Original Magic: The Rituals and Initiations of the Persian Magi - Michael M. Hughes 2018

Preface

Before we dive in to the subject of resistance magic, let’s get a few things out of the way.

Magic versus Magick

The use of magic versus magick may be confusing to some. I prefer magic without the K for a number of reasons.

Although magick as an archaic form of the word existed in the medieval era, the K was added by Aleister Crowley to make the word fit his complex Kabbalistic spiritual system and to disassociate it from stage and parlor magic (i.e., tricks). I don’t find that necessary. I’m not a Kabbalist, and my conception of magic is quite broad, embracing not just spells and rituals but visual art, writing, drama, and yes, even tricks. Many shamanic traditions employ what we would call “trickery” to startle the participants into a heightened state where the real magic and healing can then take place.

When I performed as a mentalist (psychic magician) for several years, I utilized techniques from the fuzzy gray area between psychology, sleight of hand, and real magic. The “tricks” I performed had powerful and long-lasting effects on my audiences, and, I hope, opened many people to the possibility that magic is real.

The word magic has worked fine for hundreds of years, and it is the preferred spelling in academic writing. And, to be frank, as a writer, I just don’t like the look of the word with the K (nor does my writing app). And don’t get me started on verbal grotesqueries like magickian.

Magic is magic, and I’m sticking to it.

On Appropriation

Appropriation is an important but divisive topic in the magical community. While we should be respectful of other traditions, especially those of indigenous, oppressed, or marginalized groups, the practitioners of magic have always been syncretists, experimenting intraculturally and sticking with what worked. The Greek Magical Papyri make that quite clear—magicians of antiquity liberally borrowed gods, words of power, and symbols from the many cultures surrounding them. Not much has changed in the ensuing centuries.

I have explored a wide variety of practices from a number of schools and traditions over three decades, but I am not an initiate in any of them, nor would I claim to be an expert in any of them. I am simply a human being lucky enough to live in an age when thousands of years of magical knowledge are available in academic libraries and a few clicks away on my laptop. I identify as a magician, first and foremost, not a Pagan, a shaman, a witch, a ceremonialist, a chaote, a Rootworker, or any other label. I am a generalist, not a specialist.

My ethical rule is simple: if I learn something from a tradition, I do my best to acknowledge and honor it, without claiming to be of it. I encourage you to do the same. Magic is our birthright, so go read and experiment, and when you learn something, give thanks and respect to your teachers.