Magic: Mysticism or Manipulation?

Copyright 1994 by John R. Mabry

What are we to make of magic? We use this same word to describe the date that went well, slight of hand entertainment, and the arcane manipulation of metaphysical forces. We are attracted to it for its mystery, and yet afraid of it because of our cultural conditioning.

As a new student at Institute in Culture and Creation Spirituality in Oakland, California a few years ago, I found myself-a cradle evangelical and current Episcopalian-in Starhawk's class on Native European Ritual. Now, as far as I was concerned at the time, Native European Ritual was a euphemism for nothing less than witchcraft, and I found it to be quite a challenge learning to adjust, psychologically. Was what I was doing wrong? Is there any possibility that the anti-witchcraft fundamentalist protesters at Matthew Fox's lectures might actually be right? Was I going to hell for "acing" my Ritual class? In the beginning, this was a persistent nagging that wouldn't leave me alone. But I have had plenty of time since then to process, research, and actually get to know several "pagans" personally.

What I have discovered is that there are two primary motivations for ritual magic: mysticism and manipulation. Mysticism is the enjoyment of, or pursuit after, the experience of union with the Divine, and many magical rituals do indeed earnestly seek this goal.

With mysticism, one seeks the experience of oneness with all that is, to pierce the illusion of seeming dualism so embraced by our culture to recognize oneself as one is, a small part of a much larger whole.

It seems to me that, although many pagans speak of such concepts as "oneness" and pantheism, many rituals attempt to impose one's will upon another element of Creation, be it the weather, the outcome of something anticipated, or, more dangerously, another animal or human being. The conflict here is that the imposition of one's will upon another-manipulation -denies oneness and reinforces the appearance of duality. In this instance magic is employed to gain "power-over," in order to control another.

Mysticism or manipulation. Magic can serve either purpose.

For the mystically-oriented magician, the practice involves the process of "emptying." This is very like Taoism, which is not surprising: it, like Wicca, is a Native tradition. In the Tao Te Ching (the principal scripture of Taoism) Lao Tzu writes, "If you can empty yourself of everything, you will have lasting peace...If you want to be filled, become empty." In emptying we let go of our own desires; the ego is transcended and with it all thought of personal gain or power. We surrender in this act our need to control to that Oneness that we cannot hope to comprehend or control. When we are able to do this, we exchange "power-over" for "power-with," for we have the wise will of the Universe working for us.

The Taoist sage knows that it is useless to resist the flow of the Tao, "One who relies on the Tao," writes Lao Tzu, "Does not enforce his will...for such things are likely to rebound."

When we do not trust the Tao, we try to manipulate our environment in order to artificially influence the flow of events. This can take the familiar and mundane form of bribery or physical threats, while in more esoteric efforts, the Earth's energies can be so directed as to achieve what one wills. What is dangerous about this is not only the danger of abusing that which is acted upon, but the presumption of the practitioner that they know what is best for the situation. What lunacy! No one can hope to know the scope of the Tao, or the outcome of the present flow of events. "The Tao will always be beyond comprehension," Lao Tzu says, for "Although it may seem trivial, no one in all the world can control it."

The pagans I know are of the mystic variety, and are exceedingly scrupulous about their magical designs. A common bumper sticker seen these days in the Bay Area is one which reads "Witches Heal." Healing, whether for a person, an animal, or the Earth herself is indeed, in my experience, the end towards which most magical work is directed. Witches in this tradition believe in what they call the "Three-fold Return," which holds that any harm one intends another through magical work will be visited upon the sender three-fold. A compelling law, indeed. Most pagans also subscribe to some form of the law of Karma, familiar from Eastern traditions, which guarantees that impartial justice is operative in the universe. Lao Tzu says "Heaven's Way is to nourish, not to harm. The Sage's Way is to work, yet not compete."

To return to our opening statement, "What are we to make of magic?" we do magic a gross injustice to label it "evil" as so many in our culture have been eager to do. Pagans are no more likely than practitioners of any faith tradition to have nefarious ends in mind. Magic is not evil. What is evil is the attempt to force the hand of God, to contest against the flow of the Tao, the will to control what we cannot even hope to comprehend. And this applies as much to a member of the Order of the Golden Dawn as it does to the pastor of the Holiness Baptist Church down the block. According to the Tao Te Ching, the wise practitioner "unlearns what she was once taught, and helps the people regain what they have lost, to help every being assume it's natural state, and not dare to force anything."