This last week, Mage Against the Machine posted a long podcast that begun to sort through the history of magick. Initially, it seemed an easy task. However, because people have literally been practicing magick forever, the discovery process appears to have already run into a few concerns.
Proving supernatural forces were accepted by the oldest of civilizations has been a challenge at times. Since magick and witchcraft were relatively common concepts, finding specific directions can be difficult. Conjecture is often used, in order to attempt to gain a more clear understanding of purpose
The Difficulties in Uncovering the Evolution of Magick and Witchcraft
History, for the most part, has become a pretty straightforward business. Generally, researching the important dates and events events of certain topics will result with a relatively solid picture of how something came to be. Unfortunately, tackling the practices of magic and witchcraft does not appear to be quite as simple as this. Thankfully, there are some historical references available to at least get started!
Magick and Witchcraft: Evolutionary Stagnation?
Upon beginning this is this sifting of history, it is important to remember the inherent nature of magic. Magick has changed so much, in the minds of man, through the years. However, purposes and practices remain similar today to what they were 5,000 years ago.
This juxtapose in perception about what Magick is and how (or if) it should be handled creates a sort of living history. That is to say, inherently, magic is continuously evolving and expanding. Older historical records become come difficult to to categorize.
Consider that when an aspect of daily life is considered routine, then there tends to be less and less empirical records. This continues to make the process of accurately accounting for magick and supernatural forces difficult to empirically confirm.
A Hidden History Creates More Mystery
Another notable issue with creating a complete historical record of magickal practices is secrecy. In ancient times, for thousands of years, having a magical mindset was just how things were done.
Over time, this changed and magick and witchcraft fell from popular favor. During times like this, the teachings to conjure, cast spells, or to perform a host of other supernatural activities was a secret practice. The wisdom of how to do these things was past down through mystery cults, fraternal orders, or secret societies.
Fresh Faced Witchery Revamps Magick
Sifting through history is a dauntibg task, at first. What many fail to recognize is that Western civilization is very much a baby witch in it’s own right.
Christianity that has relegated the practice magick super off-limits. Practices and spiritual philosophies is spiritual philosophithat had been in play been in play for thousands of years, karma were drew were drastically changed within the course of just a few 100!
The practice of witchcraft, for much of our modern history, has been shunned and shamed. While, it seems silly to blame religion as a whole, there are often shifting religious views or trends in spirituality that can altar the perceptions of practices.
Don’t Hate the Player…
It is a dangerous and stupid plan to ostracize a religion as a whole, or even a religious philosophy simply for changing for changing the dynamics of the spiritual world. If anything, emotion about the recent rifts between spiritual actions or faith actions creates an unhealthy divide. Western civilization is recovering from this exact thing and a loss of knowledge, direction, and faith has been the result.
Broad Strokes and Building Blocks
The Mage Against the Machine podcast hopes to be able to direct and verify all of the practices, important contributors, and any other components of sorcery, magick, or witchcraft that can help to understand modern, Western magick traditions.
During this point in history, there is less direction. Limited descriptions are found to date, detailing specific practices. Rather, what is available thus far, are written scripts from ancient Mesopotamia referencing the existence of witchcraft in the culture.
Surviving the Ages
Surviving artifacts indicate that magick as a supernatural force was practiced in a variety of ways and widely accepted within the societies of Mesopotamia from at least 3200 BCE. Additionally, there is evidence of priesthood rituals, the structure in place for integral supernatural beliefs through religion, and a interdependent nature of lifestyle that often coincides with magickal truth.
Supernatural Perspectives Reflect Ongoing Social Evolutions
There was not this binary relationship that we have commonly today. There was no integration with religion or prerequisite of faith. Magick simply was.
Ironically, within the last 6 is in the last 60 years of Western practice of Western practice, we are seeing a return we are seeing a return to singular learn magic as as a tool.
However, due to the off and on, and sometimes somewhat toxic relationship, the complete history of magic becomes easily muddled. additional research to get to an absolute truth.
Mage Against the Machine 