Synchronicity
Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Donald Tyson, author of a vast number of books, including The Serpent of Wisdom, The Demonology of King James I, and Necronomicon.
Synchronicity is a concept put forward by the late psychiatrist Carl Jung (1875 – 1961) in an attempt to describe a curious aspect of human experience. It is a purely magical concept. It may be described as meaningful coincidence. Two or more things happen that appear to be unconnected in any physical way, but are none the less linked in meaning. This meaning may be slight, or it may be of profound and life-changing significance.
All of magic depends on synchronicity. For example, let’s say a witch works a spell of prosperity for a friend by planting a seed in a pot and watering it every day, while chanting prayers to the Goddess for the happiness and well-being of the friend. As the flower grows, the life of the friend gradually improves, and on the same day the flower opens its blooms, the friend receives word that she has been hired at her dream job for more money than she could ever have imagined. The blooming of the flower, and the message that the friend received her dream job, is an example of synchronicity in magic.
There is no way to prove, on the physical level, a connection between these two events. But the witch who worked the spell, and the friend whose life was so greatly improved, will know in their hearts that they are connected. If the witch is wise, she will photograph the flowers to preserve them forever, and then ritually sever the connection between the flowers and her friend, before the flowers begin to wilt and decay.
Synchronicity can be used to describe the working of astrology. There is no demonstrable connection between the pattern of an astrological chart, and the events in the life of the person the chart represents, yet astrological charts often predict with astonishing accuracy future events in the person’s life. Science sneers at astrology because it can find no physical basis for it. Even so, the lack of an obvious physical connection between the life chart and the person it represents does not necessarily mean that no such connection exists.
In the same way, the principle of synchronicity can be applied to the working of the I-Ching, the Tarot, and other forms of divination. The individual for whom the reading is done will know that a connection exists when it reveals itself in his personal life. More often than not, a synchronistic connection is so strong, and so obvious, that it is irrational to attempt to deny it.
The existence of such meaningful coincidences show us that the universe is not impersonal and disconnected from our lives. On the contrary, we are the microcosm and the greater universe the macrocosm, and we are connected to the universe at every point in our lives by an infinite number of invisible threads. No life is meaningless—it is filled with cosmic significance. Magic, in its working, reveals this connectedness in our lives.
Our thanks to Donald for his guest post! Visit Donald Tyson’s author page for more information, including articles and his books.
Since learning years about the phenomenon of synchronicity from reading Carl Jung, who many then, and still now, consider an eccentric nut, it’s struck a chord in me and I have always welcomed discussions of this subject to see how it might manifest in my own life. I indeed welcome hearing from Donald Tyson, a highly respected exponent and practitioner of Magic, whose work I very regrettably have not had much opportunity to read and follow. Receiving news from Mr. Tyson on this and related subjects would indeed be much appreciated, even as I am still very much a neophyte in this vast field. Bless you and thank you.