The Evolution of the Magician

From The Emerald Star

MAGIC in its primitive stage appears crude to present day ceremonialists. The use of stones and twigs in a ritual for crop fertilization, or the use of sacrifice in a healing rite seem totally unnecessary to us.

With the medieval European concept of the elements, brought to us by the alchemists of the times, came a whole new view of magical ritual based on the quartering of a whole. The four quarters of the universe, having the four elements as attributions, became the new setting for the temple. The use of the cardinal cross became more common, lending itself as a doorway to an infinite number of attributions ranging from colors to Godforms. The use of the double-cubed altar and the black and white checked floor of the temple are external reflections of the psychological base of the magician. The Cup, Wand, Sword and Pentacle represent the body of the magician as the universe. The microcosm becomes the macrocosm through the vibration of the four.

The full article can be found on page 72 of The Witches' Almanac Spring 2021-2022 - The Sun: Rays of Hope