Here’s an excerpt from this week’s Magick Monday newsletter, Jason Miller’s weekly jawn. To his felicitations I add – HAPPY CARNIVAL as today is the official start of the Carnival season that climaxes on the day before Ash Wednesday, i.e. Mars’ Day of overindulgence/fat aka Mardi Gras.
Today is the feast of Epiphany, a holiday with multiple meanings: the baptism of Christ, the extension of grace to gentiles, and most importantly the visitation of the Three Magi-Kings.
The three Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar are mentioned in several grimoires. The Epiphany Mass is when special chalk for making the circle mentioned in the 6th and 7th books of Moses gets consecrated.
Catholics of course use the chalk to mark their door with the year and initials of the three wise men.
20 + C + M + B + 17
The initials also stand for Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless the house.”Carmelites use the following prayer:
The three Wise Men, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar followed the star of God’s Son who became human two thousand and sixteen years ago. May Christ bless our home and remain with us throughout the new year. Amen.
Of course not all traditions of the Magi have them coming from Persia, or even numbered as three. There is an 8th century vellum manuscript known as the Revelations of the Magi that was tucked away in the Vatican Library for who knows how long until Brent Landau found it and translated it back in 2012. Though the Syriac text he works from was dated to the 8th century, it is believed that it is a copy of a text from the 2nd century, making it contemporary with many Gnostic texts.
In this story there 12 Magi. not just three. Its also says that they were not Persian Magi, but from the land of Shir which is identified with either far eastern India or China. They were called Magi because they prayed in Silence (like as in meditation). The star that they follow transforms into a child and tells each of them important messages relating to the universality of Christs work for all people, not just the Jews. This is perfectly in line with the core message of Epiphany, because apart from being the feast of the adoration of the Magi, it is the day that some celebrate the extension of Grace to the Gentiles – the universality of Christ. Also, the fact that the Magi were from Asia is sort of a gift to those of us whose practices straddle the east and west. Like the mythical kingdom of Prestor John, we find treasures in the east that are applicable to the western mysteries.
Of course, many of you are not Christian, have no interest in Christianity at all, and are happy that this whole season is behind us.
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