by Glenn “Maghnus” Wright
Like most people I approached the subject of magic with a Hollywoodesque perspective. That is to say although I wasn’t sure what to really expect, my only point of reference came from Hollywood movies and television shows with the extra tidbit from reading novels that dabbled in the topic. The illusionists that can be found entertaining crowds do not quite make the same impression as a character such as Harry Potter or Merlin.
Without going into the divisions of white or black magic I set out to determine just what is magic? Merriam -Webster provides the following definitions for the noun form of the word:
- a: the use of means (as charms or spells) believed to have supernatural power over natural forces b : magic rites or incantations
- a: an extraordinary power or influence seemingly from a supernatural source b: something that seems to cast a spell : enchantment
- the art of producing illusions by sleight of hand
These varied definitions were pretty much the characterizations that I was familiar with and had anticipated. In an effort to find the more profound meaning and use of magic I was directed to a new program through ADF and initiated by the Rev. Ian Corrigan. He had just completed work on a manual entitled The Book of Nine Moons, being a systematic training program in the practice of Druidic magic, arranged in nine progressive lessons. I was fortunate to be able to join the first group to begin study in this infant program.
In my search for answers at that time I had just finished reading Real Magic by Isaac Bonewits and felt impressed by the divergence from main stream understanding of magic that was presented in book. “Truth can be defined as a function of belief.” (Bonewits, 14) This statement caused me to pause and consider the implications inherent with its premise. Bonewits goes on to provide a very clear justification for his stance. Although contrary to popular conception, belief, though unscientifically proven, can be true. It is this same premise that helps us understand and accept presented hypotheses. It is not unlike the basis of faith for Christians, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” (KJV, Hebrews 11:1) This was an epiphanic moment that clarified many things for me.
The major stumbling block for so many people is their conviction that all things must be proven beyond doubt in order for them to accept. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the 19th CE English poet, postulated that it is necessary for people, “… to transfer from our inward nature a human interest and a semblance of truth sufficient to procure for these shadows of imagination that willing suspension of disbelief for the moment…” (Coleridge, 99) By changing our mindset from “hope” to “is” brings about a whole new realm of consciousness. This transformation of the mind is essential for magic to be truly effective.
There was an occasion, during the Nine Moons project mentioned above, that I enquired of Rev. Corrigan if something I had experienced was to be expected. His reply brought so much into perspective for me at that time and illuminated the whole embodiment of the course. Indeed, it caused me to reevaluate much of my thinking. Corrigan said to me, “Dude, it’s magic, anything can happen.”
From that moment on everything I experienced “clicked” and became acceptable. That one phrase aligned my thought process in a way that no other has to my recollection. Magic happens because we believe it does. We cannot scientifically prove it but we see it in our lives. Those of us who have the “suspension of disbelief” that Coleridge mentions see, note it, accept it, and glory in it. There is no mystifying question as to how or why, it just is. Magic is an integral part of our Druidry for as Corrigan says, “You will enter the reality of visions, energies, spirits, and the presence of the divine in your own heart. You will see with the Druid’s Eye, if you will, and that is not something that everyone, even among Pagan people, will learn to do.” (Corrigan, 19)
Works Cited
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. Biographia Literaria, New York, NY. Dutton Adult Trade, 1978. Print.
Corrigan, Ian. The Book of Nine Moons. 2010. Print.
King James Version Holy Bible, 1980. Oxford University Press, USA. Print.
Merriam-Webster Free Online Dictionary, an Encyclopedia Britannica Company
<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magic> Web. 01 Sept. 2011.
