Magic: A History.

Having previously written an article on trickery, moreover the tricks people use to try and prove that
they are ‘gifted’ or have a sort of super-power, I’ve been encouraged to write a sequel as some
readers are interested in how ‘real’ magic works. There is an air of mystery around magic and it
engages those who read & watch such films, like Harry Potter, and as such it fascinates those who
believe in it. It is the art of initiates who keep its secrets, withholding it from all and sundry, which
causes this mystique. The majority will consider magic and the occult one and the same thing, but as
you will discover, this is far from the truth.

I recall how I was intrigued by various texts and grimoires, some of which have been explored by
Idries Shah who explored oriental magic in his literature. Eagerly, I found and read various texts
exploring this mysterious subject. I wanted to discover what magic was, is and understand its curious
nature. The area is occulted to the many, hence the frequent link between the occult and magic.
What would I find? Well, what I actually discovered was amazing. There are practices that have been
preserved for hundreds of years, hidden amongst a plethora of pseudo-literature, so discovering real
tomes of spells was initially difficult. This is how I stumbled across the writings by Idries Shah and he
explained the ideas behind magic very elegantly. Taking time to read further and investigate, I then
left it alone for a while, until I had a moment of intense insight, waking me to the truth of magic. I
acquired copies of antique works which I wanted to read with great interest, but as I began to read,
it was like a screen shattered in front of me and I could see it for what truly was. It sounds all very
melodramatic, I know, but after the realisation, I was able to see how it worked, understanding the
mechanics behind it all.

First of all though, I’d like to start with what magic actually is, therefore I need to explain its history.
For some of you, this will be old ground, yet for others it will be the first time they have been made
aware of its origins. I expect that you imagine a grand origin, involving some supernatural entity
bestowing sacred powers & knowledge upon an individual who was worthy of such a gift. No, it’s
nothing like that. In order to understand what magic is, we need to look at the root of the word’s
origin. We start by actually seeing how the term was twisted to become synonymous with hidden,
illicit and what would port to be evil acts. After Alexander the Great conquered the middle-east, the
ways of some of the Persians were frowned upon. So the original point of view provided by the
predominant Greek/Macedonian empire was this, that there were a tribe of Medes in a land that is
overshadowed by the Zagros mountains on the border of Assyria, with Elam and Persis to the south
of it (northwest modern Iran), who are Magians and practice wizardry & sorcery. This was largely
due to Heraclitus of Ephesus who prophesied “against the wanderers of the night: the Magians, the
Bacchantes, the Maenads, and initiates. Heraclitus threatens them with tortures after death, he
threatens them with fire, for what they believe to be initiations in the mysteries are in fact impious
rites.” [From: Clement of Alexandria, Protrepticus 12] Later in history, Yaqut ar-Rumi writes,
“Ustûnâwand is said to have been in existence for more than three thousand years, and to have
been the stronghold of the Masmoghân of the land during the times of paganism. This word, which
designates the high priest of the Zoroastrian religion, is composed of mas, "great", and moghân,
which means "Magian.” It would seem from accounts like this that the ways of old Persia were
frowned upon. However, the Magian were not wizards, sorcerers or otherwise. They were similar to
the idea of the Levites in Judaism, they were a race, a tribe who were priests, performing duties for
kings, but pre-dating the Judaic beliefs. Just after Alexander’s reign, the Magians were considered to
be the same as Chaldeans & Brahman, having no distinction. This is so far from what they were
though. The Medes who had followed somewhat pagan ideas, similar to those of the Vedic pre-
Hindu culture had seemingly changed course in their beliefs when Zarathustra appeared on the
scene. The religion of the Zoroastrians developed from being a monolatry/ henotheistic belief (one
god amongst, but above many) to a monotheistic one (only One God, no other) and became the
predominant belief system in Persia between 1500-1000 BCE. Throughout this growth, the Magus
were priests who knew how to create fire, performed ceremonies & sacrifices (especially for others
& their king), being healers for the majority of the time, so they were more of a doctor with a
priestly overtone. They carried what they called a baresman, which was a bundle of twigs from
different plants/trees. It appears that they had the knowledge of how to make a drink known as
Haoma, which comparable to the Soma of Vedic tradition. In short, the Magus had extensive
knowledge of how to create fire, use herbs and natural remedies. Where the ailment was not
physical, they treated psychological illness by means of symbols, prayer and the similar ideas. The
Zoroastrians came up with the idea, that there is this world and a hidden one, behind a veil,
sometimes referred to as the World of Thought (due to not being able to see thoughts, people’s
intentions, motives etc. as they are not visible), where supernatural beings live. This unseen realm of
thought was dealt with by praying to Ahura Mazda (God) with prayers of Good Thought. So they
were not magicians in the sense we perceive due to popular misconception, but were intercessors,
healers and priests.

It’s also said that the ancient Magus were a hereditary priesthood, being credited with profound and
extraordinary religious knowledge and some proved to be expert in the interpretation of dreams. It
is thought that the Jewish prophet, Daniel, was included in the same class when Darius and Persian
empire conquered the Babylonians; the Jews were under the authority of the Babylonians and many
of the Jewish ‘wise men’ were utilised in the kingdom. Being impressed by them, Darius continues
their service under his rule, entitling Daniel, Rab-Mag – Chief Magi. Under Darius the Magus were
responsible for the lan sacrifice, for which Darius made a monthly allowance of 30 litres of barley,
fruits, and 10 litres of wine. The lan sacrifice probably was a type of fire sacrifice, as fire is one of the
Zoroastrian elements alongside earth, air & water. Interestingly, the history of the Magian probably
goes back even further into Abrahamic history than merely meeting and working with them during
the times when the Persians invaded and ruled the Jewish people.

Academic, Mary Boyce, has this to say about the Magians: “The idea that at least some of the
Persian Achaemenids were Mazdaeans and followers of the Prophet Zoroaster provided a
comforting theological framework explaining their pragmatic political policy of religious tolerance.
They were not just cold and calculating emperors holding their diverse empire together by turning a
blind eye to other religions, but accepting and tolerant of other religions based on the fundamental
belief in freedom of choice and that divine judgment was based on deeds not religions.” It was the
intervening of Persians in Judaic history that enabled them to come up with a version of creation.
The Mosaic books had been edited by Ezra and if left to merely the Jewish historians, Genesis would
have started at chapter 2 verse 4 – this is why it looks like creation is explained twice in the book.
(For more information on this, please see the publication Origins Vol 1: Adam – Nimrod.) Not only do
we have the creation narrative in Genesis which the Persians helped with, but also a character that
pops up only three times and is quite possibly of similar Magian origin. This person displays
knowledge of offering bread & wine, is a king of peace/righteousness, tolerant of other faiths/gods
and is a high-priest. His name is Melchizedek. You see the Zoroastrians travelled, just as missionaries
of any religion would, even ending up in China in the 8th century BCE, as it’s possible some served in
the court of the Western Zhou dynasty. The Nuremburg Chronicle suggests that Zoroastrianism was
flourishing at the time of Abraham’s father, Terah, and this is why it is possible that the mysterious
figure of Melchizedek is of Magian descent. He meets with Abram during an episode in Genesis 14:1-
24 and ‘brought out bread & wine’ and is recorded as being, ‘a priest of God most high.’ As
Christians will recognise, this is a parallel that Christ performs in the Last Supper and in the letter to
the Hebrews, Jesus is classed as, ‘a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’ So was Christ a
Magian? Well, the notion of one God and the knowledge of offering bread/grain & wine is certainly
identical, but I don’t think he is, or was, but the practices of the Essene are certainly similar to the
Magian and it’s presumed that Jesus learnt some aspects from their teachings, but I don’t think
Christ is a magician as such, he just knows how real magic works. And this is what we will now look
at.

Initiates in the various groups, that keep this sort of thing hidden, believe that certain processes
work. The idea that certain amulets, icons, symbols, ingredients, etc. work is all due belief, so much
so that it becomes something that has a certain mystique around it. The simplicity of this is covered
with layers of complex requirements and has several hoops the ‘magician’ needs to jump through in
order to truly believe it will work. Needless to say, the essence of faith is in the knowing that it has
already come to pass, it has already happened, it has been received. In a way, it works backwards. If
one hopes, thinks it might be, doubts it will occur, and has the smallest of fears that it will not
happen, then it won’t. Instead of asking for it to happen, know it has already happened. There has to
be the certainty of receiving it, not a hope but an absolute belief in the fact that i t h a s h a p p e n
e d, realised with an unwavering belief. It should be that you can see it, feel it, taste it, hear it and
greeted with thanks and gratitude. It’s thanking the higher power for the thing that has already
come to pass, that is also integral to the process. Some people can conceptualise this process
mentally, yet others will have to find that mental place where that unwavering belief, that certainty,
the Haqq ul-yaqeen, is accessed. The items in the spells and incantations are symbols which help
people to focus on certain elements of the process and this is why they are employed. I don’t for one
minute think there’s anything ‘Harry Potter’ about magic, for essentially the process is about
focusing on the actualised, realised item/event having already occurred and being grateful for it
before it has transpired.

The only thing about this magic is that it has two sides to it. Some will use it for the benefit of others,
the world and the environment whereas others use it for selfish ends. This also means that there is
both light and dark magic. You may wonder why anyone would use it for illicit purposes, but there
are people out there who do or will. Magic/faith is a very real thing, extremely powerful and
anything can be achieved with it - ponder over this for a while. When it comes to belief in God, why
would anyone pray to a devil, demon, or otherwise? You may argue that they don’t exist, but if
someone believes they are summoning a demon, then who is to say there isn’t one, for their faith
may create it. And this is why I say that there is a supernatural, ‘principalities, kingdoms & powers’
(Ephesians 6:12), similar to the Magian hidden world of thought. The Christian scriptures also tell us
that when one or more people agree over something the strength of faith is even more powerful
and it will be granted by God.
“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you
loose on earth will be loosed in heaven,” & “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree
about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my father.” (Matthew 18 18-20)
Why then should anything need to be bound or loosed? Because, “There are more things in
heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy,” as Hamlet says in Shakespeare’s
play. This is why one cannot truly say that there is no supernatural. Why on earth some people
would want to use this for evil I find staggering, yet some will do this. It means that there some
walking amongst us who knowingly create evil for selfish reasons, to cause havoc and chaos.

The question then rises, in relation to this, about summoning spirits. I’ve been lucky enough to have
met two people who have specialised in the opposite side of faith from the Anglican Church and the
anecdotes they recall are utterly fascinating. They acknowledge that certain things do exist. I won’t
go into the whole ‘what is real & unreal’ saga, but suffice to say, some individuals have experienced
unusual phenomenon that is other worldly. When it comes to the issue of summoning the dead,
there can be a couple of ways it may be possible. First of all I must stress that I am not talking about
Ouija Boards or any scrying medium/tool. There are two ways that potentially a person can call the
departed, by kything and summoning; beware though, for again, many who claim to do it only want
your money. With kything, it is actually a process whereby one envisions the person in front of them
and imagines a conversation between the two of them. In order to do this though, a version of the
person is constructed by the individual, who has built up an image & profile by studying the person
in question. So really it is a virtual simulation formed from the ideas of the person and not a
summoning. In regards to summoning, oddly enough there is anecdotal; evidence for this in the Old
Testament, being from Judaism & Christianity. The Witch of En-Dor is recorded to have summoned
the spirit of the prophet Samuel ( 1 Samuel 28:3-25). The incident even shocks the witch, as if she
wasn’t sure it would work. The Bible also says that we should not converse with the dead, which
kind of indicates that it’s possible, but is not encouraged. “Don't sacrifice your son or daughter.
And don't try to use any kind of magic or witchcraft to tell fortunes or to cast spells or to talk with
spirits of the dead” (Deuteronomy 18:11). Remember though, as I often say, beware of the fakers
who just want to make a profit and also be very aware that it shouldn’t really be done at all!

Moving on, one thing I find most interesting is that the majority who express an opinion suggesting
there is no God, still have a belief in something, whether good and evil, magic, spirits and the
afterlife. They, more often than not, do not consider the aspect of faith and how it works. If they did,
I feel that they would probably eventually come to understand that there is something other than
just ‘this.’ Rhonda Byrne, writer of ‘The Secret’ has brought the magic of faith to life for many and
revealed its secret to the world, making it accessible for all. I wonder if Rhonda and her readers
understand the concept of this secret also being the fabric of magic and its sundry partners. If
people truly understood the gravity and power of faith/magic, they would probably consider other
aspects of what would appear to be spirituality. There are many aspects which are beneficial to life
in general; being practical skills we can utilise to have a healthy, well-balanced life. This would mean,
in essence, we all could be considered magicians, bringing a little magic in to the world by simple,
practical means.

Now, inasmuch as there is there a supernatural, light & dark magic, et alii, one wonders if this is, as
Zoroastrians believe, a sort of dualist universe where good fights evil. As I explained to a friend of
mine, there is one factor that the universe has written into the very fabric of all things – death. So,
regardless of something being evil or otherwise, it will die, just as everything does, nothing lasts for
ever. I describe it as a wave that comes crashing down over all things which then distributes the
remains everywhere and these remnants are sifted and separated, to form into other things, as the
universe loves to recycle.

To conclude then, the idea of actual, real magic is far removed from what the majority perceive. In
essence, traditional magic is herbal remedies, knowing how to create fire, healing, prayer and aid
those with psychological ailments with symbols that reinforce the belief in healing; the magicians
know about how all things are created by one God who sustains us with grain, fruit and water and as
such they offer these as gifts back to God as a thankful, frank offering, whilst being tolerant of others
beliefs. It’s nothing like using a wand and using some spell to enchant someone. Moreover, it’s
completely different. Real magicians don’t use spells, they utilize prayer and have unwavering faith;
they don’t have wands, they use branches of plants that have healing properties and they know the
secret of creation and acknowledge one creator, being tolerant of those who worship other ‘gods.’
These ideas have permeated through Persian thought, Zoroastrian belief, through to modern day
beliefs. I’ll leave you with these words that I believe Zarathustra wrote:
“I who have set my heart on watching over the soul, in union with Good Thought, and as
knowing the rewards of Mazda Ahura for our works, will, while I have power and strength, teach
men to seek after Right.” (Ahunavaiti Gatha 28:4)

Lee Keith Freeman aka Sougen