Original Magic: The Rituals and Initiations of the Persian Magi - Stephen E. Flowers Ph.D. 2017
Typology of Mazdan Magic
The History of Iranian Magic
When we look over the history of Iranian magic in the Mazdan tradition we see that there is a typology of practices, with certain categories of techniques used either alone or in combination to effect magical ends. For example, the mere recitation of certain manthras can constitute a powerful working in itself, while a ritual such as the yasna makes use of all the various techniques.
The main types of magical techniques are manthras, numerology, astrology, herbology, ceremonial, and meditation. Each of these requires an explanation and must be put into the context of greater magical operations. All of these types of techniques are found in other traditions, but each has its own special Mazdan meaning as well.
Manthras
The most important part of ritual is the manthra: the verbal formula impregnated with sonic power and semantic meaning. Spoken or chanted in the Avestan language, the words alone constitute a ritual in and of themselves. The manthra is the fuel of the rite and the medium by which the message is carried from the magician to the yazatas and the realm of menog. It is believed that the Avestan formulas have certain powers due to the sequence of sounds contained in them. Avestan formulas are notorious for being difficult to “translate.” This is because certain choices were made by those who composed the formulas several thousand years ago, in which the efficacy of sound, rather than precision of mundane meaning, was a determining factor. The sound formulas are increased in power by performing them correctly and in the most efficient context of time and environment.
Numerology
The study and application of the theory of number and number symbolism to philosophical inquiry and to the operation of magical workings is of extreme importance in the Mazdan tradition. We are met with numerological references at every facet of Mazdan myth and ritual. Again, a whole study could be devoted to this topic. The Mazdan tradition infused the use of numerical symbolism into many other neighboring religions, and the Mazdan way absorbed this kind of symbolism from others, such as the Egyptians and Mesopotamians, as well.
Students of Mazdan magic are invited to make numerological notes and create their own manuals of numerological symbolism and interpret its meaning. An example of this is the fact that the Ahunvar formula contains twenty-one words, and the number of barsom twigs or wires used in the yasna ritual is twenty-one. The significance of the twigs is the formation of a bridge between the realms of menog and getig, and so too is the Ahunvar a verbal connection between heaven and earth. Therefore, the number twenty-one is a symbol of, and tool for, connection.
Numerological patterns and rhythms not only give shape to aesthetically pleasing and harmonious forms of expression but also make use of objectively effective formulas for the alteration of reality in a positive way. In the first instance, the aesthetics make the message of the magician pleasurable to the ears of the yazatas; in the second instance, the number formulas work in a way similar to chemical reactions.
Astrology
The study of the positions and movements of heavenly bodies with respect to the Earth, and the use of this data in determining the timing of ritual actions, is an essential part of Mazdan magical work. What we have come to call astrology is used in the Mazdan tradition as a metalanguage of cosmological philosophy, as a clockwork for the timing of operations as well as a mode by which the yazatas can communicate with humanity. As the section of this book devoted to cosmology shows, astrological lore is built into the Magian philosophy and is a basic building block of the daily work of the magician.
Herbology
Here we will include all substances that are ingested for an operative or reflective purpose. The most conspicuous of these substances is the haoma or hôm. This is the famous ambrosia of the gods, the divine elixir prepared for consumption as part of the yasna ritual. The word haoma is perfectly cognate to the Sanskrit soma. We know that the main ingredient of haoma is ephedra (Ephedra sinica; Chinese Ma Huang). This is now illegal, as are the other possible ingredients of the haoma, cannabis and opium.
There are also foods that serve magical purposes. In general there is an Iranian tradition, which holds that food is medicine. A special magical food is the unleavened bread (dron), which is sanctified in the yasna ritual and consumed by the celebrants. The ritual consecration of a solid and liquid substance to be consumed by the celebrant is an archaic Indo-European cultic practice later taken over and reinterpreted by, for example, the Roman Catholic Church. This “charging” of substances and consuming them to make progressive internal changes is a basic magical practice.
Besides these factors, the Zoroastrian tradition is full of herbological lore, because plants are afforded the dignity of one of the Seven Creations. As such they are of great benefit to the other Creations in a spirito-material ecosystem promoting health and well-being. Here we have a branch of the Magian tradition that deserves its own study.
Meditation
One of the most fundamental building blocks of magical training is silent meditation. In the Gathas (43:15) Zarathustra records the following after the Good Mind had informed him of the Truth of the Wise Lord: “I realized that silent and deep meditation is the best means of acquiring knowledge and spiritual insight.” This is the kind of meditation pursued by Buddhists in later times, but the purposes and conclusion of the practice is different in Mazdan tradition than it is in Buddhism. The best object of the meditation is the open flame—from it and through it, insight is gained. For the practice of silent meditation, no words are used and no visualization beyond the direct experience of the fire is engaged in. Things are learned from this practice, and it forms a strong foundation for further spiritual insight and knowledge. It cannot be dispensed with to gain full initiation and should be a regular part of your life.
To this is added the more regular concentrated contemplation of certain symbolic and mythic complexes. In the student’s daily initiatory work, the concepts connected to the various yazatas must be absorbed and internalized in more than a cursory intellectual manner. This is done with deep-level contemplation and thought about a particular yazata, in the time and place allotted to that yazata.
This feature of Mazdan operations exemplifies the use of humata, good thoughts, in magical work.