Study Questions (alt.magicK kreEePing oOze Ref4)
tyaginator
Posting-Frequency: to alt.magick -- by inquiry and desire;
to news.answers -- monthly or bimonthly
Revised 0407 (9.8 years between revisions!!!)
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Compiled with input from a number of individuals
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MAGIC QUESTIONS LIST
A. Theory
1. General
a. basic
What is magic?
What can one achieve with magic? Is it real?
Is magic a science, an art, both or neither?
Why do some people use a 'k' to spell magick?
b. religion/liturgy
What is the relationship between religion and magic?
What is mysticism and how does this relate to magic?
What is ritual and how is it related to magic?
How is a 'spell' different from 'ritual' or 'prayer'?
What are these things and what do they have to do with magic:
meditation, hypnosis, trance, possession, visualization,
pathworking and lucid dreaming?
What are demons and angels? Are these related to magic?
c. operations
How can I summon a demon and have it obey me?
How can I make someone else love me?
How can I remove a curse?
Help! My girlfriend is a witch! What should I do?
2. Ethics
What is black magic and is it ethical?
How can magic be used to heal and when should it?
What is karma and how does it apply to magical work?
What are the ethics of using magic in enrichment, romance, combat,
employment, crime and politics?
B. Magicians and Their Studies
How do I learn to do magic? Do I need an instructor?
What is the relationship between student and teacher supposed to be?
What are the usual pitfalls of magical work, and what common, recognizable
stages do magicians go through in the course of magical training?
What is the basis for secrecy and why do some magicians abide by it?
Are magical oaths necessary and/or useful?
C. History
a. General
What is the first reliable record of magical operations?
b. Hermeticism
How does Egypt fit into the history of magic?
Who were the Templars or Knights Templar?
Who were the (Bavarian) Illuminati?
What is Kabbalah?
What is Hermeticism?
What is Masonry and how does it relate to magic?
What is Theosophy and how does it relate to magic?
What is all this stuff about the rose and cross?
What was the Golden Dawn and what did it become?
Who was Gerald Gardner and what was his relationship to magic?
Who were: Levi, Dee, Fortune, Blavatsky(?), Spare, ..?
Who was Aleister Crowley?
Why does he have such a bad reputation?
What is this 'Aeon of Horus/Maat' business?
What is OTO?
What about the A.'. A.'.? Are they related? How?
D. Disciplines
What is divination?
(i.e. astrology, tarot, i ching, feng shui, runework)
What is sex magic?
What is tantra? Are tantra and sex magic related?
What is yoga and how does it relate to magic?
To what to do the following words refer: asana, tattwa, kundalini,
prana, cakra/chakra; qi/ki/chi, meridians; aura, avatars and
(re)incarnation?
What is alchemy and how is it related to magic?
What is (the) qabalah and how does it relate to magic?
Is it different than kabbalah, cabala or qaballah? To what do the following
words refer: gematria, notariqon, temurah,
aiq bekr, sephiroth, qliphoth, da'ath, abyss?
What is ceremonial magic?
What is a Holy Guardian Angel?
What is the Oath of the Abyss?
What is the Great Work?
E. Modern Traditions
What is voudoun/voodoo/hoodoo?
Is voudoun about sticking pins in dolls or is it a religion?
What about santeria? Is it a religion?
What is witchcraft? Is it different than 'the craft'?
Is witchcraft magic or something else?
What is wicca? Is it different than witchcraft?
What is the Great Rite? Is this anything like the Great Work?
What is satanism?
Is satanism related to magic?
What is chaos/kaos magic?
What is enochan magic?
What are aethyrs and calls?
Is there really such a thing as 'enochian chess'?
What is discordianism?
Is this really related to the illuminati?
What does 'TOPY' stand for and why do they spell funny?
What is the Church of the Subgenius?
Who is this Bob Dobbs character and what is all this weirdness?
What is the Necronomicon and how does it relate to magic?
What is cybermagic?
F. Magical tools
What is a magical tool?
What are common magical tools and how are they used?
(i.e. wand/staff, cup/chalice, sword, pentacle, dagger, scourge, cord,
candle, incense, perfume, salt, herbs and stones.)
What is an athame and how is this term pronounced?
What do the following words mean: juju, gris-gris, obeah, wanga?
What are these symbols you're talking about and what do they mean?
(i.e. pentagram (point-up/down?), hexagram, unicursal hexagram,
666, circle and swastika)
Are there correct ways to draw them?
If a symbol is 'upside-down' what does this mean?
What are sigils and how are they used?
What are magic(k) squares?
What is a talisman? How are they created and used?
How many elements/guardians/archangels are there?
What are the elements/etc. called and how are they used?
What role do psychoactive substances play in magical practice?
What about mind machines?
G. Organizations and Order
What is initiation? Is it important?
What forms do initiations take?
Why does alt.magick resemble an initiated order?
Is joining an organization a good idea?
Are social rituals better than solitary ones?
H. General Occultism
What is occultism?
What is spiritualism?
Are spirits real?
What is a seance?
What is an ouija board and how is it used?
What is astral travel?
What is the astral plane?
What does OOBE stand for? What is it?
What are spirits, ghosts, vampires and werewolves?
Do they have anything to do with magic?
Where can I find the Necronomicon? Why is alt.necromicon spelled funny?
I. References
What's a good beginning reading list for a person interested in magic?
What's a good beginning reading list for a person interested in mysticism?
What resources are available for the computer-wise mage?
What about archives?
==========================================================================
This is from a series of continually-updated posts responding to recurrent
questions in the alt.magick newsgroup. Please debate anything in here which
seems extreme and add your own response to these questions after the post.
I'll integrate what I like. Thanks.
nagasiva YronwOde YO
naga...@luckymojo.coM (IA@M)
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posting history: 9305/9412/0407
to be added/correlated:
Where's the REAL alt.magick FAQ?
[ http://www.darkwave.org.uk/~rick/amfaq.htm ]
0) Alpha FAQ for beginners:
(everything from unresolved mysteries to admittedly
trivial minutiae &c. leading up finally to Good QUESTIONS)
1) Beta FAQ for level one enquirer:
(minimal experience in the field, resolved to ask Better QUESTIONS)
2) Gamma FAQ for level two enquirer:
(actual experience, eventually insisting on soliciting
the Best QUESTIONS)
What is magic?
Is magic true?
Does magic work?
How does magic work?
Do I need to change the path I am on to work more effective magic?
Will I need to change the path I am on right now, later?
How will I know if I have gone astray?
What is the final goal?
How can I measure success in magic?
What is the best system of magic?
How can I make my own system of magic or truly integrate the art into
my own being, and strike out on my own?
How can I balance this with my professional/personal life outside magic?
How do I avoid burnout, boredom, &c. and continue thriving?
nagasiva
theory and secular practice only; ethics, religion ignored (snipped w/out note).
in response to query, stipulated is the following:
character of query's possible referent(s),
where known, in relation to occult practice
> A. Theory 1. General
> a. basic
> What is magic?
process, object, fuel, power, influence
conducted through symbolic means
to achieve intentional effect, when desired.
> What can one achieve with magic?
process/procedure, method, instrument, catalyst
> Is it real?
ontological as compared with merely conceptual
> Is magic a science, an art, both or neither?
categorization
> Why do some people use a 'k' to spell magick?
characterization, discipline
> c. operations
> How can I summon a demon and have it obey me?
daemonological
> How can I make someone else love me?
folk and planetary
> How can I remove a curse?
purificatory
> B. Magicians and Their Studies
sociological category
> How do I learn to do magic?
formal activity, practical discipline,
artistic style, mysticoreligious standard
> Do I need an instructor?
conveyable, tutelage-incorporating, traditional,
lineages, degrees, license, consensus-evaluation
> What is the relationship between student and teacher supposed to be?
sociological standard
> What are the usual pitfalls of magical work,
interruptable or faultily performed skill-informed weakness.
> and what common, recognizable
> stages do magicians go through in the course of magical training?
psychosocial, shamanic, mysticoreligious.
> What is the basis for secrecy
sociological, relational
> and why do some magicians abide by it?
sociological, psychological
> Are magical oaths necessary and/or useful?
function
left for later:
> C. History
> a. General
> What is the first reliable record of magical operations?
note: there's got to be more for this category.
> D. Disciplines
> What is divination?
> (i.e. astrology, tarot, i ching, feng shui, runework)
_extemporaneous:
oracular technique
> What is sex magic?
> What is tantra? Are tantra and sex magic related?
orgia technia
> What is alchemy and how is it related to magic?
my latest theory: alchemy is a type or form of magic.
this categorical stipulation is based primarily
on the fact of the symbolism employed indicating
mysticoreligious objectives and suggesting both
material *and* experiential transubstantiation_
> What is ceremonial magic?
categorical, sociocultural
> F. Magical tools
> What is a magical tool?
character, resultant aim, morphological
> What are common magical tools and how are they used?
> (i.e. wand/staff, cup/chalice, sword, pentacle, dagger, scourge, cord,
> candle, incense, perfume, salt, herbs and stones.)
pragmatic, formulaic
> What are sigils and how are they used?
_extemporaneous:
expressed amuletic power in graphic form_
> What are magic(k) squares?
character (as standard to magic squares by Andrews,
Agrippa, Indians, Chinese, etc.)
> What is a talisman? How are they created and used?
ontological, morphological, sociocultural
> What are the elements/etc. called and how are they used?
psychosocial, ontological, metaphysical
> What role do psychoactive substances play in magical practice?
function, tradition, character, achievement
> Where can I find the Necronomicon? ....
librilocational, paranoiacal
> I. References
> What's a good beginning reading list for a person interested in magic?
academic, artistic, ceremonial
> What's a good beginning reading list for a person interested in mysticism?
experiential, psychosocial, theological, meditative
nagasiva
nagasiva
additional construction prior to integration of prev posts.
==============================================================
FOCUS:
------------------------------------------------------------
The Art and all manner of magical practice;
ethics, religion ignored (snipped w/out note).
==============================================================
FORMAT:
------------------------------------------------------------
in response to query, stipulated is the following:
character of query's possible referent(s),
where known, in relation to occult practice;
plus occasional notes as project progresses.
resonance-generation to holographic query-based analysis
==============================================================
CONTENT
A. The Art
B. Magicians and Their Studies
C. History
D. Disciplines
E. Magical tools
F. Reference
Work
==============================================================
A. The Art
--------------------------------------------------------------
1. General
--------------------------------------------------------------
a. basic
--------------------------------------------------------------
What is magic?
process, object, fuel, power, influence
conducted through symbolic means
to achieve intentional effect, when desired.
What can one achieve with magic?
process/procedure, method, instrument, catalyst, lever
Is it real?
ontologically-substantive as compared with merely conceptual
effecting some predictable change
--------------------------------------------------------------
b. categorization
--------------------------------------------------------------
Is magic a science, an art, both or neither?
Why do some people use a 'k' to spell magick?
characterization, discipline, convention, etymology;
inventiveness: 'kteis' neo-tantric abd-worship
--------------------------------------------------------------
2. Practice
function, actuality
--------------------------------------------------------------
a. operations
--------------------------------------------------------------
How can I summon a demon and have it obey me?
daemonological
How can I make someone else love me?
folk, planetary, manipulative
How can I remove a curse?
purificatory
--------------------------------------------------------------
b. initiations
--------------------------------------------------------------
What are included in initiations?
function, metaphysics, sociological
What is the timing and context for the rite?
--------------------------------------------------------------
3. References
--------------------------------------------------------------
HUMANS
How can I be admitted into the proper order of adepti?
sociologic, sociomystical
ALLIES
How can I meet my sacred messenger and be initiated by hir?
mysticoreligious, mediumistic, qabalistic
GRIMOIRES
What arcane tomes are the repository of human magical power?
ontological, energetic, initiatory
ACADEMIA
What are the best books about magic?
==============================================================
B. Magicians and Their Studies
sociological category
--------------------------------------------------------------
1. Education
--------------------------------------------------------------
How do I learn to do magic?
formal activity, practical discipline,
artistic style, mysticoreligious standard
Do I need an instructor?
conveyable, tutelage-incorporating, traditional,
lineages, degrees, license, consensus-evaluation
What is the relationship between student and teacher supposed to be?
sociological standard
What are the usual pitfalls of magical work,
interruptable or faultily performed skill-informed weakness.
--------------------------------------------------------------
2. Career, Process, Work, Operation
--------------------------------------------------------------
What common, recognizable
stages do magicians go through in the course of magical training?
psychosocial, shamanic, mysticoreligious.
What is the basis for secrecy and why do some magicians abide by it?
sociological, relational, psychological
Are magical oaths necessary and/or useful?
function, sociological
==============================================================
C. History
--------------------------------------------------------------
a. General
--------------------------------------------------------------
What is the first reliable record of magical operations?
anthropological, historical
Who first made magic and why?
personal, mythological
What records of magic are reliable?
epistemologic, application
What can history tell us about practice?
achievements, methods
==============================================================
D. Disciplines
--------------------------------------------------------------
What is divination?
... what are astrology, tarot, i ching, feng shui, runework....
extemporaneous:
oracular technique
What is ritual?
...what are purification? banishing? mass? circle?
extemporaneous:
magical implementation in dramatic rite
What is sex magic?
What is tantra? Are tantra and sex magic related?
orgia technia, mysticoreligious, ecstatic
What is alchemy and how is it related to magic?
[note: it seems alchemy is a type or form of magic;
this categorical stipulation is based primarily
on the fact of the symbolism employed indicating
mysticoreligious objectives and suggesting both
material *and* experiential transubstantiation.
What is ceremonial magic (e.g. the Great Work)?
categorical, sociocultural
==============================================================
E. Magical tools
--------------------------------------------------------------
What is a magical tool?
character, resultant aim, morphological
What are common magical tools and how are they used?
(i.e. wand/staff, cup/chalice, sword, pentacle, dagger, scourge, cord,
candle, oil, powder, incense, perfume, salt, herbs and stones.)
pragmatic, formulaic
What are sigils and how are they used?
extemporaneous:
expressed amuletic power in graphic form_
What are magic(k) squares?
character (as standard to magic squares by Andrews,
Agrippa, Indians, Chinese, etc.)
What is a talisman? How are they created and used?
ontological, morphological, sociocultural
What are the elements/etc. called and how are they used?
psychosocial, ontological, metaphysical
What role do psychoactive substances play in magical practice?
function, tradition, character, achievement
Where can I find the Necronomicon? ....
librilocational, paranoiacal
==============================================================
F. Reference
--------------------------------------------------------------
Does reading things help one to learn about magic?
functional, process, educatory
What's a good beginning reading list for a person interested in magic?
academic, artistic, ceremonial
What's a good beginning reading list for a person interested in mysticism?
experiential, psychosocial, theological, meditative
What are good key terms to use in search engines?
==============================================================
copyright 2005 nagasiva yronwode
All rights reserved.
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