|
Magic is personal. For all there are plenty of schools of magic (and always have been) the way to create a work of art is not to become a copiest. Yes magic is, or should be, a work of art; the work in question is your own life. And no; perhaps I've lived too sheltered a life, but it seems to me schools of magic do not encourage originality or self expression, and I do not admire the egotism of people who purport to limit others.
|
I’ve looked at so many tracts on magic from the Middle Ages, and I’m reluctant to recommend any of them. But if you do look at them there’s more to their ponderous slowness and turgid language than meets the eye. Any teacher, or actor, or politician, let alone writer will tell you there’s a great deal to pace and rhythm. Try reading aloud, it may take practice but you’ll notice the difference.
The ‘feel’ of these tracts, and of all magic, is primary. Without exception, these books convey their own self-importance, and noticing this, and overcoming your modern resistance, is a good first step.
The second step is to avoid getting lost in the words. Again without exception, if you don’t avoid it the books will drag you down to dullness and you’ll come away with little or nothing.
What was so admirable in Thomas Nandyke, 'The Necromancer,' was his perfect attention to these steps. He so lived Homer’s story of the Odyssey that it moved him, quite literally, into another world. No amount of searching the text or analysing the Language will do this.
So many people look for a rational account, if you physically do this, you will physically get that. Such is the province of physical sciences. The province of Magic is the province of Religion; they both and identically require you to leave the rational, the physical and the self behind – at least, if you are to achieve any real and charismatic results.
One great advantage that Thomas had, he had very little ‘self’ to give up. It allowed him to accept the reality of other worlds without insisting on the truths of his own. He said as much in Part I of the book which this website is here to support.
What I have against High Magic, medieval or modern, is this rational element of forcing reality by a trick. Physical manipulations, when not properly understood, can so easily set up a tension and resistance such that, when released from the will of the magician, reality snaps back into unintended consequences.
As to another character in the book, in this case a 'would be,' magician; how good was John Morton, bishop of Ely? He wasn’t remotely in Thomas’ league. But, as is so often the case with the obsessively ambitious, he had an uncontrolled charisma, capable of a great deal: look around you, are the very successful very tallented, or is it the magic of their selfish ambition which makes them seem so? Could Morton have worked magic and got his hands on the Princes in the Tower without Thomas? Not in the way it was done, but the assessment given to Lord Hastings was truthful; there was cause for concern while Morton remained in play.
Is there evidence of anyone else moving between worlds and changing reality? Certainly, but if I give you too much evidence, so you treat my little book more seriously than mere fiction, those with fixed minds will fight like ‘demons’ against that which threatens their certainties – let me not threaten the fearful needlessly.
I will give you just one link to a medieval story in which reality was changed: ‘Tales of the Virgin.’ This was accepted by the authorities, in its day, because reality was changed by the Virgin Mary, not by the workings of human magicians.
Any miracle is, of course, by definition, a change of reality. For my students I identify two types of miracle: the ‘demonstration miracle’ and the ‘operative miracle.’ In the first case, such as the miracle at Fatima, the point is precisely that people should notice reality is being changed (see Wikipedia). The second case is where, before the miracle, what would happen should be clearly impossible; after it happened, any other outcome would have been equally impossible. In our less religious age, I would like to suggest such tinkering with reality has always been a very human, as well as a divine activity and is the very meaning of what most people think of as true magic.
As to merely visiting other worlds and places, my witness is the great and unimpeachable Emanuel Swedenborg.
As to the working of magic today, if you want a modern book, I shall disappoint. There are a number of respected writers on magic; many of their books are still in copyright, not only would I not infringe their ownership or prefer one to another, I would not invite you to spend your money on my recommendation. Besides, magic is very personal; what one student will find inspirational will leave another unmoved, and at the same time, a third will be led into dark and unprofitable ways.
In the modern age we have largely lost sight of magic which stayed the right side of medieval law. This was the ancient science of Alchemy, ‘the great work,’ and in it is much that would be recognised as magical. Let me offer two references: the first is a basic, ancient and profound source, let me offer a link to what you may find a rather fanciful rendering ‘The Emerald Tablet of Thoth’
Here and far less fanciful, courtesy of Wikipedia, is Sir Isaac Newton’s translation of the Emerald Tablet:
1, Tis true without lying, certain most true.
2, That which is below is like that which is above that which is above is like that which is below to do the miracles of
one only thing.
3, And as all things have been arose from one by the mediation of one: so all things have their birth from this one
thing by adaptation.
4, The Sun is its father, the moon its mother,
5, The wind hath carried it in its belly, the earth its nurse.
6, The father of all perfection in the whole world is here.
7, Its force or power is entire if it be converted into earth.
Separate thou the earth from the fire, the subtle from the gross sweetly with great industry.
8, It ascends from the earth to the heaven again it descends to the earth and receives the force of things superior and
inferior.
19, By this means ye shall have the glory of the whole world thereby all obscurity shall fly from you.
10, Its force is above all force. for it vanquishes every subtle thing and penetrates every solid thing.
So was the world created.
11, From this are and do come admirable adaptations whereof the means (Or process) is here in this.
12, Hence I am called Hermes Trismegist, having the three parts of the philosophy of the whole world.
13, That which I have said of the operation of the Sun is accomplished and ended.
The other is ‘The Ordinal of Alchemy,’ which was written by a courtier of Edward IV, one Thomas Norton, in 1477. You can find the Ordinal at Google Books, but I know of no source from which you can download it free.
The ‘feel’ of these tracts, and of all magic, is primary. Without exception, these books convey their own self-importance, and noticing this, and overcoming your modern resistance, is a good first step.
The second step is to avoid getting lost in the words. Again without exception, if you don’t avoid it the books will drag you down to dullness and you’ll come away with little or nothing.
What was so admirable in Thomas Nandyke, 'The Necromancer,' was his perfect attention to these steps. He so lived Homer’s story of the Odyssey that it moved him, quite literally, into another world. No amount of searching the text or analysing the Language will do this.
So many people look for a rational account, if you physically do this, you will physically get that. Such is the province of physical sciences. The province of Magic is the province of Religion; they both and identically require you to leave the rational, the physical and the self behind – at least, if you are to achieve any real and charismatic results.
One great advantage that Thomas had, he had very little ‘self’ to give up. It allowed him to accept the reality of other worlds without insisting on the truths of his own. He said as much in Part I of the book which this website is here to support.
What I have against High Magic, medieval or modern, is this rational element of forcing reality by a trick. Physical manipulations, when not properly understood, can so easily set up a tension and resistance such that, when released from the will of the magician, reality snaps back into unintended consequences.
As to another character in the book, in this case a 'would be,' magician; how good was John Morton, bishop of Ely? He wasn’t remotely in Thomas’ league. But, as is so often the case with the obsessively ambitious, he had an uncontrolled charisma, capable of a great deal: look around you, are the very successful very tallented, or is it the magic of their selfish ambition which makes them seem so? Could Morton have worked magic and got his hands on the Princes in the Tower without Thomas? Not in the way it was done, but the assessment given to Lord Hastings was truthful; there was cause for concern while Morton remained in play.
Is there evidence of anyone else moving between worlds and changing reality? Certainly, but if I give you too much evidence, so you treat my little book more seriously than mere fiction, those with fixed minds will fight like ‘demons’ against that which threatens their certainties – let me not threaten the fearful needlessly.
I will give you just one link to a medieval story in which reality was changed: ‘Tales of the Virgin.’ This was accepted by the authorities, in its day, because reality was changed by the Virgin Mary, not by the workings of human magicians.
Any miracle is, of course, by definition, a change of reality. For my students I identify two types of miracle: the ‘demonstration miracle’ and the ‘operative miracle.’ In the first case, such as the miracle at Fatima, the point is precisely that people should notice reality is being changed (see Wikipedia). The second case is where, before the miracle, what would happen should be clearly impossible; after it happened, any other outcome would have been equally impossible. In our less religious age, I would like to suggest such tinkering with reality has always been a very human, as well as a divine activity and is the very meaning of what most people think of as true magic.
As to merely visiting other worlds and places, my witness is the great and unimpeachable Emanuel Swedenborg.
As to the working of magic today, if you want a modern book, I shall disappoint. There are a number of respected writers on magic; many of their books are still in copyright, not only would I not infringe their ownership or prefer one to another, I would not invite you to spend your money on my recommendation. Besides, magic is very personal; what one student will find inspirational will leave another unmoved, and at the same time, a third will be led into dark and unprofitable ways.
In the modern age we have largely lost sight of magic which stayed the right side of medieval law. This was the ancient science of Alchemy, ‘the great work,’ and in it is much that would be recognised as magical. Let me offer two references: the first is a basic, ancient and profound source, let me offer a link to what you may find a rather fanciful rendering ‘The Emerald Tablet of Thoth’
Here and far less fanciful, courtesy of Wikipedia, is Sir Isaac Newton’s translation of the Emerald Tablet:
1, Tis true without lying, certain most true.
2, That which is below is like that which is above that which is above is like that which is below to do the miracles of
one only thing.
3, And as all things have been arose from one by the mediation of one: so all things have their birth from this one
thing by adaptation.
4, The Sun is its father, the moon its mother,
5, The wind hath carried it in its belly, the earth its nurse.
6, The father of all perfection in the whole world is here.
7, Its force or power is entire if it be converted into earth.
Separate thou the earth from the fire, the subtle from the gross sweetly with great industry.
8, It ascends from the earth to the heaven again it descends to the earth and receives the force of things superior and
inferior.
19, By this means ye shall have the glory of the whole world thereby all obscurity shall fly from you.
10, Its force is above all force. for it vanquishes every subtle thing and penetrates every solid thing.
So was the world created.
11, From this are and do come admirable adaptations whereof the means (Or process) is here in this.
12, Hence I am called Hermes Trismegist, having the three parts of the philosophy of the whole world.
13, That which I have said of the operation of the Sun is accomplished and ended.
The other is ‘The Ordinal of Alchemy,’ which was written by a courtier of Edward IV, one Thomas Norton, in 1477. You can find the Ordinal at Google Books, but I know of no source from which you can download it free.