Second-class power December 22, 2008
Posted by egabriel in History of Magic.Tags: ability, beasts, changes, chapter, charms, companion, epic, future, gods, hero, instructions, knowledge, magic, motif, power, secret, shades, tradition, transform, wisdom
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Magic then is a second-class power, it does not compare to the powers of tradition or of the gods. It has to work in secret to achieve its ends. So, although Circe changes Odysseus’ companions into swine, she has no power over Odysseus himself. Magic is defeatable by other magic. And Odysseus’ magic is more acceptable because a legitimate god confers the wisdom of its use to Odysseus. However, Hermes, can’t protect Odysseus from Circe’s physical charms, and the hero does eventually succumbs to the power of the magic user.
This represents the idea that users of magic are not to be trusted because of the powers they are prepared to pursue and use. This is indicated by the fact that Circe can not only transform men into beasts but is also able to predict the future. This ability is linked in with another magical motif of the Odyssey epic, described in later chapter of the book. Following Circe’s instructions, Odysseus digs a trench, pours out an offering to the dead a drink that consists of honey, milk, wine and water, and slaughters two black sheep in such a way that their blood runs into the ditch. This attracts the shades of the dead in flocks and by drinking the blood they regain, for a short time, the ability to communicate with the living and pass on their knowledge of the future.
Jealous wives November 4, 2008
Posted by egabriel in History of Magic.Tags: belief, charm, concept, concoction, condemnation, connotations, curse, despair, dramatic, evil, examples, fearfulness, hero, jealous, love, magic, means, mythical, myths, necromancy, power, suicide, theme, tradition, treatment, view, witch, wives, writings
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However Dido soon comes to realize that the love magic is not powerful enough to bring Aeneas back to her. So she kills herself in her despair, which adds to the power to her curse. Dido had sealed and extended her curse through her suicide. Aeneas was protected by his gods and remained safe. But, according to Virgil, Dido’s use of magic and her curse lingered on leading to Rome’s near crushing defeat by Carthage many centuries later. This demonstrates quite clearly that the Romans shared the Greek’s view of magic as being dangerous and untrustworthy.
The Romans in fact went further then the Greeks in their condemnation and fearfulness that they generate around their concept of magic. Some examples of are found in the writings of Seneca, the philosopher and playwright, and his nephew, Lucan. Seneca selects some of the most gruesome Greek myths for dramatic treatment and he greatly adds to the negative connotations already applied to the theme of magic, necromancy and the like – where it is given by the mythical tradition and sometimes even where there is little negativity indicated towards magic. From dialogue between wife of the Hercules Deineira and her nurse we learn that it is quite common for jealous wives to consult a witch. It turns out, the nurse, very conveniently, is a witch herself. A great hero such as Hercules should not be able to be influenced by magical means, but in the end he is overcome by the deadly concoction that the evil magic user passes on to Hercules, through deceiving Deianira into the belief that she is giving Hercules a love charm.
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Development of horoscope astrology October 15, 2008
Posted by egabriel in History of Astrology.Tags: additions, ancient, ascendant, astrologers, astrological, astrology, astronomer, basis, birth, character, contribution, development, essential, horoscope, influence, measure, nation, occupation, perfection, planets, position, rule, significant, stars, system, teachings, trace, tradition, works
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So the question arises – what nation introduced ancient Europeans to astrology? Guys from our local funeral home directory are sure that it was no other but ancient Greeks. They say that it happened right after the occupation of Egypt by Alexander the Great. As you may know, in 332 B.C., Egypt came under Greek rule and influence, and it was in Alexandrian Egypt where horoscope astrology first appeared. The endeavor to trace the horoscope of the individual from the position of the planets and stars at the time of birth represents the most significant contribution of the Greeks to astrology. This system can be labeled as horoscope astrology, because it employed the use of the ascendant, otherwise known as the horoskopos in Greek. Although developed under Hellenistic rule, it was in large measure derived from the teachings of the Babylonians and the Egyptians.
The system was carried to such a degree of perfection that later ages made but few additions of an essential character of drawing up of the individual horoscope by the Greek astrologers. Particularly important in the development of horoscope astrology was the astrologer and astronomer Ptolemy , whose works laid the basis of the Western astrological tradition.
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Beyond Your Imagination 