Category: Magical Theory
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Thinking Outside the Line: Spirits and Time
I wrote a post a couple weeks ago about how vastly spirits’ existence might differ from our own. That they likely have modes of being and consciousness that would be literally unimaginable to us, confined as we are within the limitations of our human experience. Not one to be deterred by the impossible, this week…
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On the Nature of Spirits
There was a question recently about the nature of spirits. Specifically, how much we should be attributing human-like personalities or characteristics onto spirits. Are relationships with spirits like human relationships? Or are spirits more like forces of nature that we can attune ourselves to? Different practitioners land at different places on this spectrum. Some view…
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Elemental Directions: A Magician’s Compass
I weighed in on a question recently about directional attributions for ceremonial magic. It was a question that resonated with me, as this is something that I got hung up on for quite a while in my own practice. There are four cardinal directions. There are four classical elements. When building rituals, it seems obvious…
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Belief & Magic: A Skeptic’s Guide
I often see questions come up around the role of faith versus skepticism in occult practice. Do you need to believe in your results for them to manifest? How do you know any of this is real, rather than all in your head? I’ve personally struggled with this question for decades. A huge part of…
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Closed Practices: Initiation, Secrecy, and Context
I recently saw some discussion around the idea of “closed practices” – those spiritual methods that are not generally available to the public. It’s an idea that is regularly misused or misunderstood, so it seemed worth exploring more deeply. Generally, closed practices fall into one of two categories: those that include an initiatic lineage, or…
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The Magic Triangle: Ease, Consistency, and Miracles
I’ve discussed in previous posts my own long and meandering exploration into magic. I’ve spent over a decade struggling with a simple question: what can be accomplished through magic? I’ve tried to consistently find ways to push the bounds of what I thought was possible. In doing so, I’ve repeatedly struggled with cases where magic…
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How Does Magic Work? Five Models of the Occult
A large source of friction in occult communities is the lack of consensus on how magic works. Even at a basic, fundamental level. Throughout history, different communities have posited different theories about the mechanics of magic, but every individual practitioner ultimately comes to their own conclusions about what they believe, in response to the results…
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On the Role of Grimoiric Traditionalism
I’ve encountered a couple folks recently asking what are essentially variations on the same core question: “I’m reading grimoire X, and there are a lot of heavy-handed Christian elements that seem excessive or make me uncomfortable. Can I modify these bits or take them out?” It’s a great question, and the answer (as with most…
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On Fate and Free Will
I’ve always struggled with the idea of karma. The notion that the universe is cosmically just and balanced, and gives each of us what we deserve.1 At the root of my dissatisfaction is a simple question: why do Bad Things happen to good people? Because, make no mistake, bad things do happen to good people.…
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On Magical Language
Meredith Graves, occult powerhouse and magical director for Kickstarter, makes a wonderful observation that our own first exposure to magic – whether it comes through fairytales, Disney movies, or stage illusionists – leaves a lasting impression in the way we comprehend and interact with the unseen later in life.1 That initial conception of magic sets…