As we come forward into this vibration, I, Albion, come so that we might focus our attention on the subject of magick. When we use this term we find it simple to select a civilization, in this case the ancient Egyptians, and use their culture and religion's beliefs and practices as a means of explaining the true definition of magick.
First, the use of the term “magick” can be misleading because magic is often associated with the term magic…like stage magic. We are using this word to mean a natural working of the human mind that is a natural result of religious belief, and as an indicator that one is in tune with the universe and natural law. We have to make a distinction between the word religion and the word spirituality. Religion is a label that defines an organized system of belief and practice. Spirituality on the other hand, is any endeavor inside or outside the realm of religion that provides for a person a better understanding of his or her role in the universe, as well as the same in one’s personal life. So when we talk about magick we are talking about it from both the perspective of organized religion and spirituality. One of the things that we feel is very important, and has been to the general masses for the past quarter of a century or more, is a revival of interest in shamanism. A shaman, a medicine person, a priestess and/or a priest are basically the same. Each is a practitioner of specific laws and formulas that are designed to result in specific results. (An odd way of putting this, but it says it sufficiently.) While it is a good thing that the general masses, particularly those who consider themselves seekers of Light within the so-called New Age Movement, is interested in shamanism because it is a profound experience if and when one discovers that one is capable of achieving magikal feats.
First, the use of the term “magick” can be misleading because magic is often associated with the term magic…like stage magic. We are using this word to mean a natural working of the human mind that is a natural result of religious belief, and as an indicator that one is in tune with the universe and natural law. We have to make a distinction between the word religion and the word spirituality. Religion is a label that defines an organized system of belief and practice. Spirituality on the other hand, is any endeavor inside or outside the realm of religion that provides for a person a better understanding of his or her role in the universe, as well as the same in one’s personal life. So when we talk about magick we are talking about it from both the perspective of organized religion and spirituality. One of the things that we feel is very important, and has been to the general masses for the past quarter of a century or more, is a revival of interest in shamanism. A shaman, a medicine person, a priestess and/or a priest are basically the same. Each is a practitioner of specific laws and formulas that are designed to result in specific results. (An odd way of putting this, but it says it sufficiently.) While it is a good thing that the general masses, particularly those who consider themselves seekers of Light within the so-called New Age Movement, is interested in shamanism because it is a profound experience if and when one discovers that one is capable of achieving magikal feats.
Magick is truly a subject that needs to be understood beyond simple intellectual knowledge, for when one truly understands magick, one is the knower of two very important things that are an integral part of “magikal language.” The first we put into the category of frame of mind. Sometimes people think that if they have the knowledge of magick and put that knowledge into practice, the desired results will come about. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. Being informed intellectually about any subject is simply not enough to give one any more than a definition of the term. In ancient Egypt, the culture and the religion were not separated. Society’s views of religion and the practice of religion were one and the same. In today’s world, for the most part, when it comes to religious practice, one day is set aside for one to attend sacred services. Otherwise, in the other days one goes about one’s daily life, which may have little or nothing to do with religion. This was not the case with many of the ancient cultures. Religion had no special day set aside, although there were so-called “festival days” that were meant to honor a certain of the deities. In today’s world, the chasm between religion and daily life has grown. In the Western mind, this has caused a separation between one’s religion and one’s daily life. In one way, this is a good thing in that it points out that religion and religious worship is a special thing, thus a whole day is set aside for worship. But in ancient Egypt this was not the case. This meant that the average person felt that there was nothing “special” about their religion. It was considered to be part of themselves and that the deities dwelled within them. The deities were considered to be present and active on every level of every human being. While it is true that the gods and goddesses were held in high esteem, the ancient Egyptians believed that to walk as closely as possible in the footsteps of the deities, in return, a person was promised the reward of eternal life, thus immortality. This not only motivated the average person to seek to be like the gods and to express the various virtues of the various deities as much as possible. Christianity is no different, nor is any of the other religions of the world, when it is practiced in the true, intended manner.
In Egyptian society the priests and priestesses – which were the same as shamans or medicine people – enjoyed a high position. The priesthood was not only involved with religious events and laws, but was also the enforcers of those laws. In addition, they were also involved in the economical realm of the society, as well as the politics. This illustrates the point that the priests were integrated into all of society’s major arenas, proving that religion and the concerns of society were the same. It is difficult for modern society to understand this for it has not been this way for a very long time. Thus, in order to truly understand magikal practice one must come to understand the truth of what we have just stated.
There were many forms of magick in ancient Egyptian times. Some of them, the average person became adept at. A case in point is the making and use of amulets. Amulets are objects that are charged by the individual with the power of a particular deity for a specific purpose such as protection, healing, prosperity, and other human needs. Amulets were and are a sacred object and were - and must - be treated in that way. When it came to healing, the ancient Egyptians were quite adept at this with the use of herbs, potions, and ointments, but also in healing with the mind. We must also say that they were very good at medical diagnosis. Healing was a magikal practice. There were also formulas in the form of incantations and invocations of various aspects of various deities, all of which allowed the deity to become integrated into society so that the people received the benefits of that deity. Ways in which amulets were used for healing, along with prayers and invocations, involved seeking to ensure a benevolent pharaoh. To some degree, there was the magikal practice that involved the forecasting of the weather and of invoking the power of the weather spirits. The sun and moon were both considered to be the “cause” of weather conditions, so they were both considered to be weather spirits. The stars also played a role in the weather, along with the wind and moisture. So, many priests – and sometimes priestesses – gained a reputation for being able to manipulate the weather spirits.
Aside from amulet making, another common magikal practice was totemism, and in the case of the ancient Egyptians, animal worship. Animals were known to have specific power, depending upon the animal involved. Using the ibis as an example, some animals (including birds and reptiles) were endowed with the power of a certain god or goddesses. In the case of the ibis, the bird possessed the power of the god Thoth the Scribe. Thoth was the great “educator,” bringing mathematics, writing, hieroglyphs, and astronomy to the people. Thus Thoth and the ibis became one and the same with Thoth’s image often being depicted as a human male with an ibis head. One who could enter into the body of an animal was equivalent to “becoming” in alignment with a given deity represented by the given animal. These kinds of magikal practices are what we wish to discuss in the following lessons.
Other than the frame of mind, the second thing an ancient Egyptian gained from the successful practice of magick is to be able to achieve the “mindset” of the member of the ancient society, be that the ancient Egyptians, the Mayans, or any other of the ancestral peoples. For you to be able to get into this mindset, one has to have some general intellectual knowledge of the society, but one must also have knowledge of the things that made an impression upon the way the ancient people thought, how they dressed, what they ate, what climate they lived in, their architecture, their religion views, their government, and so on. All these things molded the mind and personality of the people. However, aside from such data, one must also cultivate intuitive knowledge and perspective. Using the imagination, which is the “tool” of the magician, helps one to get inside the mind or consciousness of the ancient Egyptian man, woman, or child. People go to the Elders of the Native American tribes today to request them to be their teachers and reveal to them the “secrets” of magikal practice. One comes to realize that one must go both to the teacher and the teachings. The two go hand in hand. An apprenticeship can last for many months, even for many years. There are no shortcuts to magikal practice. It would be a very good thing for you to familiarize yourself with the daily life, the diet, the lifestyle, and to use that information to help you tune into the mind and consciousness of an ancient Egyptian. If you can achieve this kind of task, you must couple intellectual knowledge of the culture and the people, with intuitive insights in order to be a successful practicing magician.
Another thing a person must have to have a notion of being capable of becoming and being a magikal practitioner. Also, patience is at the very root of successful magikal practice. Without patience there is no ability to go through the various stages of apprenticeship. Without patience, one cannot endure the ups and downs, trials and errors involved with being an apprentice to a seasoned magician. Going through the apprenticeship process brings out one’s strong points and their weaknesses. For example, there are those who are very good at separating the astral body from the physical body, enabling them to be good at astral travel. Others are good at predicting the future. There are other examples, but they all have the same lesson to be learned, that being that apprenticeship is necessary if one hopes to discover the virtues and strengths and weaknesses that lie within. When these things are discovered, one must honor what is found to be true. Psychic ability, intuitiveness, and magikal truth are only possible when these things are genuine. Any success would be pure coincidence or luck. Magick and magikal practice is a process of personal development on all levels of a human being.
We find it distasteful and distressing when one volume of information or one teacher of some “earthbound” faith is enough, for it is not. So, in this first lesson, we have tried to explain that the two things that one must have: knowledge and understanding of the culture involved and a strong, clear intuition.
When we come together again we will go into a detailed discussion and offer instructions as to how to make an amulet of protection. So be it. God bless yourselves.
Originally published August 31, 2007
(C) Copyright 2007 & 2012, Page Bryant. All Rights Reserved. Image courtesy of Fotolia.com.