"Whatever the etymological origin of the word 'magic' may be, the mage is the finder and founder of images. Magic consists of fathoming the great Imagination." - Steffi Grant in Hidden Lore phantasmagoria - 1802, name of a "magic lantern" exhibition brought to London in 1802 by Philipstal, the name an alteration of Fr. phantasmagorie, said to have been coined 1801 by Fr. dramatist Louis-Sébastien Mercier, from Gk. phantasma "image" + second element probably a Fr. form of Gk. agora "assembly" (but this may have been chosen more for the dramatic sound than any literal sense). Transf. meaning "shifting scene of many elements" is attested from 1822. SOURCE Since this particular forum was my idea I feel I should give kind of an idea as to what it is about and what goes here. The small description and the parameters of this forum were meant to be ambiguous to allow the Occult Forums membership to be creative with how they approach it. It could easily have been called Mysticism but that term comes with certain biases and preconceptions which gives it too much of a definite focus. Phantasmagoria is meant as a place to explore unique, avant-garde, surrealist, mytho-poetic and boundary-pushing types of magical/mystical theories and practices with emphasis on personal gnosis, magical inspiration, artistic expressions, creative cosmologies, mythopoeia and imaginative and oneiric exploration. Here we are interested in the Reification of the Inherent Dream. All traditions and persuasions of the occult are welcome in Phantasmagoria as long as the discussion has some emphasis in the above criteria. Use your own judgement as to what these things mean. You probably won't be wrong. If it helps you can think of this place as Creative Occultism. In this thread discussion: feel free to ask questions, comment, share opinions and give suggestions about the forum itself. Let us assemble these images together.
