Matterless Spells?
tyaginator
hello anonymized correspondent,
# Are there no spiritual spells only at all?
# No ingredients required I mean,
Introduction
of course, there are as many spells as there are humans
who have imagination to make them. whether they are
of any likelihood to be effective is another matter
entirely.
I don't think magic exists without symbols of some
kind, though there are occultists who are convinced
that spells and other magical rites may be achieved
or effected without any material components at all.
Matterless Categories of Magic?
once you transcend matter i think you're dealing in
the realm of psychism/psychicism, and this strikes
me as both unreliable and worthless for my interests.
the mind-only mages can figure out the details of
what a "spell" means for someone who is not dealing
with matter or physical associative connections, as
to the spell's target or in construction of talismans.
# I can't get 97% of them myself
perhaps your strength of acquisition could use some
improvement. wildcrafting and kitchen witchery makes
it accessible to almost all those within reach of
any supermarket, so you must either be very poor and
of little means, outside the range of groceries, or
unaware of the wide range of spells constructable.
# so It would be useful for me.
there is a sizable portion of the occult community
who want the following types of activities to be an
aspect of magic and insert it therein without much
substantiation or rationalization:
* spells with verbal components only
* power words that unlock inherent energy
* psychic powers
* fantasy-based effects (ADnD, movies, etc.)
* mystical and religious aims and limits
* religious and ethical beliefs and conduct
each of these by themselves are fine to focus upon
and specialize in or study if you have the interest,
but as someone who has evaluated occult theory and
practices for the past 20 odd years and compared
it all with other things (including its competitor
expression and socioculture), my impression is that
those who insert these are unaware of the common
foundation from which magic actually springs, and
what its generalizable contents sustainably include.
Religious Magic
now some portion of the activities incorporated to
religion and mysticism do not in fact require any
kind of direction (/intent) or symbolism other than
that inherent to the action engaged. this would
include such things as mediumship and laying on of
hands for healing. the intention is usually born in
mind, and the effect is direct, rather than symbolic.
transmutational effects by religious which are subtle
and do in fact include symbols and intentions (often
for mystical or purificatory ends) are more
recognizably magical or divinatory in a conventional
sense. whether this is censing/aspurgation as part
of a blessing (e.g. with salt water or burned herbs),
or the consumption of a eucharistic and/or alchemical
ritual construction, or effecting some kind of
conceptual/spiritual boundary for the purpose of
"creating sacred space" or "working space" for
further rite and spell, they become more complex
and recognizably magical in their construction no
matter what the description is by the religious
themselves.
scriptural and lyrical spellwork or religion will at
points adhere more closely to the kind of matterless
or extremely simple recitation of hallowed text or
associated magical effect (as by recitation of very
specific portions of scripture for particular
effects like surahs, psalms, or prayers). pieces of
scripture are enclosed in worn amuletic devices for
this purpose also, and therefore require little other
than one's text of faith and some scissors along
with a modified carrying device into which the
sliver or scroll may be fitted.
Magic or Not?
we might brainstorm some common containment devices
that could be gotten from one's home or from a local
grocery store. the use of home-made amuletic contents,
such as the construction of name-papers, should also
be easy enough for anyone with ordinary means.
whether this falls within the purview of the action
of prayer (entreaty, appeal, appeasement, etc.) or
spellwork is an academic question of little import
to those who feel that the effectiveness of what is
done does not depend upon its classification so much
as the faith or propriety in respect of the religion.
as far my involvement (for reference and research)
is concerned, prayer does NOT qualify on its own as
a kind of magical spell. thaumaturgy (the effecting
of change by the magician) is occult whereas theurgy
(the effecting change is by the deity, especially
as it enters into prayer), is not.
Borderlands of Occultism
therefore, your query as a request for "spiritual
spells" is like the ADnD 'verbal spell components
only' spells. in RPGs this applied to only a few
of the spells included, and typically had their
catalyst in the mind of the spellcaster.
English and Irish spellcasting sometimes takes on
this form, with its lyrical referent to components
or spell effects, and religious or mystical verbals
where not qualifying as a prayer, usually borrow
from magical tradition in some manner, as by
gesture, or at the least the inclusion of minimal
tools and components are incorporated (books and
reading from them, gestures by priests of the god,
etc., etc.).
there is also a good argument for the notion of
"astral spellwork" in which the components of all
spellcraft are strictly imagined for symbolic sake,
and this done on what is called 'the astral plane'
(which i interpret as the stage of imagination).
in that sense ALL spellwork might be spiritual.
by my understanding of what spiritual(ity) is, i'd
say that there are numerous spiritual spells of the
sort which seek to improve or optimize experience
of the world (i.e. it isn't their components that
are the referent for 'spirituality' but the effects)
and that a good number of rites or activities which
are associated with spirituality aren't spells at
all but are sometimes categorized along with spells,
such as quietist meditation, mystical disciplines of
repetition such as mantram or yoga, prayer or spirit
contact/mediumship/invocation/evocation.
What's the Matter For You?
the bulk of truly magical disciplines and activities
do require material components or tools, and those
who specialize in nonmaterial methods/effects tend
to develop a particular NAME for what they are doing
(e.g. "reiki", or "E.S.P.", or "channelling"). some
in the occult community have attempted to legitimize
these actions by calling them "direct magick" or any
other more complimentary and toolless referent that
one might take up as spiritual discipline (such
as "High Magick", "Magical Philosophy" or even
"spiritual alchemy").
this may serve as a brief introduction to 'matterless
magic' as a category of investigation and research.
it is not intended as a substitute or as a sampler
of verbal-only spells or religiomystical activities.
good luck with those,
tyaginator
luckymojo.com@nagasiva
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Tom
"tyaginator" <luckymojo.com@nagasiva> wrote in message
news:477566d5$0$36388$742e...@news.sonic.net...
>
> of course, there are as many spells as there are humans
> who have imagination to make them. whether they are
> of any likelihood to be effective is another matter
> entirely.
>
> I don't think magic exists without symbols of some
> kind, though there are occultists who are convinced
> that spells and other magical rites may be achieved
> or effected without any material components at all.
As soon as you do something that you could call a "spell" or a "rite", you
are necessarily dealing with symbols. However, one may do "magick" without
any thought whatsoever, and wouldn't call what one did a "spell" or a
"rite", or even regard it as "magical". Others might, though. Magick is
the production of any extraordinary effect for which an observer cannot find
a rational cause.