Magick

(Revision as of 03:55, 24 Oct 2004)

In the broadest sense, Magick is any act designed to cause intentional change. This term is often spelled with a terminal "k" to differentiate it from other practices, such as "stage magic". Magick is not capable of producing "miracles" or violating the physical laws of the universe (i.e. it cannot cause a solar eclipse), although "it is theoretically possible to cause in any object any change of which that object is capable by nature" (Book 4). Aleister Crowley saw magick as the essential method for a person to reach true understanding of the self and to act according to one's True Will. Crowley describes this process:

One must find out for oneself, and make sure beyond doubt, "who" one is, "what" one is, "why" one is...Being thus conscious of the proper course to pursue, the next thing is to understand the conditions necessary to following it out. After that, one must eliminate from oneself every element alien or hostile to success, and develop those parts of oneself which are specially needed to control the aforesaid conditions. (Book 4)

Crowley also provides us with some fundamental statements about the nature of magick (also from Book 4):

"Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will"
"Every intentional (Willed) act is a Magical act."
"Magick is the Science of understanding oneself and one's conditions. It is the Art of applying that understanding in action."

For Crowley, the practice of magick—although it equally applies to mundane things, like balancing the checkbook—is essentially to be used for attaining the Knowledge and Conversation of one's Holy Guardian Angel. Since achieving this state with one's 'Silent Self' can be extremely arduous, magick can be used not only to reach that particular goal, but to clear the way for it as well. For example, if one needed a particular dwelling to perform the operation, one could use magick to obtain a suitable home. Crowley stated that magick that did not have one of these goals as its aim was 'Black Magick' and should be avoided.

Table of contents

1 Traditional definitions

2 Modern definitions

3 Magick as ritual

4 Systems of magick

5 History of Western Magick

6 References

Traditional definitions

King Solomon, in his Lesser Key of the Goetia, says:

"Magic is the Highest, most Absolute, and most Divine Knowledge of Natural Philosophy, advanced in its works and wonderful operations by a right understanding of the inward and occult virtue of things; so that true Agents being applied to proper Patients, strange and admirable effects will thereby be produced. Whence magicians are profound and diligent searchers into Nature; they, because of their skill, know how to anticipate an effect, the which to the vulgar shall seem to be a miracle."

Modern definitions

In The Magick of Thelema, Lon Milo DuQuette expands on Crowley's definition of magick by saying that "conversely, any unwilled action is an unmagical act: reaching for a cigarette; ordering that fourth Martini; or any habitual or reactive behavior that overrides the momentum of one's life focus." He goes on to say that "magick also postulates a universal order—call it God, Nature, the Supreme Being, the Grand Architect of the Universe, the Tao, or just the-way-things-are. But the Magician knows that the pure Will of every man and every woman is already in perfect harmony with the divine Will; in fact they are one and the same. It is the Magician's Great Work to endeavor to remove the obsticles that hinder his or her perfect realization of that Will and then proceed to exicute it."

Magick as ritual

Besides those willed acts that are of a mundane kind, such as balancing checkbooks, many instances of applied magick involve the use of rituals. Most magical rituals involve work with non-human beings (generally gods, but also demons, spirits, saints, Loa, etc.) and/or achieving non-normal psychological states (such as trance). There are many different purposes for conducting a magical ritual, including:

Systems of magick

Almost all cultures have developed some form of magic, although definitions and purposes have been highly variable. There is evidence of sophiticated systems of magic in many ancient civilizations, including the Greeks, Chinese, Egyptians, Jews, and even Christians. The following list includes systems of magick that are relatively modern, even if they have their roots in ancient systems.

History of Western Magick

...Someone please write this...

References

Crowley, Aleister. (1997). Magick: Book 4. 2nd ed. York Beach, Me. : S. Weiser.
DuQuette, Lon Milo. (1993). The Magick of Thelema. York Beach, Me. : S. Weiser.

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