Is There A Difference Between Magic and Magick?
“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” ― Roald Dahl
Magic is a word that evokes feelings of mystery, and mysticism. It is a word that is seemingly synonymous with sleight of hand, the imagery of a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, and exclaiming “Abracadabra”.
For those who are initiates to the esoteric, you may be surprised to know that there are actually two very different applications/understanding of magic. There is magic, which is based off the art of illusion (aka: the rabbit in the hat) or stage performance. Then there is “magick”, popularized by Aleister Crowley’s Thelema, which is centered around the occult practice of using ritual and ceremony to manipulate matter in conjunction with intention. Crowley defined magick specifically as “the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will”.
As we are entering the age of information, the gap between spirit and science is becoming smaller and smaller. Max Planck, the founding father of quantum theory, once stated: “All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent Mind. This Mind is the matrix of all matter”.
If we look at life in terms of day to day reality, this is our magic. The “9-5” working self is the art of our illusion on life’s stage. Meeting deadlines, quotas, paying taxes…these are the “rabbits” out of the “hat” that perpetuate the mirage.
The real, deep down, you that operates on desire, hope, and wishes is the magick. The intention you send to the universe in hopes of manifesting, is the mind operating in the matrix of matter…making magick by letting your hopes come to fruition in conjunction with will. While Crowley’s Thelemic magick revolved around a darker side of ritual, followers of The Secret are merely just cut from the lighter side of the cloth.
Magic is illusion being met with result, and magick is intention being met with matter adjusting to will. While superficially seeming one and the same, intrinsically they are very different.
To learn even more about the esoteric, be sure to visit our Esoteric Encyclopedia for more information. While the Encyclopedia is still under construction, in time we hope this will serve as a profound resource for the initiate to evolve to an adept in the arcane.
