Читать книгу The Element Encyclopedia of 1000 Spells: A Concise Reference Book for the Magical Arts - Judika Illes - Страница 69

Spells involving intimate items may rank among the oldest in the worldwide magical repertoire. For this very reason, however, they may reflect a different world with different dangers. Magic is always about improving life and circumstances. Behave responsibly. If you possess any physical condition (HIV, hepatitis, or anything else) that could be passed on by these substances, then these spells are plainly not for you.

the existence of a subtle body, the aura, a radiant presence that surrounds the human body, so far undetectable by science. A person’s name or names may also be considered magically as part of an individual’s intrinsic identity and thus a source of great power and vulnerability.

Knowing someone’s true name renders him or her vulnerable to your power. Think about Rumpelstiltskin. Once upon a time (and it still happens in some places), people were given various names, one for public use, one for ritual use, and another to be kept secret. Mothers would whisper names into their babies’ ears, never to be repeated, so that one name would always be kept secret. In ancient Egypt, to describe someone possessing exceptional magic power it was said that even their mother didn’t know their name.

That connection between name and mother is crucial magically. As the ancient world became increasingly male-oriented, patriarchal cultures identified people by their own name and their father’s name, so that someone might be called, for instance, Dana, child of Bill. The mother is rarely mentioned. There’s one important exception: magic spells and magical documents. There, it’s the mother’s name that counts. Many consider that this reflects some sardonic humor; for the magical spell to be effective, the name has to be right. Because a mother is never suspect but may however harbor unsuspected secrets, the only way to guarantee true identity was to use the mother’s name instead of the father’s. This tradition is maintained in the directions in this book; follow it if you choose. Unless otherwise advised, the magical formula to write or call someone’s name is: “[Name], child of [their mother’s name].”