The Mystery of Magic

The word magic has held the interests of all age groups, over the ages and all over the world. A lot has been written about white magic and black magic. Occult practices and rituals and witchcraft are still read about with great interest, more so after Harry Potter! The mystery of magic lures us to it like a bee to nectar.

India is a land of magic, both supernatural and mundane. Hinduism is one of the few religions whose sacred texts, like the Vedas, discuss both white and black magic. The Atharva Veda deals with mantras or chants that can be used for both good and bad. The word Tantrik in India literally means “magician” since the Tantrik usually knows mantras, spells, and curses which can be used for various forms of magic. Tantra is likewise employed for ritual magic by the tantrik. Many ascetics after long periods of penance are alleged to attain supernatural powers. Some people believe that magic is nothing but mass hypnotism. In India, magician or Jaadugar brings with it an image of P.C Sorkar and his tricks which keep us enchanted for an hour or two and allow us to believe that we might be able to enter that magical world ourselves. A magician from Sri Lanka had once taken out a few coins from my hair and I treasured it for many years hoping it would lead me to magic!

Call it sorcery, necromancy, black magic, Jaadu, witchcraft or anything else, the unknown and the unbelievable will always entice people to it. The elusive mystery that magic is all about will never lose its charm.