Toward A Unified Field Theory Of Magick

yPresented by:Jason Augustus NewcombAuthor of The New Hermetics

DISCLOSURE: I must admit at the outset that some of thepresentation were inspiredpbyyideas in this pthe use of psychedelic entheogenic drugs ina sort of neoshamanism in myy twenties andthe potentially skewed perspective thatpmayy provide.pthese experiences

This is a Magical Presentation Not a religious presentation Not a mystical or spiritual presentation Not a scientific presentation This is a magical presentation

I Do Not Wish to Challenge YourBeliefs or the Way You Do Magick This is not really a presentation about different kindsoff beliefsb li f Not about whether your coven does a better ritual thanyour neighbors This is not a presentation on magical skills This is a magical presentation

I am not really even presenting atheory about how magick worksalthough we can discuss that a bit.bitThi iis more simplyThisi l aboutbwhath magicki k isi .

The Reason for this PresentationI want us all to be able to understand different people’s ideasaboutmagickbi k andd howh we are allll reallyll describingdibi theh samething, though from different perspectives. Grimoiric TraditionalistEntirely interior‐psychological MagicianNewe Thoughtoug t ((“Thee SecSecret”)et )Indigenous ShamanWhat they have in common‐common All are attempting tounderstand and to control meaning in a confusing cosmos.All magick functions first and foremost on the plane ofmeaning, which is to say with our experience of the universe,rather than any notion of empiricism at all.

The Two Directions for Consciousness Expanded free – wholeness Contracted trapped ‐ separateness

Definitions of magic(k) Aleister Crowley: Magick is the science and art of creating change inconformity with will.will (there are various subsub‐definitionsdefinitions of this that havebeen proposed)

Lesser Key of SolomonMagic is the highest most absolute and divineknowledge of natural philosophy advanced in its worksand wonderful operations by a right understanding ofthe inward and occult vertue of things, so that trueagentsgbeingg appliedppto pproperp patients,p, strangeg andadmirable effects will thereby be produced; whencemagicians are profound and diligent searchers intonature,tththey becauseboff theirth i skillkill knowkhowh totanticipate an effect which to the vulgar shall seem amiracle.

Dictionary Definition of Magic(k) 1. The art that purports to control or forecast naturalevents effects,events,effects or forces by invoking the supernaturalsupernatural. 2.a. The practice of using charms, spells, or rituals toattempt to produce supernatural effects or controleventst iin nature.tb The charms,b.charms spells,spells and rituals so used.used

Mli i l Dfi i iMoreclinicalDefinitionsoffMagical Thinking:The belief that one's thoughts, words, or actions will produce an outcomethat defies normal laws of cause and effect; the belief that one's words haveth power tothet makek thingsthihappen.hForF example,l a clientli t may believeb lihishi orher thoughts can cause earthquakes. Occurs in schizophrenia.Subjective logic wherein it's supposed that one's own thoughts can influenceevents,t createt goodd "l"luck",k" or establisht bli h uncanny coincidences.i idAlAlso caninclude the concept that to know the "true name" of something gives onepower over it. Or that chants, incantations and mystical phrases will alter thecourse of objective events.Magical thinking is a term used by historians of religion to describe one kindof non‐scientific causal reasoning. Scholars like James George Frazer andBronislaw K. Malinowski emphasized that magic is more like science thanreligion,li iandd ththatt societiesi ti withith magicali lbbeliefsli f oftenft hadh d separatet religiousli ibeliefs and practices. Like science, magic is concerned with causal relations.

Theses of the Unified Theory Magic is the original and most important meaningcreating function of the human organism Magic is the science and art of meaning manipulation Every conscious experience is based on a successful actof inner magic Consciousness Meaning Magick

Magick is a profession‐ currently being underserved bythe unscrupulous and the flaky

Historical Developments in Magickand their polarities Shamanic/Maleficent Sorcery/Priest‐King Traditional/Heterodox religious “science”/quest for “radical truths” Revivalist/Psychological

The battle between the “purists”puristspygand the “psychologizers”is reallyy anonsensical argument. PsycheP h means soul.l PsychologyP h liis ththe studyt d off ththe soull andd isithe continuation of the activities of the shaman. The fact thatcertain unimaginative and mechanistic have attempted toshrink the psyche within the cranium is just their limitation andshould in no way mean that they own the word. Magick and “modernmodern science”science operate with entirely differentfirst principles and that is what separates magical and non‐magical. If someone thinks about things “psychologically” butuses genuine magical principles then they are doing magick.(many so‐called traditional magicians fail this simple test too,and are in fact magic deficient themselves).

First Principles of Magick There is a realm of “truth” (in which may exist perfectforms or ideas [archetypes]) and by creating meaningconnections between things as they are and theirperfect forms we do magick. What we want is true (or truth, or possible) in somewayy on the “spiritualpplane.”pThe magicalgact connectsthe truth on the spiritual plane with the physicalresult.

The Magical Planes 1.1 The plane of meaning (spiritual) [ideal,[ideal spirit,spirit archetype] 2. The pplane of thoughtg ((mental)) [[thinking,g, ideas,, beliefs]] 3. The plane of image (astral) [dreams, feelings, percepts] 4. The plane of objects (physical) [outer life experience] Preceding these four there is often considered to be a “void‐ground but this not particularly relevant to practicalground”magick at this moment.

Most Basic Difference Betweeng and ScienceMagicMagicMeaningThoughtImageObj tObjectScienceObjectImageThought** Science is essentially meaningless Magick operates under the principle that meaning (orspirit) precedes physical manifestation. Modern science operates under the principle that physicalmanifestation precedes meaning (or spirit).

Human consciousness naturallyoperatest magically,i ll unlesslit hashbeen severely retarded by toomuch “scientific indoctrination”.

Some Survival Advantagesof Magical Thinking Intuitive Hunches – unconscious pattern recognition Pronoia – the suspicion that unseen forces may beconspiringpg for yourybenefit Confidence in Abilities – Lucky charms and ritualsimprove performance (as does imaging) Decreases Likelihood of Depression – you feelempowered over environment and sense of purpose Increases Success – you takek more action

MagicalMi l Consciousness:CiSome Demonstrations

I NeedN daVVolunteerl tfrom the Audience

The truthTht th iis iinthe palm of your handhand.

Choose a Numberbetween 1 and 9.9

Numerology Numbers 1. Independence 2.2 Cooperation 3. Creativity 4. Work 5. Change 6. Home 7. Wisdom 8. Moneyy 9. Humanitarian

Qabalistic Numbers 1. Unity 2.2 Connection 3. Cycle 4. Form 5. Force 6. Harmonyy 7. Aesthetic 8. Order 9. Horizon

I Ching Trigram Numbers 1. Heaven ‐ strength 2.2 Wind ‐ flexibility 3. Sun ‐ brightness 4. Mountain – resting 5. Lake ‐ pleasure 6. Rain ‐ dangerg 7. Thunder ‐ Exciting 8. Earth ‐ Receptivitypy 9. The Way

Which one of these two imagesseems more Venusian?(love‐related)

Aesthetic Choice

Aesthetic Choice

The Wilber Fallacy

The Hero’s Journey

Charlatan and the True Wizard Functionally similar‐ both manipulate meaning CharlatanCh l t ‐ physicalh i l planel– own materialt i lbbenefit.fit True Wizard ‐ spiritual plane ‐ to exalt and inspireot e .other. Charlatan ‐ contracts the client to produce fear, need,greed, etc. True Wizard‐ expands and exalts the client to producehope achievement,hope,achievement advance and successsuccess.

Three Operational Theories ofMagick Awareness Energy Formula

Three Operational Theories ofMagick Awareness (New Thought, Creative Visualization,““TheSecret,” Buddhist and Yogic siddhis, etc)) EnergyE Formula

Three Operational Theories ofMagick Awareness (New Thought, Creative Visualization,““TheSecret,” Buddhist and Yogic siddhis, etc)) EnergyE((chihi andd prana, orgone‐ [reiki][ iki] some otherhforms of hands on healing, some modern wicca) Formula

Three Operational Theories ofMagick Awareness (New Thought, Creative Visualization,““TheSecret,” Buddhist and Yogic siddhis, etc)) EnergyE((chihi andd prana, orgone‐ [reiki][ iki] some otherhforms of hands on healing, some modern wicca) Formula (sympathetic magic, much of folk magicgenerally, “naturalgenerallynatural magicmagic,” grimoiric magic,magictalismanic magic, [reiki])

All these operational theoriesare basicallyb i ll equivalenti lto “meaning”meaningbut with different foci.

ThR iM i lThreeRegionsoff MagicalExploration 1. “the Now” world as it is 2. “The Ouranian” sky ground 3. “The Chthonic” earth ground and underworld

Imbalanced Forms Objectivism, nihilism Extreme asceticism, Dualistic Gnosticism Crude Satanism, misanthropy

Three Magical Structures 1. Doctrine of Signatures 2. Magical Contagion 3. Sympathetic Action

If You Need Scientific Models forthe Impossible Rupert Sheldrake – Morphic Fields David Bohm‐ Implicate Order Karl Pribram – Holonomic Brain Theory Ken Wilber – Integral Theory (not really relevant topracticali l magick)i k)

Why/how does magick work? When you “know that the system works” When there is a logical (or at least plausible) path toresult When you are flexible in the meaning of “success” Forgetting about it (chaos magic theory – onlynecessary if you cancan’tt ring yourself to consciouslybelieve in magic)

Why/how does magick not work? Doubt (this is not as problematic as many seem tothink Too fixed (lowers “success”success rate) Impossible goals

What is a Spirit, Angel, Fairy, God? Lives in a region without time Lives in a region without space Largely Unchanging (eternal)

MMeaningi MMatricesti(Meditation)

Synergistic Meditative Flows

The Brotherhood of Light and Darkness

The New Hermetics

21st Century Mage

The New Hermetics Equinox Journal Vol. 5

The New Hermetics Equinox Journal Vol. 4

The New Hermetics Equinox Journal Vol. 1

Hand‐made Incense

Bronislaw K. Malinowski emphasized that magic is more like science than reli iligion, andd th tthat socitiieties withith magilical blifbeliefs oftften hdhad separatte reli iligious beliefs and practices. Like science, magic is concerned with causal relations.