What On Earth Do You Mean When You Say... "Hermetic"?

When I started exploring alternative spirituality, I did not do it with the intent to practice magic. In fact, my own background is that of a skeptic. I was brought up with a strong sense of what logical thinking means and the need to provide proof for claims made. I think one of my clearest childhood memories was of my father talking about the concept of Logic to my much older cousins.

I'm a little surprised that few people have actually asked me what I mean when I say I am a "hermetic" magician. They mostly just nod and say "oh". I figure some people just assume what that means is some variety of Wiccan belief... or associate it with something they probably saw in "Charmed". It's only recently that I have had people who have asked me what that meant. I guess its about time now that I make some attempt to define what it is that I do... I mean after all the bellyaching that I do on this blog about magic.

When I started along this path, I did not really assign a terminology to what I did. I was drawn to the Western esoteric tradition and to ceremonial magick in terms of the circles, seals and other symbols that were used. However, at that time, I felt I did not know enough to really say that I am a practitioner of ceremonial magick. So like all people who are trying to find out about stuff, I did my reading and research to try to understand the traditions I felt drawn to.

At the core of all of this searching... I realised eventually that I wasn't truly drawn to the iconography of the Western esoteric tradition per se... I was drawn to the person of Hermes Trismegistus (in actuality the Egyptian Thoth) and what he represented.

I found out through my own meditative exploration... (and this is my own personal belief)... that Hermes / Thoth isn't a god, and not even an ascended master (as so many people claim he is today)... but a man. A man who is likely a scholar and a magician, but who like all of us has reincarnated and continues to reincarnate in the world today. I felt alone in my beliefs until I met the only reader that ever convinced me she had real psychic abilities. Strangely enough, this reader held the same belief. She also claimed she knew the truth about Hermes because she was once his disciple...

Now I don't know about her other claims, but when I heard her say, "I know he didn't ascend... he is still reincarnating today..." I felt a great sense of affirmation and I actually hugged her.

Till today, I have not heard a single reader or channeller say the same thing to me. In fact, I have met and talked to channellers of the ascended master "Lord Hermes"... now, I have to admit, there is a side to me that is just a bit naughty... when I do meet someone who claims to channel Hermes, I'll ask the channeller a question that is related to something esoteric or about magic... presumably...IF the being really IS Hermes, he would have no problem answering the question, since... allegedly... the Western esoteric tradition is based on learning that originated from ancient Egypt and Thoth/Hermes is a god of magic.

To date, I have not met anyone who has convinced me that they are channelling the real deal, in fact in one colourful moment, one of the beings (the channeller here was speaking on the being's behalf) that was channelled asked me what my opinion was on a particular magical question which I posed to it as a test... :P I mean, can you imagine Hermes asking an apprentice what his view is about some topic in magic? I suppose the real deal would only do that if he were trying to see if I knew my stuff... but being a mighty ascended being, wouldn't he already know what I was thinking? I honestly expected either a tongue lashing for my audacity at daring to question the being's authority.

I guess the channeller knew I was testing... yes, I was THAT obvious. Instead of an admonishment... (no they would rather not admonish you publically because they are all supposedly filled with "love and light")... I was given a rather general answer that wasn't really explained well. :(

I suppose some channellers overseas are more widely read than the channellers in this country... Because just through pure observation alone, I do NOT think that the channellers here are well read in the subject that they are supposedly experts in... :P Of course, the claim is that the knowledge channelled is from some higher being... but I beg to defer since most of the beings channelled seem to only have the same level of knowledge as the channeller... and surely... as multi-millennial entities, SOME ought to AT LEAST have a standard of verbal expression that surpasses the normal Singaporean... :P

Okay... yes... I am being horribly nasty :P And in part, that stems from the fact that I'm at times, terribly arrogant... and in part from my frustration that the name of a person I honour and respect is being brandied about just like... that. I think what galls me is the fact that some of these people are entirely genuine in their belief... so the better part of me can't bring myself to shatter their cherished notions... haiz.

Anyways... back to the topic... over time I decided to call myself a "hermetic magician / wizard" in part, so as to differentiate myself from the Wiccans.

So what do I mean by the terminology I use then?

Well, when I realised that I was drawn to the person of Hermes, I decided to read up as much as I could about him and if possible, find stuff that he wrote ... if any ... or taught. Naturally, like a lot of new age people, I stumbled upon works like "The Emerald Tablets of Thoth the Atlantean" (some people believe Thoth was the last priest/magician of Atlantis)... however, I also tried to find out WHERE the work came from... my own research into the matter led me to a rather shady figure called Dr Doreal... who allegedly was the one who compiled the work from "ancient sources"... but likely (and again, this is my belief, based on my own research and observation)... WROTE the dang thing.

Being unable to find any credible works attributed to Hermes Trismegistus among the more common new age publications, I turned to stuff written by the founding members of modern ceremonial magick... (ie. Golden Dawn... etc) At first, what they wrote sounded impressive... however... when I did my reading into how the ideas evolved, I was highly disappointed to find out that the source of their ideas weren't quite as ancient as they claimed, and in fact, some of these turn of the century practitioners went so far as to forge documentation to substantiate their beliefs... or claim that they were in contact with some otherworldly entities... (some modern occult writers have expressed doubt as to the authenticity of these supernatural contacts)

So there, my search for Hermes again runs up dry...

I'm now at the stage where I am looking at some old hermetic texts... and to be honest... what I am turning up isn't promising either. In the latest book I read about hermeticism, it turns out that a lot of ancient texts were likely written by other ancient authors ... not Hermes... but often attributed to an important historical or divine personage (like Hermes or Thoth) so as to er... give the book a sense of authority... or in some other cases dedicate the writing of the book to a certain patron or god.

I'm not quite done in that area, so who knows I might find something interesting...

I used to call myself a "ceremonial magician" when I was trying to figure out stuff from the early twentieth century mystics... but it really doesn't feel right since I think that most of the "magick" written in those texts are really just attempts by some writers to complicate ideas... make them SOUND impressive. I mean, I have asked myself this... just because I accidentally leave out a symbol or two when drawing out an uber-complicated summoning circle .. will that cause my magic to fail? And how do we know that such and such a symbol is necessary anyway? Is it because somebody from the impressive sounding hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn says it is necessary?

This reminds me of an incident where some young people who were practicing magic commented to me that the Enochian language was "powerful" stuff because it can be used to call upon and talk to angels... I said, "What... you think archangel Michael cannot understand English?"

Well, I think I'll stop calling myself a "ceremonial magician" since i don't really subscribe to the teachings of the mystics who came up with modern "magick". By the way, I am still a little bit fascinated by different practices of the magical orders... 'cos some of their rituals are cool-looking examples of a kind of modern mystery play and really great theatre. :)

So why... why "hermetic"...you might ask, since I do not subscribe to the teachings of any of the "hermetic" magical orders?

Well, there are some beliefs which I hold to that are a part of hermetic tradition... such as the use of the 4 elements of earth, water, air and fire, the concept of "as above so below" and the idea of reincarnation... and the belief in a supreme being that made all.

Link: What is Hermeticism?

However, I don't really subscribe to ALL of the typical hermetic or gnostic beliefs... in part because I'm still reading and evaluating them... and because here too some of the ideas that are embraced as part of modern hermeticism (and therefore attributed directly or indirectly to Hermes) sound as if the originators of the ideas are trying to make simple concepts sound grand and impressive...:P

At the end of the day, I find that my best source of information about Hermes / Thoth and what the ancients believed about him and practiced is from historical or archeological sources. I feel that it is my search for the real Hermes, my belief in him and his knowledge that puts the "hermetic" in my definition of what I am doing.

By the way, you likely won't get the same views from someone else if you googled "hermetic magician"... in fact most of my similarly-termed contemporaries might either think I am insane, misguided or a total fraud.

Just HOW Do These Guys Manage To Find Me?

Life has been a little strange these past few weeks. Not only have a caught the flu... again... I find out that well, its all related to me doing the stuff that I'm supposed to do. Apparently, if I do what I'm supposed to do (It's all related to why I incarnated this time around...) I'll be okay. If I don't, well, I'll keep getting sick. I guess it is some kind of ploy by certain supernatural powers to ensure that I do what I am supposed to do... haiz!

Anyways, I have been pretty "good" in that I HAVE been doing spiritual stuff and keeping up with my meditations and all that... funny thing is, all these people have started showing up at my doorstep. I mean, it doesn't matter if I'm in a crowd, they tend to make a beeline towards me and then ask me some question or make some comment which... ironically... (You can see me doing the -_- here) is directly related to some conflict I am facing.:(

I'm not too surprised ... (see my expression... -_-) that lots of wannabe magic practitioners have also started showing up. And some of them come with some pretty big credentials. Now, I'm sure that consciously, they are generally well-meaning individuals... but certainly, they should not be in the magical, or psychic or even holistic field. Sometimes, when I am approached by an individual like that, I do have a small hope that somehow, they would be the kind of magician / wizard I am looking for. Well, fact of the matter is that for the most part, their understanding of magic is clumsy and often a repetition of some writer or the other. It is clear at least to me that they have not themselves internalized the information that they claim to have.

Often they try to make simple things sound big, mysterious and difficult. I'm pretty disappointed when I see that... really... It just tells me that the individual in question is ill suited for this field...

Now, quite a lot of people feel that I'm somehow pretty judgmental and that I'm wrong in my beliefs about magical or psychic ability. However, experience has shown me that, my own stand on magic and psychic abilities are true.

I very inquisitive young man once asked me about my beliefs. I told him simply that there is no way to "teach" someone how to be psychic and that magic is not for everyone. That is why I offer no classes that show people how to "open their third eye" for instance. He remarked that my own beliefs ran contrary to what 90% of the world believes. I said, that its not MY belief that runs contrary to 90% of the world... it just runs contrary to 90% of the people who are in the new age community.

In traditional belief systems, it is the spirits that choose the one they want, and NOT the other way around... Heck, a few good occult writers even acknowledge that. I believe that one cannot decide to become a wizard, a shaman or a sorceror, if one is not created for that function. I did not set out on this path to be someone who does magic. I set out on this path to find my own strength and peace with myself. I had said before to a young person who REALLY REALLY WANTED to have some magical or psychic power... "If I find out at the end of the day that I'm really created to be goatherd-12345, then well, so be it..."

Usually, these wannabes don't really like to hear me say that... they seem very very disappointed.

A certain new age practitioner once said to me when I was first starting out... "Don't concentrate on wanting to open the third eye or have psychic abilities... concentrate on making yourself whole and balanced and all things that are right will come to you..."

Now, I don't really agree with him regarding what he practices, but that one phrase from him sure made a whole lot of sense.

Seriously... if only people knew the trouble that comes into my life, they won't want anything to do with magic. I once met one who was wizard-born... the individual wisely said to me that he wasn't sure he SHOULD be doing this whole magic thing... because he knew that if he started down the path... it was a one-way-ticket out of respectability and big time wealth...

How is it that only those who are born into this can see the truth behind this whole magic business? I guess it might be the wisdom of hindsight.... in that, having lived so many lives as a wizard they understand what its like.

Well, back to the wannabes... I'm not sure how these wannabes manage to find me... but I'm sure it all has something to do with a particular past life incident in which I am involved in. I have NEVER LIKED charlatans... never... and I do get very very annoyed when people seem so attracted by "psychics" who say such nice, reassuring things and don't make a serious attempt to answer their questions in a practical and logical way... try to direct them to do something concrete that will really change their life.

I'm sorry, but for the majority of the people out there... solving problems does not have anything to do with fluffy notions about how some angel or spirit guide will "save" them from themselves... or how surrounding themselves with "love and light" will somehow lift them from their own mistakes... Often it takes self realisation and a will to want to change, day by day and remake their lives through serious effort.

My woofy friend did once say to me that people go to "psychics" not for the truth, but for affirmation or just to have someone say "everything is OK!"... Heck, I think they might as well pay a psychologist or therapist to do the same thing...

I suddenly am struck by Marx's comment about religion... I never did want him to be right, but it seems to me that he is. (ie. "Religion is the opium of the masses" - quoth Karl)

I guess in part my anger against the charlatan is also because of my own anger at the fact that magic has so little visible power today. I know deep down inside that magic is so much more than what people in the new age field, "witches" and practicing "magicians" say it is... But the problem is, I just don't see it and despite my best efforts at being honest with those I meet... it seems my honestly is not repaid...

Few... very very few who have ever gone through a reading with me have ever decided to come back for another. Sometimes it seems the the only people who have walked away from my readings feeling positive about it are those born to do magic... however, its not like they need a reading from me... heck... its more like a courtesy call from one magic practitioner to another...:(

Its like no one really wants to know the truth these days... my woofy friend remarked that few people really want to know the truth... it is true... sometimes I wonder why bother with truth? It does seem so much easier to be a charlatan.

Where Is The Extraordinary In Man?

"Who knows, but someday they will discover something extraordinary in Man!" I get paid to say that kinda stuff occasionally.

When I am not running the teams, I do a little bit of teaching on the side. Believe it or not, even though I do not have a degree-level certification in psychology or something similar, I occasionally give lectures at a local tertiary institution about human intelligence and capacity to come up with solutions when pushed to the limit. In some ways, I am uniquely qualified to speak about this subject. My life experience has been where I constantly profile and analyze the personalities of those I meet sometimes as a hobby, sometimes for fun and sometimes professionally.

Over the years, I have learned many different methods of divination. I have done card readings and divinations when the appropriate occasion arises. Depending on who I meet, I either do a "reading" or a "psychological profile/test". However, the actual methodology is really based on occult principles. Thanks to the proliferation of TV dramas like CSI and Criminal Minds ( a series about criminal profilers ), the people I meet do not find it strange that I can pick up stuff about their personalities and character traits. They all just assume that I have been trained in some kind of psychology or thinking methodology. And with a part-time lecturing job that sorta gives me some pseudo-academic credibility, yeah, its pretty hard not to believe that when I am doing an occult divination, I am not actually "cold reading" the person. That is, picking up on the subject's subtle and often unconscious body-language.

Why do I go through with the subterfuge and tell certain people that my divinations are based on psychological principles? It's simply because the large percentage of mainstream people out there are unable to accept that there is an occult/spiritual reality and that we are constantly interacting with it, whether we know it or not. Besides, when someone comes for a reading with a genuine problem or question, I think it is important to put the person at ease instead of frightening him/her with the notion that they are getting advice from someone that does that whole "black magic" stuff. I mean, if it works, who cares what it is called? Far as I'm concerned, I'm a consultant, and they are getting a consultation.

Unfortunately, this whole divination thing is not something that I do often. Mostly because I tend to tell the people I meet, things they need to, but often do not want to hear. For instance, a lot of people come to me to ask about their spirit guides. They want to know the identity of their guides and how to communicate with them and so on... Fact of the matter is, 99.999999999999% of people do NOT really have beings around them which are able to provide them with useful or enlightening information. I do try my best to let them understand that they do not need to "communicate" with these "guides" to know how to make better decisions in their lives. However, no matter how diplomatically I put it to them, the fact is that they leave me knowing that somehow they were given some bad information by someone else (usually another reader) and that the "special" beings they believed existed around them really are not all that special or helpful after all.

(Just to clarify this, I DO NOT put down other readers. Most people are smart enough to come to that conclusion even if I go through great pains to remain neutral and say nothing at all.)

You can see how that does not encourage people to want to come to me for a reading. I mean, seriously, who on earth wants to go to someone and be told that something they thought was special is really not helpful at all, and they have some personal issues which they might want to look into. No, most of the people I meet really want to be told that they are special or have a great destiny or are powerful. And unfortunately, I am the kind of person who can spot these types a mile away and personally I don't like dealing with them.

The reason for that is simple - sometimes they remind me of me. Like just about every other person in today's world, I'd like to believe I'm special in some way. Now, there is nothing wrong with wanting to feel special or believe that you are special. Heck, I encourage people in my lectures to find that "special" something about themselves - to believe in themselves. I really hate it when the search for something special turns into some kind of megalomania and the person becomes ungrounded and loses a sense of reality..... What I really mean is when the person starts thinking he/she can take over the world... that sort of thing.

Anyways, I find it pretty ironic that I end up going to classes where I am the person saying "there is something special... even extraordinary in all of you!" Sometimes I feel like the universe is deliberately putting me into the position where I am forced to say something I'm currently facing a terrible conflict about.

To most people I meet, the ability I have to do the divinations amounts to some kind of magic. I remember doing readings for some people over the December holidays and they were pretty amazed. Unfortunately, because they were mainstream people, I had to call it "psychological testing". :P However, to me at least, being able to do unbiased, accurate divinations is quite simply the practice of occult principles at the primary / elementary school level. It is one of the stepping stones on which other occult ideas or practices are built. It is a tool and not an end in itself.

It is useful. But it is not entirely what I am looking for when I decided to step on this path.

Unlike most others, I did not become a magician because I watched too much "Charmed" or played too many fantasy games. I stepped upon this when The Shark (that's a moniker for one of my friends) made me realize that there is a reality that is around all of us, unseen and unexplainable by our current scientific understanding. The Shark is a big believer in occult powers and actually employs it in his business practices.

My initial curiosity towards the unexplained led me into some personal trouble and even physical pain. However, I will never regret delving into this because it has allowed me to fully understand and embrace the person that I am. And unfortunately, magic and doing magic is part of who I am. And the thing is, I am unwilling to accept some popular modern interpretations about magic.

There is a notion today that magic does not work because a great deal of people do not believe in it. In the view of those who hold to this notion, somehow the skepticism of the general public creates a kind of subtle "energy" or a "bad environment" that causes spells to fail. I personally DO NOT BELIEVE in this because I have seen strange spiritual phenomena occur whether anyone believes in it or not. When the impossible happens, those that it happens to try desperately to find a "logical, scientific explanation" and I have seen the whole "tell me everything is normal" look on the faces of those who have experienced it.

There is also the notion that the casting of spells is nothing more than subtly altering one's personal viewpoint so that when your perception of reality shifts, it seems as if something incredible is happening. I also DO NOT ACCEPT this mostly because it is terribly insulting to think that whenever I cast a spell, I am actually brainwashing myself! :P

Am I deceiving myself? No because unlike many others, I have actually seen the faces of some of these spiritual entities. I know the spirit world exists through painful, crippling experience. However, it truly annoys me to think that all the magic that is available to humanity is limited to forces that cannot be perceived and results that are uncertain at best. I KNOW that all the magic that we see self-professed, modern "witches" and "wizards" practice today is NOT really magic. There are still glimmers of true magic I think, in trackless jungles among rarely visited tribes and in some very traditional societies, but that's all that it is... glimmers. A shadow of the true glory of what it used to be.

Unfortunately, despite the strong feelings that I have about this, I have no quantifiable proof that there is some power running around in certain quarters of humanity that can alter reality. I suppose that is why sometimes it hurts to go into a lecture and say that there is something extraordinary in mankind when I'm not able to come up with undeniable proof that there is. It's like the universe is ... I'm very sorry to say this... slapping me in the face.

And I said that phrase again this morning....:(

Some people might say... but wait, what about the success that you have had in your practice of divination? Well, sadly, like visitations of the supernatural in dark forests of faraway lands, it is only a glimmer of the knowledge that is part of magic, and something that certain individuals would gleefully explain away with my subconscious use of psychological techniques. Well, if that is so, then I guess I must be a pretty successful psycho-analyst who doesn't know he is employing the tools of psychology.

At this moment, I am recalling the image of Agent Mulder from the X Files. I think of all the TV characters I have seen, I feel a strong sense of empathy of what the character went through. Like Mulder, I WANT TO BELIEVE. However, it seems that proof of my beliefs is not always forthcoming.


PS: I really HATE "Heroes"... for a multitude of personal reasons... nothing to do with the content of the show... But I thought it was appropriate to have a graphic from that for this entry.

Are You Afraid of Magic?

Woke up today with a heavy head after running around all night in dreamland in some crazy cop-drama where I was some pee wee investigator in a case with a serial killer and loads of ritualistically killed victims in a very dilapidated house or apartment. The actual physics of objects in dreams are sometimes hard to perceive and what appears to be a house on the exterior sometimes has a completely different interior with different dimensions. I think last night's house of horrors was some kind of urban apartment.

I frequently have dreams with corpses, supernatural stuff and unusual things so I don't consider last night's trip an actual nightmare. I haven't had a real nightmare in years where I felt the element of fear upon waking. What does worry me on occasion are the visions I sometimes have about local wandering spirits. Most of them are really just passing by, but sometimes, I do see spirits that do pose a threat on a certain level. However, as the age old Chinese saying goes:

"You don't mess with them (ghosts/spirits), they don't mess with you."

Another valuable nugget of folk insight is the axiom:

"Ghosts/spirits are the greatest liars."

These "grandmother sayings" really are gems of good old folk wisdom and certainly went a long way in saving me from loads of heartache, trouble and wasted time. Sometimes I feel that as an Asian we are sitting on one of the greatest treasure troves of ancient wisdom... no need to go seeking wisdom from celtic, nordic or other "pagan" sources. I see loads of pagans whenever I walk past the Kwan Yin temple at Bugis.

Ha ha ha... I guess the exercise of blogging does help the mind to work out solutions to problems. Here I am wanting to meet actual wiccans, pagans and ceremonial magicians and I am sitting on an island with the greatest number of belief systems that are crammed into a very small piece of land. Unfortunately, despite the great number of "heathens" and even members of monotheistic religions who believe in the supernatural world... (Hey, why do you think the "True Singaporean Ghost Stories" series tops the book sale lists every year?) most of them tend to shy away whenever you mention anything that smacks of the occult or magic. You'd think that with so many mainstream religions promoting the belief in wonders, miracles, spirits and gods, they'd find something like magic entirely acceptable.

I guess in the end, the idea of the ordinary person engaged in doing something magical is only acceptable in the newer belief systems of Wicca, modern Paganism and Ceremonial Magic... Despite what many Wiccans and Pagans and even ceremonial magicians might say, MOST of the rituals and practices are modern creations. That's right, there is very little historical evidence of modern practices being linked to some ancient tradition. Heck, when McGregor Mathers started the whole Golden Dawn thing, he quite literally forged a letter from a member of a mythical organisation giving him the authority to start a new magic order. And lets not forget, Aleister Crowley started out as a Golden Dawner... he learned his stuff from them and later channelled (such a modern phenomenon) additional information from his Holy Guardian Angel, a spirit he called Awaiss...

AND... guess who went to Aleister in the Great Beast's twilight years for ideas on starting a new religion... that's right, Gerald Gardner, founder of modern wicca. As far as my own reading into the history goes, that's how everything came about... in a very summarized fashion.

I remember reading a book from the National Library that analyzes the evidence uncovered at an ancient drudic ritual. Apparently, they found a pretty well preserved body of a human sacrifice at a peat bog in Britan. It was a sacrifice made near the end of the Roman invasion of Britan. Now, according to the historian, such sacrifice of a human being was rare because usually only animals were offered up. The person in question who was offered up was actually a young druid, judging from the evidence found on the body. Why? Quite simply the ancient tirbesmen were desperate to stop the invasion and it seemed their gods had abandoned them so they gave up the ultimate gift they could offer.

Now, the book does detail some actual ancient celtic practices. Apparently certain gods only accepted sacrifices that were killed in a specific way. For instance, strangulation of the sacrifice using a loop of string and a stick. (I'll spare you the gory details. Go figure out yourself how it was done... :P ) Now if a person really wanted to follow traditional celtic pagan spirituality, I'd think an archeological text would be an excellent guide. However, notice that most people who are into "celtic spirituality" today don't actually practice the same thing... Now, I don't think the celtic gods have changed much over the centuries... so why do you think there is a discrepancy in the practice? ;)

But I digress... back to magic. I have noticed that if you start talking about magic, most people will initially laugh and say they don't believe in it. Then IF you go on into more occult topics, they will sort of start to feel uncomfortable. For unbelievers, they sure do exhibit a great deal of belief in the power of magic to upset their rational lives.

Why are people afraid of the whole notion of magic? I used to puzzle over this question, because local people seem to be okay with the notion of wonders happening in the context of religion. Take for instance the local "tang ki" or spirit medium piercing himself with skewers or sitting on a chair of nails. He has done a wonder through the power of the spirit or god possessing him and this is what the worshippers expect. They accept this wonder and do not feel that it threatens them, despite the fact that the "tang ki" has done an act that fulfills all the traditional definitions of an occult act.

Perhaps the verneer of religion helps to make the idea of magic easier to swallow. Perhaps the idea that a person could also command the same powers without imploring the assistance of a god is just too much for the mind of the Everyman. That would mean that that same magician could do harm to anyone without seeking the approval from the divine powers that be. In case you are wondering if magic without gods is possible, just think of the countless times you have heard about bomohs cursing this person or that person, or dominating the mind of some poor innocent girl... brrr... heh

Okay, so the bomohs sometimes do call on "bad" spirits for help and people call what they do black magic. But still, think about it. IF magic without the trappings of religion is so bad why do the gods still allow it to happen eh? Why not get rid of all the "bad" spirits and thus eliminate the problem altogether? And then there're practitioners out there who don't make use of gods or demons at all to cast their spells, how do you explain their existance? The keys of Solomon are after all used in summoning and compelling spirits, demons AND angels I might add. HOW ON EARTH do you explain that?

It all really boils down to the notion that people get afraid when someone, a normal human being like them has certain powers that cannot be explained or controlled by them. They are however okay with the fact that the gods have powers. I sometimes think that the rituals of religion give the worshipper a mechanism of control. Say prayers and offer stuff to the gods and your requests will be answered, or the gods will be appeased. If anything bad happens, you either offer more stuff and hope that your luck changes or you lose faith and switch to new gods.

Control, I think, is the main reason behind this fear of magic.

If that is the case, ask yourself why it is that whatever powers that created the universe allowed the notion of magic to exist. Why not have lots and lots of priests and devout men and be done with it? Why not allow wonderworking to only be the province of the gods?

I think that the one original being who created everything... (yes, I do believe in that one original creator who made everything)... is not a big control freak. I think that he (No offense to the goddess worshipers, I'm merely using "he" for convienence) allowed the concept of magic because in the long run, the power of magic to alter reality will allow the creation of diversity in experience and put responsiblity for problem solving in the hands of beings like you and I. Now I'm not saying I know the mind of the creator, it is merely a theory I am proposing.

Hmmmm... I guess not many people like the idea of taking responsibility as well. After all it is easier to pray to the gods for solutions and blame them as well if everything goes wrong... "It's not MY fault!", "I can't control what is happening!", "I have NO CHOICE!" ... heh... humans...

Misfortune Draws Flies Faster Than Racecars...

It was 2 am in the morning and I was forcibly awakened by the sounds of several very loud automobile engines screaming like banshees in the middle of a very still night. I mean I knew that the racers were test driving around the track for the race today, but I didn't think they would be up so late and I certainly didn't think it was possible to hear the high pitch whine of those F1 engines half an island away.

I guess F1 fever has brought out all the illegal racers. Heck, I just wish those guys would have some consideration for everyone in dreamland and head over to the empty roads at Tuas instead, at least the roads are wider and it's a virtual ghost town at night manned only by the occasional security guard; so no chance of hitting the odd HDB resident who might be wandering around with the restless family pooch... (the odd HDB dweller taking the dog out for a walk at 12 midnight to the wee hours of the morning is something that happens quite frequently in my estate)

Having never had an interest in cars or racing and since I did not bet on any of the racers, I cannot understand the Formula One fever that has hit this island. I mean, every time I've had the chance to see a race on the TV; it’s just a bunch of cars zooming around repetitively on the same piece of road. That kind of thing puts me to sleep real fast, the other thing is golf...truly a game that is NOT best enjoyed as a spectator sport.

Apparently, the fever has hit even the local aunties. That's right, I’m talking about all the middle-aged or little old lady housewives that are a common sight in any neighbourhood. I can't imagine all those aunties waving their hands and staring at cars whizzing around on the TV. But there they were lined up in front of a huge projector screen set up by a community centre to show the race to members of the neighbourhood. It was a literal party. I guess it must have been a slow gossip month. :P

Despite having a bad taste in the mouth from having watched bits of so many snooze-worthy races... I decided to tune in to the race anyway, just to see what Singapore looks like at night with a racetrack and to catch a glimpse of the really big event that was happening in this country... As a Singaporean I am naturally curious and it does give me something to talk about when I meet my fellow countrymen.

When I switched over to the races, there was tiny nagging feeling that an accident was imminent. I mean I have seen historical footage of some really bad crashes, but I don't expect anything to really happen. After all, one doesn't tune in to the races to watch people crash into walls.

Well, 5 minutes after I tuned into the race, I saw Nelson Piquet’s car smack into the concrete in front of the main spectator stand. I was shocked, but also relieved when the driver climbed out on his own. Well, after that, I became fascinated by the race. And certainly, the night did not disappoint with 2 other non-fatal accidents and racer Felipe Massa driving off from the pit in a hurry with the fuel hose he had violently yanked off dragging along behind him. Apparently the snooze-worthy sport had turned into something like grand drama in just a few short hours.


For a coverage of this event, read the following:
Article: Alonso wins drama-filled F1 Singapore GP
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080928/tsp-auto-prix-sin-5820418.html

Well, this sort of confirms my longstanding theory that there's some kind of mojo circulating around this island that keeps this island interesting to the rest of the world. After all, rationally speaking how interesting can a grand prix event get? Even the newscaster remarked that they didn't expect the race to have "so much drama". Well, a comment from a member of the grand prix audience sort of sets the tone for the race.

"I hope that an accident happens... " he blurted out and then changed his statement a few seconds later.

Could the collective primal desire to see some kind of blood and gore drama have manifested the 3 accidents and all the drama that occurred at the tracks tonight? Experts and analysts looking back on the race will say that the accidents were caused by the tight city street turns and bumpy road. I don't know what the actual answer is, but I do know that quite a lot of people put money on the races down at the betting booth at City Hall. And knowing some gamblers here, I am sure they went to the local bomoh (ie. witchdoctor) to get some help in winning their bets.

I did learn one thing from this event. Unfortunately, like all my fellow countrymen, my interest is piqued only when something bad happens. Despite being separated from the circuses of ancient Rome by 2000 years of history and numerous incarnations, I'm still as susceptible to its attractions as anybody else. So much for being filled with "love and light" (incidently, a notion I have never felt much inclination for... but I'll talk about it another time) :P

Superheroes Ignite Local Courage

I came across this article on another Singaporean blog while surfing around.

Article: Ultraman Can Protest At Hong Lim: Superheroes Have Saved The Singapore Constitution
http://article14.blogspot.com/2008/08/approximately-year-ago-following.html

What is truly disappointing about this incident is the fact that the local press did not even bother to give this story any coverage. Sure, compared to the many wars, tragedies and murders that happen every day, this story is miniscue in scale. However, for many Singaporeans, the courage that it takes to raise one's voice in public protest is really something that is outside the national psyche. The typical Singaporean is law-abiding and fearful of making a squeek when they feel unhappy about public policy. It's in the local political culture. We grow up fearing that Big Brother will place a black mark next to our names in some "permanent record" or that we might be detained without trial if Big Brother catches us saying something negative against the powers that be.

Now whether the whole thing about the black mark is true or not, it is in the local mythos. So sure, geeky anime fans who place plastic figures in protest may look silly compared to the tragedies of War in Iraq, but to many locals who love anime and who have suffered from the recent Odex clampdown, it certainly strikes a very strong chord.

And really, if this particular protest was as silly as all that, why are the local police dignifying it with riot police and plainclothes policemen?

So why does this matter to me? I'm pretty apathetic when it comes to politics. Civilisations come and go and so ... in the very long run the petty grind of everyday politics doesn't really matter. But as a magician I am always on the lookout for phenomena of all kinds. And I find the notion that superheroes are needed to save our dignity and courage to say how we feel rather ironic and poignant.

It's a kind of magic. Magic often starts with the belief that there are forces that are great and epic moving about unseen in the vast stew of humanity and that somehow deep down inside each human is a super-being waiting to be born. I notice that anime fans and cosplayers have a tendency to adopt a few heroes or heroines as their ... how shall I put it - focus of their devotion ... and dress up as them.

Is the action of dressing up to imitate the focus of one's adoration or the buying of material images of that focus, a subconscious attempt to "take on" the attributes of that super-being? I honestly do not know as the few cosplayers I talk to mosly rave about their favourite characters and don't say much else about their rationale for the whole effort it takes to dress up. And believe me, they do spend hordes of time making the whole get up.

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think cosplayers are silly. I do admire the skill and dedication it takes to make their costumes. Some of them even carry that dedication to the extent of staying in character when they are dressed up as er... Sailor Moon for instance. And really, I can't criticise their actions since I do spend as much effort on magical rituals and walk around town in my robes.

I just find this particular act of public protest quite a phenomenon and oddly magical in a very strange way. It's almost funny when I put the filter of myth over it...

Imagine this, local village youths are unable to fight the great ruler of their land because the ruler has soldiers to enforce his will. So, one day, they bring out all the little idols of their gods and line them up where the king can see them and have the little idols fight their battles on their behalf...

Only in Singapore can something like this happen. And people say this country is dead boring. :D