Mystery, Magic and the Cosmos

Microseconds following the Big Bang (approximately 14 Billion years ago)…  the Cosmic Fireball expands, inflates, creating waves and ripples…  they persist over eons of time, becoming Fields and Particles… and galaxies, and stars, and planets, and… Us? and Magic? Can what we know from Ritual and Ceremony be compatible with the story told by Science? As Astrophysicists learn and explore more about the Universe, we come full circle. Mystery and Magic are revealed! We experience The Goddess as the Creator of All, and the Universe is not too big for Her Power.

“Science makes magic real”

How is it that our spellwork creates the outcomes we desire? How do we know what our loved ones are thinking/feeling before they speak? How can dreams foretell future events? While many of us have intuitive and experiential certainty that these things occur, they are often dismissed as crazy New Age theories. But Quantum Theory has explored the origins of the Universe, and the nature of reality, and found that the unexplained becomes more mysterious as more is known.

In 2010, Marcelo Gleiser pointed out that throughout history “Science makes Magic real”. For example, through science and technology, people fly, we communicate, see and hear at a distance, we can see that which is invisible to the eye, and we have successfully fought many diseases- all these and more were previously held in the grip of what was called Magic. How many other “magical” phenomena will be found to have their basis in demonstrated basic research?

Enter the James T. Webb telescope!

I am a bit of a Science Nerd, and the successful deployment of the James T. Webb telescope (2021, on Christmas day, so close to Yule, and the transition of darkness toward light) has excited me and stimulated my realization that, as Beings of Light, we are connected in ways that Magic has always realized, and that Cosmology is predicting.

The James T. Webb telescope is more sensitive than the Hubble telescope. Very recently (February, 2022) Webb has locked onto a star for the purpose of calibrating the mirrors that make up the imaging system. The star of its focus is located in Ursa Major, also known as the Big Dipper. Webb works almost exclusively in the infra-red frequencies, which are capable of detecting cosmic activity from so far back in the past, that, as early as June, 2022, we will see images representing the earliest formation of galaxies and stars, and the emission of energy that still travels throughout the Universe. We can see back in Time! How astounding is this!

Intersectionality through Art

From these earliest stars and galaxies were all the elements formed, as detailed in the Periodic Table. While science has organized and understood the structure of these elements, we in the Pagan community think of “the Elements” somewhat differently, more in the manner that the earliest scientists saw the world. We recognize the collaboration of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. These basic energies are themselves made up of molecules and atoms, and those are made up of fundamental particles like neutrons, protons, electrons and even smaller units.

While some might argue that Science and Deep Mystery are incompatible, Pagans tend to think more wholistically. Our understanding of the power of each Element (often associated with a particular direction and energy) creates a bond with these energies, and as we release this energy into the world, in the form of songs (and other art), we solidify our magical connection and power.

Music can reflect both Mystery and Magic

While not strictly scientifically aligned with the Periodic Table, several Crow Women songs reflect our appreciation of “The Elements” as emblems of visible power and energy. For example, the medley, Born of the Elements, authored by several pagan music-makers. In addition, Crow Woman Carole wrote Calling the Elements, one of our favorite songs, which reflects the powers of each Element and direction.

It is not surprising that we tend to focus on the heavenly bodies nearby. Therefore, you can find many songs reflecting both Sun and Moon on Crowwommyn albums. For example: Goddess Moon, by Deb, and both Suncycle and Mooncycle by Alane. (Click on any of the songs I’ve mentioned to go through to the song’s page, where you can hear the song, read its lyrics and find all our blog posts that mention the song.)

Mama Gina’s music is “Heavenly”

From earliest beginnings humans have studied the heavens, and the movement of sun, moon and stars. We have created art, dance, song and music expressing our wonderment and attempt to understand these phenomena. As members of various Pagan communities, we are especially responsive to the rhythms of earth and sea, sky and spirit, as reflected in some beautiful music from the heart of Gina LaMonte. Listen as she explores the “space between the stars” in recognition of the vast and eternal reaches of the Universe. On her Bandcamp site, you can listen to Between the Stars.

Another of Gina’s songs, Hail the Sun, creates a personification of comet and star. As we in the magical community understand, our ability to relate to and personify the objects and concepts we work with creates a stronger psychic bond between the practitioner and the desired outcome. Thus, by recognizing the divinity of trees, rocks, rivers, our sun and moon, the stars and the universe, we strengthen our ability to influence reality. This quote, author unknown, speaks of the practical aspect of magic-making: “Magic is the mechanism we use to communicate our wishes to the Earth, so we can make our lives better or different.”

Theoretical physics: finding Mystery and Magic in our Universe

David Tong, Professor of Theoretical Physics at Cambridge University, is one of the leading researchers in the field of Quantum Theory. His description of the basic fields and particles that make up our reality is peppered with words like “magical” and “mysterious”.  He has remarked that we are all connected: just as waves in the ocean belong to the same ocean, the waves of electrons and other particles in our bodies belong to the same field!

While much has been discovered, much remains to be illuminated. Meanwhile, here are some Scientific findings that may not surprise those of us who have experienced magical events in our own lives:

• We exist in the midst of invisible fields of energy and particles that make up all objects in our world.
• These fundamental fields are: Electromagnetic, Gravity, Strong Nuclear Force and Weak Nuclear Force.
• Recently the Higgs Field has been observed, the effects of which are to create Mass.
• Even though invisible, these fields are real and can be perceived, measured and identified.
• Every hour, an unthinkable number of particles (around 10 to the 14^th power) stream through the Earth and our bodies, unimpeded by objects or other forces.

It is no wonder that we so often feel connected to one another, to the natural world and to the Higher Realms! Science shows us that we are One in the larger universe, surrounded by forces which, although invisible to most observation, are most assuredly real.

Stay tuned…

This summer, we will see and study the first images sent to us by the James T. Webb telescope… just imagine what mysteries will be unraveled, what questions will emerge, what connections we will begin to understand! Keep your eyes on the heavens, and on this website for the second installment of my musings on the synchronistic relationships between Science and Magic!