How's that for an ambitious heading?
Just what is magic? Ask 50 people (pagan or otherwise) and you'll probably get 50 different answers. You might hear anything from manifestations of spirit helpers from other planes to claptrap about sacrificing black cats (or worse). Aleister Crowley's famous definition is a good starting place: "Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will." The key word here, it seems to me is "Change"--note the big "C". If I decide to turn off my computer with my left hand instead of my right, the action a) involves an act of will, b) effects a change--i.e., my computer shuts down, and c) perhaps permanently changes my perception of how much I can use my left hand. But is this particular act of will constitute "Magick"?
My instinctive answer is "No." Any act of will, carrying sufficient force and followthrough can permanently alter the course of future events for more than just the self. Actions of will can impact on the lives of other persons or can leave physical manifestations which may be experienced by others at a later time. Most magickal practitioners would say that these actions can take place in "Otherworld" reality, if performed with the proper intentions and skill. But let's stick to the boring old here-and-now for a moment.
Consider a poem. Consider my poems, if you'd like (shameless plug). I put pen to paper and create. Symbols on the paper inspire images in the imagination of the reader--a new vista on this (or another) world has appeared from nothing. To say a thing is to make it real. The two most potent words we can say are "I believe". This is as true for the magician as for the method actor--and the two are not so far apart. Conviction in the ability to create what did not exist prior to the word is in my mind the essence of the magical.
And the greatest magic happens within ourselves.
Return to Nemeton index
Return to my Homepage