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Writer's pictureShidonna Raven

Harry Houdini - American Magician

March 20, 2022

Source:Britannica Photo Source: Unsplash,


by Sid Fleischman | Apr 22, 2008

Houdini was the son of a rabbi who emigrated from Hungary to the United States and settled in Appleton, Wisconsin. He became a trapeze performer in circuses at an early age, and, after settling in New York City in 1882, he performed in vaudeville shows there without much success. In 1894 he was married to Wilhelmina Rahner, who thereafter as Beatrice Houdini served as his stage assistant. From about 1900 Houdini began to earn an international reputation for his daring feats of extrication from shackles, ropes, and handcuffs and from various locked containers ranging from milk cans to coffins to prison cells. In a typical act he was shackled with chains and placed in a box that was locked, roped, and weighted. The box was submerged from a boat, to which he returned after freeing himself underwater. In another outdoor exhibition he allowed himself to be suspended, head down, about 75 feet (23 metres) above ground and then freed himself from a straitjacket. These demonstrations were typically watched by many thousands of people. Houdini’s uncanny escape abilities depended partly on his great physical strength and agility and partly on his extraordinary skill at manipulating locks. He exhibited his skills in many motion pictures from 1916 to 1923.

In his later years Houdini campaigned against mind readers, mediums, and others who claimed supernatural powers. He argued that they were charlatans who produced all of their effects through natural means and various tricks. He wrote Miracle Mongers and Their Methods (1920) and A Magician Among the Spirits (1924). Houdini and his wife, however, agreed to conduct an experiment in spiritualism: the first to die was to try to communicate with the survivor. His widow declared the experiment a failure before her death in 1943.

Chaldean” also was used by several ancient authors to denote the priests and other persons educated in the classical Babylonian literature, especially in traditions of astronomy and astrology. Houdini took his stage name from the name of the French magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, but he later wrote The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin (1908), a debunking study of Houdin’s abilities. Houdini wrote the article on conjuring for the 13th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. He died of peritonitis that stemmed from a stomach injury. - Britannica

Secrets of Magic in Modern Paganism Revealed

Popular Definitions of Magic in Modern Paganism One of the most common ways of understanding Modern Pagan magic is that it is the ‘Art of Causation’. Aleister Crowley, the founder of Thelema, famously defined magic as “the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with the will”. According to this view, magic is an innate human ability that everyone is born with. In order to tap into this supernatural force, one needs to learn it and then put it into practice. By using magic, a practitioner is making a connection with the energies of nature, and by doing so, is able to cause changes in the material world. Another definition of magic in Modern Paganism is provided by Dion Fortune, a co-founder of the Fraternity of the Inner Light. Fortune’s perception of magic is an adaptation from the one provided by Crowley. Instead of causing changes in the material world, Fortune advocated the use of magic to bring about change within the self. By causing internal change to occur, a practitioner of magic would in turn be able to effect change on the external world. It has been pointed out that this view perceives magic as a form of psychology. The difference between magic and psychology, however, is that the former draws energy from nature and the supernatural, whilst the latter does not. Yet another understanding of magic is that it is a ‘re-enchanting’ of the world. To put it in other words, magic may be used by a practitioner to view the nature of existence from a different perspective. In other words, magic can be used to discover / re-discover the subtle / hidden connections that exist within the self, in the natural world, and between human beings and the natural world. Therefore, magic in this sense is a means of connecting with the self, with others, and with the natural world. Some Ways Modern Pagans Can Perform Magic Modern Pagan magic may be performed in a number of ways. The best known of these is perhaps the casting of spells. In Wicca, for example, the casting of spells may involve the use of incantations, amulets, talismans, as well as a variety of other actions or objects. Magic spells function by concentrating and channeling one’s own spiritual energy. This energy would then move larger energy currents in the area where a practitioner wishes to see change, thus bringing about the desired change. As mentioned previously, Modern Pagans believe that magic is an innate ability that all human beings have. Therefore, spells can be cast by anyone, provided that he / she learns how to harness this energy, and put what they have learned into practice. There are certain rules / ethics in Modern Paganism when it comes to the use of magic. One of the best known of these is the Wiccan Law / Rede, one of the most common forms being “An it harm none, do what ye will”. This means that magic should not be used to harm anyone, whether intentionally, or unintentionally. Other ethical considerations that a magic practitioner may have in mind could include the possibility that a spell may influence another’s freedom of choice, or if it is meant to satisfy one’s personal ego (both of which ought to be avoided). - Source: Secret Origins


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