Magic works and is used in many ways, at times unconsciously, at times deliberately.

Prestidigitators, stage magicians and charlatans contributed to the image of magic being banished into the realm of illusion, tricks, deception, sorcery and fairy tales. With this, more or less fear was created or control over magic conveyed through exposing tricks.

The original meaning and the sense of magic were lost in the process. For distinction, Aleister Crowley introduced the term "magick" to distinguish stage magic, illusionists and pseudo-sorcerers from real sorcerers. This article is about this kind of magic, as there is no German equivalent for the English word "magick".

imageThe four elements and the magic mirror are fundamental to magic.

Is magic real?

The average citizen does not "believe" in it or at least speaks little about it, but an astonishing number of people practice magic.

It is important to realise that magic works and is used on a daily base. Its power and its use can be great and delivers tangible results, although only few can actually manifest it on a large scale. But every disciplined mind can learn and practice it.

Some of the real practitioners do not want the masses to know that and how well magic works because they would lose this advantage in power. Therefore, they spread the belief that it is nothing but tricks and magic effects are the delusions of crackpots.

Recently, the knowledge of magic and its effects has been returning more and more to normal society, but generally, it is not talked about much.
During Christianisation, this folk-knowledge was lost and remains only rudimentary in wisdoms. Thus it was forc-ed to only be preserved and practiced in secret societies or family tradition. Since recent decades, ever better literature on the topic is becoming available, but the area is still strongly dominated by half-knowledge.

The very materialistically or scientifically socialised part of the populace stays firm in their belief in the non-existance of magic or connect magic with superstitious practices divorced from reality.

Demarcations

With “magical thinking”, which is also a stage of development in toddlers, one refers cause and effect selectively to oneself. This means they produce a strong correlation between his own powers of realisation and an event that could just as well have happened completely independently of his thoughts. Experience is dominated by egocentrism and the impression of being the centre of Creation, the point of origin of the universe’s power of Creation.

Such thought-magic is considered a pathological loss of reality in the manic phase in Manic-Depressives. Magical thinking however has another foundation, than gaining awareness and thus is only very limited in its effectiveness (generally just self harming).

Blessings are not viewed in the sense of magic. Here, the focus lies on the Divine, not on the own goals and intentions.

Healers can use magical rituals.

Fundamentals

Magic is the art and the science of bringing about changes through altered states of consciousness in accord with the will.
- Frater V.D.

Magic is the wilful influence over reality or as Bardon writes, the sacred science of all knowledge.
It works through various techniques to accomplish definitive goals. In this, magic applies the general Laws of the Mind.

Here, magic is a took and, taken by itself, completely neutral. It is just an option which the practitioner can use in any way. It can be compared with a knife, with which one can prepare food or harm someone else. Its effectiveness can be enormous with good magical schooling and correct usage and should not be underestimated.

A large part of the known effects of magic is based on strong projection of the magician upon the energy field of the addressed one (others or himself), so that his sensations and perception are altered. In this, the self-energy is frequently augmented through rituals or external energies. This can also lead to altered resonances within the different energy bodies of a person that attract corresponding experiences, for example what was once commonly known as a “bad luck” curse.

The options for working magic are diverse, for example:
* Training intuition and willpower
* Energetic work (for example with the 4 elements, energetic body training)
* Thought concentration and focussing
* Working with the subconsciousness
* Usage of foreign energies and powers (angels, (Light-) Masters, demons etc.)
* Working with symbols, archetypes and rituals (candles, visualisations, certain sequences of motion) or usage of amulets
* Spells of banishment or magic, invocations
* Tarot can be used as a way of magical initiation, but the Tarot is not to be equated to magic.
* Esoterics work magic, as long as the intention is to influence or manipulate reality energetically or through willpower. Generally speaking, esotericism is a path to enlightenment and does not contain magic. It does, however deal with the same foundational principles that form the foundation of magic, and for this reason it can result from it. The magical path to enlightenment is more concrete and practical in focus than esotericism, which is focussed on developing consciousness in any form.

An important principle of working magic is formulated in ”To Know, To Dare, To Will, To Be Silent”, which is one of the reasons why only few practitioners speak about it. Silence is part of the power of the manifestation, whereas speaking can disperse this power and expose it to opposed forces.

The practice of magic means to influence, to deliberately change things through force of will and at one's own discretion. Characteristically, the main focus here lies in the power of the human will – as opposed to ways of knowing that merely recognise that which is without using this insight: here, the usage is left to the Divine and techniques that optimise the bodily/subtle-energy conditions for the purpose of perceiving personal enlightenment (such as Yoga) are not generally understood as magic/magical forces.

More on occult, magical abilities also in the article Esotericism,
more on techniques in the article Energetic Self-Protection
more on the functional foundations in the article Laws of Life
and even more on magic in a FAQ on magieausbildung.de

White and Black Magic
White magic refers to magic used to heal or to help others. It also includes using magic to protect oneself or others. The intention is to use Light and “good”, benevolent forces. Most witch-cults call themselves white-magical. White magic is also used for the purpose of enlightenment.

Black magic refers to magic used in the pursuit of selfish and self-centered goals, for example in order to gain more money, property, power and success. It is seen as acceptable or even intended that others are harmed or attacked by this. A famous example are voodoo techniques that these days are still used mainly in African countries. Black-magical practices are mainly based on greed, envy, jealousy, anger/hatred and/or lust for power.

From this area stem the attempts to oblige foreign or entire societies into certain rituals to draw power from them. Often enough, these tactics are successful. It is common to wrap dark magic in a nice package and thus deceive. Not everyone who enters dressed in White has honest intentions. Black magic in particular likes to use deception and illusion and does so extensively. Furthermore, it leaves its followers in ignorance and wins through intimidation: in Adepts (those learning the way of magic), to stay dominant, and in the deceived “good” people (who frequently do not have any idea who they serve) simply so that they do what they would not do otherwise.

Tarot Card The Magician
imageThe Sorcerer of the Crowley Tarot in his three manifestations

In the Crowley Tarot Deck, publisher Urania has added all three versions of Frieda Harris’s drawings of the Magicician: the white magician (golden, left), the black magician (with a dark shadow in the background, right), and the magician transcendent (the juggler, at the centre. Crowley, however, had only authorised the sorcerer transcendent back then, which was the form to strive for.

The white and black magician are part of the dual system, of the dual plane, whereas the juggler has integrated and transcended the dual magical forces. He can use both forces – not according to his own volition but in accordance to the divine will.

Transcended dealing with the magical abilities is attributed to spiritual Masters and points to a difference between spiritual Masters and magicians.

Protection Against Magic
The best defence against unwanted magical influences is gaining awareness of the way magic works
In the article Energetic Self-Protection, various options for protecting oneself and locations are described. For a start, everyone can pay attention to the resonance. The ones most likely to deal with deliberate magical ham are people who work magic themselves or who did it in a potential previous life. Old connection can appear or be activated during certain procedures or stages of development. Especially white-magically oriented people frequently challenge nether spirits in polarity. This can lead to the magician being disturbed or influenced by their dark power or to the spirits trying to subjugate him.

imageNo one should move glasses, conjure spirits/ghosts or “play” with comparable things for amusement. If it is done “correctly”, the summoned and unused entity will easily turn against the practitioner.
When a dark guest enters the channel in an ill-conceived attempt at channelling, it is not trivial to get rid of him and successful help is rare.

Ultimately, such “games” result in an increased resonance towards magic of the lower or dark kind, which follows one like a shadow and adds a subliminal bad taste to all good works.

* Against general magical mass-manipulation, a clear mind, a lot of water and a healthy body help. It is always the unaware and weak minds that are susceptible.
* In clubs, it can be problematic if one is the target of magic while weakened (for example by alcohol, tiredness, consumption of drugs). In such a case, the magic can even be effective afterwards, but is normally resolved with a lot of pure water and self-centering. In exceptional cases, external help ie needed, for example by an essence.
* Similarly, harmful energies can be taken with oneself unconsciously at mass events, especially in places where magic is performed in ignorance. Unfortunately, this very fact is not known to the visitors of such events. Then this can also include smaller meetings. The knowledge on how to protect oneself or a good connection to the Divine (or to a divine person) are the best companions.

Positions of power can be named as a further endangered group. In such covens – reportedly in lodges – black magic is used frequently to accomplish economical goals.

Where are magical procedures performed?
* Magically effective procedures and rituals are widely used in religions. This frequently happens without the faithful being aware of it, via rituals and prayers.
* The hypnosis of today supposedly originated in the magical tradition as well, it works with the Subconsciousness and influences it.
* Many covens, lodges, neopagans and cults such as witches practice magic and teach it. Among them, most of them are likely honourable and harmless.
* Tantra, which more and more people are discovering for themselves, was original a spiritual method of enlightenment. However, Tantra is also used frequently magically for the manifestation and deepening of a bond with the wish-partner. When used with this (manipulative) purpose, Tantra counts as sexual magic. As targeted built-up sexual energy has a strong effect, it was used against demons in the past. However, it is advised against manipulation of the Kundalini energy because it can also cause damage if impurities are present.
One example of a magical sexual procedure is here – (in English) – with further types of magic here. (Submitter’s note: Links broken)
* Magical techniques are also used for manipulation of the masses.
* For example through religious symbols on vertices of power that change the base structure of the regional energy. (Christian crosses on the summits of mountains, energy intersections and churches, with the effect of binding the populace to the material)
* Symbols of corporations, ideologies and flags
* Modern advertising, as it utilises originally magical ways to deliver information (advertising) into the Subconsciousness. This is exactly what a magician does with himself, it is just that he determines the content and thus the goal himself.
* The massive proliferation, for example printed-on skulls and bones on many products have magical meaning in regards to the manipulation of society as well (corresponds to Saturn and among other things the preservation of existing structures)

Magic & (World) Politics
Secret, very powerful lodges work in the background and supposedly influence politics, banks and the economy. It is known that very many politicians, magnates, nobility, musicians and bankers in some orders and lodges. At times, they may be harmless, at times subverted and at times indeed part of a powerful network of lodges.

Whether secret lodges do indeed rule the world, but some things indicate their heavy influence. Especially the fact that this topic is avoided in movies and media is conspicuous. In documentaries, it is mostly Rosicrucians and Freemasons are portrayed (for example the membership of most US presidents in the Masonic Lodge). It is at least within the realm of possibility and should therefore worth consideration.
For the study of this topic, the following literature could be helpful:
* Banks, Bread and Bombs – Volume 1 by Stefan Erdmann
* Secret Societies and Their Power in the 20th Century 1 & 2 by Jan van Helsing
* Secret Societies 3rd War of the Freemasons by Jan van Helsing
* And The Truth Shall Set You Free – Part 1 by David Icke
* 334 ‰ Lie by H.M. v. Stuhl

Learning Magic
It is harder to cast magic than to protect oneself against it. It requires disciplines and constant practice, as well as continuous development of character. Another perspective assumes that we only remember, skills we already mastered in earlier lives or as a soul.
The practice of magical procedures is always tied into development of character and a form of therapy.
The short, easy way, is generally called the dark one.

imageIn black magic covens, the learning one (adept) will normally surrender his control completely and entrusts himself completely to a master or to a community. Those who want to leave such a coven apparently frequently suffer worldly or magically induced accidents.

*Various covens offer magical training. As most of them are structured pyramidally, the initiate does not know what the intentions of those ranking above him truly are. Disciples are often monopolised and pay either with (a lot of) money or with his energy and magical work. Interested people should therefore inform themselves in advance and select carefully.
* There are small covens and societies, some of them are public or can be found with a serious search.
* One core are the Laws which should be part of everyone’s basic knowledge and are by themselves completely uncontroversial. These laws, however, also find application within magic, as they represent an instruction for reality.
*Books inform about the methods up to self-training via literature.

* School of High Magic by Frater V.D.
* The Way To The True Adept by Franz Bardon
* Transcendental Magic: Dogma and Ritual of High Magic by Eliphas Levi