So what is magick really?

[StarNumber]

I like the idea of Wicca but have a hard time understanding exactly what magic, magick, really is.

People often describe how to use magick, but is it part of the soul? Is it energy created by a person?

Does it take faith to work magick? If so, why?

Hello StarNumber

Magic is what you see on stage: pulling rabbits out of hats, sleight of hand tricks, making people disappear etc.

Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will - Aleister Crowley.

Magick does have to do with energy, as Scott Cunningham would say, there are three sources of energy: "Earth Energy, Divine Energy and Personal Energy", energy is not supernatural quite the contrary it is natural - rub your hands together and slowly move them apart, then move them closely. You will feel the energies from your palm - like a tingle sensation, as you move your hands closer together you will feel a slight resist like two magnets pushing away each other. That is what we call energy, and it is used in Magick for personal use.

Well, faith is required, if you don't believe in Magick then Magick will not work. Simple as that. Hope this answers your questions.

Quills Quiver

[Anish]

Magick is about intention. Rituals clear the mind to focus on the task and build the energy. Spells and tools used focus the mind and energy on the intention, the desired outcome. Things like charm bags and their carefully chosen contents hold the energy of the intention. If one invokes other beings to help, and this is successful, then one is making use of their energies and intentions too.

Therefore, you could say the energy is manipulated by the person with the intention of achieving the desired outcome.

It doesn't take religious faith to work magick but it does help to have the faith in believing what is being done will achieve the desired outcome. And, again, this is wrapped up in intention.

Hope that helps :-)

Blessings,
Ani

[norseman]

Firstly, there is nothing magical about magic. Put simply, it is the manipulation and direction of natural Earth energies obeying the laws of Physics. The Adept seeks to channel the energies to achieve an output. Think of the adept as a conduit, not the originator. I always refer to myself as "the fuse in the plug". Basic requirements are a sharply focussed mind. This is best achieved through a form of meditation. I use Transcendental Meditation as I was formally trained in that discipline about 40 years ago but others use drumming, dance, or complex rituals - very individual in choices. The purpose of all these methods is to achieve a certain mind-set i.e. to switch on the channel. Despite what you may read in certain books, it requires long practice and dedication. Simply reading a "spell" does not cut it. Some prefer to work solo, while others prefer to work in groups. Some have "special places", while others do not consider place to be important. Again, some think time of day/night is important, while others do not.
What I am trying to get across is that there is no single "recipe", nothing that you can pick up from a book. It requires a long apprenticeship - mine was almost 30 years long under the direction of Nature itself in the "wild places" of Northern England.

[StarNumber]

Thank you for.your replies. So if I were trying to.do some candle magick and had no success, the reason would be my lack of focus?

How would a solidary practitioner start to work a spell.such as a candle.spell? I can read up on things. But what is a good first step to learning magick? I would rather not wait 30 years for some success.

Also, some of you.defines different types of energy used for magick, but norseman says he is a conduit rather than generator of magical energy. I am not sure what to make of that.

[engellstein]

I think it's a combination of using the energy that flows through you, learning to work with it; and learning to discipline your intention, or focus you will. Which basically means you focus the energy flowing through you towards your intended goal. Idk anything about magick btw lol, but all of that is basic energy work exercises.

Think of having the intention of walking from point A to point B. You establish your will and then you push it into action. And then you start walking. You don't move each leg and arm consciously, it happens because the energy follows your intention. That's an easy example because we've all done it for years, other stuff that you're not used to you'd have to work you intention like a muscle to build it up.

[Serrao]

For success in magic one can take the elevator.
For success in magick one has to take the stairs.

Although, it is said that spiritual success is strongly related with and dependent on former incarnations.
One can master magick in a relatively short time if one was (deeply) involved in this practice in former incarnations already.

[norseman]

Originally Posted by engellstein

I think it's a combination of using the energy that flows through you, learning to work with it; and learning to discipline your intention, or focus you will. Which basically means you focus the energy flowing through you towards your intended goal. Idk anything about magick btw lol, but all of that is basic energy work exercises.

Think of having the intention of walking from point A to point B. You establish your will and then you push it into action. And then you start walking. You don't move each leg and arm consciously, it happens because the energy follows your intention. That's an easy example because we've all done it for years, other stuff that you're not used to you'd have to work you intention like a muscle to build it up.

In a nutshell ! If you can overcome the idea that magic is something supernatural, then you have a good place to begin. "Magic" as such was a talent that was relatively common in the days of our remote ancestors, one of the "soft" talents that have largely been lost - children still have it but it is knocked out of them as they grow by "education". However, it can be reclaimed if you are prepared to expose yourself to the subtle energies around you.

[Jenny Crow]

Originally Posted by StarNumber

Thank you for.your replies. So if I were trying to.do some candle magick and had no success, the reason would be my lack of focus?

How would a solidary practitioner start to work a spell.such as a candle.spell? I can read up on things. But what is a good first step to learning magick? I would rather not wait 30 years for some success.

Also, some of you.defines different types of energy used for magick, but norseman says he is a conduit rather than generator of magical energy. I am not sure what to make of that.

If your candle magic wasn't successful it could be due to your lack of focus; as well perhaps you didn't direct your will properly or perhaps you didn't use the correct oils/herbs to dress your candles; or perhaps you didn't use the proper candle colour for the type of spell you worked; or perhaps you didn't perform the spell on the correct phase of the moon.

A solitary practitioner would start to work a candle spell by choosing the right colour of candle for what is desired; choose the herbs/oils needed.Then find (or write one's own) the words or chant which will be used during the spell working.

I believe that you can be a conduit of magical energy, as Norseman says, or you can use your own energy like a generator. To understand what all that means you will have to learn a little about energy and how to work with it

[StarNumber]

Thank you again. I wish this forum had a Thank You button at the bottom of each post.

Many years ago I read a lot about Wicca and tried candle magic unsuccessfully. I even got into energy healing and had some Reiki sessions when I had a neck injury. The energy healings helped a lot but I eventually had surgery.

I have arrived to a point in my life that I want to try again. Your suggestions have been very encouraging.