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Thanks.I will look again at Crowley,Starhawk and Fortune. Toyin 2009/12/2 jason winslade <[log in to unmask]> > Wasn't it Dion Fortune who added 'changing consciousness'? > > --- On *Wed, 12/2/09, Caroline Tully <[log in to unmask]>* wrote: > > > From: Caroline Tully <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] MAGIC AS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL > EXPRESSIONS OF THE ARTS > > To: [log in to unmask] > Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 12:41 AM > > > I think Crowley's definition is actually "Magick is the art and science > of causing change in accordance with your will". > > > > I think the "changing consciousness" version is Starhawk's. > > > > ~Caroline Tully. > > > > > > *From:* Society for The Academic Study of Magic [mailto: > [log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of *toyin adepoju > *Sent:* Wednesday, 2 December 2009 12:28 AM > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] MAGIC AS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL > EXPRESSIONS OF THE ARTS:MAGICAL THEORY AND PRACTICE IN AN INVOCATION > INSPIRED BY THE FULL MOON > > > > One of the most powerful expressions of the arts is magic. What kind of > magic is this?It is the kind referred to the by the great and controversial > English occultist, religious figure and philosopher of religion Aleister > Crowley, as the art of changing consciousness in accordance with will [ I > have expanded my understanding of magic beyond this but I might explain that > later]. If I have understood Crowley's epistemology-theory of knowledge-and > his ontology-conception of being-well, what he is likely to mean is that > the magician is able, using particular procedures, to change the state of > their mind to a state desired by the magician. This change of mental state > is understood by Crowley as the beginning and the end of magic. > > Magic, to many people, is associated with entertainment, something > related to pulling rabbits out of a hat or sawing a woman in two. The kind > of magic Crowley is referring to is different in its goals and possibly in > its methods. It is more precisely understood as theurgy: the invocation of > spirits. This practice holds that forms of being not visible to humanity > exist, some in other dimensions, some on this earth but in dimensions of the > physical world conventionally inaccessible to humans and that it could be > helpful to the human being to enter into relationship with such beings. > > A broad range of methods have been developed for this purpose,across the > centuries, in all continents, from Africa, to Asia to Europe, to Australia. > Parallels can be drawn across these points in time and space on account of > significant similarities in the theories and techniques used by various > "specialists of the sacred" in different cultures. One of these magical > methods is ceremonial magic. This method involves a sequence of actions, > within a limited frame of time, in which the magician tries to reflect in > their speech and action, as vividly and as intensely as possible, the goal > they want to achieve. These actions often reflect the characteristics of > the spirit being called upon. This process is supposed to call into being > the magician's goal, possibly, according to Crowley, by identifying the > magician with the spirit, elevating the magician's mind to that of the > consciousness of the intelligence being invoked. > > It is in the effort to transcend, through language and action, the > limitations represented by the state of mind embodied by daily activity that > the arts come into their own in magic. Powerful imagery, sonorous verbal > sequences, emotionally stirring rhythm, dramatic expressive patterns, vivid > and powerfully evocative gestures, sharply emblematic costumes-all these > represent aspects of the repertoire of the magician, as they try to leave > the world that can be seen for that which cannot ordinarily be seen, and > perhaps return with the understanding of that world, or in some cases, with > evidence of that world. > > Magic is also closely related to nature. Magicians often hold that the > natural world is the expression of a force that is manifest in terms of the > various spirits they try to contact. This awareness leads to a sensitivity > to time, to the periodic activities of nature, from the rising and setting > of the sun, to the movements of the sun in relation to the stars in the > space of a year, to the patterns represented by the movements of the > celestial bodies across larger spans of time. > > Tonight, in my room in Cambridge, England,I have been led by reading an > invocation-a magical ritual calling upon a spirit to manifest themselves-to > Mene,to contemplate the grandeur of the moon as she rests in the seemingly > endless expanse of the sky, with a lone star giving deeper presence to the > sense of silence, of stillness, of a mystery being enacted of which we are > participants but in relation to which, to paraphrase the sage of Galilee, > looking we do not see, listening we do not hear. > > Regardless of whatever one might think of conceptions of supra-physical > sentience-a more precise manner of defining what is often meant by > "spirit"-one cannot but admire the poetic force, the dramatic power of the > following ritual to Mene ,inspired by the full moon, one of the most > propitious periods in magic. The ritual is from the Western magical > tradition and from the group The Iacchus Temple on Facebook. > > > > *Damon Zacharias *To members of Iacchus Temple<http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=42746356202> > > *For the Glory of Selene* > > > > Dear All, > > > As it is the full moon tonight (N Hemisphere), I have uploaded an > Invocatory Prayer to Mene on the discussion board for those who might be > interested in exploring a rite from the Greek Magical Papyri (The first > part is my own input and there are some adaptations throughout the rite) > with some adaptations of my own) and maybe even performing it to embrace > Mene this evening... > > ΕΥΟΙ! Ιαχή λατρευτικής έκστασης της Ιερής Βακχείας... > > > > > > > > *Ritual* > > * * > > * Opening actions:* > > > > Turn to face the Moon. Burn myrrh and anoint your forehead with myrrh oil. > > Chant AKTI^OPHIS. Trace the Invoking Heptagram of the Moon and then the > symbol of the Moon in the centre. Charge it by thrusting the centre and > vibrating M^EN^E MARZOUN^E. This is to be repeated 9 times. > > * Chant: * > > I call upon thee who hast every form and many names, double-horned goddess, > M^en^e, whose form no one knows except him who fashioned the entire world - > IA^O! The one who shaped thee into the 28 shapes of the world so that they > might perfect and provide breath to every animal and plant, that it might > thrive, thou who growest from darkness into light and leavest the light for > darkness. > > The first thing that accompanies thy name is silence, the second a popping > sound, the third groaning, the fourth hissing, the fifth a cry of joy, the > sixth moaning, the seventh barking, the eighth roaring, the ninth neighing, > the tenth a musical sound, the eleventh the howl of the wind, the twelfth a > wind-creating sound, the thirteenth a commanding sound, the fourteenth a > commanding emanation from perfection (these sounds are either to be imitated > or imagined in an audible fashion in the magician's magical mind). > > Ox, vulture, bull, beetle, falcon, crab, dog, wolf, serpent, horse, > she-goat, asp, goat, baboon, cat, lion, leopard, field mouse, deer, > multiform, virgin, torch, lightning, garland, a herald's wand, child key > (these are to be visualised). > > I have spoken thy signs and the symbols of thy name so that thou mightest > hear me, for I am praying to thee, mistress of the whole world. Hear me, > thou, the constant one, the mighty one, > > APHEIBO^E^O MINT^ER, PIZEPHYD^OR CHANTHAR CHAD^EROZO MOCHTHION EOTNEU > PH^ERZON AIND^ES LACHABO^O PITT^O RIPHTHAMER ZMOMOCH^OLEIE TI^EDRANTEIA > OISOZOCHAB^ED^OPHRA. > > Add whichever other magical effects you desire. > > >