by Steve Kane
In March 2004, Steve Kane returned to alt.magick.serious with a longer piece. "Because" begins with a confession: he had spent years researching the Napoleonic wars in Iberia, following a past-life thread that led him to understand how a lie about heroism had contributed to the catastrophe of the First World War. The magic had been serious. Sorcery had real stakes. From that premise, he offered what he called his "three-part division" of all magic — an ancient taxonomy that he traced to the roots of human practice, not to any particular tradition. It is one of the most practical pieces of magical theory posted to the group.
The essay closes with a poem called "Magdalena" — Kane's rendering of the Woman Taken in Adultery from John 8, followed by a theological gloss interpreting the Easter myth as a parable about the grain god: the handsome forgiving seed-man dying at men's hands and rising in bread at women's. Kore shadows Magdalena. The poem does not announce its theology. It simply asks: what did He write in the dirt?
This place is as quiet as the tomb — and yet the serious reality of magic was never more in need of explanation — you will not be rid of me as soon as I thought.
I've spent several years researching aspects of the war in Iberia against Bonaparte — with all the levels of politics, culture, economics, etc — for a pair of joined reasons. One, that I was involved in my life back then and was down in the history books (written by friends and political allies) as a hero — and I was not — and my unit was not nearly so especially heroic as it was reported either. This was important on a second level because the resulting big lie about the ability (not) of brave infantry to storm scientifically defended positions was a cornerstone of the awesome atrocity that was the First World War — and those things that sprang from it — Hitler, nuclear bombs, etc.
As it happens that has all played out now, but my exploration of it started as a "trivial" past lives trawl. So this kind of magic is serious folks — had I then disliked hearing "myself" falsely dubbed a hero I would have been unable to unravel the workings of this dark "curse" that, together with other curses, led to one of the great horrors of human history.
Sorcery is very often about "not doing it for yourself." You have to create the "buzz" that makes folk do it whose job that is. "Better to do your own job badly than someone else's job well."
Right — so what do I do? I can divide my form of magic three ways.
They are as ancient as humanity.
Domestic Magic
This includes the more "macho" subset: economic magic — money. The greatest of the three. The hearth is the root.
Forest / Hunting Magic
Hard to do as few forests are "wild" enough, but the result of cross-over with Domestic magic — "garden magic" — is also very worthwhile. As "chasefinding" it has contributed to economic magic. It is the sorcery of the tracker, the hunter who never returns empty-handed — the faculty of finding what is needed in the territory around you, including in changed circumstances.
Text Magic
This started as a mainly female art — "textile magic" — but expanding into linguistic and textual magic, it covers a lot of what is now formal group or order magic. The weaving room provides the base for most of the craft and lodge magical structures — this is because it is more easily translated into the urban setting that most "modern" orders evolved in. This is the magic of the created object — the "civilised magic" if you like.
The greatest of these is still Domestic magic. Because I am a devoted domestic or hearth magician I have never suffered the long-term effects of even the most concerted assault by groups of "power magicians." Because I am a "chasefinder," any change in circumstances caused by such actions or anything else has little effect — the "hunt" always returns with that which was needed.
So in order to make a start in these three areas we must try and lead you towards the basics in each.
You will probably need three things.
Your place. It does not always have to be your place — it just should be at your disposal at least once a week for a while. A kitchen is perfect if there is also some garden or a balcony not totally overlooked — then you are in total luxury. It should not be a "cell" — you want light and a view of nature even if it's just a bizzy-lizzy in a window. Water is good. Fire is also good — might be a heater.
A dictionary with word origins and definitions. Don't necessarily just click on Amazon — see if something older and well-bound turns up in a charity shop. Take your time — let "your" tools find you.
A wand. Traditionally a spear or a distaff (or a corset busk) — but it could just be a mobile phone or a screwdriver — something like that. "Getting it" might involve a combination of finding and making — make it something you can carry around without looking like a complete tit. It's for learning — I normally just pick something out of the roadside rubbish when I need it — so don't be precious.
Arranging this is really the feitiço (Portuguese — from which we get "fetish" — it doesn't really translate) and the discipline. Take it easy. There are several different kinds of finding, creating, and arranging skills here.
If you are a "housewife" or something functionally equivalent — like a domestic servant or a chef maybe — then it's all nearly there. You are very well placed.
See how we've gone from millions slaughtering each other in the Great War to something totally local, manageable, and focused. That's how it is. It all begins and ends hereabouts.
When you have these things — just take them for granted. If you have any problem with a word in it — see what the ancient roots of the word are — start to find out what it's "really about." Don't overdo it. If you are seeking something out — have a wand in your fist — just lightly. Be in your place — make it good — make others feel well and secure in it too. Experiment with that. If you're feeling insecure or off-colour — just tidy it up a bit — put the old dishes from the table to the sink — wash them up even. When you wash the dishes — just wash those dishes — don't synthesise significance — you're just washing the fucking dishes for God's sake — let the housefairy do the ninja stuff — she will when you get it right — but don't bug her. Read about the Bean Tighe bearing in mind most of the stuff is Victorian romantic tosh — learn to see beyond it.
Check out the lady who washes clothes at the ford — mentioned alongside the hearth lady. She's going to help us when we go looking for your ancient selves — she has the clothes you dropped when you entered the Rio Lethe. Look stuff up — don't get over-excited. Eat well, have a nice cuppa tea, sleep well, take a warm bath — fart and have a warm pee in it before you get out. Last time your body did that — it was likely in the womb. Do stuff like that — get it "all wrong" but grow calm and strong — get a nice slow rhythm in your life.
These ladies are well ancient — sexy and wise — they like to do the work. Don't thank them — respect them.
Magdalena
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And all went to their homes,
Jesus to the Olive Mount,
At dawn to be seen once more in the
Temple,
The people all around Him,
He seated and teaching them,
She dragged in
By the writers and nit-pickers.
Rabbi — we took her red-handed,
By Moses' Law she must be stoned!
What say you to that? Teacher.
Jesus bent to the earth and with his finger
Wrote
She before him.
They hard hassling for his answer.
That man among you who has no error:
He will now be first to stone her.
He again to the ground inscribing dirt.
First the eldest — shamed — went
Then the rest of them.
Only Jesus remained
The woman standing.
He then with straight back, softly:
Where are they? Is there no soul left to
Damn you?
Not one sir.
Nor I woman. Go now be free of fault.
What sign, phrase, or Signature of All Things did He write?
Who was she? Some whore, a girl as you or me, Pallas Athene?
Later, did she softly touch him, promise to be there for him:
At the eventual opening of Death's Oven?
In that garden.
Was she very beautiful indeed?
"The Easter story is a parable about the handsome and forgiving grain god dying at the hands of men — and his becoming bread in the hands and oven of women." Magdalena seems a lot like Kore — the harvest/field maiden — who is his female counterpart — to whom he announces the blessing of reincarnation perhaps.
Crossing river or lakes — walking on water — as well as sowing and harvest stories — all reflect reincarnation themes as well — the river and water themes exclusively — the harvest myths saying: "as with the seed — so with the soul."
— Steve
Colophon
Written by Steve Kane, posted to alt.magick.serious, March 4, 2004. A practical taxonomy of magical practice (Domestic, Forest/Hunting, and Text magic) with instructions for the beginner, followed by a poem on Mary Magdalene and a mythological reading of the Easter story as a grain-god parable.
Preserved from the Usenet archive for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Original Message-ID: <[email protected]>.
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