Sound in Western and Eastern Magic

As time goes on, I realize just how much music plays an important role in virtually every aspect of my life. One of those areas is within my personal spiritual practice. My current approach attempts to blend the practices of a few spiritual traditions together through their symbols and words. However, the practice is primarily concerned with what is called the Hermetic Kabbalah which constitutes a blend of Jewish, Greek and Egyptian mysticism and is at the root of Western magical practice. Music plays a vital role in my rituals because I usually enjoy performing them while listening to certain songs; for example, a Native American shamanic drum track. Additionally, I use a series of chants that I try to sync with the tempo of the drum; these audible aspects combined help me relax and focus on the ritual at hand.

           However, various other magical belief systems also place great emphasis on the use of sound. One example is the Shingon Shomyo tradition which is a form of esoteric Buddhism that originated in Japan sometime around the 9th century A.D. ¹. It is a relatively small sect within the Buddhist religion, however, it heavily relies on music as a central element of ritual practice.

            Shingon centers its ideas on three essential elements which are defined as “mudra (hand gestures, or ceremonies of the body), mantra (ceremonies of the voice), and mandala (ceremonies of eye, mind, or thought). These three are sometimes spoken of as body, voice and mind” ¹. Additionally, the Shingon rituals use music in the form of singing while scattering flowers which they use to help cultivate the Buddha-awareness within themselves ¹. Personally, this resonates to how I use music and chant as a part of my own spiritual practice in order to enter into a different kind of consciousness – I come to it seeking a relaxed, Buddha-like mind and life. Additionally, the Shingon view music overall, “as a potent psychic and cosmic force” that is responsible for the creation of the universe which is similar to what many individuals in Hinduism believe ¹. 

            Another parallel can be drawn here between the Shingon belief and the Kabbalistic rituals that I practice. While chanting within Kabbalistic magic, it is recommended that the practitioner attempt to, “sense the entire universe in front of you [as] resonating in harmony with your vibration” ². Through the many times I have practiced the rituals, I have always tried to put my focused attention on creating those strong vibrations while intoning the chosen sacred words. Some days, it is less magnificent than others but using sound in this way seems to have a strong energy presence all on its own.

            In the referenced example of Shingon Shomyo Chant, a large chorus of individuals can be heard as they create an exciting, wave-like texture through their voices and rhythmic pattern in unison with one another, the vocalists glide through sustained notes with only short breaks in between. Chanting in the Shingon rituals are for the purpose of blessing, in addition to the belief that the priests will, ultimately, “accumulate spiritual power that is of benefit in striving towards enlightenment” ¹.

            Similar chants are important in many other Buddhist traditions like Nichiren Buddhism. In this tradition, a central invocation, called the Daimoku, is meant to be chanted in order to help, “awaken the Buddha wisdom, which then illuminates our suffering, transforming it (and us) to become more imbued with wisdom and compassion” ³. In my own experience, learning the Daimoku during a Nichiren service at military boot camp was an important inspiration in my young adult life. By chanting the words Nam-Myho-Renge-Kyo before a particular event, I felt that my mind and body were a bit more prepared for the strenuous physical activities that were asked of me. Even if it was purely psychological in its effect, I would say that the chant helped me focus into a meditative state that seemed beneficial for long periods of exercise. 

Personally, I find both the Western and Eastern ideas on magic to be fascinating --both in how they are similar and in the ways they differ. Over time, I would like to investigate some more magical traditions and share my learning with you.

 Sources

1. Hill, J. (1982) Ritual Music in Japanese Esoteric Buddhism: Shingon Shōmyō. Pp. 27-39.

University of Illinois Press. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/851399


2. Kraig, D. (2013) Modern Magick. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications. 3^rd Edition, pp. 51.

3. Aiken, B. (2003) Seeking Emancipation Through Engagement: One Nichiren Buddhist’s Approach to Practice. University of Hawai’i Press. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/1390360

Magick Outside of the Altar

Photo credit: Eric Soto

     When I first started reading about the subject of magick, it seemed that most of what I encountered was an emphasis on the theories while only a small amount actually described how to do magick rituals. Additionally, there wasn't much discussion on life in between your spells, meditations or whatever the prescribed mode of focus.  Many authors suggest that once the magical working is complete, you should put it out of your head and get on with the regular stuff for the day --much like planting a seed in the ground and allowing it to take its natural course uninterrupted. While I think this is good advice, I've still found myself yearning to have a more comprehensive view of magic outside of the altar.

     For example, sometimes when an aspect of life isn't quite the way I'd like, my inclination might be to dwell on the negative. While I believe it is healthy to let myself experience the full gamut of human emotions, I try to remember that I still have control over how far I travel with a particular train of thought. I can choose to be completely overtaken by an unwanted emotion or I can let myself feel it before finding a way through it.

   At some point, I need to move forward enough to put my intention into something that might improve my circumstance --whether it is a ritual, filling out a job application or something else. Much like the Magician card in the tarot, I find inspiration in the idea that we can transform ourselves from our current station by balancing ourselves between the four elements or aspects of our soul or psyche (something I'd like to write about in future posts). However, I think it takes acknowledgement of this inner power in order for that idea to have any meaningful effect in my life.

 

    I've also found that while I enjoy the theatrics of elaborate rituals, they just aren't always necessary or practical in a modern, 21st century lifestyle. If I'm on my university campus and getting ready for an exam, I'm probably not going to break out a wizard robe, complete altar and start chanting in front of a bunch of people I don't know. For me, I find it more practical to set my intention and find/create a mantra that coincides with that. If I am taking a music performance test, perhaps I can download an illustration of a musical deity, like Apollo, and silently ask him to supply me with his knowledge in this area*. Any phone or internet-capable device has instant access to a large source of mystic symbols and music, so I think I can utilize this more to a magical advantage.

    Visualization is another exercise that I've found to be helpful for quick, on-the-go magic. For instance, I found it challenging to memorize and perform chords fluidly on the piano. So, I felt that it might benefit me if I tried to visualize myself performing those things to the level that I desired. Overall, I didn't become a virtuoso yet by the end of the class, it seemed my playing was more smooth and I was able to remember a lot more chords and melodies. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that I also tried to practice a bit more and got some general music tutoring half way through the semester  --magic doesn't excuse one from taking physical action towards a goal. However, I do think repeated visualization can help give your mind something to aim for.

     There are a wide array of small ways in which a person can incorporate magic into the rhythm of everyday life. I feel the key is to plan ahead when possible and experiment with the symbols and mantras you feel might help in your situation. In closing, I'd like to quote the Book of Runes, "if you are undergoing difficulties, remember: the nature of your passage depends upon the quality of your attitude, the clarity of your intention and the steadfastness of your will."




*I don't claim to know what deities are or claim that they literally exist. However, I do think they may exist on some plane of the mind or what Carl Jung called the "Collective Unconscious". At a minimum, I find psychological benefit in focusing my mind on certain predefined archetypes.