In search of a soul

 An Anglican pastor, preaching an evening sermon, used the following incident to make the worshippers at the service aware of the relationship between earthly life and eternal life: at one point, a nocturnal bird swooped into the church through an open window. It circled the church several times, perched for a moment on a pillar, and then flew back out of the window.
The pastor compared the House of God with mortality and the bird with the human soul. The bird flew out of the darkness, out of nowhere. He stayed in the temple for a little while and - this moment, this brief fragment of his life, was a temporal existence. But then the night visitor flew away, melted into the darkness and its further fate is shrouded in mystery.

What is hidden in this darkness? Where does the human soul reside before it is bound by the chains of the body and after it is freed from them? - Man has been asking himself this question since time immemorial, and unfortunately he has not been able to find an answer... However, he is always looking for a solution to this mystery, searching persistently, with a spark of hope in his heart, that he will finally find a way to break through the veil hiding the mysterious world of the afterlife. And when that spark goes out, what follows is a terrible spiritual dilemma that has already put a suicidal tool in the hand of many (in 1931, a student at the University of Warsaw committed suicide for these very reasons. "I want to know what it is like on the other side". -were the words of the last letter. - Translator's note).
Already in prehistoric times, the question of spiritual life troubled the people of that time. Archaeological excavations testify to this, the oldest of which were discovered in the Gargas cave in the Pyrenees. These are wall paintings from the Middle Orinician period (Palaeolithic or Stone Age). The people of this period were involved in hunting, which had a significant impact on man's attitude to spiritual phenomena. Whereas the agricultural population sees that the phenomena that surround them do not depend on them, but are determined by atmospheric and climatic changes, etc., the hunter sees that the success or failure of the hunter is not dependent on them. whereas the hunter puts his success or failure in hunting down to chance, guided by certain mysterious causes. Man can bring these causes about himself and certain magical procedures are used to do this. Magic consists in the fact that man causes a cause, an effect, but there is no logical link between this cause and effect. The well-known archaeologist of history and at the same time art historian Luguel supposes that the first magical procedures to produce an effect were hand movements. We know that even in today's magic (and also in magnetism), hand movements play an essential role. In the Gargas cave, white handprints were discovered on a red background, in various positions, intended to express certain magical procedures. It is extremely interesting that these hands are clearly mutilated. It would be very difficult to establish for what purpose the prehistoric magician mutilated his hands, were it not for the fact that even today, in many primitive peoples, the artificial deformation of the hands is a prerequisite for successful magical experimentation. Similarly, the mere knocking out of teeth (Bantu Negroes), the deformation of the skull (Incas) are supposed to predispose certain people to perform magical procedures.


The relics from the Gargas Cave are the first known evidence that even in such remote times, man tried to get his hands on the forces that governed the world, and there were even female figures with strongly marked sexual characteristics (such as the famous "Venus of Willendorf") used for magical operations to enhance fertility.

In the Magdalenian era (also the Palaeolithic era), so-called "baton de commendement" or magic sticks were in use, covered with realistic, liguraine or geometric drawings, which were used by prehistoric magicians. These sticks have survived to the present day and we know what a momentous role they play in modern magic.In the same era we have for the first time a clearly crystallised human attitude to the afterlife. In the graves at Chant Seiappe and others, skeletons were found so strongly contracted that the knees touched the chin and the calves touched the thighs. The head was bent horizontally downwards and the face was hidden in the hands. In order to shrink the dead man in this way, his tendons had to be cut and he was restrained tightly with ropes made of bast.


What was the purpose of this procedure Well, people wanted to keep the soul in the body for as long as possible. It is extremely interesting that even today people claim that after a person's death the soul becomes hostile and harmful to the surroundings; such a soul, until the body disintegrates, circulates in the form of a wraith or vampire in the vicinity of the grave, harming and scaring the inhabitants. The fettering of the body is supposed to prevent these posthumous wanderings. This is still practised in Java, Sumatra and Celebes. In Russia and Poland, people tie a handkerchief around the mouth of the deceased, sprinkled with holy water, also for this purpose. (Dr Wlodzimierz Antoniewicz, professor at the University of Veraz, discovered a Tartar cemetery near Trakai in Lithuania, very interesting because the deceased in their coffins were heavily restrained. During one of my first excursions in the country, I witnessed the following event: in June 1930, I stopped for the night in the village of Svarychiv at the foot of the Eastern Carpathians. Outside the village there is a mound under which lies the corpse of a beggar, murdered by a certain mulatto from Poznan. Late one evening, one of the local villagers, half-conscious with fear, came into the village and told him that the wraith of this beggar was chasing him. Just then an old blacksmith, nearly 90 years old, spoke up: "And I told you to tie Vasyl's mouth with a rag and his legs together before burying him. You did not listen to me - and now you have. Even the aspen wheels won't help any more, it's too late!"


There are also traces indicating that in the Magdalenian era, funeral services were held in honour of the deceased, with the use of - for drinking - human skulls.


This belief in spirits and their contact with the living, of which we have the first clear traces in such remote history, continues and develops through the Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. When writing finally comes into being, even in its oldest monuments we have references to the relationship between the two worlds: the living and the dead. We know, for example, that the most important part of the service of the Indian Brahmans was the worship of the dead. There were certain days of the year (21 January and 14 June, it seems) dedicated to the invocation of spirits. Only priests of higher ranks were allowed to take part in these gloomy and mysterious rites.


In ancient Egypt, priests and sorcerers made contact with the dead very easily. They supposedly used for these purposes a medium, who was put into a hypnotic trance, which is practised to this day, during modern spiritualistic séances, In one of the oldest monuments of Egyptian writing, namely in the "Book of the Dead", we find a lot of interesting records for learning about the views of the ancient Egyptians on the course of the human soul after death. Of particular interest is the issue of metempsychosis, i.e. the wandering of the soul and its successive incarnations in animals and humans. This wandering lasts for about 3,000 years, with the first stage being a stay in the body of a pig.
In some Arab tribes living in the northern Sahara (south of the Tidikelt desert), remnants of beliefs in metempsychosis still survive today. It is noteworthy that the human soul, after travelling posthumously in the bodies of various animals, is finally incarnated in ... the blacksmith, as the lowest degree of humanity. It is important to know, however, that the blacksmith's trade is - for reasons unknown - deeply despised by all Berbers.

But let us go back into the darkness of distant antiquity and lift the veil hiding the secret spiritualistic practices of the Chaldeans. From them the Egyptians took over many details, connected with the cult of the dead, it is said, that Chaldean priests disposed of means, with which they could at any time call up spirits and consult them in important matters. A few incantations have survived to the present day which, apart from their unfailing power, possess the grace and beauty of the highest poetry.
The spiritualistic practices of the ancient Greeks are also interesting. They attached great importance to oracles and instructions given by the spirits of the dead. There were even places specially haunted by the spirits and spiritualistic ceremonies were held there in secret, accessible only to a select few. These places included Figalia in Arcadia, Heracles on the Pont and apparently Cumae, where there was a Greek colony (southern Italy). Some writers state that associated with the cult of the dead in Greece was - the cult of the senses. At Cape Teneamaron there was a temple whose priestess was the most beautiful virgin of the province. Once a year, young men would gather for a mysterious spiritualistic ritual, at which a spirit would appear and choose the man himself to whom the priestess would belong.


However, precedence in the highest development of the cult of the dead must be given to Ephesus. The inhabitants of this city were so engrossed in witchcraft practices that St Paul the Apostle stepped in and, with fiery sermons, moved the Ephesians to put all their works and magical formulas on one great pyre and burn them. We read about this in the Acts of the Apostles (XIX, 19). How many priceless documents then fell victim to exaggerated religious fanaticism!


The Romans fared no better, who, as Suetonius mentions, burned, on the orders of the Caesar Augustus, some 2,000 works of sorcery, among which was the famous formula - and always infallible - for invoking spirits, compiled by some magician from North Africa.
From the history of spiritism in ancient Rome we have an interesting fact to note. stating that already at that time it was known to communicate with the spirits of the dead through a knocking table. In fact, according to the Roman historian Tertullian, several fraudsters were caught exploring this new field of knowledge.

Magic signs obtained from animals

 For years, initiates of magical knowledge have attributed the transmission of magical signs to the animals they meet; here are the most important of these:

The lamb. - Encountering a single lamb is a harbinger of peace, happiness and love.

Hedgehog. - This animal is a good omen. To catch up with a hedgehog is an auspicious sign, and to encounter a hedgehog coming from the opposite direction augurs even better.

Horse. - Encountering a grey horse brings good luck, especially to a gambler, but when the observer first notices the animal's tail - misfortune will befall someone dear to him. When a couple in love meets a white horse, they may take it as an omen of future luck.

Cat. - It is widely believed that a black cat brings misfortune, although there are people who firmly insist on the opposite opinion.

Goat. - An auspicious sign, foretelling good luck and material benefits. marten. - Meeting a marten is a sign that success will accompany any venture you are considering.

Weasel. - To see a weasel portends domestic discord and worry related to family matters.

Mule. - This is an unkind sign, foreshadowing financial losses and treacherous partners in business.

Mouse. - To receive a white mouse as a gift is a sign of success and happiness in love, unless the giver realises the significance of their gift. A brown or reddish mouse is similarly a good omen, though to a lesser degree; whereas a gift of a grey mouse brings evil and the threat of danger.

Bat. - To hear the squeaks or cries of a bat flying is a harbinger of misfortune.

Donkey. - Encountering a donkey is an inauspicious sign, especially if the animal is coming from the opposite direction.

Sheep. - An unexpected encounter with a flock of sheep is a good sign, especially when the sheep are heading your way.

Dog. - If a dog howls at the moon or outside the house, it foreshadows death in the neighbourhood. Eastern folklore often regarded the black dog as a figure assumed by the devil, and those who study the classical era will remember a passage from Horace containing the statement that the sight of a black dog and its puppies was a sign of Satan to the ancients. Some people believe that killing a dog foretells the same misfortune as killing a cat.

Rat. - This is one of the animals that were providers of omens for Roman diviners. A white rat signifies an auspicious omen, while a black rat augurs very unfavourably. Looting by rats is a very bad omen for those whose property is being attacked. A Roman historian tells us that defeat in battle was once predicted by rats chewing on an army's shields. If you find that your personal belongings have been bitten by rats, you had better postpone any business you may be considering.

Pig. - This is a very bad sign, and meeting a pig foreshadows serious worry. If a wedding retinue returning from church comes across a stray pig, the bride and groom are in danger of having an unhappy marriage.

Squirrel. - Encountering a squirrel heralds imminent good fortune.

Ox. - A chance encounter with an ox on the road brings with it a foretelling of good luck and monetary gain.

Hare. - It is generally believed to be an ominous animal; it was once even believed that witches lived in the bodies of hares. If a hare crosses someone's path, it means disappointment and misfortune. If you see a hare running past a house in the countryside, you should take precautions against a fire. In some parts of the world, the belief in the ominous power of hares is so strong that people with an errand to run or important plans to carry out will immediately turn away from their path when they see the animal, because they believe that if they go any further they will meet with failure.

Introduction to magic

 Someone might call it magic to look into the eyes of a person in love, of two people entering into marriage, of a mother looking for the first time into the eyes of her just-born child. Yes, there is the magic of the strongest feeling in all this, the magic of love. What else do we call magic? Colloquially, any unusual occurrence, disappearance, and in general, an attempt to influence reality in an alternative way.

The word magic itself is most likely derived from the term magician - magicians in ancient Persia were involved in astrology.

It is generally accepted that magic can be divided into white and black magic. The former refers to the good forces circulating in the universe and is intended to serve noble purposes; its action, by definition, cannot harm anyone. The second type of magic is directed towards the dark side of power and all negative influences and matters beyond the ordinary earthly dimension. It can lead to contacts with spiritual beings from other dimensions, possibly with a negative attitude towards us (e.g. demons, souls of the damned). Since time immemorial, magic has been practised in various cultures by priests, shamans and quacks. High magic required many years of study and training, many sacrifices and sacrifices, and not everyone could become a sorcerer. It was often passed down in the form of certain abilities from generation to generation, surrounded by family or family secrets. High magic requires painstaking practice and much experimentation. Druids, for example, trained their magical skills for about 20 years before they could transform from apprentice to master. Of course, there was also a "common" folk form of magic, the so-called low magic. It was practised by enchanters, witch doctors and grandmothers who cast or "uncast" an effective love charm . Such women were also called whisperers.

Over time, science gradually emerged from what was generally known as magic, ranging from astrology and astronomy to what we today call medicine, chemistry and physics. Examples include medieval experiments to turn ordinary metal into gold or the invention of the philosopher's stone. People who engaged in such magical activities were called alchemists.
 
Magic in relation to the world of spirits, their summoning, paranormal phenomena, witchcraft and attempts to guess the future is referred to as occultism. Known since ancient times, it took various forms. One of these was voodoo, practised in ancient Rome, among other places. Women would make a wax figure of a rival or unfaithful lover and then prick it with pins, presumably to cause the victim pain or otherwise bring misfortune. As a separate field of interest, a certain unusual hobby of the upper classes, occultism emerged in Europe at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. Spiritualistic séances organised in homes or establishments with the aim of summoning spirits became a fashionable pastime at the time.

What is forgotten, however, is that playing with black magic, although it may appear to be meaningless fun, can expose participants to the influence of forces that are negative towards us. Influencing the fate of others in a negative way can give a feeling of power, strength, but the price for this can be the loss of spiritual independence. In order to restore it, it is necessary to contact a person dealing with high magic. Therefore, if you already want to cast a spell on someone, it is better not to do it alone, but to ask a specialist for help.