The Magical Knowledge Trilogy Pdf

[Gigí Ruais]

TheMagical Knowledge trilogy is a collection of work by Josephine McCarthy written between 2009 and 2011, originally presented in three paperback volumes as Magical Knowledge I Foundations, Magical Knowledge II The Initiate, and Magical Knowledge III Contacts of the Adepts. It is now presented as a large complete paperback collection for the first time. The three individual volumes are still available in their second edition paperback form published by TaDehent Books.

The Magical Knowledge Trilogy is a series that takes the reader through the twists and turns of serious magical study and practice. Written by Josephine McCarthy, one of the world's leading magical adepts, The Magical Knowledge Trilogy covers the necessary skills, contacts, and practices for lone magical practitioners studying and working within Western magic.

It is a sampling of the teaching and magical work undertaken by the author over a twenty-year period, reaching from the early stages of magical practice right up to the adept level of work, and is designed for the lone practitioner. The writing of this collection signalled a turning point in McCarthy's work, as it began to develop more towards the in-depth training of magicians, which eventually manifested in the form of Quareia: an open source magical training course of unparalleled depth and scope.

The trilogy covers magical advice, techniques for ritual, visionary work, utterance, divination, and sigil-making, and includes essays on the history of magic and a look at the mythic storytelling tradition.

Josephine McCarthy is a Western magical adept living in the Southwest of England. An esoteric practitioner, teacher, and author, she has written over thirty books on magical theory and practice, including The Exorcist's Handbook, Magic of the North Gate, The Book of Gates - a Magical Translation, and Tarot Skills for the 21st Century. Josephine has taught extensively in the USA and UK since the early 1990s, and has lectured at various occult, esoteric, and hermetic conferences in the UK and USA. She is the designer and book author for the LXXXI Quareia Magician's Deck (2014 Quareia Publishing UK), produced with artists Stuart Littlejohn and Cassandra Beanland. McCarthy is also the author of Quareia, an extensive, in-depth, open source online training course in the theory, practice, and history of Western magic, which seeks to move Western magical practice into a deeper, more cooperative relationship with nature and the environment.

The Magical Knowledge trilogy is a large collection of work by Josephine McCarthy written between 2009 and 2011, originally presented in three paperback volumes as Magical Knowledge I Foundations, Magical Knowledge II The Initiate, and Magical Knowledge III Contacts of the Adepts

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior permission of the copyright owner and the publisher of this book.

The work of the lone practitioner is very hard but extremely rewarding, and it really and truly puts you on the path of powerful magic. Nothing is done for you, you are not babysat through your training, and your path of work is something that comes from your choice alone, not the dictates of a group. It also allows a magician to forge his or her own path in a direction that is perfect for them.

In truth, the life of a magician tends to be a mixture of group and lone practice. Sometimes groups are put in our path for a length of time for us to learn something, and other times groups and teachers evade us so we are thrown back on our own resources and initiative. Magic, like life, does not start and end in a group: we are born alone, and we die alone. We walk the path through life and magic with people around us, sometimes very close to us, but ultimately our development and practice is within ourselves.

Some people approach magic with all the wisdom and foresight of a curious three year old. And as a result of that quaint naivety, they end up drained, depressed, and parasited. On the other hand, if you approach magic with extreme cynicism and over caution, you will never get anywhere. There needs to be a balance between caution, curiosity, an open and exploratory mind, and a good inner alarm system. A good bullshit meter will also shave years off your search for learning. There is a tremendous amount of bullshit out there, and keeping an awareness of that fact will be very helpful. There are also wonderful things out there, excellent books, great teachers, and amazing experiences waiting to be had.

At the end of the day, your magical path is what you make it. What path you forge through magic is based upon your decisions and actions, not what system it is that you follow. I hope that in some small way you find this book helpful. I am sure you will find things in it that you do not agree with, which I think is healthy. I just hope that you also find things in this book that are helpful to you, or which at least will challenge your thinking or make you look at your own practice through different eyes.

Magic is the most beautiful path to tread. It can be rewarding, terrifying, challenging, and fascinating. Magic has been a part of my life since I was very young, and I can say that it has enriched my life to a level that is almost indescribable. I cannot imagine a life without magic. The path was, and still is, tough. It has mainly been walked alone, with the odd eccentric teacher thrown in my path when I needed them, and it has challenged my courage, strength, and values to levels that almost broke me at times. I think it has made me a better person, and it most certainly made me feel whole: it has been like coming home. Magic is my life.

Although the average person in the street is exposed only to the cotton candy variety of magic, their instincts, deep instincts, tell them to fear it or desire it. Such fear is of course partly grounded in the fears fed to us as children, and the propaganda fed to us by the church. Yes, magic is dangerous in its full potential; yes, it can do damage to the soul if misused; and yes, there are unethical people out there who use it. But the same could be said of a car. And if a child gets into a car, the worst thing that could happen is they take the handbrake off and roll. A car needs keys, and it needs skills to drive it. Once those skills are honed to a fine art, they can be used for great good or great bad. They can also be used simply to do a necessary job.

The majority of people who are first drawn to magic fall into either the witchcraft collection of paths (Wicca, Trad Craft, etc.) or the ritualist collection (Golden Dawn, OTO, etc.). Online courses and book series proliferate and eventually people find their way to a local group or a more solid course of study. From that point, they usually join a coven or a lodge.

The commercialization of magic has brought about a massive change in how magic is approached and why. It has been watered down to make it more palatable, it has been discussed in psychological terms to make it more believable, and it has been presented to make it the panacea for all ills. Dogmas have been reinforced, snake oil pocketed, and profits made. Magic is so much more than that. Magic is the power that flows from unbeing into being. Magic is the space between objects, planets, and cells. Magic is the logic of the universe.

Many of the systems of magic that have developed over the millennia were originally designed in relation to the land on which the magician lived and what culture he or she was immersed in. The cultural relationship with Divinity was the vessel that held the magical system, and religion/magic were one and the same thing. The separation between Deity and magic is a relatively recent thing in human history, and it has been a slow but sustained split in the various schools of magic.

Because of this expulsion of heresies, magic became furtive and mobile. It was passed on quietly from generation to generation by people who moved around from one land to another. So for example, Jewish people travelling around Europe took their own brand of magic with them and began practising and teaching it upon the new land where they lived. This had a great effect upon the people whom they interacted with, and magical wisdoms were passed back and forth and sometimes melded together. One very good example of this is Italy in the 15th century when Sephardi Jews were cast out of Spain and ended up in Italy via Libya. The interaction between Libyan Berbers, Spanish Catholics, and Jewish Kabbalists is very apparent in the magic of that time, which eventually gave birth to the Keys of Solomon.

Magic is an expression of power and an expression of how that power relates to you, your environment, and your ancestors. Magic is the interface of the land and Divinity; it is the power of the elements around you, the power of the sun and moon, the air that you breathe, and the language of the unseen beings, both benign and malicious, that are living alongside you. With all that in mind, how valid is it to then try and interface with this power by using a foreign language, foreign deities, and directional powers that have no relevance to the actual land upon which you live? The systems will work, and sometimes very powerfully, but to what effect on the land and upon ourselves? I am not saying that to use these systems is wrong; I use them in various ways myself. But I think it is important to also be very mindful of where you are and what you are, and to build upon that foundation.

If you were beginning to practice magic in steps, instead of copying something from another land, stop and look at what is around you. Where is the water in relation to you, where are the plains or grasslands, where is the sun, where are the burials, where are the mountains? Look at what ancient things are around you: what ancestral contacts are there? Do you have cemeteries, cairns, ancient remains, burials, castles, etc.? Look at maps to see what natural springs are around you. Are there any caves? If you are in a city that is modern and vast, like an American city, look into its history to see what is there. It is often not easy to find the ancient stories of a land, but if you dig with intent to work with it, then powers will begin to awaken to help you.

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