Astral Magick

High Magick and Modern Spiritualism

One of the many definitions of Magic or Magick states “The art, or body of arts, which is believed to produce effects by the assistance of supernatural beings or departed spirits...” By this definition alone there is a generally accepted link between Magick and the “Spirit World”. Indeed many forms of magic including shamanism have as their basis communion with “spirits”.

However when relating Magick to Modern Spirituality, we are not speaking about earth spirits as in shamanism, but “spirit” as it specifically relates to the souls of the departed. Modern Spiritualism, which began as an official “movement” in 1848, defines spiritualism as the proof of the continuance of survival, through communication with the dead via a medium. There are three basic tenets that Modern Spiritualism shares with most doctrines of High Magick:

• Conscious survival with memories and personality intact after bodily death is a reality
• Physical death is only the transition from one level of perception and plane of existence to another.
• Communication between the Spirit world and ours is possible, under very specific conditions, and by  people of particular skills and talents

The origin of the Modern Spiritualist Movement is generally proclaimed to have occurred in March of 1848. When a family living in Hydesville, New York, The Foxes, produced what has generally been accepted by spiritualists as “poof” of sustained communication with the dead over a period of time in their home.

But owing much more to its relationship to High Magick, Spiritualism in essence is as ancient as humanity itself. Spiritualism has at its roots all ancient religious, spiritual, and magical practices. At its most basic level Spiritualism represents the antithesis to “materialism”, and therefore shares common pedigree with all metaphysical and esoteric arts and practices. Indeed an argument can be rightly made that Spirituality- the belief in the soul and the hereafter - is the fundamental core from which all religious doctrine has sprung. As such, Spiritualism while related to Magick and all metaphysics really does not belong to any one specific religious group, denomination, or movement. It is a gift from The Supreme Being, granted to all humankind.  In effect all houses of worship are Spiritualist, because they are places were people go to connect with the Higher Spirit.

Spiritualism as it relates specifically to communication with the dead has an ancient tradition. The Old Testament is replete with references of communication with “Sprits” and other supernatural beings. Of course many believe that the many sightings of Jesus long after his crucifixion are proof of the Spirit World. Belief in the Spirits of the dead appearing before and influencing the living are not confined to Biblical references. Anthropologists have long recounted the belief in the “ghosts” of departed ancestors among ancient and primitive peoples. Inscriptions found on stone tablets that date back to 3800 BC indicate a belief in ghosts and spirits.

Actual communication with the departed aside, the core of Modern Spiritualism shares with High Magick and other metaphysical practices a belief that the universe was created by a Supreme Being, but it is not static, it is evolving and constantly changing. These changes can be measured and observed as the ebb and flow of both cosmic and spiritual energies. It is the fundamental belief of Modern Spiritualism as it is of Magick that the great purpose of the Universe is to stimulate the evolution of the spirit, of The Self, through the contact with and manipulation of, these forces.