Aspects of Ritual Magic: Monday, 9-17-07
Harry's lounging against the desk, hockey stick propped against his shoulder as class begins. Once everyone is settled in, he starts the lecture for the day.
"Before we get into specific practices, we're going to cover a few things that are common to many different magical practices. This week, we're going to focus on talismans, as they're widely used in both historical contexts, and current ones."
"The basic idea of a talisman or amulet is to bring good luck or protection to the wearer. What the object is isn't really important. It's the power that's behind it, the belief that's put into it." He pauses for a moment, removing a bracelet from his left wrist and holding it up so that the class could see the overlapping discs with intricate detail carved on their surface. "This is a good example. It protects the wearer from harmful forces. It's a bit of a family heirloom, so you'll have to forgive me for not passing it around. Not all talismans were meant to be worn, of course. Some were meant to be hung over the beds of the ill, and some were actually symbols drawn on food that was then prepared into a meal which was thought to take on healing properties. There are numerous examples throughout various cultures and religions, spanning vast periods of time. For next week, I'd like everyone to look for an example to share with the rest of the class, so we can all get an idea of the sort of diversity there really is."
"Before we get into specific practices, we're going to cover a few things that are common to many different magical practices. This week, we're going to focus on talismans, as they're widely used in both historical contexts, and current ones."
"The basic idea of a talisman or amulet is to bring good luck or protection to the wearer. What the object is isn't really important. It's the power that's behind it, the belief that's put into it." He pauses for a moment, removing a bracelet from his left wrist and holding it up so that the class could see the overlapping discs with intricate detail carved on their surface. "This is a good example. It protects the wearer from harmful forces. It's a bit of a family heirloom, so you'll have to forgive me for not passing it around. Not all talismans were meant to be worn, of course. Some were meant to be hung over the beds of the ill, and some were actually symbols drawn on food that was then prepared into a meal which was thought to take on healing properties. There are numerous examples throughout various cultures and religions, spanning vast periods of time. For next week, I'd like everyone to look for an example to share with the rest of the class, so we can all get an idea of the sort of diversity there really is."