Lack of religion

So I'm curious I don't have any religious beliefs and I don't incorporate any spiritual or religious deities or beliefs when I'm Working. The question I would ask is do you think this is a hindrance or detriment to my effectiveness? I look forward to the debate.

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I do not believe it is a hindrance because belief is not necessary for magick. As long as you have a good head on your shoulders and a healthy philosophy concerning life in general, you should be perfectly fine. However, not incorporating spirituality does limit you, not to what you can do in the material world, but what you can do for self growth and development. Lack of belief tends to tie in with skepticism in the long run. Skepticism turns into doubt and then it goes down hill from there. Atheists that practice magick either become agnostic, spiritual, or drop magick practice altogether. You either end up finding something to believe in, or you decide it was all in your head.

Magic is a craft, not in itself a religion. So anyone can practice magic if they wish no matter whether they have a particular religion they follow or if they have no religion at all. Think of it this way, does a carpenter or truck driver have to be religious in order to do their job? Nope, they don't. Same thing for a magic user.

Certainly it is true that there are some religions, such as Wicca, where the practice of magic is linked with a religious practice. But the actual practice of magic is not limited in any way to those who practice such religions. If you're an atheist or an agnostic or a secular humanist magic should still work for you.

Thank you lark! That's exactly how I was raised although more as an Art as in music or painting but still the same principle. However I constantly get either accused of not wing serious or pity because I "just don't understand". Now I'll admit both normally come from people much younger than I however I was and still am curious as to the reasons for these reactions. Thank you also to whiterav3n for your insight I can see how one could backslide into that mindset luckily I know how amazing I am so hopefully I will avoid that particular trap. :-)

The craft is about the connections you make and your ability to work with those connections. Most religions incorporate magical workings into their practice. Your "religion" will influences your practice due to the morals and ethics you have but it does not control or is a requirement to practice the art of casting. A spell is a type of prayer but not every prayer is a spell. Prayer is also a form of spirit communication which many list as a magical practice but not all spirit communication is prayer. Religion is a choice to add in, not a requirement.

A truck driver may utilize "religion" in his work when he almost gets into an accident but the religion is not required to drive the truck.

Those who tell you you have to incorporate religion into your craft usually don't have enough experience, knowledge, or understanding of how the craft works and rely solely on the belief that faith is all it takes.

I have no religion at all! But I do still have a "spiritual" side to my nature. I still acknowledge the two givers of Life, Sun and Moon, and refer to them as My Lord and My Lady, as I was taught; although I do not exactly "worship" them.

Depends on the practice and the view of the person. Some workers see doing hoodoo without the Christian God and the Bible is a hindrance because it leaves a large chunk out of the practice, mostly leaving rootwork. I honestly think it depends on the tradition being practiced whether a relationship with a God is important to learning and practicing the "craft."

What I consider "modern magic" though, no. There is no need for any affiliations. Just like there is no need for correspondences of days, numbers, tools, moon phases, or anything. Its about the practitioner having confidence and knowing how magic works.

With the conclusions I've come to over time I see magick as a science now. I believe in spirits but this is because I have grown up encountering them due to a somewhat odd way of thought. I have no real religion in the sense that I don't worship anything really but instead prefer to use the spirits that most identify with my goal or who are willing to help me. Sort of like singing into a microphone to increase your volume. I see magick as a beneficial process for both us and the spirit as I believe they derive their energy from spiritual energy which can come in many forms including just acknowledging their existence. By giving them energy and power and the practitioner using their help we both benefit.

Woah I skip a day and look what I've got! Hopefully all the moderator attention is good! :-P

I also have no religion, but I can see where "hoodoo" could suffer luckily I dont practice a religious based magic so no problems there. I don't know if I would agree as magic being defined as a science. In science like math things either work or don't. Where as in magic I would argue that not only do you at best hvr a limited understanding of what's involved but the effects can be varying an surprising. Example: casting the exact same spell at two seperate occasions can give you two different results even if you cast them identically. However if you mix identical amounts of baking soda and vinager you'll get the same response both times. Also though this may sound odd as I'm professing my lack of religion but science to me anyways seems soulless. I actually am a sort of scientist and at work I enjoy what I do but it doesnt compare to the total mind/body joy I get from magic.

I'm also without religion. I have been informed by this thread thank you.