A Mirror of Magic Motives
Provided as an educational service by the World Service Network
Do you consider yourself a magician? What type? White? Black? Shades of Grey? For a quick reality check, complete this easy questionnaire and then decide for yourself.
“Mirror, mirror on the wall reflect the Truth and show me all.”
Involution? <————– or ————–> Evolution?
Instructions: For each item, circle the number from 1 to 5 that most accurately describes your thoughts, feelings, and actions now. Try to see yourself as you would actually appear to others. For best results, complete all items before reading any of the analysis or comparison comments.
1.I often feel sick.<–1 2 3 4 5–>I often feel healthy.
2.I usually feel impatient.<–1 2 3 4 5–>I usually feel serene.
3.My thoughts are confused.<–1 2 3 4 5–>My thoughts are clear.
4.My focus is on myself.<–1 2 3 4 5–>My focus is the group.
5.I often create conflict.<–1 2 3 4 5–>I often create harmony.
6.I often feel depleted<–1 2 3 4 5–>I often feel vital
7.I anger easily<–1 2 3 4 5–>I forgive easily
8.I am often led by desire<–1 2 3 4 5–>I am often led by will
9.I often criticize others<–1 2 3 4 5–>I often encourage others
10.I often create suffering<–1 2 3 4 5–>I often create healing
11.I often tell lies<–1 2 3 4 5–>I usually tell the truth
12.I am often vengeful<–1 2 3 4 5–>I am often forgiving
13.I am attracted to dark<–1 2 3 4 5–>I am attracted to light
14.I often act helpless<–1 2 3 4 5–>I often act helpful
15.I tend to restrict others<–1 2 3 4 5–>I tend to free others
16.I usually hoard<–1 2 3 4 5–>I usually share
17.I act cruelly<–1 2 3 4 5–>I act compassionately
18.I am more ignorant<–1 2 3 4 5–>I am more intelligent
19.I rarely feel grateful<–1 2 3 4 5–>I often feel grateful
20.I encourage separateness<–1 2 3 4 5–>I encourage unity
21.I am mostly harmful<–1 2 3 4 5–>I am mostly harmless
22.I often act irresponsibly<–1 2 3 4 5–>I often act responsibly
23.I am often taking<–1 2 3 4 5–>I am often giving
24.I often feel hateful<–1 2 3 4 5–>I often feel loving
25.I tend to tear down/destroy<–1 2 3 4 5–>I tend to create/build
26.I often act through might<–1 2 3 4 5–>I often act through right
27.I am usually greedy<–1 2 3 4 5–>I am usually generous
28.I usually feel spineless<–1 2 3 4 5–>I often feel courageous
29.I am mostly egotistical<–1 2 3 4 5–>I am mostly humble
30.I use nature<–1 2 3 4 5–>I cooperate with nature
31.I am mostly selfish<–1 2 3 4 5–>I am mostly selfless
32.I often act foolishly<–1 2 3 4 5–>I often act wisely
33.I often feel Soul-less<–1 2 3 4 5–>I often feel Soul-full
34.I often use<–1 2 3 4 5–>I’m often useful
35.I speak hurtful words<–1 2 3 4 5–>I speak healing words
36.I often feel full of fear<–1 2 3 4 5–>I often feel full of faith
37.I try to control others<–1 2 3 4 5–>I try to control myself
38.I excuse my vices<–1 2 3 4 5–>I master my vices
39.I have many prejudices<–1 2 3 4 5–>I have no prejudices
40.My rituals serve me<–1 2 3 4 5–>My rituals serve others
41.I rarely listen to my Heart<–1 2 3 4 5–>I listen to my Heart
42.I want power over others<–1 2 3 4 5–>I want power over me
43.I expect something for free<–1 2 3 4 5–>I do something for free
44.I focus on manifestation<–1 2 3 4 5–>I focus on consciousness
45.People are to be exploited<–1 2 3 4 5–>People are to serve
46.My will be done<–1 2 3 4 5–>Thy Will be done
Analysis:
1. First–add up the total score for all items.
A. Total scores between 230 and about 165 strongly suggest motives, thoughts, and patterns of behavior that are expressing light and love and that are more altruistic than selfish–more service-oriented than self-centered. The higher the score, the clearer the tendency towards white magic.
B. Scores between 161 and about 115 suggest thoughts, motives, and actions operating in the gray area that are neither clearly white nor black. The higher the score the clearer the tendency towards white magic. The lower the score the more leanings are toward the dark. Fence sitting is precarious! Be vigilant!
C. Scores from about 110 down to 46 strongly suggest motives, thoughts, and patterns of behavior that are regressive, dark, and selfish distributing darkness, selfishness, and hate. The lower the score the clearer the leanings towards darkness–and away from the light. Great danger exists at this level of functioning!
2. Another method of scoring is to add up all the scores and then divide the total by 46.
Scores of 3.6 to 5 = very unifying, loving tendencies, light/white
Scores of 2.5 to 3.5 = fence sitting, gray area, neither dark nor white
Scores of 1 to 2.4 = very separative, hateful tendencies dark/black
Comparisons between White and Black Magicians
It’s been said once we become aware of some area of Truth, we become responsible for its use. Another way of stating this is, the greater the knowledge, the greater the penalty for abusing it–the sin excusable in the child, may be unforgivable in the adult. We will now present a summary of introductory-level comparisons between the white and black magician. These comparisons are based on materials quoted in the bibliography.
White magicians serve others, black magicians serve themselves. The motto of a white magician could be “right makes might.” The motto of the black magician could read “might makes right.”
The white magician tends to build, the black magician tends to destroy. White magicians seek to gain control over themselves, black magicians seek control over others. It is forbidden to interfere with the free will of another human being. White magicians use the forces of love, selfless sharing, service, unity, and synthesis. The black magician uses the forces of hate, greed, aggression, revenge, selfishness, and separatism.
The white magician seeks attainment through growth while the black magician seeks attainment through force. While the white magician does something for nothing, the black magician wants something for nothing.
White magicians consecrate their lives to study, meditation, and service. They mold themselves into the Plan that they may be of the greatest service to the greatest number. Black magicians prostitute the use of wisdom and its accompanying power to gratify personal ambition, desire and greed.
While the white magician tries to prove self-worth through purity of living and sincerity of motive to be entrusted with power to serve, the black magician seeks to gain authority over spiritual powers through force instead of merit to manifest personal desire.
The white magician prays humbly “thy will be done.” The black magician shouts egotistically “my will be done!”
The white magician has, as his or her motive, the benefit of the group, while the black magician works alone for his or her own selfish desires. The white magician works towards the evolution of consciousness for the good of all, the black magician works towards material manifestation for personal gain.
Differences exist between the two paths both in motive and in method. The work of the white magician will include all that supports the expansion of consciousness, unity, synthesis, and goodwill. The brother or sister of the dark side recognizes no unity with their fellow human beings, they only see in them people to be exploited for the furtherance of their own ends. They respect no one and will use anyone to get their own way. They don’t care about the suffering they may cause as they relentlessly pursue their ambitions and desires. Where desire runs rampant, a black magician is in the making!
The acts of black magicians are motivated by intense selfishness and separateness. Instead of cooperating with the laws of nature, the black magician wants to use them to satisfy personal desire.
The forces operating behind and through the black magician thrive on every thought, feeling, word and action of egotism, hate, bigotry, revenge, separatism, selfishness, cruelty, ugliness, and deceit. The forces operating above and through the white magician thrive on every thought, feeling, word and action of selflessness, love, goodwill, inclusiveness, forgiveness, oneness, service, compassion, beauty, and truth.
Energy follows thought. We are responsible for the energies and forces we distribute in the world via our thoughts, feelings, words and actions. We can choose what types of energies we use and transmit.
We hope this brief, introductory-level tool was helpful in the analysis of your motives for magical work. For additional information we highly recommend books by the authors Aivanhov, Bailey, and Saraydarian listed below.
Select Bibliography:
Aivanhov, O. (1989). The book of divine magic. France: Provesta.
Bailey, A. (1951). Treatise on white magic. NY: Lucis Publishing
Gray, W. (1970). Inner traditions of magic. NY: Samuel Weiser.
Hall, M.P. (1978). Magic. CA: The Philosophical Research Society.
Hartmann, F. (1971). Magic: white or black. CA: Newcastle Pub.
Saraydarian, T. (1991). The flame of the heart. CA: T.S.G. Pub.
Jurriaanse, A. (1978). Bridges. Cape, South Africa: Sun Centre.