Questions and Answers on Wicca

     This site talks provides answers to several questions about the Wiccan faith, answered by a Wiccan. It talks about their beliefs, common misconceptions, and how they differ from "Satanists", which is what a lot of people think they are. Wicca originates from the witches that were persecuted throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and is more a reconstruction of the mythological beliefs that they practiced.  However, people usually associate them with the devil, even though Wiccans don't even believe in the devil (for the reason that devil worshipers refer themselves as witches).
   This site answers a lot of questions about Wiccans that I had left, mostly about their beliefs, but also about how they are interpreted by other people, and how they are the opposite of what others think that they are. For example, the rituals performed by Wiccans are their form of prayer, most Wiccans are pacifists, and some are even vegetarians. Wiccans are still persecuted today (although on a much smaller scale than before), and they don't believe in harming another living thing.
    Will society keep rejecting different ideas than their own, as they seem to be doing now with the Wiccans, or will they accept other people's choices and respect them? Although religious tolerance has improved since the Renaissance some religions are still frowned upon by many people, especially if its a minority. Will this ever change?




Citation: Questions and answers on wicca. (1996, August 05). Retrieved from http://wolfstone.halloweenhost.com/Wicca/wq_QAndA.html

A short history of magic

     Although the first examples of "magic" are the cave paintings found, the first examples of magic by illusion can be found as early as 2500 BCE, with the famous cups and balls trick in Ancient Egypt (allusions to it found on papyrus). Ancient Chinese text of the same era also makes allusions to a trick with magical linking rings. The rise of religion led many people to believe that such tricks were performed with black magic and were associated with the devil, and with that came the persecution of thousands of people believed to have been practicing witchcraft, until a book called The Discovery of Witchcraft revealed how many tricks were simply illusions. Street magic became popular in the 18th century, although most magicians who performed also had assistants who would pick pocket the audience while they were being distracted. It wasn't until the magician Robert-Houdin, however that magic really grew popular, as he set standards for magic that are still followed today. In fact, the famous magician that goes by the stage name Harry Houdini took his name from Robert-Houdin. Magic today is different from the past, however, in the sense that the secret to the trick, as well as how it is performed, is what's important.
     Reading this article gives me a more insightful look at magic, which will help add to the powerpoint presentation on my website. Although some of the information is the same, it also provides a new look at the past of stage illusion. Another interesting thing about this article is that it also includes information about witch hunts and cave paintings, which are examples of religious magic, and does not separate one from the other, which is something that I have also found throughout several other sources, unless I specify which type of magic (religious, theatrical, superstition, etcetera) it will always give me all types.
    Most of my questions have already been answered with this article, yet I still wonder, how will magic change in the future? It has been shown how it has changed in the past, but will it change, and if so, how? I realize that this question cannot be answered simply, but it is something that will persist throughout this project.



Citation:  "A short history of magic." Magic Zoom. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2012. <http://www.magiczoom.com/history-of-magic.htm?sid=&lang_site=en>.

Superstitions & Myths: What Are They And Where Did They Come From?

     "The encyclopedia defines superstition as 'belief, half-belief, or practice for which there appears no rational substance'."("Superstitions & myths:," 2011). People have been creating and passing on superstitions for hundreds if not thousands of years, however each one has its own history and belief behind it. For example, the belief that breaking a mirror brings bad luck when broken comes from the ancient belief that a person's soul was in a mirror (thus breaking it unintentionally would damage the soul). The superstitions about cats (seeing cats, dreaming about cats) come from the Egyptian civilization where cats were sacred.

     This article does have some information explaining several superstitions, but more importantly it shows that superstition in itself does not have a history. New superstitions come from new civilizations and beliefs, which are closely associated with religion. Thus, it can be said that superstition has not only been around since the earliest civilizations (perhaps even earlier), but it has also been persistent throughout all civilizations. It can also be said that superstition is a form of magic since it involves several supernatural beliefs and rituals (for example, when spilling salt one is to throw salt to their left, thus removing the bad luck).

    How many other superstitions are there? What is their history (where did they come from)? Is superstition something that is strong today? 

Citation:

Superstitions & myths: What are they and where did they come from?. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.essortment.com/superstitions-myths-did-come-from-64790.html

Salem Witch Trials

Witchcraft is the name given to the power people received by worshiping and making pacts with the devil. The majority of people accused of practicing witchcraft were old women who were separated from society, many of which practiced folk medicine. Over 100,000 people were accused of being witches and warlocks and many of them confessed to working with the devil, simply to stop the torture they suffered. They were later burned at the stake. One famous event of this took place in Salem, Massachusetts in the 1690s, called the Salem Witch Trials. Eight young girls started to experience strange symptoms of seizures and trance-like states. They later blamed their neighbors as trying to put spells on them to help the witches do the devil's work. Hundreds of people were later accused of witches, and 19 were found to be guilty. Although historians believe that this event took place as a result of food poisoning that led the children to experience the symptoms, no one will ever know for sure.

      This video shows the consequences of human ignorance and fear. It also gives me another example of how some people viewed magic, as it being evil and associated with the devil. While the Salem Witch Trials are an excellent example of this, this evil view of magic and witches had been in effect for long before the 1600s. In fact, it is still around today, as seen in the previous posting on the history of the Wicca, several practitioners hide their faith due to fear of persecution. These two postings are very closely related, except that this one serves as a prime example for that time period, while the Wicca is more of modern age.
    When did this persecution begin? Although some of the major ones occurred during the Middle Ages during times of hardship like during the bubonic plague of the 1300s, have there been any other major examples of persecution that predate the Black Death?

Citation:
Salem Witch Trials. (2012). The History Channel website. Retrieved 6:35, April 29, 2012, from http://www.history.com/videos/salem-witch-trials.

Magicians and History of Magic

     Although illusion has always been around since the beginning of civilization (for example, the Trojan horse in ancient Greece), it has only been popularized into an art in the past 200 years. Modern magic originates mostly form the man  Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin , who popularized magic in the 1800s, as well as set new standards to be followed for the following years. Unlike ancient times however, the illusion today is made to entertain rather than to cheat people out of their money, the audience today knows that the tricks performed are simply illusion (hence why they call them "tricks"), and that is one of the reasons why magic is so popular today. There are also several types of illusions and magicians. For example, there are tricks involving teleportation, restoration, vanishing, and levitation. There are also stage magicians and close-up magicians (Jay, 2006).
     Mainly this article breaks down magic for me, the different types of stage illusion. However, it also provides a crucial bit of information, the fact that magic is popular today because the audience knows they are being deceived for their entertainment, rather than being cheated in a game of cards. It also provided some information about the origins of stage magic in the nineteenth century. It has also explained the transition of magic from the stage to television, by stating the fact that no magicians use camera tricks because that makes the illusion too easy. Overall, my essential question is answered in this article, by explaining not only the history of magic, but also how its perception has changed over the ages.
     Are there any magicians that changed the course of magic, especially how it was viewed. The article makes it clear that Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin set the norm for modern-day magicians, but are there any others that have further changed this norm, for example the famous Harry Houdini? Although he is often regarded as one of the best and most famous magicians ever, did he change the view of magic? And if he did, then how?

Citation: Phil, J. (2006). Magicians and history of magic. Retrieved from http://http://www.philjaymagic.com/history-of-magic.htm

The Luck Factor

   

     Luck and superstition have always played important parts in the history of mankind. "Lucky charms, amulets, and talismans have been found in virtually all civilizations throughout recorded history," (Wiseman, 2003). However, how do people classify themselves as being really lucky or unlucky?  Some people might say they have a lucky life because they met their spouse by chance, or they are a successful business man, while others might say that they are unlucky because they have failing relationships and are accident-prone. However, due to a study performed by Wiseman, where he took over four hundred people and did personality tests, intelligence tests, and had them keep diaries (among other things), he found that not only do so called "lucky charms" have no effect on the person's life, he also concluded that people who consider themselves "lucky" are more likely to see opportunities and listen to their own intuitions, while the "unlucky" people cannot.
     This article basically gives me the scientific view and breakdown of superstition, as it being more of a psychological effect than anything else. The "luck" of a person has to do with the way the person views life, whether positive or negative. For example, if a person has a positive outlook towards life, they will see more opportunities that can arrive by chance, and will take them, while someone who has a negative outlook will most likely miss the opportunity simply because they did not see it. This gives me the scientific explanation of superstition, and how it has the effect of a person's life, but maybe not the way the general public views it today (or in the past). This article basically just says that superstition is simply the placebo effect, originating from the times when the people thought the events of one's life where from divine intervention.
    Have there been several other studies performed about this topic, and have they been conclusive? This article talks about one study, but if others were performed, would they have the same results?
 
Citation: Wiseman, Richard. "The Luck Factor." Skeptical Inquirer. May/June 2003: 26-30. SIRS Renaissance. Web. 15 Apr 2012.

The history of Wicca

      Wicca is a modern pagan religion, that many believe originate from the beliefs of northern Europe. The Wicca today was popularized in the UK in the 20th century. A strong part of their belief relies on ritual magic, in fact one of the standing theories as to the origin of this religion is an ancient ritual involving fire to better the chances of hunting game. Wicca is the largest Neopagan religion in the United States, and the largest of the minority religions, with estimations of around 750,000 followers in the U.S. However, it is very difficult to get an exact number due to the fact that many Wiccans choose to hide their faith due to religious persecution, as several people associate this religion with satanic worship. Although the situation for Wiccans has improved during the last couple of years, there are still many cases of violence against them.
      This article shows me an example of religious magic in the modern sense, and also an example of modern-day witches. As expected, some persecution does exist, however the reason why they are "witches" is because of their rituals, which have a symbolic meaning. This is another example of how religious magic is perceived today by some people, instead of just in the past by the witch hunts performed in the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
      Will society continue to view this religion as evil? Many people have been misinformed about the religion due to the view of witches (as worshipers of the devil), but will this misinterpretation continue? Or will there be an understanding among people that these people are not "evil"?

Citation: Robinson, B. A. (2006, May 7). History of wicca. Retrieved from http://www.religioustolerance.org/wic_hist.htm

Overall Reflection

As mentioned in the previous posting, I am surprised with the outcome of my research so far. Even though I've been a magician for a couple of years I never actually considered all the different types of magic there could be, and especially their history. When I first picked this topic I did some research before hand, just to make sure that there was enough information about the topic that I could do an entire research paper about it. And I am pleased that there are actually sites out there that talk about the history of magic, especially stage magic, as I was unsure that I would find enough information on that subject.

Overview of Wiki

sites.google.com/site/magicovertheages. This is the link to the website showing all my compiled research so far, and my essential question is basically answered. What I've found throughout this research is not only that magic is perceived in different ways by different people in different places, but also that it can't be broken down by time and era, each branch of magic mentioned coexisted with each other. Although some forms are more popular or well-known than others during different times and in different places (for example today while stage magic is more popular some other forms of religious magic are also happening).

Overall I was surprised with the results, I did not believe that stage magic had started in ancient civilizations, or that all aspects mentioned on the site coexisted with one another. And while they coexisted, they barely interacted or influenced one another, and if they did then I have not yet found how.

Foundations of Taoist Practice

Foundations of Taoist Practice

     Taoism can be difficult to define, but it is seen as an ancient Chinese religion and philosophy that sets out to achieve unity with Nature and the universe, by reaching a sense of peace and emptiness, while at the same time gaining immortality. This "peace", called Wu Ji, is achieved through a disciplinary life that achieves balance with Yin and Yang (two polar opposites of nature) and harmony with the five phases (earth, fire, water, wood, and metal). These phases are what make up the world, and by harmonizing with them and achieving peace, one will get immortality. If the balance between any of these elements is disrupted, then change comes, such as bad weather or severe fluctuations in the stock market. To achieve peace, one must make the reversal process of the San Bao, or Three Treasures. The three treasures are the jing, Qi, and shen. Jing refers to the physical body, Qi refers to a type of energy that is circulated throughout our entire body, and shen refers to spirit and the mind. According to the beliefs, the universe was at first complete emptiness, or sheng, which then transformed itself into the energy Qi, which gave life to jing. In order to achieve peace with the universe, one must make the reversal process from jing to Qi to sheng. This reversal process can be made through various practices of good health (which corresponds to Chinese medicine, diet, and even military strategy and marital arts) and various rituals (which include magical rituals, as well as divination and geomancy, and astrology). The basis of the Taoist belief, the only way to achieve true meaning in life (which also corresponds to the other beliefs) is through meditation.

    

This book focuses on an ancient Chinese belief that some people still believe in today. Although not a major religion, several other groups, like Buddhist, also seek harmony with nature and believe in the supernatural energy Qi. The book even answers my essential question in the beginning, "Thus, the Taoist arts have become divorced and isolated from the trunk and roots of Taoism. Moreover, most of the arts have become secularized. Clinically, Chinese medicine in modern practice is usually applied more to remedial care than to 

promoting spiritual super-wellness. Meditation has become largely a stress management tool. Chinese astrology, divination and geomancy are nowadays used more for gaining success in business, romance and home siting than for achieving spiritual breakthrough. Contemporary people more often study Qi Gong and the martial arts for health, fitness and personal power than for laying the groundwork of immortality." (page 2). This answers what some people think about magic today, as a way of bettering their lives by superstition, rather than to gain immortality and inner peace, like the Chinese did. Many people today even see the Chinese remedy acupuncture to be a placebo, as it focuses on enhancing the "energy levels" to reduce stress and pain.

The questions I have after reading this book are, are there any modern Taoists today? The first ones appeared in Chine about 4600 years ago, but are there still many followers? Also, several other religions and philosophies, like Buddhism, that appeared many years later seem to have adapted several Taoist ideas, is there some sort of relation? However, this could also be said about several beliefs of Christianity and the beliefs of the Native Americans.

     

Entertaining the Devil in Connecticut

Entertaining the Devil in Connecticut

      There have been several cases of witch hunts throughout history, even here in the U.S. During the 1600s, there were several cases of witch hunts, several trials where women and men were convicted of performing sorcery and black magic, and many were sentenced to death. Most if not all cases were bizarre, but the reason why many witches were hung was because people were looking for scapegoats, as the new settlers in New England were suffering from epidemics, natural disasters, and Indian attacks. All of these stresses forced people to take their anger out on someone, and they chose the "witches". This is very similar to what the people today in Connecticut and other parts of the United States, this time people are feeling the stress of cultural change and new technology, and they fear the government for being the cause of this change and feel that the government's mysterious ways are evil and threatening.

      People have looked for scapegoats throughout history when they come into times of stress, for example during the Black Death people sought out to destroy different groups of people who thought that caused the plague, like Jews and witches. There are several parallels between now and back then, there is terrorism in place of Indian attacks, there is the failing economy as the epidemic, and there are still several natural disasters not only in the U.S but also throughout the world, the biggest and most recent one being the earthquakes in Japan and Haiti. All of these events could cause the blame to fall on something, and according to the author, it is now the U.S government, which could make sense, as he makes a point of the bombing of Oklahoma City. This article does not directly answer my essential question, but it does bring an interesting point of view towards it, although the government today does not really associate with magic and sorcery the witches did, it does bring out an interesting point in human nature, and also in the history of magic. It shows that people fear what they do not understand, and when change comes and new ideas of things arrive, people assume the worst of turn and put the blame on something or someone.

      After reading this article, the question that I have is, are there any other examples of this throughout history? Although this article also puts into perspective a new view of magic today, are there any other examples of this happening (other than obviously the witch trials that occurred in New England during the 1600s)?

Citation: 
Ryan, Bill. "Entertaining the Devil in Connecticut." The New York Times. N.p., 16 July 1995. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/16/nyregion/
entertaining-the-devil-in-connecticut.html?src=pm>.

      

       

Magic Demystified

Magic Demystified

        Magic is seen by people as trickery, simply "stage illusion", while others think of it as evil witchcraft and sorcerers. Neither of these suppositions are true. In truth, magic is real and widespread. It is not dangerous, and it is everywhere we are. Magic has been used by ancient cultures all over the world for thousands of years. The earliest cave drawings are believed to have been some sort of magical ritual to ask for the spirits of animals to help in the hunt. The earliest agricultural communities performed several rituals that they believed would help in the harvest. Today magic can be seen through religious rituals, such as the Christian Baptism and Communion, or simply as superstitions, such as making a wish while blowing out the candles of a birthday cake. Still, magic is simply a way of thinking and being. It is described by Donald Michael Kraig in his book Modern Magick, "Magick is the science and art of causing change...to occur in conformity with will, using means not currently understood by traditional Western science." Basically, the universe is a huge energy matrix, and magicians can manipulate that energy and cause ripples all over it, so they can produce effects on opposite sides of the globe. There are also several types of magic, such as druid magic, ritual magic, sex magic, and shamanism. Druid magic focuses on the natural world. Ritual magic focuses on ceremonies to gain access to higher realms. Sex magic channels erotic energy to produce special effects. Shamanism focuses on interacting with nonphysical beings, such as ancient ancestors or animal spirits.
        This article describes magic as a way of thinking, as something that is actually real and exists. In fact, the article refers to it as "magick", spelling it with a k so that it won't be confused to stage magic. However, it does not limit magicians to having to belonging of a specific religion. This article gives me insight as to what some people, not just the author but also several references made in the article, think of magic today. Before I had thought of it only as stage magic, thinking that only before was when it was considered on a deeper, spiritual level.
        The question that I have after reading this article is, are there other people that feel this way about magic? Although there were several references to books that feel that way, what about the rest of humanity? Or do people today only think of magic as stage illusion? Although as children we were always taught to believe in magic, that was more for a sense of hope, such as the fairy tales and Disney movies. Are there others who still practice magic the way it is described in the article?

Citation
Alexander, Skye. "Magic Demystified." 10-Minute Magic Spells. Nov. 2002: 1-13. SIRS Renaissance. Web. 18 Feb 2012.

Essential Question

     

Essential Question

        Magic has always been a favorite topic of mine. When I was little (around 2005), I had the pleasure of seeing David Copperfield performing live here in Miami. Approximately two years ago, on a rainy April afternoon, I decided to search the web to learn myself some magic tricks, so I could show my friends a couple of them. Over that coming summer, those couple of magic tricks changed to sleights and illusions, and my knowledge kept increasing, until I started performing for friends every day. Although my interest has kind of dulled the last couple of weeks, I still perform several tricks for anyone that asks.

         Magic is a broad topic, going from the theatrical performance people associate it with today to religious rituals thousands of years ago. The question that will drive the research of this topic is this, how has magic changed throughout history to the way we see it today? Today we see it as a form of entertainment, what about hundreds of years ago? What about thousands of years ago?