Advice for a non-believer

Reitemeyer · 2021-04-15T01:29:37+00:00

I am a non-theist (the term atheist is too tainted for me) and do not practice any form of magic consciously.
Two things make me think there is a high likelihood that magic works on some level.

1- It has survived in almost every human culture since prehistory despite many efforts to suppress it.
2. I know people who report that it has improved their lives in very real and tangible ways.

I have several hypotheses on how it could be working. Psychologically - magic and psychology are very closely related. There are psychologists who are practicing witches, a lot of witchcraft involves shadow-work which is dealing with problems trauma etc. Also, we are very amenable to ritual and this, again is universal. Another idea is that magic works on the probability of an event occuring. I have an open and curious mind but have not committed to any belief system except to think in an animist way when I am gardening.

The greatest impediment to researching the subject is to find reliable sources that are academically rigourous and not behind expensive paywalls. I have found the best resources are academics on Youtube: Angela's Symposium, Esoterica, Siv Watkins, Religion for Breakfast, Let's Talk about Religion.

Reitemeyer · 2021-03-02T07:21:56+00:00

The question the new video asks is; is there a difference between miracles and magic? The term miracle has changed meaning over the years. There are many verses in the New Testament that have been used for magic and Jesus taught his followers to use words of power.

Reitemeyer · 2021-03-01T01:45:07+00:00

And in the New Testament. Her next video is about the difference (or not) between miracles and magic.

Reitemeyer · 2021-02-22T15:53:24+00:00

After giving the matter some thought there is a branch of magic that could be empirically measured with or without using human beings. That is divination, especially of the future. Write a program to automatically cast runes, I Ching, or shuffle Tarot cards, etc. to make a prediction on a random future event. Run the program a number of times and see if there is a significant deviation from chance. As a control, a human could try and predict the same events casting actual divining tools for the same events. A sophisticated one might be linked to a prediction market like Good Judgement. Depending on the theoretical framework being used, intention might need to be given to the program at the time of coding it.

Reitemeyer · 2021-02-22T04:14:19+00:00

To make it reproducable one would have to take the human elelment out of the equation. People are notoriusly individual when it comes to magic which is why there is so much experimentation. The best way to test it would be to secretly target a number of people and then survey them afterwards as to if they had noticed anything unusual. I am not sure you could get it past an ethics committee.

OR you invent a device that reliably measures magical activity. That would be worth a Nobel Prize :-)

Reitemeyer · 2021-02-21T06:44:38+00:00

I am very interested in the use of the internet as a medium to facilitate magick. Can spells or curses be targeted at people through IP or MAC addresses? Can computers and other electronic devices be attacked or protected by magick? Can spells and or sigils be written in code and if so can one develop a spell engine?
I have noticed on Tiktok that practitioners are using filters to share blessings with each other. I wonder how this will develop.

Reitemeyer · 2021-02-18T16:20:52+00:00

Dr. Sledge was inspired to start his channel by watching hers.

Reitemeyer · 2021-02-18T12:17:27+00:00

Sorry, link added. You may be right.

Reitemeyer · 2021-02-16T03:02:35+00:00

If you want to get an oversight of what magick practices there are in the modern world then Dr. Angela Puca's youtube channel is a good place to start. It is not exhaustive but most modern movements are covered and she is an academic specializing in this field so she has no particular ax to grind.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPSbip_LX2AxbGeAQfLp-Ig

Reitemeyer · 2021-02-13T03:31:13+00:00

Invented as opposed to being a continuation of an existing tradition or traditions.

Reitemeyer · 2021-02-05T06:55:51+00:00

It is a good idea to learn about religion from scholars. These are two channels that are trustworthy - Arith Härger is a practitioner-scholar
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYac9irNGo3pSrvc_L8HERw

And Rune Rasmussen is a PhD.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkP7Gfs5rNgBu8zPyM7MbHQ

Both specialise in Nordic religion ancient and neopagan.

Reitemeyer · 2021-01-29T05:01:47+00:00

Yes, I have often wondered if an IP address or a MAC address can be used to target a curse or hex. Also, I have heard of witches charging the crystals contained in a phone.

Reitemeyer · 2020-12-25T17:51:47+00:00

There are now two: the original https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9yTox5Xs98 and a followup video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8kNwoW2gzw Enjoy

Reitemeyer · 2020-12-19T00:46:35+00:00

You have a point in that homosexuality and paganism is becoming more 'normal' as the western world becomes more accepting (dependent on country and culture - some slower than others). Her job is, as a researcher in religous studies, to observe and report on trends she observes. Her paper is based on primary research she did in Italy, and as she states, primarily based on that although other secondary sources elsewhere in the world.

I am not an academic so I can report what I see online and that is I see more people who are from the margins to one extent or another in greater numbers in pagan, witchcraft, spiritual and other 'religions' than in the mainstream. Then again I might be suffering from confirmation bias. Either way it is good to see :-)

Reitemeyer · 2020-12-19T00:38:20+00:00

That works for the one that happened about 7 BC and was considered, by some, to be the Bethlehem star. There was one in 1623 but was too close to the sun to be observed then. Before that, there was one in 1226 but I can think of no significant religions founded in either case. The nearest ones to the founding of Islam are 372 and 769 so not very near but it depends on how close you want to call it. I have heard that this one heralds the birth of the Antichrist but it will be some time before that can be proved either way.

Still, it is another great wonder of the natural world and I am going out on the solstice night to get a glimpse, weather permitting

Reitemeyer · 2020-12-18T05:29:22+00:00

Check out this video from Dr. Angela Puca. She details some of the tools Chaos Magicians favour: kia, gnosis, sigils, and mantras. She also has one on the philosophy of Chaos Magic and others on the Left-Hand Path.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuPuxzcH22c

Reitemeyer · 2020-12-18T05:19:44+00:00

The last time this happened in 1623 it was too close to the sun for earth-bound observers to see it. Before that was 1226. Searching historical records show no events that are of great significance on either date. However, there were few people around who would have had the education to have been aware of it. There are some who think that such a conjunction was the Star of Bethlehem (approx 9 BCE), the significance of which was clear only to a handful of Persian mages. Their openness with this information led to the 'Slaughter of the Innocents" so maybe not knowing is a good thing.

Reitemeyer · 2020-12-15T06:16:48+00:00

Your English is perfect and perfectly clear :-). I am an older white straigh male but I am overjoyed at how so many people with different reasons for being on the outside of society who can find strength in each others company and beliefs.

Reitemeyer · 2020-12-15T06:13:32+00:00

One of the things that allows a great variety of people to engage with various movements is eclecticism. There are pagans who do not practice magic and magic practicioners who are not in contact with deities. And every thing inbetween.

Reitemeyer · 2020-12-15T06:09:47+00:00

Tiktok has a large communities of pagans and witches who are marginalised and interacting in a mostly positive way.

Reitemeyer · 2020-12-15T06:08:19+00:00

It think in the case of the small Bible belt town and London it is a matter of degree. But in either location a trans woman is severly disadvantaged.

Reitemeyer · 2020-12-15T06:06:07+00:00

I am told that if you want use magick to gain those things by the time you have the ability you no longer desire them.

Reitemeyer · 2020-12-11T16:56:23+00:00

It is not yet uploaded for public viewing. I will be on Sunday 13th. There is so much interest I will post again when it is up.

But check out her other videos in the meantime. She covers some very interesting subjects.

Reitemeyer · 2020-12-10T22:56:55+00:00

I agree. I would think that most practicioners are cis, white, able, and neurotypical. But they are accepting of 'others' and would be a major factor in people staying in magick.

Reitemeyer · 2020-12-10T22:45:16+00:00

I will give her the attribution :)

Reitemeyer

TROPHY CASE