Glossary - exWitch Australia (formerly 'Born Again Pagan')

BARRETT, Francis

An English intellectual, Magician and Alchemist who founded a school of ritual magic and Alchemy in London in 1801 based on the teachings contained in his own publication,The Magus or Celestial Intelligencer (1801), which is described on the title-page as a complete system of occult philosophy.

The book is likely to daunt anyone save the most dedicated student of Magick, but is useful because it recapitulates almost everything contained in the old Grimoires: Agrippa, Abano, the pseudo-Solomons, these and others are con-scientiously plundered by the industrious Barrett.

In addition, he offers his readers 'private instructions and lectures upon... the Rites, Mysteries, Ceremonies and Principles of the ancient Philosophers, Magi, Cabalists, Adepts, etc'. Those who would bring their minds to a contemplation of the 'Eternal Wisdom' were invited to present themselves at an address in Marylebone between the hours of eleven and two.

It is not known who or how many visited the Magus in his private chambers, but it is possible that Bulwer Lytton was among them. Barrett is also believed to have gone to Cambridge to help run an occult fraternity at the university.

His book The Magus exerted a powerful influence on later 19th and early twentieth-centuries occult theory and practice.

PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.

Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one definition may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.

Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differing practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc