SubscribeI have recently purchased a facsimile copy of Reginald Scott’s The Discoverie of Witchcraft (originally published in 1584).
This is an important book in the history of Western civilisation as it is the first ever book in which methods for creating magic are explained. This might seem an overstatement, as magic is nowadays a trivialised from [...]
The Horizon of Reason
Exploring the boundaries of logic and perception
Tag: shaman
The end of magic?
From Shaman to Showman
Earlier this month, I attended the Centenary Convention of the Australian Society of Magicians. This convention has reignited my passion for performing magic, albeit in a different direction.
The amazing Jeff McBride used the phrase ‘from shaman to showman’ several times during his performances and lecture. The shaman, or medicine man, used to perform a central [...]
Magic and Philosophy
Both the magician and the philosopher have arisen from the same archetypical and historical figure of the shaman. The anthropological record shows that shamans use technical and psychological principles, similar to those used by contemporary stage magicians, to aid there spiritual work.
I became interested in philosophy as a teenager by reading books about the history [...]
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