Have you ever lit a candle, whispered an incantation, and watched something uncannily fitting happen days later? Was it magic, or just a well-timed coincidence? In the world of esoteric practice, we are trained to notice patterns, to read signs, to find meaning where others see randomness. But what if some of those connections aren’t what they seem? What if we’re mistaking correlation for causation, and calling it magic?

In this video, we’re diving into the most seductive illusion in both magic and conspiracy thinking: the leap from “this happened” to “I caused it.” Drawing on philosophy, psychology, and the history of occult thought, we’ll explore why our brains are wired to see patterns, how magical fallacies take root, and how to practise with both conviction and discernment. If you want to refine your craft, sharpen your thinking, and avoid the traps that turn meaningful magic into wishful thinking, stay with me. This might just be the most important spell you ever learn.

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RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖

REFERENCES 📚

Barkun, M. (2013). A culture of conspiracy: Apocalyptic visions in contemporary America (2nd ed.). University of California Press.

Boyer, P. (2001). Religion explained: The evolutionary origins of religious thought. Basic Books. (Hachette Book Group)

Bruno, G. (1986). De magia; De vinculis in genere (A. Biondi, Ed.). Biblioteca dell’Immagine. (Original work published 1590). (philpapers.org)

Conrad, K. (1958). Die beginnende Schizophrenie: Versuch einer Gestaltanalyse des Wahns. Georg Thieme. (PubMed)

Corbin, H. (1972). Mundus imaginalis, or the imaginary and the imaginal. Spring, 1972, 1–19. Spring Publications. (springpublications.com)

Dukes, R. (2001). SSOTBME: An essay on magic (Rev. ed.). The Mouse That Spins. (splendorsolisbooks.com)

Evans-Pritchard, E. E. (1937). Witchcraft, oracles and magic among the Azande. Clarendon Press. (Wikipedia)

Hanegraaff, W. J. (2012). Esotericism and the academy: Rejected knowledge in Western culture. Cambridge University Press. (Cambridge Assets)

Hui, Y. (2016). The question concerning technology in China: An essay in cosmotechnics. Urbanomic. (urbanomic.com)

Hume, D. (1748). An enquiry concerning human understanding. A. Millar. (davidhume.org)

Hutton, R. (1999). The triumph of the moon: A history of modern Pagan witchcraft. Oxford University Press. (cmc.marmot.org)

Jung, C. G. (1960). Synchronicity: An acausal connecting principle (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.). Princeton University Press. (cmc.marmot.org)

Kripal, J. J. (2006). The serpent’s gift: Gnostic reflections on the study of religion. University of Chicago Press. (University of Chicago Press)

Latour, B. (1993). We have never been modern (C. Porter, Trans.). Harvard University Press. (Original work published 1991). (hup.harvard.edu)

Midgley, M. (2001). Science and poetry. Routledge. (Routledge)

Popper, K. (1959). The logic of scientific discovery. Hutchinson. (philotextes.info)

Stenger, V. J. (2009). Quantum gods: Creation, chaos, and the search for cosmic consciousness. Prometheus Books. (Simon & Schuster)

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This lecture explores the provocative question: Can magic stop wars? Drawing on historical and cross-cultural sources, we examine how rituals and spells have been used not merely as private acts of devotion but as technologies of politics, resistance, and reconciliation. From the Assyrian Maqlû tablets and Egyptian execration rites, to the Wiccan “Cone of Power” against Hitler and the modern #MagicResistance movement, we uncover how ritual has been mobilised to defend rulers, resist tyranny, and shape the course of events.

The lecture also turns to reconciliation practices such as the Acholi Mato Oput in Uganda, Hawaiian ho‘oponopono, and Arab-Islamic sulha, showing how communities have ritualised the difficult work of forgiveness and the transformation of enmity. By analysing these cases, we see how ritual externalises conflict into material or symbolic form, such as burned effigies, bitter drinks, and shared meals, so that violence can be reframed, managed, or dissolved.

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RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖

REFERENCES 📚

Baines, E. K. (2007). The Haunting of Alice: Local Approaches to Justice and Reconciliation in Northern Uganda. International journal of transitional justice, 1(1), 91–114. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijtj/ijm011

Beard, M., North, J., & Price, S. (1998). Religions of Rome, Vol. 1: A History. Cambridge University Press.

Bell, C. (1992). Ritual theory, ritual practice. Oxford University Press.

Graf, F. (1997). Magic in the ancient world (F. Philip, Trans.). Harvard University Press.

Hutton, R. (1999). The triumph of the moon: A history of modern Pagan witchcraft. Oxford University Press.

Kemp, B. J. (2006). Ancient Egypt: anatomy of a civilization (2nd ed.). Routledge.

Lang, F. (2002). Sulha Peacemaking and the Politics of Persuasion. Journal of Palestine studies, 31(3), 52–66. https://doi.org/10.1525/jps.2002.31.3.52

Pukui, M. K., Haertig, E. W., & Lee, C. A. (1972). Nānā i ke kumu (Look to the source), Vol. 1. Hui Hānai. 39

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In this episode, Dr Angela Puca unpacks one of the most fascinating questions in the study and practice of magic: how does magic actually work? Drawing on both historical and contemporary scholarship, she explores the six major explanatory models: the spirit, psychological, natural or energetic, information or cybernetic, sociological, and transcendent or mystical frameworks. Each reveals a different way magicians and scholars have tried to understand the mechanisms of ritual power, from relationships with spirits and manipulation of subtle forces to consciousness engineering and divine realisation. Whether you’re a practitioner, scholar, or simply curious about how magic makes sense of the impossible, this episode will deepen your understanding of what really happens when magic works.

CONNECT & SUPPORT💖

MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/courses

WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER 💌 https://www.drangelapuca.com/#newsletter

BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/services

BECOME MY PATRON! 🎩 https://www.patreon.com/angelapuca

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ONE-OFF DONATIONS 💰 https://paypal.me/angelasymposium

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RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖

REFERENCES 📚

Asprem, E. (2014). The problem of disenchantment: Scientific naturalism and esoteric discourse, 1900-1939. Brill.

Asprem, E. (2013). Programmatic models of esoteric science: The case of chaos magick. In E. Asprem & K. Granholm (Eds.), Contemporary esotericism (pp. 283-300). Equinox Publishing.

Bell, C. (1992). Ritual theory, ritual practice. Oxford University Press.

Berger, H. A. (1999). A community of witches: Contemporary neo-paganism and witchcraft in the United States. University of South Carolina Press.

Carroll, P. J. (1987). Liber null & psychonaut. Weiser Books.

Crowley, A. (1997). Magick: Liber ABA, Book 4 (2nd rev. ed.). Weiser Books. (Original work published 1912-1936)

De Martino, E. (1959). Sud e magia. Feltrinelli.

Fernández Olmos, M., & Paravisini-Gebert, L. (2011). Creole religions of the Caribbean: An introduction from Vodou and Santería to Obeah and Espiritismo (2nd ed.). New York University Press.

Grant, K. (1972). The magical revival. Muller.

Greenwood, S. (2009). The anthropology of magic. Berg.

Hanegraaff, W. J. (1996). New Age religion and Western culture: Esotericism in the mirror of secular thought. Brill.

Harner, M. (1990). The way of the shaman (3rd ed.). Harper & Row.

Hine, P. (1995). Condensed chaos: An introduction to chaos magic. New Falcon Publications.

Jung, C. G. (1969). The archetypes and the collective unconscious (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.; 2nd ed.). Princeton University Press. (Original work published 1959)

Kripal, J. J. (2022). The superhumanities: Historical precedents, moral objections, new realities. University of Chicago Press.

Luhrmann, T. M. (1989). Persuasions of the witch's craft: Ritual magic in contemporary England. Harvard University Press.

Luhrmann, T. M. (2012). When God talks back: Understanding the American evangelical relationship with God. Knopf.

Pike, S. M. (2001). Earthly bodies, magical selves: Contemporary pagans and the search for community. University of California Press.

Regardie, I. (1989). The tree of life: A study in magic. Weiser Books. (Original work published 1932)

Tambiah, S. J. (1990). Magic, science, religion, and the scope of rationality. Cambridge University Press.

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