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The Study of Magic – The Amoebic Cabala

January 24, 2010 by Patrick Dunn  
Filed under columns, the study of magic

Earlier, I said that every single modern, western magician is responding, in one way or another, to Plato. We are all either Neoplatonists, or reacting against Neoplatonism. The strange thing is, in most of our daily lives, we are not Neoplatonists at all — in fact, in most other contemporary intellectual fields, Neoplatonism [...]

The Study of Magic – Plato, Meet Frazer

the-study-of-magic-plato-meet-frazer
In my last column, I suggested that the western magical tradition can be seen as a response to Plato’s theory of Ideas. If we imagine that magic interacts with a world of more primary forms than our physical senses can detect, we are Neoplatonic. If we argue the opposite, that there is no [...]

Ritual and Myth

October 22, 2009 by Patrick Dunn  
Filed under magick, ritual

ritual-and-myth
A while back, I went to see a movie after my piano lesson, mostly on a whim. Feeling virtuous for forgoing the nachos (how can something so nasty be so tempting?), I settled into my seat and after silently judging the previews (“yup,” “cool,” “no way,” “Western civilization has officially collapsed.”), I watched my film. In [...]

The Study of Magick: It All Started in a Cave

the-study-of-magick-it-all-started-in-a-cave
I’m pleased to offer myself as a regular columnist on these august though entirely electronic pages. As those who have read my books or know me personally know, I’m an academic through and through, and so my conversations have a tendency to turn to lectures, and my dinner parties often become seminars. This column therefore [...]

Aristotle and Galileo: A Story of Two Ways of Knowing

July 19, 2009 by Patrick Dunn  
Filed under magick, mysticism, philosophy, theory

aristotle-and-galileo-a-story-of-two-ways-of-knowing
The teacher heaved himself from his stone seat. “Enough sitting. My knees are aching. Let’s walk and talk together,” he said to his few disciples. Other teachers had more — some as many as thirty students — but Aristotle took his pleasure in selecting the six or seven students who could [...]

A Syllabus for Magic: Crossing the Intermediate Chasm

June 5, 2009 by Patrick Dunn  
Filed under magick, theory

a-syllabus-for-magic-crossing-the-intermediate-chasm
My friends and I complain a lot about the occult section at the bookstore, mostly because hanging out at a bookstore and complaining is cheaper than a movie, even with the latte. Our favorite complaint is that there are no advanced books on magic. Our second favorite complaint is the music they play, but that’s [...]