A lesson for us all...

An art connected to Nature

Each evocable spirit is the vector, by a phenomenon of transposition, to  known or unknown natural forces  participating in the universal energy. Each one of them has its own identity and personality, its own sphere of influence and is a part of a very strict hierarchy which Saint Jerome has depicted.

° The first Hierarchy is composed by three Choral: The Seraphim, The Cherubims and The Thrones.

° The second Hierarchy is composed by three other Chorals: The Dominations, The Powers and The Virtues.

° The tird hierarchy is composed by again three Chorals: The Princes, The Archangels and The Angels.

The Archangels for example, are seven, and are the personification of the planetary energies, very important in magic:

Michael : The Sun
Gabriel : The Moon
Samael : Mars
Raphael : Mercury
Sachiel : Jupiter
Anael : Venus
Cassiel : Saturn


These nine Chorals, nine energies, evolve in the three superior worlds, these are the Hierarchies. But the world of action, Earth, the domain of mankind, has its own entities, which represents the forces having an incident on matter: The Genies (superior spirits) and also the Elementary, The Gnomes(spirits of the earth), The Ondines (spirits of water), The Sylphs (spirits of air) and The Salamanders (spirits of fire), Bringing us to the four elements so important in magic

Prehistoric magic...

is an unknown topic but the archaic man certainly tried to negotiate with the forces of nature through rites, incantations and sacrifices.  The shaman assured the safety of the tribe in unveiling the best chase and fishing spots, provoking or stopping rainfall, curing illnesses and keeping negative forces at distance. The shaman was the one with the knowledge to communicate with nature. he/she knew how to cure, see the future, predict natural cataclysms, find food for the tribe and question the ancient for advice... he/she was the one who managed to keep people in sync with nature...Keeper of the secret knowledge of nature, the cosmos and the ancients, he/she had a very high social status within the tribe.

Man and Nature

In modern times, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and other kind of inundations are no longer considered to be the result of the wrath of the divine, rather nothing more than the "metabolic" reaction of the ecosystem of our planet. But originally, mankind felt very much the energy emanating from Earth and was aware of its implications on every living being. So he has tried to reconcile with the power of nature, symbolised by the four elements Water, Earth, Wind , and Fire,interacting within the influence of the cosmos, taming and using them to his advantage. The Shaman or the sorcerer had the task to detain the knowledge of the power of the universe as well as all kind of the natural phenomenon, to study and observe "the invisible". The archaic man believed that the natural powers were governed by supernatural forces with which one had to reconcile; one could say that in fact, magic was a precursor to religion

Practising magic...

The magician is a solitary. He/she study magic for his/her own spiritual elevation and reflection and applies the techniques for his/her own understanding. It is an exchange between him/herself and the forces of nature, in a mutual comprehension.
Who utilises rural and traditional magic, with methodical incantations and preparations for the sake of his/her clients, is to be considered a magician. But magic is also a life path, a way of considering the world and nature, a guide, a vision.

EARTH

Our planet Earth is a living entity, like our bodies it is an energetic system reacting to its environment: the cosmos. Mankind was born out of our Mother Earth, who modelled and directed humanity into what it has become. Symbolically she is our mother and since all times, man has been aware of the link uniting him to her, knowing the intimate relationship and dependence between them for his survival and existence. Nevertheless, since the Renaissance, "man" has become more materialistic and has lost little by little the notion of respect and admiration held by the archaic, antic and middle-age man, towards his planet. Today most people don't even see our planet as a living being but nothing more than property for man to conquer and form as he wish.

Sudarshan Kriya The science of Breath