Low Magick by Lon DuQuette (the reading strategies book TXT) 📕

I am tempted to say, “Yes!”

But, to be perfectly honest with you, I can’t say for sure. Because, although I’m pretty sure I exist, I can never be absolutely sure about you.

APPENDIX I

MY BROTHER

REMEMBERS OUR FATHER

My life has always been filled with magical events and personalities. In chapter 4, I told how my father had an oddly mystical influence on my brother Marc and myself. In chapter 13, I mention my brother’s psychic and healing abilities. For the reader who would like a little more insight on both these subjects, I offer this brief appendix. It is a chapter from my brother Marc’s autobiography. This little story took place when I was two years old, and provides, I believe, a poignant window onto the character of these two precious magical beings in my life.

Once Upon a Time

Excerpt from Orange Sunshine—

How I Almost Survived America’s Cultural Revolution.1

Dad was not a religious man. Mom accused him of being an atheist. She once whispered to me, in a conspiratorial tone of voice, that Darwin’s Origin of Species was his Bible. Naturally, I wanted to be an atheist and read Charles Darwin. I wanted to be just like my dad. Thus, I was very surprised by what he asked me to do.

I had just gotten home from school, and was in the kitchen looking for a snack. Dad was on his way to work. He paused on his way out the door, and squatted down eye-level to me. He smelled of cigarettes and appeared very somber.

“Son, the little boy who lives in back of us is real sick. His mom accidentally slammed his hand in the car door. The doctors fixed his hand but he hurt it again. He was playing in his yard and got dirt and dog poop under his bandages. The wound got infected, and he’s back in the hospital. The doctors don’t think he’ll live. He’s got lockjaw. Would you please pray for him, son? God listens to you.”

Dad stood up, grabbed his black metal lunchbox, and without another word, went off to his job in the oil fields. I was eight years old and had no idea why my dad thought “God listens” to me. I didn’t know what tetanus was. I visualized a little boy lying in a hospital bed with a huge lock around his jaw. I silently prayed, “God, if it be your will, please let the little neighbor boy live. Amen.” I didn’t know the kid. I thought my prayer was very half-assed and insincere.

Several days later, I overheard Mom and another neighbor talking about the little boy. They said he was making a full recovery and would be home soon. Dad never again spoke of his prayer request, so I haven’t mentioned it until now.

[contents]

1 Marc DuQuette, Orange Sunshine, pp. 1–2.

APPENDIX II

APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION

In chapters 6 and 13, I refer to my credentials as a bishop. I thought the reader would appreciate a little more information. Throughout the years, I have received at the hands of several individuals representing various denominational lines of succession consecration in no fewer than thirty apostolic lines of succession including: the Antiochian–Jacobite Succession; the Roman-Old Catholic Succession; Armenian Uniate; Syro-Chaldean; Anglican, Celtic Origin; American Greek Melchite; Orthodox Patriarchate; (Constantinople); Russian Orthodox; Non Juring Bishops of Scotland; Syrian-Malabar; Syrian-Gallican; Coptic; Coptic Uniate; Anglican, Non-Celtic; Irish; Welsh; Mariavite; Old Greek Melchite (Byzantine); Old Armenian; Corporate Reunion; Chaldean Uniate; Polish National Catholic—Albanian; Liberal Catholic; African Orthodox Catholic Church; Dutch Old Catholic (Utrecht); Gallican Catholic; Italian National Catholic; Vintrasian Carmelite; Byzantine Orthodox Catholic; Brazilian National Catholic; Haitian Independent; Old Catholic Orthodox.

For example, the details of just one line of succession, that of The Roman-Old Catholic, list goes like this:

Saint Peter became Bishop of Rome in 38 AD; Peter consecrated (2) Linus in 67 AD; who in turn consecrated (3) Ancletus [Cletus] in 76 who consecrated (4) Clement in 88 who consecrated (5) Evaristus in 97 then—(6) Alexander I, 105; (7) Sixtus I, 115; (8) Telesphorus, 125; (9) Hygimus, 136; (10) Pius I, 140; (11) Anicetus, 155; (12) Soter, 166; (13) Eleutherius, 175; (14) Victor I, 189; (15) Zephyrinus, 199; (16) Callistus I, 217; (17) Urban I, 222; (18) Pontian, 230; (19) Anterus, 235; (20) Fabian, 236; (21) Cornelius, 251; (22) Lucius I, 253; (23) Stephen I, 254; (24) Sixtus II, 257; (25) Dionysius, 259; (26) Felix I, 269; (27) Eutychian, 275; (28) Caius, 283; (29) Marcellinus, 296; (30) Marcellus I, 308; (31) Eucebius, 309; (32) Melchiades [Miltiades], 311; (33) Sylvester I, 314; (34) Marcus, 336; (35) Julius I, 337; (36) Liberius, 352; (37) Damasus I, 366; (38) Siricius, 384; (39) Anastasius I, 399; (40) Innocent I, 401; (41) Zosimus, 417; (42) Boniface I, 418; (43) Celestine I, 422; (44) Sixtus III, 432; (45) Leo I, 440; (46) Hilary, 461; (47) Simplicius, 468; (48) Felix III, 483; (49) Gelasius I, 492; (50) Anastasius II, 496; (51) Symmachus, 498; (52) Hormisdus, 514; (53) John I, 523; (54) Felix IV, 526; (55) Boniface II, 530; (56) John II, 535; (57) Agapitus, 535; (58) Sylverius, 536; (59) Vigilus, 537; (60) Pelagius I, 556; (61) John III, 561; (62) Benedict I, 575; (63) Pelagius II, 579; (64) Gregory I, 590; (65) Sabinianus, 604; (66) Boniface III, 607; (67) Boniface IV, 608; (68) Deusdedit [Adeodatus I], 615; (69) Boniface V, 619; (70) Honorius, 625; (71) Severinus, 640; (72) John IV, 640; (73) Theodore I, 642; (74) Martin I, 649; (75) Eugene I, 654; (76) Vitalian, 657; (77) Adeodatus II, 672; (78) Donus, 676; (79) Agatho, 678; (80) Leo II, 682; (81) Benedict II, 684; (82) John V, 685; (83) Conon, 686; (84) Sergius I, 687; (85) John VI, 701; (86) John VII, 705; (87) Sisinnius, 708; (88) Constantine, 708; (89) Gregory II, 715 (90) Gregory III, 731; (91) Zachary, 741; (92) Stephen II, 752; (93) Paul I, 757; (94) Stephen III, 768; (95) Adrian I, 772; (96) Leo III, 795; (97) Stephan IV, 816;