Pagan Studies

Learn how Classical Music harbors subliminal and not-so subliminal Pagan messages.

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Magus

Another confession:  Instead of attacking De Occulta Philosophia, I'm going for the throat on Marsilio Ficino. 


A few years ago, I came across a book called "Music in Renaissance Magic" by Gary Tomlinson.  He focuses on the magic of a man named Marsilio Ficino, who was a priest and the doctor of Lorenzo de Medici.  Ficino is somewhat contemporary to Agrippa in the way that they both translated documents from Greek into Latin, and then proceeded to create their own synthesis of learning from those experiences. 

Ficino stood out to Tomlinson because he wrote magical music.  None of that music exists; it has all been lost to time, as Ficino's De vita libri tres has been out of my reach through library (another long story) and is too expensive to purchase. Until now. 

 

You see, I got a day pass on Scribd and it was there.  Up until now, I had no way of cross-checking Tomlinson's references in order to figure out what he was talking about.  I've learned to never take anything at face value when studying magick or magickal practitioners.  Someone can tell you that a practice is "of old" and have really just invented it themselves. Without references, there's no way for me to learn more.    Since Tomlinson's work is academic, he's got to provide references, and now I have access to the resources he used.

Now, I can learn what Tomlinson is talking about.  More importantly, I will get a closer look at medieval magic and science, and most importantly, I know now that I can TRUST his citations.  I've checked a couple of them against what's available from the 'net on Tomlinson's book, and they check out.  His conclusions remain to be seen, but I've got to know. 

 

 

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Amarfa has been studying the occult, wicca, and paganism for 17 years and counting.  She has been a musician since age 5, studying first guitar, then accordion for 10 years, placing 2nd in her division in the 1995 ATARI/ATAM New England Regional Competition,  and has been studying voice for 9. She has directed small early music ensembles, performed publicly, and starred in local theatre works, particularly the World Premiere of Nightsong, a musical theatre piece with direction and book by Jon Brennan and music by Kari Tieger and Kevin Campbell, as well as composing a musical of her own and writing music in her spare time.

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