific sources, while ignoring others. It's an academic tactic I'm familiar from my own days in the institution and paradoxically there's also this cry to be "rigorous" and thorough in drawing on available sources.

However even looking at the academic works of people who practice magic, we see more of a focus on pagan academic studies than occult or esoteric studies. And while that is still a good development, the pagan focus as it pertains to magic is more of a religious approach and less of a practical approach.

The aforementioned authors are focused on discussing the practical application of magic and where it fits into civilization, or lack thereof, but there's always this curious lack of inquiry into the actual occult texts that are available. I've seen it in other academic texts as well. There's lots of commentary on what other academics had to say about magic, but little to no commentary on what occultists might have to say on the subject. To claim authority in defining magic there necessarily needs to be familiarity with the entire field of study, which means drawing on a wide variety of sources that aren't academic, but also involves doing a thorough reading of the available academic literature. I'd like to see more of that kind of rigor in academic works on magic.

Bune update

My latest Bune update: I'm definitely getting more business opportunities than I was getting before. While some of this is due to my own efforts, I've also had several situations occur last minute that I've attributed to Bune's influence. Those last minute opportunities have also lead to some future business opportunities that look promising. What I'm also noticing is fresh inspiration when it comes to my marketing, services I offer and other business related ideas, both in terms of my business and social media coaching and in terms of what I'm doing with Magical Experiments as a brand. Some of that creativity is inspired by Bune and some of it is inspired by being in a non-toxic environment. More than anything, I'm inspired to continue on this journey of self-employment which fits me better than anything else I've ever done. It's not an easy journey, a lot of the time and it has its share of frustration, but it is a journey where I am responsible for all of it and what I choose to do about it. Bune has emphasized this in his own way. He's not closing potential sales for me. He's just making me aware of opportunities and opening doors for me. I have to decide if I'll go through those doors and be responsible for the consequences of doing or not doing so.

And there's definitely a relationship here, much as there is with any other entity I work with. I mention that because I think its so important to recognize the full extent of what it really means to actually work with any entity. It's not simply a matter of evoking an entity and sending it off on some task. There's a relationship involved, ideally one of mutual respect, and to really work with an entity means mapping out what it will mean to create and sustain that relationship on both ends. Working with Bune, or any other entity has never been a casual affair for me, but rather a commitment to how we can truly help each other and in a sense know each other as well.

Weather magic on a dial

When Kat and I were driving back from Bend recently we both focused on doing a bit of weather magic to help us get through Mt. Hood before the weather got cold enough to turn rain into sleet or snow, and wet roads into ice. I made an observation to Kat that it'd be interesting to attach an association link to the cool/heat dial for your car's air conditioning/heating. When you adjusted the dial, you'd metaphysically adjust the weather as well. By creating an association with the dial, you'd also automate part of the process involved in doing weather magic. It was, as I mentioned, an observation, but its those kind of observations that come to me that lead to some kind of experimentation to see if the observation can be implemented into a practical magical working. I'd note that such a dial could not "control" weather per se, but rather would be used to work with specific weather possibilities, such as strengthening the possibility that the weather would stay at a specific temperature or increasing the possibility of rain (or decreasing). Weather magic, much as with magic in general, is all about working with possibilities and influencing the outcome that a specific possibility will become an actual reality.

Book reviews

The Octavo (affiliate link) by Peter Carroll

Reading the Octavo is kind of a rehash of some of Peter Carroll's other ideas, but at the same time is a clear extension of where he has developed those ideas to a level of sophistication that mathematically proves his points. The Octavo isn't an easy read, and I recommend doing some research into the technical jargon that Carroll uses, but underneath the jargon the reader will find a concise explanation of specific magical concepts and how those magical concepts fit into our particular universe. It's worth a read, especially for the magician who is focused on practical magical work.

Four out of five.

Drumming the Spirit to Life by Buddy Helms now published

We've just published Drumming the Spirit to Life by Buddy Helms. You can order the book on the Immanion Press website or on here. Below is a picture of the cover and a description of the book:

Drumming the Spirit to Life” is about why people drum. Drumming has affected all cultures and is an indispensable tool for healing, joy, evolution, and community. Russell Buddy Helm’s drumming journey includes pictures and some simple explanations of technique without the need of musical training or paralyzing self-criticism.

Rhythm is our old friend that we will always need for healing and to help us celebrate. We can’t help but develop an eager interest in drumming as a tool for personal growth and wisdom. There is humor and excitement in this type of drumming, and acceptance, regardless of the individual’s musical ability.

Those already drumming can use this book as a reference for improvisation. There are no wrong notes. The Downbeat, a New Orleans jazz term, unites everyone in our common world grooves. Rhythm is our most ancient survival tool. There is encouragement for the beginner and also the advanced players. Scientific insights show how rhythm affects our minds and bodies, yet exists outside the intellect, residing in our hearts and our souls, always forgiving, ready to be played so share the groove!

Bending the rules

Bending the rules is an important part of a magical working. I think it's one of the main motivators as well, because are applying magic to a situation in order to solve it. Watch the video to learn more.

Dynorphin and Secretin

Dynorphin appeared as a snake. He explained that he can act as a painkiller, causing numbness where there's pain, and is particularly useful to call on when a person has just been hurt. However he can also be used to cause pain or rather make people aware of pain. Dynorphin is also responsible for appetite control and temperature regulation. Secretin appeared as a pair of eyes. She explained that she helps to regulate the stomach and pancreas, specifically the production of digestive fluids, and also helps with damaged connections in those areas of the body by providing lubrication for them.

Tarot card readings with two decks

Calyxa Omphalos, who created the Elemental Hexagon deck, told me about this concept of using two tarot decks to do readings at Pantheacon. I thought I would give it a try recently, and I was very pleased with the results. I used the elemental hexagon deck and also Ray Buckland's alchemy deck. I interspeced the cards I laid down from the elemental hexagon deck with the alchemy cards I laid down, using the alchemy cards as connectors. What I found was that the connector cards naturally seemed to enhance the cards that were being used for the main reading. They provided complementary information that helped support the overall reading. It was also interesting to use two different sets of cards in conjunction with each other, particularly because with these cards it was as if I was forming specific equations (which could be really useful for using cards from the enchantment end of things).

I have to admit that just using the elemental hexagon deck has been very effective, but I also think its pretty to novel to use more than one deck for a reading, and what I liked about this approach is that it managed to fit into the theme of both decks, in terms of symbolic representation of processes the cards depict. I'd suggest that if possible it's a good idea to do this kind of reading/enchantment work with two sets of tarot cards that have complementary themes.

I'll report more as I continue to work with this rather novel approach.

Magical Experiments classes coming up

Since I've started teaching the year long magical experiments class, I've really enjoyed the process of learning and teaching that has unfolded for all of us. At the same time I've realized that I want to teach shorter classes that are focused on specific subjects. Below is a list of classes I will be offering on different specific subjects. I'm also open to suggestions about classes people would like me to teach. A full list of classes can be found here. Below is information about two upcoming classes, one starting in March, and one starting in April. Creating Magical Entities Class

Starting Monday March 28th through Monday April 18th from 6 to 7pm (PST)

Sometimes you need a magical entity to do the job for you, especially if you’re too close to a situation. In this class I’ll teach you how to create a magical entity as well as help you determine why you should create one. You’ll also learn how magical entities can be programmed to perform specific tasks that allow you to free up your time and focus for other purposes.

Learn more...

Pop Culture Magic Class

Magic is all around you in pop culture, if you just know where to look. In this class, I’ll show you how you can turn pop culture and modern technology into a magical toolset that you can use just as effectively as you would use any other magical practice. Pop culture magic is based off foundational principles that can be found in traditional practices of magic, with a focus on applying modern culture to your spiritual practices.

Learn more...

I'll post an update once or twice a month on upcoming classes, and if there are ones you want, please contact me.

I'm really excited to be teaching classes again and I look forward to working with all of you.

Some thoughts on linkage and connection in magic

I've been rereading Nemesis and Other Essays by Stephen Mace and also reading the Octavo (Affiliate link) by Peter Carroll, which is his latest work.  Both discuss linking and connection, which are activities that are part of the magical process. You could even think of linkage and connection as the same activity, or perhaps the link as the noun and connecting as the verb...or whatever. They both maintain (and I agree) that for a magical working to be successful you need to somehow create a connection between you and the result you wish to obtain. This connection won't be overtly causal in nature, but it is nonetheless a very important part of the process, because without a connection you can't really have a magical process. So what makes a connection? A connection is made partially through the meaning a person reads or imbues into the various elements that comprise the magical process and the situation the magical process is being used to resolve. A person's interpretation, although subjective, is powerful because it is how s/he is making sense of the world and his/her place in it, as well as making sense of the situation, and the ideal resolution of the situation.

A connection is also partially made by the actions a person takes to realize the connection. In other words a person needs to perform some kind of activity that justifies and explains the connection. Thus a magical working is actually a justification and explanation of the connection that a person is working with.

Mace advocates also cutting the connection in order to erase all traces of your participation in the magical working. I can see the benefit from a banishment angle. By banishing the connection you are freeing yourself from becoming overly obsessed with the working. There's also something to be said for trusting in the efficacy of your magical working and allowing it to run its course. By cutting your connection, you are allowing it to run its course without needing to put more of yourself into it.

Personally, I take an approach where I fuel my workings through the associations of the connection I make. So I can remove myself from the connection, but make sure the working is still getting something put toward it by the associations that were created in the magical process. That would be my recommendation for connections in magical work. Use the associations to fuel the work, beyond the initial creation process.

Movement class video segments

If you missed Pantheacon, you missed out on some great workshops, including mine. However Kat took some videos of the workshop I taught, and I've included a couple here. You can view all of them on my youtube channel or on my Facebook page.

Here's the second video

Letting Go

Kat and I came back from Pantheacon to one of our cats dying. It's certainly not the homecoming experience we expected to have, and we've been grieving as we've also been getting him ready for his next journey. Something we've both said to him is that it's ok for him to move on. And we both mean it, because we don't want him to suffer. But we also still feel attachment (quite naturally) and so we're also in this process of letting go of him. We don't want to let go of our memories of him, but we want to honor his passage and need to transition. So letting go for us is recognizing that need to let him move on and honor that passage without clinging to him and making him stay longer just because of us.

I've been doing some meditation and breath work on this as I've been letting go of my attachments to Caspian. I'll admit that I've only known him for 8 months, since we first moved him up here, but in that time I've come to love him and consider him one of my furkids. Letting go has involved releasing that energetic connection to him, in part to give him some healing energy to aide in his passing, and in part to give myself closure to his place in my life. With each breath I've allowed myself to grieve and to release, To honor and to know.

In magical work it is urged that a person doesn't become attached to their results. This is wisely done, because when we get attached, we can become obsessive about what we desire. Learning to let go can mean that you also let go of your need to have control and recognize that it can be just as powerful to step back.

I'm letting go of Caspian but I'm not forgetting him or his significance to my life. He'll always be one of my cats, no matter where he goes...just as I'll always be one of his humans. But by letting go of him in this moment, I can help him pass with peace.

Two cords, two colors

This is a poem I came up with at a workshop taught by Jaymi Elford on Tarot and Writing at Pantheacon. I dedicate it to Kat. Two cords, two colors, red for sex, white for understanding, Two hands, two tools, A wooden stick dipped in wine. A silver goblet holding life. The two hands strive for each other through their tools and will We meet in the bond of wine and blood, sex and understanding, in mutual bliss, in complete vulnerability giving ourselves over to the infinity of our souls that we see in the mirrors of our eyes. We look to each other for love and lust comfort and succor for the focus of magical energy and the realization of our goals.

Video update on Neuro-Space/Time Magic

A video update on Neuro-Space/Time Magic and the Process of Magic books, as well as magical experiments in general.

I'm now selling all Megalithica books

The title says it all, kind of. I'm now selling the entire line-up of esoteric non-fiction books published by Megalithica books, which is an imprint of Immanion Press. So what are some books by us that you might be interested in? Dancing With Spirits by Denny Sargent focuses on Shinto and Buddhist festivals in Japan, discussing the mythology and current day practice of those festivals. We've just published this book.

Bridging the Gap by Crystal Blanton discusses what it takes to create a successful pagan community, as well as what can stop it from happening. Another recent publication by us.

Ogam Weaving Word Wisdom by Erynn Rowan Laurie is one of our more popular titles. She explains what Ogam are and how to work with them from a Celtic Reconstructionist perspective.

Women's Voices in Magic edited by Brandy Williams is one of our recent anthologies. It is an anthology of female magicians and their perspective on magic that they are doing and the magic culture as a whole.

And many, many more books with topics ranging from cultural appropriation to chaos magic to pathworking to Ritual Magic, all written by very talented magicians. Check out the link to see a full list of books.

On a personal note, I'm really happy to be selling all of these books again. The non-fiction line of books is something I've put a lot of work into as an editor and layout design person. Other people, including Lupa, my ex-wife have also contributed a lot of time and effort, but I was the one who started the line-up and although there's been occasions where I've felt a little burned out, its one of my callings in life to help publish and sell edgy, experimental, good occult books.

The astral cyber cafe

I had a person ask me recently if you could use cyber space to enter the astral plane. It's an interesting question to ask, but as I thought about it, my own response was: "Cyberspace is its own astral space, complete with all the fixings, except you meet a lot more people in cyberspace." My reasoning for that response is that I'm not sure there's much difference between the astral plane and cyber space, except for one key point. I think the astral plane (whatever it is) is linked to a person's imagination and memory and dreams...and cyber space is created space by someone for specific purposes.

The real question then is: Does cyberspace allow you to access your imagination in novel ways that you already couldn't do?

I don't think it does. In fact, in some ways I think it kills imagination, much like too much television does. And I point to video games by way of example, because video games are definitely a cyber/virtual space that's created for a specific purpose. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy playing video games and I've used them for magical work, but just like television they can be addictive and kill your imagination in the process. I actually have a rule for any video game that I'll play: It has to have an ending. If it doesn't have an ending, then I won't play it, which is why I don't play games such as World of Warcraft. There is no end...

Now could WoW be an astral space, or a virtual space where you could do magic? It can be...but if it comes to define your existence is it really a space you have control over?

Cyber space in general tends to be an escapist paradise. People spend all day on Facebook talking to "friends" or surfing the internet or looking at porn. And all of it can be used for magical work, but how much of it are you allowing to use you? We've become an information rich society. We need information, are addicted to it...but in the process we start to lose some imagination...it gets channeled into specific routes and starts to block out possibilities.We're cyber-spaced, but do we have access to our astral space? When the images and concepts of a system define our interactions with the world we become trapped in that system, distorted by its definitions. We lose sight of what could be in favor of what we are told should be.

Yes, yes, I know the internet and social media have given us unparalleled access to information and have allowed people to coordinate revolutions and do other things to free themselves of the tyranny and oppression of such systems. And these are good things to note, but the magician is obsessed with more than just personal freedom. S/he wants possibilities, revels in them, explores them...and accesses them not just through information, but also imagination. It's a fine balancing act you see...Get lost in imagination and it's all in your head and your off in the astral wanking up a storm to show what an uber magician you are. Get lost in information and you dull your mind with the definitions and realities that other people provide you, stagnating in the viral words and images of all those around you.

A good balance is knowing how and when to use information to provide knowledge and knowing how and when to use imagination to turn that knowledge into experience.

Your Definition of Magic

In Multi-Media Magic and the forthcoming Neuro-Space/Time Magic, I've discussed definitions of magic extensively, in terms of looking at other people's definitions of magic and providing my own definition. For this book however, I think it's important to examine YOUR definition of magic, because this book is all about your magical process. At the root of any methodology, process, or practice there are definitions. Definitions are the root or the core of the process. They explain the need for the process as well as how that process fits into your life. Think of definitions as a concise state of your beliefs and values. Those beliefs and values are integral to the success or lack thereof of your magical process. The definition embodies your understanding of those values and beliefs and their place in your life and your magical work.

What sabotages a person's magical working is usually his/her definition of magic...or to be more particular, it's the fact that s/he is doing a process that is not aligned with his/her internal beliefs and values. For any magical work to be successful in both the short and long term, it necessarily must align with the beliefs and values that you live your life by. If the magical working doesn't align with your values and beliefs, you will, on a subconscious level, find a way to sabotage your results in order to bring your back into alignment with your beliefs and values. However, you can change your beliefs and values, though it will take some work.

Your definition of magic will vary to some degree by situation and circumstance. In other words, you may find that your magical work is more effective for certain situations or problems and less effective for others. If you find that to be the case, it's time to examine your beliefs and values about a particular situation. They may not be the problem in your process, but usually they are a contributing factor. If you want to change your approach to a given area of life, you have to first change the beliefs and values that inform your perspective and actions. This is true regardless of whether you are employing magic or some other methodology to promote change in your life.

There are two basic types of magical work: internal and external magic. All magical processes can be grouped into either of these types. Internal magic is magic directed toward working on the self. This includes internal work, which is done to work through psychological and emotional issues, but also includes magic that focuses on the physical health of the body. Internal magic is useful for examining and changing beliefs and values that you have. External magic is focused on influencing the environment around the person, in order to produce a physical change. Typically, in Western magic, the majority of the focus is on external magic and obtaining results. An example of external magic would be doing a magic to get a job.

Your definition of magic, however, is one that is based on your beliefs and values and thus fits into internal magic. I think it's a good practice to do internal work to clarify your beliefs and values, before doing external magical work to resolve a problem. By having a clear understanding of your internal motivations, you can then perform an act of external magic. You do want to have a good balance between internal and external magic. Too much internal work ultimately leads to a lot of navel gazing and little action being taken, but too much focus on external magical work can find you reacting to situations without really resolving the core issues that cause the situations to occur.

A good definition of magic is one that helps you understand how and when to employ magic in your life. You can rituals a few hours a day, but not really make anything come out of it, if you don't have a definition of magic that supports all that work. Here's a couple questions to consider as you spend some time examining your definition of magic.

What is my definition of magic?

Why am I using that definition of magic? Does it accurately describe how magic fits into my life?

There is one cautionary statement I wish to offer and it has to do with using other people's definitions of magic. While it might be tempting to simply rely on Crowley's definition of magic (a lot of magicians do just that) or someone else's definition, it is the lazy magician who does so! A person who can't take the time to examine the core of his/her methodology and processes is a person who doesn't really know him/herself, let alone magic. A personalized definition is one that is arrived at through experience and self-awareness. It doesn't just describe magic, but it also describes the person's relationship with magic and his/her understanding of how to apply it to his/her life. Draw on other definitions for inspiration, but learn to develop your own as well. It will provide you more insight into how magic works, and also who you are as a person than relying on someone else's definition ever will.