Chade
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 Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 2:55 pm Post subject: Real magic, eight |
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This is the last thread I'm going to start in the Real Magic series
(if anyone wants to do chapter nine, they are welcome). Tom has kindly
agreed to post his thoughts on 'The sacred path of the Warrior' in a
mini series to alt.magick.
Tom, now this read through is ending can you begin in the next few
days or at your convenience please?
I'm going to ignore Issac's irreverent potted descriptions of various
types of divination and associated woo-woo (a hilarious summation of
different types of fortune telling and it's application in social
situations may be found in "The bluffers guide to astrology and
fortune telling"). Rather I'm going to focus on Issac's take on Greek
history.
First with the roots of words. Everyone knows that the addition of
'ology' to a word means study of, but wherence 'mancy'? It shares it's
root with 'mania' from the word mantis, a 'seer' of hidden things,
past present or future.
Prophet also has Greek roots. 'Pro' meaning out and 'phanai' meaning
speak. A prophet is one who speaks out, usually for a God, or
proclames a revelation. Back then the two word mantis and prophet
would not be interchangeable. So we have the 'Mantic arts' (they've
all got 'mancy'at the end). Issac jests that they could be called the
RoMantic arts.
Issac now opines that Greek thought went through a period of influence
from shamanic thought. In particular the concept that consciousness
could be separated from body, and the beginning of their interest in
the body/soul 'dichotomy'. Which influenced the rest of the West.
Also the Greeks made a connection between being a 'seer' and being a
poet. Often regarding poets as 'seers' of the past, rather than the
future, who were inspired 'breathed into' (possessed) by beings who
would reveal information to them (while under the influence?).
Issac also draws attention to the range of ancient Greek mantic
trances, comparing them to the range spanned by Vodun and spiritualist
trances.
Finally he suggests that through the Greek thinkers, and schools,
trances form a cornerstone of western occultism despite the later
rejection by Theosophy, Rosicrucianism etc.
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For comments on the principles of the mechanism of divination, using
the example of Tarot, see previous posts in this series.
For an essay on hypnosis and magic by the founder of the O.T.A.
http://members.aol.com/CHSOTA/magick.zip
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