Magick Hour

Driving into the ‘Palms’ for his weekly Saturday lesson with his students, Ethan puts the events of the previous week behind him. Ethan follows the usual routine of signing in at the gate, giving his driver’s license to the guard in return for a visitor’s badge and meeting the Chaplain at the prison Chapel. The Chaplain lets Ethan inside the gate where they make their way to the classroom.

As the students file into the classroom and take their seats at the table around him, Ethan notices that Ricky has decided to join the group again, however the others seem to be keeping their distance from him.

“I wonder what that’s all about?” Ethan asks himself as he passes the sign-in sheet to the student to his right.

“Ok guys, sign in quickly and pay attention. Today we are going to be talking about a really exciting topic. One that everyone seems to be eager to discuss….”

“Well, what is it?” Roger interrupts before Ethan can finish his sentence.

“Well, Roger” Ethan replies “Its How Magic Works.”

“Oh cool!” exclaims Lamar excited about the topic at hand “Now y’all be quiet, I gotta take some notes on this one…”

“Before I begin” Ethan explains “I would like to point out that “Wicca is a religion which recognizes magick as one tool available to all seekers along their spiritual path, but the practice of magick is only one part of the greater whole of Wiccan belief and practices. With that said, I’d like to ask some of you to define magick”

Ethan pausing looking around the room.

“Lamar, define magick for us, will you?”

“That’s easy man” replies Lamar “that’s like pulling rabbits out of a hat.”

“No, that’s magic with a C,” Ethan explains “..or stage magic. I’m asking you about magick with a K.

“What the difference?

“Magick with a K is used to distinguish the type of magick that witches, sorcerers, rootworkers, and the like practice from the magic of stage magicians like Criss Angel.”

“Chad, can you define magick with a K for us?”

“Me?” replies Chad unsure of his answer “Well um….magic is like making shit happen, right?”

“Dude you are so wrong” comes a reply “shit happens on its own, you don’t have to make it happen.”

The response elicits a bout of nervous laughter throughout the room.

“Ok Roger, how about you?” Ethan interjects “How do you define magick?”

“Well” Rogers explains “Crowley defined magick as the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will.”

“Right” says Ethan “that’s how Crowley defined magick but how do you define magick?”

“I guess it’s kinda like Lamar says” replies Roger, “magick is the power to make…things…happen. Draw thing to you and move them away….”

“What kind of things?” asks Ethan

“Wants” says Roger

“Needs” offers Lamar

“Desires” replies Chad

“Cold Hard Cash” says Nick

“Pussy” shouts Brad

“Those are good answers everyone” Ethan interject before the answers get too out-of-hand “and you’re all 100 percent right”

“Now Roger already explained Crowley’s definition of magic for us,” Ethan continues “and we all know Crowley is famous for his writings on magick. But for balance, let’s look at a scientific view of the subject of magick. “

“How many of you have ever heard of Arthur C. Clarke?” Ethan asks the group “Show of hands.”

“Nobody” asks Ethan somewhat surprised

“Well, how many of you have ever heard of a little movie called 2001: A Space Odyssey?”

A few students raise their hands, but many seem to be unsure of the turn in the conversation.

“Arthur C. Clarke first wrote 2001 as a novel and later co-wrote the movie with director Stanly Kubrick.” Ethan explains “but that’s not what I want to talk to you about. In addition to being a science-fiction author, Clarke was also a scientist and inventor. He wrote extensively about themes of science, the future, and the paranormal.”

“But what’s this got to do with magic” asks Lamar

“I’m getting to that” Ethan replies “now Clarke is also famous for three laws. The first two don’t really concern us. However his third law, states that “any sufficiently advanced technology will be indistinguishable from magic.”

Ethan pauses to allow what he has just said to sink into the group consciousness.

“I heard that in Superman Returns” says Chad, “I thought Lex Luthor made that up?”

“He was quoting Clarke’s Third Law.” Ethan explains.

“Witches recognize magick as a science which we are as yet unable to fully explain.” Ethan continues “that’s why witches are said to practice magick, because nobody’s really perfected it yet. However the prevailing theory conjectures that there is a divine spark, or Higher Self, within all human beings which is that part of them that is god.

“Crowely called that the Holy Guardian Angel” adds Chad. “It represent one’s true nature.”

“Correct” Ethan continue “This Higher Self has the power to achieve anything that the individual can imagine. However, the desire has to be communicated to the Higher Self through images rather than words, which is why an understanding of symbols is so important to witches.”

“Why images and not words?” asks Lamar

“Well, many people believe that symbols are the secret language of magic” Ethan explains “Look at tarot cards. Remember the old saying a picture is worth a thousand words?”

“Yeah” says Lamar

“Some people believe that communication with words is limited, but commincation with pictures is so much more complex yet easy to understand. Since you are speaking the language native to the Holy Guardian Angel, or HGA, your exact desire comes across more clearly and the HGA is able to bring it about more quickly."

“Then why do we often chant incantations during our spells if all we need is to visualize what we want?” asks Nick.

“Well visualization is just a small part of the process, there are many tools available to the witch.” Ethan explains “We shouldn’t disount the power of words. Can any of you think of an example showing the power of words?”

Silence

“Ricky” you’ve been quiet today “Can you give us an example of the improtance of words in the practice of magick?”

There is a pause where Ricky looks directly at Ethan and Ethan is usnsure if Ricky will answer.

“Jews” Ricky beings “believe that God spoke the universe into creation”

“That’s an excellent example! replies Ethan "In the beginning was the word, and the word was made flesh."

Ricky now leans forward more engaged in the conversation going on.

“As human beings, our natural language uses words rather than pictures.” Ethan explains “so for us to define our wants, needs, and desire it is often necessary for us to do so using our natural language. When we chant incantations its bores our rational mind and activates that part of our brain that accesses the higher self so we can communicate our goal to the higher self through our visualizations. “

“Wait” says Lamar “there is a part of our brain that commincates with the higher self?”

“Yes”

“So there is a biological factor?”

“Yes, and what’s more is that ancient man understood this.” Ethan explains “Don’t believe me, look at the Lovers Card in the tarot.”

Ethan removes a deck of Tarot Cards from briefcase. He takes out the Lovers Card and passes it to the student on is right direcitng him to pass it around the room.

“Now” Ethan continues “Notice in the picture how the man is looking at the woman, and the woman is looking at the cupid hovering over them both.

“Yeah”

“So if we look at this in the language of symbols” Ethan explains “the man represents the rational mind, while the woman represents the subconscious. The cupid, or angel, represents the Super Conciousness or Holy Guardian Angel.”

“Your Higher Self” asks Lamar

“Right” says Ethan “ The process of communing with the Higher Self can be done in various ways, thus leading to different types and techniques of magick. However, while there are certain principles which we believe are essential for the successful practice of magick, the application of these principles is highly personal and subjective to the individual.”

“What do you mean” asks Ricky growing more confident.

“Magick doesn’t come from any tool” Ethan continues, “it is channeled through the tool from the individual himself. All one needs in order to perform successful magick is a connection to the Higher Self, a firm belief that you can have that which you desire, reaffirm this with positive thoughts, words, and deeds, and the knowledge that what you send out will come back to you.

Ethan’s students are enthralled as he explains the theory of magic. Some listen intently, others hurriedly jot down notes, while a few raise their hands with quizzical looks on their faces. Ethan pauses to answer questions, sometimes allowing his students to chime in with their own theories or to explain what he has already said in their own words.

“Can you tell us more about the role of visualization in magick?” asks Ricky

“Visualization” Ethan begins, “can be thought of as form of sympathetic magick. Sympathetic Magick is the belief that invisible bonds connect all things. A classic example of this type of magick with which most people are familiar is the melting of a waxen image of an enemy resulting in that enemy’s death. With visualization, rather than creating a physical image of your goal, you create a mental one.

“How do you make the connection to the Higher Self?” asks Lamar

“The connection to the Higher Self is made in various ways; however it is most commonly done through ritual observance and meditation. Through ritual observance, such as at Esbats and Sabbats, a person opens their selves to the divine and therefore to the universal connectedness of all things. However, through meditation, the Lower Self becomes connected to the Higher Self by way of the sub-consciousness. Remember what I said about the Lovers Card?”

“Yeah.”

As Ethan began to continue his lecture there was a familiar knock at the door.

“Ok guys” the Chaplain says entering the room “Magic Hour is over, time to go back to your cells”

Everyone laughs at the Chaplain’s unintended joke as they gather their things and make their way out of the room and the class comes to an end all too soon.