Who were the magians of ancient Persia? Thhe PJ does a good job explaining these Zoroastrian religious officiants. (They've also got a great biography of the first Zoroastrian ruler, Atossa) Zoroastrianism, of course, is one of the world's most ancient religions still practiced today, but might not be with us for very much longer.

Interested in the connection of magick and language? Here's a terrific collection of essays on the relationship of words to magick.
Another endangered sect, the Yezidis of Iraq, suffered a loss today when three Yezidi Kurds were beheaded by extremists in Mosul.