FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100  
101   >>  
on the mouse, the eye of the snake on the bird, which in the end degrades them into deeper evil. That there are such people, and that they really make captive and oppress weaker minds, by suggestion, is true; the marvel being that so few find it out. But in proportion as this kind of fascination is vile and mean, that which may be called altruistic or sympathetic attraction, or Enchantment, is noble and pure, because it acquires strength in proportion to the purity and beauty of the soul or will which inspires it. It is as real and has as much power, and can be exercised by any honest person whatever with wonderful effect, even to the performing what are popularly called "miracles," which only means wonderful works beyond _our_ power of explanation. But this kind of fascination is little understood as yet, simply because it is based on purity, morality and light, and hitherto the seekers for occult mysteries have been chiefly occupied with the gloomy and mock-diabolical rubbish of old tradition, instead of scientific investigation of our minds and brains. There is also in truth a Fascination by means of the Voice, which has in it a much deeper and stronger power or action than that of merely sweet sound as of an instrument. The Jesuit, GASPAR SCHOTT, in his _Magio Medica_ treats of Fascination as twofold: _De Fascinatione per Visunt et Vocem_. I have found among Italian witches as with Red Indian wizards, every magical operation depended on an incantation, and every incantation on the feeling, intonation, or manner in which it is sung. Thus near Rome any peasant overhearing a _scongiurasione_ would recognize it from the _sound_ alone. Anyone, male or female, can have a deep, rich voice by simply subduing and training it, and very rarely raising it to a high pitch. _Nota bene_ that the less this is affected the more effective it will be. There are many, especially women, who speak, as it were, all time in italics, when they do not set their speech in small caps or displayed large capitals. The result of this, as regards sound, is the so-called nasal voice, which is very much like caterwauling, and I need not say that there is no fascination in it--on the contrary its tendency is to destroy any other kind of attraction. It is generally far more due to an ill-trained, unregulated, excitable, nervous temperament than to any other cause. The training the voice to a subdued state "like music in its softest key," or
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100  
101   >>  



Top keywords:

fascination

 

called

 
purity
 

attraction

 

incantation

 

training

 

simply

 
wonderful
 

deeper

 

Fascination


proportion

 

female

 

Anyone

 
recognize
 
subdued
 

softest

 

subduing

 
depended
 

overhearing

 

magical


Indian
 

wizards

 
intonation
 

manner

 

rarely

 

peasant

 

feeling

 

operation

 

witches

 
Italian

scongiurasione

 

capitals

 

unregulated

 
result
 

displayed

 
excitable
 
speech
 

trained

 

contrary

 
generally

tendency

 
caterwauling
 
effective
 

destroy

 

affected

 

nervous

 

italics

 
temperament
 
raising
 

acquires