Crystal
Magick
Crystal writes "I think that magick tends to be a greatly misunderstood subject on the whole. This is designed to give people with little to no familiarity with magick a crash course.
1) Defining Magick
Before we study something, we must first understand what it is. I've seen a few definitions in existence, and a bit of variety exists among them. Occult writer Bonewits refers to it as "a combination of an art and science that is designed to enable people to make effective use of their psychic talents." To use science means to make use of known facts, procedure, the scientific method. Art has interesting implications to it- creation, personalization, expression. So according to Bonewits we now have the combination of what is known, and the intuition. In the latter part of the definition, note the phrase 'effective use'. The 'psychic talents' are used not accidentally therefore, but focused with direction and purpose.
The most commonly found (although not necessarily the best) definition was quoted by Aleister Crowley: "the Art and Science of causing changes to occur in conformity with Will." Some people I've come across will swear by this definition, others scorn it. Crowley's definition essentially defines magick as the ability to cause changes, then. We are able to do so in our everyday lives- in fact, that links in closely with the FO concept of action over reaction. That isn't magick so much as the ability to control our environment through daily means.
The definition I've come to know is somewhere in the combinationof other people?s definitions, and the one I?ve come to through my own trial and error. Magick is the ability to change one's environment, yes. But that comes from knowing one's environment, and from knowing the self. It is related to knowing how to use ordinary techniques to lead a life of action. And knowing the world around you may not always be what it appears. It is, to me, a sense of understanding- and the ability to take that understanding to the places that one may choose.
2) How does it work?
Successful magick depends on some strange mix of spontanuity, ritual, creativity, knowledge, intuition, intelligence, ego and humility. It takes a tremendous amount of willpower at times. Perhaps most importantly, it takes a knowledge of the self and a belief of what is possible once the proper will is focused.
A great deal of mythology surrounds the area of magick, and probably a large amount of stereotypes as well. Perhaps images of people engaged in hours of ritual, or young teenagers toting their very own set of ancient Tarot cards, have given it an interesting name.
There are a great deal of magickal systems and techniques in existence, and most of them will work if the user is right. Spells and rituals are among the more common techniques. Yes, spells can work. At times. But there is nothing magick about the spell itself. There is no special word to utter, no special Divinity to appeal to, no gem or candle which will make things turn out just as you like. The spell's purpose is to cause a person's conscience thought to focus into action, to help focus their energies into the desired purpose. This is why some magick users need hours of pomp and circumstance, and others are perfectly happy working impromtu. No one type is superior. It all depends on the user and how easily he or she is able to focus their will and energy.
Doing so is the same purpose behind techniques such as certain forms of meditation, dancing, drumming, chanting etc. These are all things used, and not one is truly necessary. They serve only to get us into the right frame of mind. The same goes for various 'ritual clothing'. To some, putting on a robe is the equivalent of a martial arts student putting on a gi. It gets the mind out of the mundane mode, and more set on whatever it's concentration is about to be. Finding what's right for you is just a matter of trying a few different things and seeing what fits, and how much is necessary for you to be able to focus correctly on whatever it is you're doing.
3) The ego
Based on what's been said, it can therefore be assumed one needs to have a decently healthy ego in order to make magick successful. Simply put: don't say 'can't'. If you don't think you have the ability, you don't. It's simple as that. Magick requires not only a knowledge of oneself, one's goals, strengths and weaknesses- it requires a belief in oneself as well.
An interesting side-note on the area of the ego is the placebo effect. If enough people believe you're capable of something, they'll still feel the effects. Perhaps that's one of the reasons various forms of healing, such as Reiki work. But so long as the person feels better in the end, does it truly matter if it was the result of a placebo or not? (On the otherhand, I've also done healings and not told the person, and had them swear the next day that they felt mysteriously better. So I doubt that entire area is placebo.) Frankly, placebos can be just as effective as ?the real thing?, and just as useful. In many cases, a person?s own mind will create an effect even stronger then what your desired one would have been.
For instance, my 13-year old cousin Erica recently was looking for a way to make two girls in school stop teasing her. She told them she was a witch and then proceeded to ?put a curse on them.? The girls came in the next day hysterical, thinking they were cursed and swearing they felt ill. In reality, all Erica did was lower her voice and mumble some random phrases under her breath. But the girls were so convinced by her little performance, they became positive they were cursed. Thus, they left her alone, and she was quite successful as a result of the good old placebo.
4) Getting started
Where does the beginner start who's interested in magick? Read read read read read! And then read some more! Read everything you can get your hands on- Wicca and Paganism, Shamanism, healing, divination, hauntings, ESP, dreams, astral projection, TK, telepathy. Then read the stuff you wouldn't think to, such as mythology, theology and psychology. Know your world, what's going on in it, why people act and react the way they do. Learn about your mind. You?re going to have to put up with it for many years, you might as well. Meditate. Learn to focus. Know your energies. Feel. Stop to think.
Studying magick does not require a specific religion. You do not need to be a certain religion to learn about, or practice it (although there are a few religions out there which frown on studies of this type, or at least participation). What I?m saying is, you don?t need to worship Gaia and dance naked under the full moon in order to become excellent in the area (though that dancing naked thing can be a blast ;)).
But be sure to learn the basics before you start, and to know for sure it?s an area you?re interested in and one you can handle. Know you can make that committment. Once you learn to bend your perceptions of reality, they can bend a whole lot more then you?re comfortable with.