Dark Magick Part 1: An Introduction

I've written about darkness before, in Reflections on Darkness and Dark Magic-The Origins of Light, but I've never truly written about the techniques and ideas used to access the powers hidden away behind the veil of cultural acceptance.  I enjoyed writing my last series and the depth that I could go into on each subject, so I've decided to do the same with another important concept in all magician's repertoires.  Dark magick is important in all of our educations because whether we want to embrace it or not, it is out there and we need to understand the basics.

I've always tended to walk a more left-handed path, but acknowledge that it's not for everyone.  In my last posts I wrote about defensive magick which I could never have understood completely without having to use it while dealing with the darker aspects of magick.  Every creator of magickal theory from Gerald Gardner to Aleister Crowley to Cornelius Agrippa has at least shortly dabbled in the darkness, and most have done a lot more than dabble.

Let's get down to it then.  My definition of dark magick is simply anything that is considered taboo within the general magickal culture.  This could range from sacrifices to evocations to ritualized sex.  Many people touch upon the majority of these topics at least in part during their practices, but most do not fully embrace them.  The typical practice is fine for most, but there are those out there that feel the pull to do more than simply brush up against it and I'd like to explain my views and experiences so that those who tend to follow a more left-handed path can learn a few things from my hard won wisdom and maybe give me a few tidbits of their own.