I have a static page to cover what magic is, but I try to keep things brief on the pages and avoid rambling. Therefore I will now ramble, here in a blog post, a little more about the definition of magic.
There are Many Interpretations of and Answers to this Question.
I’ll first discard the useless definitions.
To some it is illusion and trickery. Others claim it is delusion.
Still others make it into a religion. Stopping just short of this, many people demand it (magic) be used only as a vehicle for spiritual growth.
These views may be applicable somewhere in the lexicon, and perhaps should be respected for what they are in the appropriate context. I have no use for them, however, and won’t be committing time to their curation or cultivation on this site.
We both know you came here looking for something else, and I think I can either introduce you to what you seek or facilitate a closer relationship if the two of you have met already.
(Cue music. Lights down. Midgets in fairy costumes enter stage right.)
Defining Magic
I will take liberty with some of the better definitions put forth in the past by people such as Crowley, Fortune, Regardie, and organizations like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and The Builders of the Adytum and integrate my own phrasing and clarifications. In this manner I will set out what I believe to be the three primary embodiments or applications of “magic”.
Magic as a Phenomenon
i.e. “It’s magic!”
Magic is a force or set of forces acting on reality to produce seemingly impossible or highly improbable results, or to produce results that do not fit into the normal chain of events as dictated by academic science or logic. In reality, a thing that is truly impossible cannot by definition be made to occur, even by magic, thus magic at times provides an opportunity to revisit our understanding of the possible-impossible dichotomy.
As a force or phenomenon magic is either conjured or provoked into activity by sentient beings or encountered “in the wild” as an event or factor existing independent of human or other activity. When considered as an objective reality in its own right, magic is an agent of influence and its nature is to take the path of least resistance.
This means magic will increase or decrease the odds of a thing or become a factor within the results of a situation. The presence of magical forces does not guarantee or instantly produce specific outcomes, though at times it may seem to do so.
Magic the noun, or when considered as an objectified whole, may be called the Arcanum. It is often personified through one or more forms of the Goddess, such as Hecate, Antaia, or Cerridwen.
Magic as a Practice and Application
i.e. the methodology learned and applied to direct the force(s) of magic
Magic as a pursuit and occupation can be described as an art and discipline wherein one uses modalities such as desire, intention, and visualization, alongside attributes like clarity and willpower while enacting certain methods and operations aimed at changing or preserving reality through the application of magical forces. The affect upon reality may take either subjective or objective form (in consciousness or the material world) and often manifests in both realms. The same modalities and attributes may also be utilized to gain transcendent experiences, such as premonition (knowing the future), revelation (sudden profound insight or access to secret knowledge), spirit communication (contact with beings from other dimensions) or astral projection (out-of-body travel or experiencing alternate planes of existence).
The former, or work of affecting reality, i.e. getting things done, is called practical magic. The latter practice, dealing in transcendent or mystical experiences, is known as esoteric magic.
Magic as a Utility in Your Hands
Maybe the most important definition of magic is what it is or means to you. Through your link to the Grand Arcanum, you can do considerably ore than what you may deem possible.
Healing loved ones, seeing the future, conversing with ancestors from the past, and influencing outcomes that range from contests to the weather can all be achieved through diligent practice and serious study. It will be up to you how to use whatever magic you reveal within yourself or acquire through seeking.
The best results and happiest existence emerge from being true to yourself in the deployment of magic within your life. While it is possible you understand that at this moment, it is more likely you do not yet know who you are or what you want.
One thing is certain in this regard: You will meet the real you if you stay on the path long enough. In fact, you will not proceed further than a certain point until this is done.
Leave a Reply