Magic (paranormal) Magic or sorcery is an attempt to understand, experience and influence the world using rituals, symbols, actions, gestures and language.[1][2][3][4] Modern Western magicians generally state magic's primary purpose to be personal spiritual growth.[5] Modern theories of magic may see it as the result of a universal sympathy where some act can produce a result somewhere else, or as a collaboration with spirits who cause the effect.[6] The belief in and the practice of magic has been present since the earliest human cultures and continues to have an important religious and medicinal role in many cultures today.[7][8] Magic is often viewed with suspicion by the wider community, and is sometimes practiced in isolation and secrecy.[4] The word "magic" derives via Latin magicus from the Greek adjective magikos (μαγικός) used in reference to the "magical" arts of the Persian Magicians (Greek: magoi, singular mágos, μάγος), the Zoroastrian astrologer priests of the ancient Persian Empire.
Welcome to Bewitching Ways Please excuse the problems with the site. We ran into issues when loading it to the new server. We are working as quickly as possible to fix things. "Ten thousand years, we've struck the fire Creation's music freely sung With magick joined, we've praised the stars Since the world first begun. Welcome to Bewitching Ways, a site that will work to provide an online community as well as bring you all you need to aid you in the practice of The Craft. Register for a free ID and password to check out our message board or visit our chat room to get the latest on what's happening in our community. Clicking on the large pentacle at the bottom of any page or the nameplate on top will bring you back to this page. Hope you enjoy your visit! In perfect love and perfect trust, Apythia Editor/Owner Because what is remembered, lives. Fair use notice This Web site may contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.
Theosophy Theosophy comes from the Greek theosophia (θεοσοφία), which combines theos (θεός), "God"[3] and sophia (σοφία), "wisdom," meaning "divine wisdom." From the late 19th century onwards, the term theosophy has generally been used to refer to the religio-philosophic doctrines of the Theosophical Society, founded in New York City in 1875 by Helena Blavatsky, William Quan Judge, and Henry Steel Olcott. Blavatsky's major work, The Secret Doctrine (1888), was one of the foundational works of modern theosophy.[4] As of 2015[update], members of organizations descended from, or related to, the Theosophical Society were active in more than 52 countries around the world. Etymology[edit] The term theosophia appeared (in both Greek and Latin) in the works of early church fathers, as a synonym for theology:[6] the theosophoi are "those who know divine matters Traditional and Christian theosophy[edit] Antiquity and medieval ending c. 1450 CE[edit] 16th and 17th century[edit] 18th century[edit] Theosophy:
List of religions and spiritual traditions Religious symbols in clock-wise order: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Baha'i, Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Rodnoveri, Celtic pagan, Heathenism, Semitic pagan, Wicca, Kemetism, Hellenic pagan, Roman pagan. Abrahamic religions[edit] A group of monotheistic traditions sometimes grouped with one another for comparative purposes, because all refer to a patriarch named Abraham. Babism[edit] Azali Bahá'í Faith[edit] Christianity[edit] Western Christianity Eastern Christianity Other groups related to Christianity[edit] Some of these groups consider themselves to be Christian, or to be derived from Christianity, but they are considered heterodox or heretical by mainstream Christianity. Gnosticism[edit] Many Gnostic groups were closely related to early Christianity, for example, Valentinism. Cerdonians (no longer extant)Colorbasians (no longer extant)Simonians (no longer extant)Bogomils (no longer extant)Cathars (no longer extant) The Yazidis are a syncretic Kurdish religion with a Gnostic influence:
Rending the Veil Hidden message Information that is not noticeable A hidden message is information that is not immediately noticeable, and that must be discovered or uncovered and interpreted before it can be known. Hidden messages include backwards audio messages, hidden visual messages and symbolic or cryptic codes such as a crossword or cipher. Although there are many legitimate examples of hidden messages created with techniques such as backmasking and steganography, many so-called hidden messages are merely fanciful imaginings or apophany. Description[edit] The information in hidden messages is not immediately noticeable; it must be discovered or uncovered, and interpreted before it can be known. Backward audio messages[edit] A backward message in an audio recording is only fully apparent when the recording is played reversed. Backmasking[edit] Phonetic reversal[edit] According to proponents of reverse speech, phonetic reversal occurs unknowingly during normal speech. Visual messages[edit] See also[edit] References[edit]
Witches' League for Public Awareness Talisman Object believed to contain certain magical impacts A talisman is any object ascribed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made. Talismans are often portable objects carried on someone in a variety of ways, but can also be installed permanently in architecture. Talismans have been used in many civilizations throughout history, with connections to astrological, scientific, and religious practices; but the theory around preparation and use has changed in some cultures with more recent, new age, talismanic theory. Etymology[edit] Christian talisman (Breverl), 18th century The word talisman comes from French talisman, via Arabic ṭilasm (طِلَسْم, plural طلاسم ṭalāsim), which comes from the ancient Greek telesma (τέλεσμα), meaning "completion, religious rite, payment",[2][3] ultimately from the verb teleō (τελέω), "I complete, perform a rite".[4] Preparation of talismans[edit] New Age[edit] Islam[edit] Uses of talismans[edit] Islam[edit]
Tattva vision Subject related to ESP Tattvas in isolation and combination Tattva vision is a technique developed by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn to aid with the development of the faculty of astral clairvoyance.[1] They were derived from the elements or tattvas of Hindu philosophy and the Vedantic doctrine of pancikarana, as interpreted by the Golden Dawn.[further explanation needed] Tattva symbols[edit] The astral forms of the tattvas and equivalent in Western elements:[2] Constructing tattva cards[edit] Tattva cards can be constructed by cutting the tattva symbols out of coloured paper or card, and pasting on to small cards of about 6 inches by 6 inches in size. See also[edit] References[edit] Bibliography[edit] External links[edit] Chaos magic The chaosphere is a popular symbol of chaos magic. Many variants exist. For more, see Symbol of Chaos. General principles[edit] Chaos magicians are often seen by other occultists as dangerous or worrisome revolutionaries.[2] History[edit] Origins and creation[edit] This magical discipline was first formulated in West Yorkshire, England in the 1970s.[4] A meeting between Peter J. Influences[edit] Following Spare's death, magicians continued to experiment outside of traditional magical orders. Early days[edit] The first edition of Liber Null does not include the term "chaos magic", but only refers to magic or "the magic art" in general.[6] Texts from this period consistently claim to state principles universal to magic, as opposed to a new specific style or tradition of magic, and describe their innovations as efforts to rid magic of superstitious and religious ideas. Chaos came to be part of this movement defined as "the 'thing' responsible for the origin and continued action of events[...].
John Dee John Dee (13 July 1527 – 1608 or 1609) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, occultist, imperialist[5] and adviser to Queen Elizabeth I. He devoted much of his life to the study of alchemy, divination and Hermetic philosophy. In his lifetime Dee amassed one of the largest libraries in England. Biography[edit] Early life[edit] Rector at Upton-upon-Severn from 1553, Dee was offered a readership in mathematics at Oxford in 1554, which he declined; he was occupied with writing and perhaps hoped for a better position at court.[9] In 1555, Dee became a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, as his father had, through the company's system of patrimony.[10] That same year, 1555, he was arrested and charged with "calculating" for having cast horoscopes of Queen Mary and Princess Elizabeth; the charges were expanded to treason against Mary.[9][11] Dee appeared in the Star Chamber and exonerated himself, but was turned over to the Catholic Bishop Bonner for religious examination.
Sex magic Magic involving sexual activity Paschal Beverly Randolph[edit] The earliest known practical teachings of sex magic in the Western world come from 19th-century American occultist Paschal Beverly Randolph (1825-1875), under the heading of The Mysteries of Eulis: If a man has an intelligent and loving wife, with whom he is in complete accord, he can work out the problems [of how to achieve magical results] by her aid. They are a radical soul-sexive series of energies...The rite is a prayer in all cases, and the most powerful [that] earthly beings can employ...it is best for both man and wife to act together for the attainment of the mysterious objects sought. Randolph himself was greatly influenced by the work of English Rosicrucian and scholar of phallicism, Hargrave Jennings. Carl Kellner[edit] Ida Craddock[edit] Sexual techniques from Craddock's Psychic Wedlock were later reproduced in Sex Magick by O.T.O. initiate Louis T. Aleister Crowley[edit] Maria de Naglowska[edit] Samael Aun Weor[edit]
Sexual ritual Psychologic and sociologic aspects of sex Sexual rituals fall into two categories: culture-created, and natural behaviour, the human animal having developed sex rituals from evolutionary instincts for reproduction, which are then integrated into society, and elaborated to include aspects such as marriage rites, dances, etc.[1] Sometimes sexual rituals are highly formalized and/or part of religious activity, as in the cases of hieros gamos, the hierodule and the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO). Rites of passage[edit] Freud was particularly interested in ethnological accounts of 'the "ceremonial" (purely formal, ritual, or official) coitus, which takes place' in connection with 'the taboo of virginity'.[5] Wedding as orgy[edit] Interaction ritual[edit] Erving Goffman has noted however 'the considerable informational delicacy of this form of interaction', and how 'individuals may use darkness to ensure strategic ambiguity'.[11] Compulsions[edit] Dharmic art[edit] Private worship[edit] Literature[edit]
As above, so below Popular Neo-Hermetic maxim "As above, so below" is a popular modern paraphrase of the second verse of the Emerald Tablet (a compact and cryptic Hermetic text first attested in an Arabic source dating to the late eighth or early ninth century),[1] as it appears in its most widely divulged medieval Latin translation:[2] Quod est superius est sicut quod inferius, et quod inferius est sicut quod est superius.That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above. The paraphrase is peculiar to this Latin version, and does not render the original Arabic, which reads "from" rather than "like to". Following its use by prominent modern occultists such as Helena P. Scholarly interpretations[edit] Among historians of philosophy and science, the verse is often understood as a reference to the supposed effects of celestial mechanics upon terrestrial events. Occultist interpretations[edit] Helena P. From Blavatsky's Isis Unveiled (1877): His [sc. II.