We don't seem to have a whole lot of discussion going on in the public forums as of late, so I thought this might be a fun way to get one going!
Quotes on Magic:
"Making something happen that you want to happen." - Raymond Buckland.
"The science or art of causing change to occur in conformity with will."- Aleister Crowley.
"The projection of natural energies to produce needed effects."- Scott Cunningham.
Scott Cunningham also said that: Magic is hidden; unseen, secret. It is known only to practitioners. It is not supernatural, but natural in nature. How it works may not necessarily be known or understood but that doesn't mean it does not exist.
"Magic in its purest form consists of a dialogue between Earth and yourself, a dialogue whereby you are able to express your desires, receive and recognize a response and are able to make your wishes and desires come true." - exert from Pure Magic: A Complete Course in Spellcasting by Judika Illes.
References for Quotes:
The Witch Book: The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Wicca, and Neo-Paganism. ~ Written by Raymond Buckland.
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. ~ Written by Scott Cunningham.
Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner ~ Written by Scott Cunningham.
Pure Magic: A Complete Course in Spellcasting by Judika Illes.
As you can see from the quotes and such listed above, how we view and interpret magic, even how we practice or utilize it, seems to be very unique to the individual, path, etc. Even though some basic principles of casting and such seem to be similar.With all that in mind, I would like to use this thread as a place for us to share our own beliefs on magic.
Keep in mind there is no right or wrong answer here, this is to share our own personal views and perhaps learn a bit more about how magical practices plays a part in not only our lives but others that practice as well.
So, I will go first.
To me, magic is energy. It is an unseen, untapped form of natural, spiritual energy that flows within us and around us. Through it, by working with it and connecting to these energies, we are able to better understand ourselves and the energy within others and the world around us.
Magic to me is a process of recognizing the little kinks in reality and incorporating it into your daily life, much like how someone understands that walking in tall grass with shorts on is going to be itchy - so you do something about it and you either walk somewhere else, forge your own path through the tall grass, or learn to wear pants next time.
I've built entire cosmological models based on what I've learned from other people and what I see as well as how I fit things in together. I've got the physical plane, then I've got various subtle planes and an understanding of a Nether/Void/What have you. Each "place" spiritually speaking is a realm in the subtle planes and might have overlapping physical correspondences I call resonance spots. Much of my magical practice involves recognizing and interacting with these spots.
For me, things like Omnitheism, Sympathetic Magic, Subtle Body Theory, and plenty of others all click with each other because they describe different aspects of "reality" - all I do is record what I recognize as I go about my day.
To me, magic is the changing of your world view to bring change in the external world. This can be done with ritual, meditation, dance, etc. etc. If you accept the idea that this external world is essentially illusion (as put forth by Vedic thought) as an illusion it has an unlimited number of possibilities.
See the first axiom of magic:
The world we perceive is actually a mixture of the nominal world (the Tao, the objective reality that is unknowable but which underlies all that we think we know) and ourselves (the subjective). Changing your worldview does not change the eternal, real world, but it does change the world you perceive. That is, changing your worldview makes real changes in the world which is real to us. (see VII: Law of Reflections) Because there are an infinite number of ways to perceive the world, there are also an infinite number of worlds we may assemble without awareness. The true underlying reality is unknowable to us as long as we retain our worldview of separateness and self. You can become one with the universe but you cannot step back and observe it, because you are in it. You cannot observe a phenomenon without altering it by your mode of perception. There is no such thing as an independent observer. You participate in creating the world by perceiving it.
See: http://www.angelfire.com/de/poetry/BOS/Axioms.html for more info.
For me magic , real magic , is just the programming language of creation , the language that allows one to shape energy , transform it or solidified it into matter , magic is occult to the most of us just because we don't know the language and I don't think a simple human can ever master it , to much information.Magic is not supernatural , it's the building blocks of everything , this universe and reality and then some. Science slowly shows that there is a lot more out there that we don't truly understand , especially quantum physics .
Then there is the subtle magic ,the magic of our own reality , and hence our reality is a part of the macro reality , we can affect change , some people are doing it without even knowing.
The greatest wizards or witches to ever walk this earth were using a little of both .
Subtle magic has limits because we believe they exist , every spell cast , everything we want , we must first convince ourselves that we must , we need , we can , before it can take affect ,hence the limits , our limits.
Real magic has no limits , in this reality and universe it only respects the laws of physics , which are part if it , hence even those can be altered , but from the extremely little i know , we only have access to a tiny fragment of fragment of real knowledge , the Magnum Opus , the tools of creation. I do think there are some out there in the world we can actually use it , real magic , and they are basically gods.
This is just my opinion , originated from intuition , hunch , common sense , and a search for the truth.
For me, magic is the beauty in the world. It is also the art of using energy to complete your will. Magic is the extra energy that lies within everyone and everything, inanimate or living. I agree that the majority in the world is untapped but when you tap into a small amount, you tap into magic. Going through a walk in the forest during autumn is magic. Watching as the falling leaves catch the wind, and the smells abound.
Magic is also life itself, I think. Magic is everywhere and everything because energy is everywhere and everything. It's within us, waiting to be acknowledged, no different than sciences that have been acknowledged in the last century that was considered hog-wash two hundred years ago. Magic is also the subtle change in the world. Magic is everything to me.
