Class IV: Magickal Arts
“Magic, when well-done, is considered entertainment.
“The practice and rehearsal of magic, when well-done, can be meditative. When done together
well, they are meditainment. Magic is my meditation and entertainment for an audience of one; me.
When I enter into a state of meditainment, the world vanishes and I am deep in the reflection of the
mirror of self.
“Disciples of many inner traditions have explored active meditations like walking and dancing as
ways to explore the inner world, to make contact with the deep, hidden wisdom inside each of us.
Meditation is a practice. For us, our magic is our practice.” —MagnusHigh & Low Magick;
Theurgy & Thaumaturgy
High Magick (also called theurgy, meaning “work-
ing things pertaining to the gods”), which often calls
upon the aid of friendly spirits and gods, is associ-
ated with religion. Theurgy refers to the use of magick
to effect changes in the magician’s own internal real-
ity. Theurgy is not concerned with service to others,
but rather in one’s own personal enlightenment, self-
actualization, and apotheosis (“becoming Divine”).
The focus is on prayers, invocations, and medita-
tions. Theurgic magic was highly developed by the
Neo-Platonists, adherents to a philosophical and reli-
gious system developed in Alexandria, Egypt, in the
3 rd century CE that was based on a blend of the doc-
trines of Plato and other Greek philosophers, Oriental
mysticism, Judaism and Christianity. Plato believed in
a morally neutral natural magic, like electricity, the
use of which was up to the practitioner.
Thaumaturgy (“wonder-working”), on the other
hand, is the use of magick to effect changes in the
reality of the outer world. As it is concerned with the
scientific and technical aspects of such workings, this
is what we call “Practical Magick.” Thaumaturgy is
also often referred to as Low Magick or sorcery—
especially when it is provided in the service of oth-
ers. All forms of folk magick—which served the vil-
lages and common people—became known as Low
Magick. Over time, much of the traditional lore and
practices of folk magick declined in popular use, re-
garded as superstitions.
In Greece, Low Magick (called mageia, “sorcery”)
had acquired an unsavory reputation for fraud by the
5th century BCE. Practitioners were not members of
the priesthood but individuals who claimed to have
magical powers and would help clients for fees. Such
people still practice widely, advertising in the papers
and working out of botanicas and reading rooms.
Most of the laws against the practice of “fortune-
telling” and the like are about this. The very lowest
form of this magick is goeteia, which in the classical
world was practiced by persons who cast spells,
“howled” incantations, and concocted potions.- Introduction: Magick in Fact
and Fiction
OR MANY PEOPLE, THE IDEA OF
magickal practice comes mostly
from stories, TV shows, and mov-
ies—in which Witches, Wizards,
and Sorcerers hurl firebolts, make
things disappear (or become invis-
ible), instantly change their hair
color or physical appearance, transform into animals,
bring to life inanimate objects, clean house without
raising a finger, teleport instantaneously from one place
to another, read minds, levitate, and engage in colorful
magickal battles full of weird special effects—and all
with a wave of the hand, a twitch of the nose, or the
twinkling of an eye.
Real-life magickal practices are somewhat differ-
ent. They run the gamut from simple spells and
charms—mostly concerned with individual healings,
blessings, transformations, and other small workings;
divinatory readings; shamanic ecstatic practices used
for healing and journeying; through “Circle Work”
involving raising group energy for healings, commu-
nity service, weather working, and other such; to larger
group workings to heal and save the planet—such as
protecting endangered forests, peoples, and species.
And some of those practices shown in the mov-
ies actually do have real-life analogs—though they
may not be quite as dramatic as they are made to ap-
pear with Hollywood special effects! It’s like with a
laser: in movies you always see a beam of light going
from the laser to the target; but in real life, lasers only
show a dot on the actual target—the beam itself is
invisible. And so it often is with real magick.
In this Class, I will introduce you to some of the
main types of magick. Later, I’ll show you how to do
them yourself.Lesson 2: Types of Magick
Magickal work and practices are often distinguished
into two main types, commonly referred to as “High
Magick” and “Low Magick.”Corrected pages 3rd printing.1.p65 13 6/10/2004, 2:59 PM