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Magic

Ancient Greek (800BCE - 400CE)

  • Pharmakon Magia. - drug magic or sorcery
  • Pharmakides (φαρμακίδες) - is the woman practicing with pharmaka; Sorceress
  • Pharmakeia (φαρμακεία) - the practice: preparation, use, or administration of pharmaka
  • Pharmakon (φάρμακον) - the substance/preparation: drug, medicine, remedy, poison, or potent preparation
  • Pharmakeus (φαρμακεύς) - male practitioner/user or preparer of pharmaka
  • Pharmakeuō (φαρμακεύω) - to administer/use pharmaka; to drug, dose, treat with a pharmakon

In many contexts, Magic in the ancient world referred to Pharmakon induced perceptual effects combined with meditative or trance, and guided by intention set through ritual song, poetry, incantation, music, etc...

magic was not bippity boppity boo, supernatural stuff, but pharmakon and Psychology related. All ways to manipulate the Kosmos.

The ancients didn't differentiate these practices of medicine, spirituality, psychology, healing, divinatory insights, they're all part of the same natural realm.

See Pharmakeia for an in-depth treatment of the topic.

Crowley (1875 - 1947)

Crowley defined magick as "the art and science of causing change to occur in conformity with the will." By this, he included ordinary acts of will as well as acts of ritual magic.

Chaos Magic

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