Part One - Introduction to Magic

Addressing the Skeptics

Humanism affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It also rejects supernaturalism, pseudoscience and superstition. I like to think of myself as a humanist because even my belief in so-called "magic" is predicated on years of observation and experimentation with what I consider to be an entirely natural phenomenon which obeys a certain set of principles. I suggest that skeptics dabble in these so-called pseudo-sciences before you form your own opinion. If you get results that satisfy your own critical analysis, then perhaps you've discovered something. Who am I to say otherwise, or anyone else, for that matter?

Frankly, I'm sick to death of these temporal materialistic atheists who sound like fundamentalist Christians. It appears as if these debunkers have become the new evangelists. Allow me to re-educate these cynics on what freethought is all about:

Freethought holds that beliefs should be formed on the basis of science and logic and should not be influenced by emotion, authority, tradition, or dogma. Right now, there is this new - this entire generation of young people who worship at the altar of temporal materialism, which is not congruous with true science.

Now, allow me to share my definition of "temporal materialism." Temporal means, "of or relating to the sequence of time or to a particular time" - Merriam - Webster's Online Dictionary. The "materialism" of today is not the "materialism" of your grandfather's generation and it will not be the "materialism" of your great grandchild's generation. The Richard Dawkins clones I meet online seem to have their definitions of materialism and supernaturalism all neatly lined up in a row. Then, a paradigm shift occurs and they suddenly develop a convenient case of amnesia, lest they be thought of as fools. I could give numerous examples, but the following one should suffice.

I was born in 1951, the year the first computer became commercially available. The Univac I had 5200 vacuum tubes, weighed 29,000 pounds, and consumed 125 kilowatts of electrical power. The one in Boston occupied an entire floor of a rather large building. Today, you could fit that same computing power on the tip of your baby finger. Now, if you were to explain the future to a scientist back in 1951, he would laugh at you and accuse you of promoting supernatural beliefs.

Wikipedia states, "The philosophy of materialism holds that the only thing that can be truly proven to exist is matter, and is considered a form of physicalism. Fundamentally, all things are composed of material and all phenomena (including consciousness) are the result of material interactions; therefore, matter is the only substance." But now you hear of "dark matter" and "anti-matter." Our definition of what constitutes "matter" is evolving, changing and will one day encompass what was once relegated to "psychic phenomena." Strict materialists are absolutists who build arguments on information that is temporal, fleeting, evolving, changing. Therefore, the premise is philosophically invalid.

And so I begin my lesson on magic and most assuredly there is a braying chorus of naysayers who will insist I have no right to even address the issue until I can provide demonstrable evidence that such a thing exists. Well, let me use the analogy of a car. I open the door, sit in the driver's seat, put the key in the ignition, turn it, shift it in drive and put my foot down on the pedal. I'm not a mechanic. I have no idea how the fuel drives the pistons or what makes the motor work. I need not deliver a long discourse about internal combustion engines and how they operate. I just know the damn thing works. It gets me from point A to point B and that's all that matters.

I realize the laws of physics may also apply to magic - how and why? I have no clue. I've performed experiments and acquired enough prima facie evidence to convince me to proceed with my magical operations. And what advice would I give to those who have experimented with magic and have consistently failed to see any results? Simple. STOP DOING IT. If you perform an experiment and it consistently fails for you, STOP DOING IT. But this does not give you the right to yell "fraud" and "sham" at those who claim a certain degree of success.

Empiricists often use that ironic "leap of faith" argument. "Oh, you're asking me to take a leap of faith and I can't do that." They keep forgetting that every time there's a scientific advance, the old school colleagues at first refuse to accept it. They will argue and belabor their outmoded hypotheses, then begrudgingly take that "leap of faith" when factual or supportive evidence becomes too overwhelming. As a humanist and a rationalist, I say it's alright to withold your opinion until all the facts are in. You don't have to leap from one paradigm to another - just keep an open mind.

What is Magic and Does It Work?

Well, magical imagery is formed in the subjective mind - world of dreams and our emotions - but magic is more than just fairy tales or science fiction fantasy. Aleister Crowley defined it this way, "Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will." In fact, he goes further to state that every intentionally willed act is an act of magick. "I turn the knob, open the door, walk into a room and sit in a chair." That's magic.

We know that "real" events in the solid, objective world can alter the way our subjective mind reacts to things. For instance, hopefully you are not too young to remember 9-11. That event, with buildings disintegrating and thousands dying, caused many people, related and unrelated to the deceased, to experience nightmares and develop phobias such as an psychological fear of boarding planes. The airline industry was greatly affected.

So, we know for a fact that events in the objective world can change our subjective world and what Carl Jung called our "collective unconscious." Another example, fear of sharks is universal even though shark attacks are exceedingly rare. Movie studios have learned how to manipulate primitive fears and phobias. Ask someone in Kansas if they've ever seen "Jaws."

I'm going to tell you something that should be obvious by now:

Cause and effect is a two-way street. Manipulating your imagination, dreams and emotions will likewise influence or effect what transpires in the physical, objective world as well! That is the basis of magic. Does it work? Of course it works, but you must consider balance, direction, timing and above all intent.

For example, people will ask why they couldn't work magic to win the lottery. The answer should be obvious. There are hundreds of thousands of people daily praying and dreaming and wishing that they will be the winner. Some rub the lucky rabbit's foot in their pocket, others playing a set of numbers that has "magical" or personal significance to them. What makes you think magic should work for you and not for them? Others want to use their magic to bring a popular religious figure or politician down. Good luck with that. Chances are, they have a fan club out there who adore them and pray for them daily. Consciously or unconsciously they form their own protective spell. Again, magic is any intentionally willed act and it occurs all the time, everywhere you look.

So-called magic has to do with laws of physics explained and unexplained. I really don’t think of it as "supernatural." I’ll use the analogy of electricity: you can use it to light and heat a room or you can stick your finger in a light socket and hurt yourself. Magic is magic, whether it is used to kill or heal. If you use it to inflict harm, that would be called a "curse." If you use magic to heal, it is generally called a "blessing."

Part Two - Curses and Reverses

Why Do You Perform A Curse?

I curse those who have really gone out of their way to hurt me without just cause. For example, a Salem Witch was jealous of my relationship with Lillee. He did everything he could to come between us including magic spells and spreading hateful gossip all over town. He even tried to extort property from me. Before I could throw a curse, I had to study and evaluate all the reasons for this hostility. I came to realize I was dealing with a very self-destructive, drug-addicted personality who tended to lash out at those around him who were truly happy. And thus, a binding spell would be preferable to a curse.

Needless to say, you can't curse a person living an authentic life, as described by Joseph Campbell - a person who is true to themselves and others. And why would you want to curse such a person? Just be careful that in throwing the curse, you are not the one with the defective personality.

It is cathartic, because you are releasing pent-up hostility. The secret is that, once you get it out of your system, just let go and forget about it.

How Do You Know It Is Going To Work?

You don't. The point is to let go and let nature take its course. If you worry about the outcome, or continue to think about your spell, you will fritter away the potential or stored up energy awaiting release, greatly diminishing its effectiveness.

What Is The Best Way to Throw A Spell?

Visualize the outcome. Put your thoughts, energy, feelings, into the end result. Let Nature decide the course of events leading to the desired result. Once you have performed the spell, put it entirely out of your mind. Two weeks later, you may feel like performing your spell again. Do it and once more, forget about it entirely.

Will my Curse Affect the Right Person?

If you lack self confidence or have "mental problems," you should not perform magic. The psychic forces suppressing you will likely feed off the energy, further exacerbating your condition. This reminds me of a real incident:

We'll call this man, Roger. He belonged to an occult study group.

One day, Roger fell in love with Dolores, who was using him to get revenge on his Roger's wife. He was so smitten, he left his wife and three kids and ran off with Dolores. Well, soon after, Dolores lost interest and threw Roger out of her apartment. He was devastated because he lost everything - his wife, children and lover.

Instead of blaming his own poor judgment and weak character, Roger blamed Dolores for everything and performed a powerful destruction ritual upon her. The next morning, he woke up feeling completely devastated and emotionally consumed, desperate. He began stalking Dolores - she filed a restraining order which Roger ignored. Two weeks later, Roger was arrested. He is now serving time in prison.

So, do not worry. A curse will always affect the "right person." The one who is the weakest link, psychologically IS the right person.

Do Curses Harm The Innocent?

Wars are messy and innocent lives are lost despite our claims of "pin point accuracy." Our enemy wisely launches his missiles from heavily populated urban areas. So even if the battle is won, we lose the war of hearts and minds when we counter-attack.

Curses are also messy and innocent lives are lost despite magicians claims of "pin point accuracy." Truly rotten people are often buffered or protected by those whom they fleece and manipulate. So even if the curse is successful, innocent ones CAN and WILL be affected, emotionally and psychically.

George M. comments:

Rev. John, I have followed you for many years and I come to you for advice on a matter. I have been wondering if it is possible for me to wish death upon someone. The individual I have in mind ruined my marriage more or less I am wanting to see them suffer for their actions. If I pray to Satan will he take vengance on those who do his children wrong? I know that you have exercised this before on enemies etc. I really dont know that much about it to be frank but I was wondering if it could be done and if so how would I know when it happens etc? Please I really need your help I have lost so many nights of sleep thinking about my spouses lover and how I could possibly get back at him for the pain that he has caused me and my family. I really could use your guidance on this matter....any suggestions?

Rev. John responds:

I have to be brutally honest about the way in which curses work.

1. Let's say this guy went into this relationship knowing she was married, but pursued her anyway to "prove" to himself that he was more of a man than you.

In the above case, it would take little energy to curse this guy, because he has a weak ego. If he were strong and self-confident, he wouldn't have to "prove" it by going after another man's wife. In Satan's eyes, this would make him the weakest link.

2. Let's say it was mainly your wife's fault that all this came about: she's just never satisfied, addicted to drama, always trying to find fault in your relationship, etc...

This is the type of woman who will go through life having five or six husbands and retire early, living large off her divorce settlements. If you curse the guy, she won't learn a damn thing and end up doing it again.

3. Let's say it's really your fault. Things were tough at work. You alienated her emotionally and even became abuse to the point where she couldn't take it anymore.

In this case, if you throw a curse on the guy, you are blaming the wrong person. You are the weakest link in this scenario and the curse just might backfire (seriously).

George.... all I'm saying is that you truly separate yourself emotionally from the situation and really ask yourself who the real asshole is and why. Again, be totally honest about what really happened. Then we can go about designing a curse based on what we know about the current situation and not just emotionally "lash out," which would be the dumbest thing you could do.