Original Magic: The Rituals and Initiations of the Persian Magi - Stephen E. Flowers Ph.D. 2017

Theology
The History of Iranian Magic

Zarathustra, who had been a trained professional priest, radically reformed the pantheon of the ancient Iranians. Through his insight he was able to see the philosophical basis of the gods and goddesses of the Indo-European pantheon. The main insight of his vision was that the only true and absolute godhead is Ahura Mazda—Lord Wisdom, or “pure focused consciousness.” This is an entity, which is pure light, unity, and goodness, beyond other forms of duality. This being is devoid of any anthropomorphic character, and the name itself suggests androgyny: ahura is masculine, while mazda is feminine.

The earliest phase of Zarathustra’s theology was more radically monotheistic than the later phases that would develop, or redevelop. Because the system of Zarathustra was designed to be open to the evolution of ideas, however, the later “rehabilitation” of the old gods and goddesses is not at odds with the original principles of Zarathustra. The individual gods and goddesses were seen as being either beneficial to humanity and the world, or they were detrimental to these inherently good things. The beneficial gods of antiquity were seen as pure abstract emanations of Ahura Mazda in a system that was closely modeled on the Indo-European tripartite functional structure. These good entities, created by Mazda, were called yazatas (“those worthy of worship”), and the disadvantageous ones were called daevas. As the system evolved, many of the old Iranian gods and goddesses found their way back into the final Zarathustran “pantheon” as yazatas.

Over time many of the old gods and goddesses were reintroduced into the Zoroastrian pantheon with insightful philosophical interpretations based on the ancient principles. We will discuss the canonized Zarathustran theology/angelology in the next chapter when we consider theoretical considerations surrounding the actual practice of magic, as the understanding of the yazatas is essential to the work of the Magian way. The whole system of the yazatas and their meanings will be further explored in chapter 3.

Fig. 2.1. The Amesha Spentas within the tripartite model

One of the most striking aspects of Mazdan theology is that there is no strict distinction between spirit and matter. Some yazatas are purely abstract principles, while others are of the material universe. The only thing that matters is whether the principle is beneficial or detrimental to the well-being of the Seven Creations: Sky (Air), Water, Earth, Plants, Animals, Man, and Fire. The Creations themselves are also considered to be yazatas. In the case of Man it is the divine portion of the individual, the fravashi, that is worthy of worship once it has been developed (initiated).

In Zarathustran theology, Ahura Mazda is seen as the godhead, the creator, and is characterized as pure being. From this entity, Ahura Mazda, emanations emerge in a process of creativity. Each of the emanations is full of divine energy and is not necessarily any less divine than the previous emanation. Material beings, however, are relatively weaker than purely spiritual entities in the struggle to resist the daevic forces of ignorance, weakness, and sickness.

Among the so-called Abrahamic religions, there always seems to be a great division between magic and religion. They are conceived of as being in stark contrast to one another. Scholars of the history of religion have long since discarded this model. It appears to be something that was emphasized by the priests and mullahs of these religions to prevent individuals from engaging in operative theology. In fact, as we have discussed earlier, there is a difference between sorcery and magic. In a sense, original magic is merely the work of operative theology undertaken by individuals for the sake of their own personal development and to maximize their opportunities for well-being, success, and wisdom—in short, happiness.