W-Shadow.com

Have you noticed the bit of the subheading up there on this page that says “(and some magic)”? It’s a kind of disclaimer; it gives me the justification to post just about any crazy rant I want. Unfortunately I don’t do that very often, if ever. It’s all programming and tutorials on this blog. Well, not today! This one really is about magic … and why we haven’t seen the “Steve Pavlina - The Flying Man” headline anywhere yet.

Strong vs. Weak Magic

In the old days, people believed in wizards, sorcerers, shamans, priests and other beings of great power. A wizard (or some similar creature) could call down fire and lighting, control the elements, fly, and become invisible and more. Let’s call this “strong magic”. Tales of their abilities abound, yet I doubt the persons described were often seen by someone first-hand, if ever.

On the other hand, it’s likely that commoners could, if they so desired, meet a lower-ranking “witch” or a “wise man”. There’s a different name for these in every language, but basically they were said to possess, to some degree, an array of less impressive yet still useful powers like healing (possibly with herbs), limited precognition, the ability to lay a curse on someone, etc. Let’s call this “weak magic”.

Modern Magic

Nowadays, magic is a trendy thing. Astrology, intuitive readings, Law of Attraction, Wicca, ESP, bioenergetics - the list goes on. Note that I use “magic” as a blanket term, and yes, I’ve heard about “magick”, too.

Nowadays, people don’t really believe in strong magic. It seems like a cute fantasy, and it sure generates some nice profits for the entertainment industry, but that’s about it. Most people are content with /playing/ a sorcerer and don’t even consider becoming one. That would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it? You can’t really throw fireballs in the real life, right?

Nowadays, magic is a virtual commodity. People want to use it to solve problems, not explore the (im-)possibilities. People want to get fit, pay the bills and find a better job. It’s the Law of Attraction that gets called on, it’s the “Magic for Housewives”, not “arcane knowledge”. This might sound unbelievable, but the part of general populace that is aware of magic will either disregard it or treat it in a down-to-earth manner, using it to do what they’re already doing slightly better. And nobody really needs telekinesis to survive, don’t they?

The Law of Distraction

I mentioned Steve Pavlina in the title - that’s because he’s the one espousing subjective reality and LoA, too. The subjective reality concept is neat - it basically places no explicit limits on what you can achieve with it. Theoretically, you could fly, or use telekinesis, or do whatever you can imagine. Strangely enough, Steve hasn’t mastered levitation yet, and I’ll bet he never will, not in this life.

That’s because every noteworthy guru (& Steve sure is noteworthy; I’m not sure about the “guru” part) is either advocating weak magic or even “really weak magic”. They will tell you how to solve real, practical problems - financial troubles, weight issues, finding your “true self” and so on. That’s all well and good, but I miss the fireballs, I really do.

Ultimately Steve’s approach is about personal development rising ones consciousness, and that is extremely unlikely to lead to fireballs and lightning bolts. A person at high level of consciousness will have neither the need nor desire to solve their problems with a torrent of pure, deadly power - not even if they could. It’s assumed only those at lower levels of thought find fantasies of strong magic appealing. If you want it, you’re not evolved enough to have it, and if you were of high enough level, you probably wouldn’t want it anyway.

Damn, I still think pyrokinesis, levitation and power in general would be cool! Me want! Yeah, I know, I have issues, but I sort of like that.