You have probably heard the terms “white magic” and “black magic.” What are your thoughts on that? Doesn’t the black and white model seem really off?
The conventional notion is that white is good, and black is bad. It’s in all the fairy tales. Yes, this is in the modern telling. The older stories aren’t that cut and dried, and there aren’t just two domains of energy or spiritual forces. Just as there aren’t just two colors in the world, the energy goes all over the place, and they all have their own ways. There are many paths of mystical/magical/spiritual practice.
To many Shamanic traditions the “white” religious practices are seen as borderline evil, if not as actual evils. In their traditions, they are more like the “green movement”. They are basically green magic. A magical relationship with nature and embracing it. In Asian cultures martial practice is not seen as unspiritual. They have a long standing spiritual tradition behind their martial discipline, and the great masters of their paths typically even wear a color. Can you guess what it is?
Black? Actually, no. It’s one higher. Red. Red is the way of war, conflict, but is it necessarily evil, and is the path any more narrow than the white religious path, or the green shamanic path?
You are referring to monk red robes? Yes. Red is a color of mastery of the inner battle. Is this somehow less spiritual? Even the way of “black magic”, the “black arts”, was originally a reference to a very old theatrical practice of using black curtains to hide things they mean to reveal later. Black magic isn’t any more evil or less than any other. It’s the path of the hidden truth, the “occult”. The ugly little truths that people don’t want to face.
It’s the use, not the magic? Exactly.
Why are they ugly little truths? Black is the magic of death and decay, but many cultures have accepted these truths anyway. Thus the chapel of bone in Spain, and the angry gods of Tibetan tradition. Not everyone has decided the dark side of life is unholy. What do you think?
It is me also, so how can it be unholy? Exactly. In the mysticism of India they spoke of many paths.
What is the dark side of life? The dark side of life is what we encounter when we are in fear or sorrow. Indian mysticism acknowledges these colors of the spiritual reality. They speak of the “gnani” path, the path of mental understanding, scholarly intellectualism, and what color is usually associated with cool headed analysis?
Blue. Yes, and as they say all paths lead to the all encompassing. Blue is seen as the opposite pole of red. Red is fire, and blood, and hot headed passion. Blue is expansive reflection. Basically hot and cold, sky and fire. Life comes in a rainbow of colors as do magical/spiritual forces. Even that outer ring of the rainbow, that sort of purple shade. What is so often sought in metaphysical/spiritual practices?
Miracle. Centering/peace. All true. Could it be summed up as transcendence? Purple is that domain that seems just beyond us, yet sings to us powerfully. And yes, it has its own way about it. Its own magic. There is a reason why leaders and those highly respected wore purple so often, and that wasn’t just European medieval culture.
Masons are all about rituals, so no wonder. Yes, they all plug together, and the Masons are very secretive which is also associated with purple magic. The sacred mysteries, and initiation.
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~