Expressions of Magic

Philosophy’s been a large part of my life ever since I was a child (is anyone’s life any different?) I was taught to meditate at the age of 5; walking around in a circle repeating a mantra over and over again in order to distract and subsequently focus the mind. As I grew older I was given a different mantra to repeat, 'ing'. Rather than walking in a circle while repeating the mantra I was taught to relax the body and mind from a prone position. From the age of five to twelve I consumed every text I could get my hands on dealing with subjects from historical mythology on up to ‘hard’ religion’s subsequent milking of that mythology. At the age of twelve I began to delve into tomes of magic, ranging from the modern drivel of the 60’s and the 70’s to older, rare texts dealing with, guess what, focusing the spirit and the mind to achieve desired ends, whether selfish or more macro (united) in nature. Love (that mythology the rational mind invented to accept the human animal’s need to rut – procreate – carrying on the genetic memory so necessary for future generations) kicked in with the body’s natural flow of hormones, pop-music’s none too subtle emotional massaging of those bio-chemicals, advertisements’ mentally broadcasting signposts to future purchases through socially accepted mores, and society’s own inept offering of success disguised as materialism expressed emotionally. Good times, really.

Sidetracked again, ah well. The main point being words don’t matter, rituals don’t matter, gods don’t matter – it all is focus & desire. What is, you may ask – why am I reading this? I personally have absolutely no idea. It’s your choice, your desire to continue. See?

Anyways, the two, focus and desire must be intertwined. Often times this is done through the examples listed above, though if tools are used a certain amount of wear is bound to happen if they are not maintained (Christianity is a perfect example of loss through time because the tool was not maintained). For myself, I’ve reached a hideous turning point, I no longer desire. I have reason, but you see reason alone is not enough – there must be desire. With the death of desire quickly followed lack of focus. In this day and age of constant distraction (living without the constant threat to survival is bound to lead to this) a lack of focus has been just the beginning of our problems. That’s okey dokie though, for you see with every set of problems, come innovative solutions. Or mass extinction. In other words something new. The thing about the new is that it isn’t the old. Seems obvious doesn’t it; but unfortunately it is not. Look around – things are changing drastically, quickly – yet so many of us refuse to let go, clinging to the past as a well worn blanket in the false belief (which is merely hope deep down if we could only own up to it) it will protect us from the tempest brewing. Good luck with that. I’ll continue to wait by the door, without desire, only with destiny, for the world to fall

There is no good there is no evil. Just like love (that fairy tale our rational minds have invented to convince our consciousness there is a higher purpose for us to rut like animal – as if continuation of the species weren’t enough of a reason (I know I already mention this but some nuggets are too juicy to let go of)) good and evil were invented to explain that which we can not accept. All things, beings (sentient and otherwise), moments can only be measured by chaos and order. At times chaos is good and at times order is bad (silly, I know but that’s really the only way I can think to explain it). We live in those times. It’s not a great time of chaos, it’s more of a bunch of moments of chaos creeping together to form a wave while order ebbs, moment by moment – both expressions of reality’s dual nature, at least here on earth.

Needless to say it is a wonderful (frightening) time for magic to make a come back. Look around at the lies friends, family, and neighbors believe – and yes, if they collectively believe them strongly enough they will become real – for them though, not for everyone else. The only time they can become real for everyone else is if there’s a seed of truth buried deep within the illusion (call em lies if it makes you feel better). By example, an idiot (for the sake of symbolism rather than reality let’s call this one the fool) making a good leader. So many have fallen under the sway, perpetuated by a fool’s words, that some people are more real where as others are not. What’s real? Watching your children die before they are able to walk because there is not enough fresh water and food, knowing that on the other side of the globe there are people who, for generations, have grown fat with desire for material things – as you’ve watched your children die. Or is the point of view of ‘the fat’ more valid? Freedom, phew! That beautiful argument the short sighted use to explain why it’s ok for fellow citizens to be poisoned all the while being told, “No, it is really food, medicine, good.” – reveling in man made rules saying the destruction of our genetic code is perfectly fine, even legal. It’s capitalism. Yet other members of our species die by the millions from the very over consumption we expect in this country. You see, for them, it’s not just desire and focus on the individual level – it’s desire and focus built up over generations, for survival’s sake. Not for a thirty year mortgage, new car, college education, video game, big screen television, argument over whether global warming’s real – but for SURVIVAL. We’ve lost that and now the cup’s been taken out of our hands, the rules re-written. Live with it, deal with it, accept it or fight it – it doesn’t matter. It all leads to the same thing.

If a species’ success were to be measured we are a long ways from the top. By weight insects are by far the most successful on this planet (though as Americans we are trying to close that gap). The reason, as much as I personally hate to admit it, is a balance between the individual and the group. Some of our fellow species members have admitted that truth, and by far, as of the moment of this writing, they are the more successful.

Chaos and order – desire and focus. It’s all in the perception and the execution. Some will scoff, laughing off what appears to be ravings. Hopefully though, some will see the order in chaos, the chaos in order and extract the desire and focus to do what must be done. Magic.