An Opinion on Magick^[credits]

by Steve Caldwell

When I decided to write an article on magick I didn’t quite foresee what a difficult subject it was to write about. Magick, (real magick, not the tricks that David Copperfield does) is still considered to be somewhat of a taboo subject. Even in this enlightened and supposedly free country, those who practice the ancient arts are ridiculed and persecuted.

I’ve been a practicing mage for about eleven years. I however am not going to sit here and pretend that I know all there is on the subject. Indeed I’m sure there are a great many persons that know more on the subject and would even debate on what I’m going to write. I welcome the alternate views.

I started practicing magick when a friend gave me a copy of a book on cabbalah. Cabbalah, sometimes called high magick, or sorcery, is a very beautiful practice. It is thick with ceremony, symbolism and tradition. Cabbalah has its roots in Hebrew and Jewish origins, and is still practiced in one form by Jewish priests. Since Cabbalah has been practiced by the Jewish people for three thousand years it makes me wonder as to the origins of Christianity.

I started practicing Wicca a short time later when I realized I didn’t have time for long ceremonies and elaborate costumes.

Wicca, or witchcraft has its roots in central Europe. Wicca is a much more fluid practice and is geared toward more earthly and creative persons.

Magick is the system by which we make our wishes come true. I have practiced both these forms and can tell you without a doubt: Magick works.

My question is: Why?

Why does it work?

Shortly after I began practicing I started to ask myself this question. I have come up with what I believe is a plausible theory.

Magick works because of our karma. And magick also fails because of our karma.

Which leads me to this hypothesis: karma means; what we do comes back to us which means; what comes around goes around which means; cause and effect which means; to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Magick and science are two sides of the same coin.

In science and physics all things follow principal laws that are constant and unchanging. In magick and metaphysics it does seem logical that all things must follow some similar constant laws.

What are these laws? Beats me. But I think I am on the right track.

Speaking from personal experience, I do know that it has something to do with the sub-conscience and emotions. From time to time when I am in the proper mood I have been able to affect the weather, traffic lights, music, and other peoples reactions to certain situations. I have even been able to make more physical changes such as the color of my eyes is now green where they have been brown since I was born.

Did I use magick? Yes. Did I use spells and ceremonies? No.

Since I began to examine and understand the workings of magick, I began to realize that the traditional rituals were less important than the emotions that were stirred in the process. In this way I have been able to make magick part of my everyday life instead of just ‘something to do when the moon is full’.

The ‘new agers’ would say that this is merely a psychic manifestation and isn’t really magick in the true sense of the word. Well they’re right it is a psychic manifestation, a natural (albeit poorly developed) ability of the human brain. But as I have already stated this scientific ability is also simultaneously magick.

I have began to take note as to which emotions create which effect, i.e.; joy will allow a small effect on the wind; anger will allow some control over fire, etc. I don’t know what all the keys are but I am still working on the subject.

There is a lot of ground to cover in this matter and I am only one man, so I hope I have inspired one of you readers to explore the possibilities. I would love to here from anyone with similar or even dis-similar views.