M is for Magic

Lately, I’ve been real interested in magic, and whether it actually exists or not. Oh, who am I kidding? I have always been interested. I have only recently, however, decided to undergo research to help understand different belief systems and origins of all the so-called magic.

I mean, a very large portion of humanity believes in at least one god of some sort, and in almost all cases, that god is capable of magic such as healing, answering prayers or controlling the weather. So, when we hear that someone is Christian or Buddhist or Hindu or Jewish, we just accept that and move on. But, what if someone told you that they worshiped Bondye, the god of voodoo? You’d likely laugh, roll your eyes or even be a little freaked out. Why, though?

Almost everyone accepts that “good magic” exists, in some form or other. Miracles, good luck, heck even prayer. Well, I’m of the opinion that in order to accept one thing, you have to recognize and accept its opposite. God and Satan, left and right, good and evil, day and night, white magic and, well, black magic. Why not? If someone in a place called Heaven can heal you, surely someone else can curse you. Right? Maybe so.

I’m highly intrigued by African/Southern voodoo and hoodoo, as well as the gypsies. If none of it was ever real, then they must have been part of one hell of a tale, because their ideas still exist today. I’m not sure if I believe that a gypsy can throw a curse at you, like what happened in Stephen King’s “Thinner”, but I know that I’m not going to be insulting one any time soon. I’m also not sure if the zombies are coming, but I ain’t heading to a cemetery with a spell book and a robe at midnight. And that tiny bit of skepticism, that little ping somewhere in my gut that tells me it’s a bad idea to piss off a hoodoo practitioner, a witch or a gypsy, kind of admits belief a little. Just a little. Doesn’t it?

And so, since I have established even a small bit of belief in magic, I feel it’s my duty to pursue it and see what I can find out. Either way, it’s a scary-ass route to take. If I find that it is in fact real, there could be some nasty things in store for me. If, at the end of my research, I find that it is not at all real, many of my dreams and aspirations will be crushed into tiny bits and I’ll be a broken man. Nothing serious.