Research Project 1

Magicians and wizards have been around far longer than the modern day entertainers we have today. “A magician is a practitioner of magic [who has] the ability to attain objectives [and] acquire knowledge using supernaturall or nonrational means.” A magician in this context includes shaman, magi, warlocks, wizards and witches.

Shamans
Shamans are found on all continents of the world, they are the ‘witch doctors’ or ‘medicine men’ of tribes mastering in healing and spell crafting using the simplest of ingredients. There can be parallel drawn between shaman and wise old women who used natural remedies as medicine in villages in the western world, where hedge-witches and kitchen-witches originate from.
They have great knowledge of all aspects of the natural world and have high respect for nature and animals, in some great masters this knowledge was said to enable transformation into animal form. This knowledge was passed down through the generations by story telling which begins at a young age. For shaman it is a way of life.

Indian Fakirs
Indian Fakirs are among the most mysterious of wizards and little is known of their magic as they rarely speak of it. Much of their time is spent in meditation a spend many months lying on bed of nails or balancing on one leg (links with the hanged man in tarot?). They do not believe in material possessions and choose to live a life removed from civilization only wearing rags. They are specialized in the divinatory form of ophiomancy which involves reading of signs in pits of snakes and adopt snakes as there familiars.

My beliefs
I believe in science and that most modern day ‘magic’ of illusionists is very entertaining but not real but above all I believe in the true magic, the power of nature and energy of elements used for healing and protection. This was my favorite song I used to sing at school when I was little and I think it sums up magic pretty well.

MAGIC

CHORUS
Magic is the sun that makes a rainbow out of rain
Magic keeps the dream alive to try and try again
Magic is the love that stays when good friends have to leave
I do believe in magic, I believe

When I was young I thought the stars were made for wishing on
And every hole deep in a tree must hide a leprechaun
Old houses all held secret rooms if one could find the door
But who believes in magic anymore?

As I grew up the grown-ups said one day I'd wake to find
That magic is a childish game I'd have to leave behind
Like clothes that would no longer fit, or toys that I'd ignore
I'd not believe in magic anymore

Now my childhoods far behind, I've learned to my suprise
The magic did not fade away, it wears a new disguise
A child, a friend, a smile, a song, the courage to stand tall
And love's the greatest magic of them all

The song is not my own but one that i used to sing at school, i think my teacher wrote it himself because i haven't been able to find it anywhere to quote where it is from

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I'm not a human being having a spiritual experience, I am a spiritual being having a human experience :)

Research project 2

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn is more commonly known as the Golden Dawn (GD). The Golden Dawn is described on its website as a magical system based on philosophical, spiritual and psychic evolution and is focus on personal development. It is not a religion in itself and welcome people of all backgrounds. After being founded in London the order spread and was active all over in Great Britain in later 19th and early 20th century. It has since been one of the largest influences on modern occultism.

The original Golden Dawn was founded in 1888 by William Robert Woodman, William Wynn Westcott and Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers in all of whom were freemasons. The foundation documents (Cipher Manuscripts) were passed to William Westcott ,from a fellow freemason, who decoded them in 1887. The manuscripts which were written in English gave specific outlines of grade rituals and a curriculum of teachings based on Hermetic Qabalah, astrology, occult tarot, geomancy and alchemy. Westcott and Mathers were credited with turning these manuscripts into workable rituals and teachings.

The Golden Dawn was a three tier system based on hierarchy and initiation. This can be seen as the same as freemasonry, in fact there are many similarities between the two. One aspect that is different is that women were allowed to be initiated into the Golden Dawn and were treated as equals by the men. The three tiers were infact three separate orders, the first order was the Golden Dawn, the second order the Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis (the Ruby Rose and Cross of Gold and the third order the Secret Chiefs.

The First Order taught esoteric philosophy based on the Qabalahh and the basics of astrology, tarot and geomancy. There were 4 levels related to the 4 elements (earth, air, water and fire). When the student was had learnt about the written exam to pass to the next level. After the 4 levels were passed there was a final portal grade which acted as an inbetween grade separating the first order from the second. Members of the second order directed the teachings of the first order and had to consent to students in the portal grade to progress to the second order.

The second order was sometimes refered to as the inner order and taught ‘proper’ magic (scrying, astral travel and alchemy). There were 3 grades Adeptus Minor, Adeptus Major, Adeptus Exemptus which all had to be passed and 4 sub-element and shown personal development and understanding they had to pass a grades for Adeptus Minor relating to the 4 grades in the first order.

The Third order was of the Secret Chiefs who were highly skilled and directed the activities of both the lower two orders by spirit communication. Some followers didn’t believe the Secret Chiefs were people but instead thought they were supernatural beings and symbolic of legendary great leaders.

The original Golden Dawn of which famous people such as William Butler Yeats and Alister Crowley were members no longer exists (no temples survived past 1970’s). However contemporary orders which using the original rituals and teachings include: The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Inc, The Open Source Order of the Golden Dawn and Ordo Stella Matutina.

References
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn Website
http://www.hermeticgoldendawn.org/hogdframeset.html
Wikipedia

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I'm not a human being having a spiritual experience, I am a spiritual being having a human experience :)

The song you posted is beautiful!

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