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John Arcanum New user 89 Posts |
Allow me if you will to observe the dark rituals that are...your creative process. How did you go about forming your routines? I've had an on again off again relationship with magic for many a year and I'm currently on again. I'm trying to picture myself as a performer and put in the time to develop a persona and some routines. I would love nothing more then to actually take the stage some day...If I could actually find a venue for my twisted imaginings. Yet, I am a neophyte still, and have much to learn from the more experienced.
So do you start with an effect and build a story around it, or write a story and find an effect for it? When it comes to writing a story, how much is too much? I love to write, and often find it hard to stop once I get going. I'm currently writing a routine idea focused around a witchcraft theme, and it has me wondering about structure as well. I started out telling a story, which led into an effect, and then finished the story. Is this typical? Or is it best to end on the effect? Is there even such a thing as typical in the world of bizarre?:goof: Bizarre magic seems to be in a whole nother leauge when it comes to the story and presentation involved with an effect as opposed to typical patter. This is probably why I only surf this section of the site when I pop in. In my own case the only thing I had in mind when I began writing was Witch Bottle. Then I started to form a story and ideas came to me the more I wrote and the magic bits gradually made their way in. This seems to be my creative process. I decide to write something. Then I just sit down and wing it. So what say ye mages. What came first...the chicken...or the ritual in which the chicken was sacraficed to the Old Ones... |
John Arcanum New user 89 Posts |
I just wrapped up a rough draft of the story I mentioned and thought I'd offer it up here...I've got plenty more bouncing around in my head...Let me know what you think..
In my travels I've met many interesting and dubious characters. I want to share with you now the tale of a man whose acquaintance I had both the pleasure and misfortune of making down in the backwoods of Mississippi. A regular modern day cunning man plying his trade out of a small shack just a stones throw away from the crossroads where many a blues man lost his soul and gained his fame. Now cunning folk, for those of you who don't know, are practitioners of folk magic. Dealers in spells and charms for love, money, or protection. As well as the occasional hex. The same hands that heal can also kill. Hob, the locals called him. I came to meet Old Hob through a friend of a friend who claimed he was the wisest man in the world. The wisest man in the world living in a busted country shack down in Mississippi. I had to see this for myself, naturally. So she, my friend once removed, offered to let me tag along with her for a sit down session with this Mississippi mystic. I can't say I was much surprised by Hob's humble abode. It seemed straight out of a stereotype. Herbs laid out to dry in every nook and cranie, the smell was wonderful. Dark tinted bottles filled with various purposed elixirs lined the shelves. There was even a cauldron hanging over the fireplace. Possum stew I was told. I declined the dinner invitation. Now this friend of mine, we'll call her Sally, had been having a rough time of it lately. Everything in her life was going wrong fast. Within the span of a week she lost both her job and boyfriend. She was having financial troubles in a big way and the only logical conclusion she could surmise was that someone had laid a hex on her. So here we sat with ol' scratch, I mean Hob, for a little magical quick fix. He seemed to agree with Sally's diagnosis of the situation. There was definitely dark magic afoot, and he had just the cure. You may have noticed this bottle I have sitting here on the table. It was given to me as a gift from Old Hob long after this particular incident I'm relating to you now. It's a witch bottle. A useful little spell to absorb any negative energy being sent your way. If you look in here you'll see I have some needles, a few coffin nails, as well as some hand picked herbs chosen for their peculiar qualities. There are a few other ingredients as well that I think I best keep to myself, for the sake of those with more sensitive sensibilities. All that is missing to turn this particular witch bottle into a proper spell is a bit of mumia from the afflicted. A bit of hair or some finger nail clippings work just nicely. My friend Sally offered Old Hob a bit of her blood, the most potent ingredient of all. Excuse me miss, but would you mind terribly in helping me with a little experiment? I assure you no harm will come and you can even keep all your bodily fluids to yourself, if you must. All I need from you is a thought. I want you to turn your eyes inwards towards your soul for a moment. See if you can't find some negative emotion or thought, even a habit. A fear perhaps. Something you would like to destroy, to expel from yourself. When you have found it, write it down on this slip of paper and then fold it up tightly. This will serve as the final ingredient to our spell. I'll just light this candle here while you do that. The one Old Hob used was a homemade diddy specifically for magical workings. I don't know what he put into that thing but it smelled something awful, and I'm certain I saw a bone sticking out of it. I prefer beeswax myself. Now, let's just rip this up and start a little fire. I want you to keep an eye on this while I walk over here and collect myself for this working. Make sure it burns completely till theres noting left but ash.... Are you ready to begin? Wonderful. We shall place the ashes into the bottle, and a few drops of wax from our candle here to seal the deal. Now then, I want you to take this negativity you have dug up and focus it all on the flame of this candle. ( As she does so the candle begins to bleed, upon which the witch quickly blows out the flame) Very well done! You're a natural. If our bottle has worked like...well..a charm, and I believe it has, you should be free from the negativity you released from this moment forward. Do you have the sight? No? Well then, let me tell you what I see in the witch's bottle. ( The witch proceeds to reveal the negative thought, emotion, etc. and then tucks the bottle away in his jacket ). As for my friend Sally, well, her story didn't end so well. You see, Old Hob liked to practice the dark arts as much as he liked to lend a helping hand. You could never tell with him wether he planned to heal your wounds or open them up. A unique individual indeed. I came to love the old man like a father in time. One thing you should always keep in mind when dealing with a practitioner of the Art. Never give them any part of yourself. With even the tiniest drop of saliva a true practitioner holds the key to your very soul. (As this last sentence is said the witch subtly pat's his jacket where the bottle is contained) Sally passed away a few years back now. But you can still find her spirit lingering around Old Hobs shack. She can't leave the bottle you see. Business couldn't be better for Hob these days. You need to find a lost item? Or you want a bit of information on your neighbor down the way? Just pay a visit to Old Hob, and he'll whisper into the witch bottle for you........ I got the bleeding candle idea from Vodu Magick by Baba Gede Nibo (Wonderful book) The rest should be pretty obvious. |
Gede Nibo Inner circle 2447 Posts |
Bless Good Mage.
one must remember that we are "gods" in the sense that we "create" and verily "destroy." thus, the creation of our Craft is very individualistic, each one creating with the tools they have been given from on high. some sit and write for hours, developing every nook an cranny till they create the confidence to go out and "perform" others borrow from here and there, and eventually create a path of their own. still others live in the moment. they allow the moment to birth what magic and how the magic will be created.... for some, a lil of all the above is their way. as for I, well I live in a myth of vodou---my every walk is of spirit, every word is an invocation to the gods within. I prefer and shall always prefer to "perform" in small settings, one on one being my chief vehicle.... my stories are already written, in my head. its only to invoke them when the moment arises.... a way of "knowing without knowing".... someone sitting close asks baba of curses and if they are "real." while they talk, Baba is getting the deck ready with 3 sixes for the for* that is to come. they cut the deck. choose 3 cards. 6 6 6 now they see. these things happen. now they must be "cleansed" so now they choose an egg from a fresh carton Baba cleans them from the curse they just induced upon themselves for daring to ask if this s h I t is "real." the egg is broken. blood pours forth, as well as the sulpheric smell of rotting decay. now they are healed. haha. and then Baba ends with the simple, yet veiled disclaimer: ITS ALL IN YOUR MIND..... great story brother. not sure how this thread was missed. but mine always get looked over better to start a thread on how terrible everyone is here Bless the Light Bringers....good to "meet" you... Baba |
Clifford the Red Inner circle LA, California 1941 Posts |
John, Welcome and Merry Meet.
Love your tale, it is very nice. I realize that there are some that say the wording should be trimmed to the bare minimum so you don't talk too much. Well, I think it depends. If you have a fantastic story to tell, I think you should tell it. I prefer that the audience not expect a magic show and that I "get to the point". I prefer that they don't know what to expect and come along on a wild ride. To answer your question in the first post...I do both. Sometimes I will start with an effect or a prop in mind and let it stew. Sometimes they stew for a long time. I have prop sitting here that will make an extremely unique and powerful piece when I am done with it. But I still don't know what the effect is. I know some of the story. The muse will eventually help to fill it in. Then other times I have a story I want to tell, or a poem I really like and want to use and I look for effects to beautifully illustrate it and enhance it not distract from it. I love the idea that the audience is in the flow of the story and magical serendipitous things happen along the way. In all of this, I have a tremendous help is having a magic collaborator who is on your wavelength that you can sit with and bounce things off of. I can't tell you how many times I've sat with my Magic Partner and we start with a simple idea and then a few hours later it is 2 in the morning and we have the draft of a remarkable piece of magic - something neither of us ever expected and better than either one of us could've produced individually. I've mentioned the muse and it is true. The muse is that piece inside of your where the music flows like water. You must trust it and surrender things to it and be grateful when it surprises you with wonders.
"The universe is full of magical things, waiting for our wits to grow sharper." Eden Philpotts
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John Arcanum New user 89 Posts |
Clifford,
Thanks for the welcome. You sound blessed to have such a collaborator. I think perhaps my interest in magic wouldn't wane as often if I knew another magician to keep me inspired and thinking. I know what you mean about surrendering to the muse. Giving in to the ecstasy and madness that comes with drinking from the fount of inspiration. Thank you for taking the time to reply. Baba, Good to 'meet' you as well. Thanks for replying. I think, maybe, I get a feel of where your coming from. Whenever I have pictured myself performing it's always in more intimate settings and of a type such as the way magic was handled in..oh, I don't know..say..Vodu Magick..I wonder though who your audience would be for such a 'performance'..and would you be getting paid? Or is it just doing what you do because you enjoy it..and may be able to alter a few perceptions in the process? That may be the best disclaimer I've ever heard by the way.. Hermes: The Mind, O Tat, is of God's very essence - (if such a thing as essence of God there be) - and what that is, it and it only knows precisely. The Mind, then, is not separated off from God's essentiality, but is united to it, as light to sun. This Mind in men is God, and for this cause some of mankind are gods, and their humanity is nigh unto divinity. For the Good Daimon said: "Gods are immortal men, and men are mortal gods." - Corpus Hermeticum I notice often when reading bizarre litereature there is an infusion of spirituality in it...and I gotta say..I like it..but the very same thought keeps me asking myself how many people would be entertained by such a performance. I myself peer through the eyes of an Hermetist, and such a thing tends to tint ones imagination to the point that it seems childs play to act the part of a magician convincingly. Being I suppose that there is no acting involved..simply a matter of special effects to offer what those fed by hollywood demand. It seems natural to include my Hermetic thoughts into my art. I don't hesitate to do it when I write fiction stories. Is there a more convincing and entertaining magician than the one who never has a mask to remove after a performance? This was the way of the old sages. To invigorate nature with ones imagination to such a degree that you find yourself in constant communion with even rocks and trees. That was the subtlety of their Art. This..to me..seems to be what transforms magic into a living artform that can be powerful, beautiful, and terrifying all at once as opposed to mechanical sleight of hand masquerading as art. Is there a venue though for such specialized magic? Or is it better to tell a tale of an old Hermetic magus alongside stories of Witchcraft, Alchemy, Vodu, or any other magical ways of life. One on one or small groups who know what your about seems the way to go. Something about standing on stage seems to take away some of the essence of the magic. I wonder, if walking in the footsteps of the ancient magi a bizarrist makes, how then do you make a living at it. Readings seems an obvious route if one has a gilded tounge and penetrating mind. Where does one go with the more visual pieces and story bits? These thoughts may not affect many magicians I suppose. I'm not really coming from the shut eye or open eye perspective...more the eyes half opened in samadhi...But then again..I forget I'm talking to bizarrists... |
Paul Budd Elite user It's a shame he's only made 435 Posts |
Some very fine stuff here, indeed. Along the same lines, anyone have any dark and mysterious patter pertaining the the Salem Witch trials?
His face isn't really this long in-person!
___________________________________________ Once Upon A Magician blog |
The Curator V.I.P. Beware Vampire, I have 3909 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-10-08 11:39, John Arcanum wrote: Answer this and you'll have an idea: How many people want to see Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings and be entertained ? |
christiancagigal Special user SF Bay Area 625 Posts |
This is the kind of stuff people really think about when they think of 'magic'. But, when they hear the word 'magician' they sadly get a guy in a tux with unkept hair coming to 'entertain' their kids at the school assembly; which is honorable work but when that's the only image people have of a magician then there is no reason to believe that people WOULDN'T be disappointed when the hear a magician is coming to the party. And, that leaves many performing like they need to get the crowd to love them and love them fast! And, now we have a whole culture of magicians that perform that way.
But, if you really give them what they REALLY want, which is not always light entertainment, they'll love the magic that you do for them. Losander (not thought of as bizarre but he's very magical) once shared a story of being booked for a large childrens theatre show. The booker was upset, he didn't think it was a very good show because he couldn't hear the kids yelling and cheering like he's used to ( mind you he wasn't actually watching the show but only listening to it from a far.) The kids on the other hand LOVED the show. In fact one kid came up to him and said, "You're a real magician. Those other guys try to trick us, but you're real." I myself have had the weird experience of performing my style of bizarre for rich pre-teen brats. I had a rough go of it during the set up for my first piece. It was like chopping through a jungle of hormones and ego's and heckles. But, when the effect was over and the revelation happened and my "magic wish box" even knew the proper spelling of "Brandi's" name...WHAM! I had them in my hand. The next time I asked for a volunteer, I had barely gotten through saying, "I'm going to need someone t-...." and the theatre was a sea of quite, respectful people all with their hands raised intensely in the air, just hoping I would pick them. This was a WEIRD experience for me! They were one of the best crowds I had ever had! People do love magic. I just don't think many of those same people love magicians. And why should they? But, that's until you come into their world and give them that magical experience they've never thought possible in their life. They may resist you at first because the also have no reason to trust you or respect you. But, just give'em a minute. If the works is good. They'll join you in your world. C
"Besides the known and the unknown, what else is there?"-Harold Pinter
www.christiancagigal.com |
John Arcanum New user 89 Posts |
It seems many of the magi who used to frequent this forum have vanished, so thought I would resurrect this thread and see what new insights might be added. My own Art has evolved quite a bit in the years since I started this topic. Instead of writing out full stories for performance pieces I have crafted my own magical belief system which is always in place. I've also focused on propless mind reading and oracle systems, hypnosis, and IT work.
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