Magick
Magick
Magic, from Wikipedia:
Wiccans believe in magic that can be manipulated through the form of witchcraft or sorcery. Some spell it as “magick”, a term coined by occultist Aleister Crowley, though this spelling is more commonly associated with the religion of Thelema than Wicca. Wiccans cast spells during ritual practices inside a sacred circle, in an attempt to bring about real changes (which are further explained in the “Ritual practices” section). Common Wiccan spells include those used for healing, for love, for fertility, or to banish negative influences.[29]
Many Wiccans agree with the definition of magic offered by ceremonial magicians.[30] Aleister Crowley, for instance, declared that magic was “the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will”, and MacGregor Mathers stated that it was “the science of the control of the secret forces of nature”.[30] Wiccans believe magic to be a law of nature, as yet misunderstood by contemporary science.[30] Other Wiccans do not claim to know how magic works, merely believing that it does because they have seen it work for them.[27]
Many early Wiccans, such as Alex Sanders and Doreen Valiente, referred to their own magic as “white magic”, which contrasted with “black magic”, which they associated with evil and Satanism. Some modern Wiccans however have stopped using this terminology, arguing that the colour black should not have any associations with evil.[31]
The scholars of religion, Rodney Stark and William Bainbridge, claimed, in 1985, that Wicca had “reacted to secularization by a headlong plunge back into magic” and that it was a reactionary religion which would soon die out. This view was heavily criticised in 1999 by the historian Ronald Hutton, who claimed that the evidence displayed the very opposite, that “a large number [of Wiccans] were in jobs at the cutting edge [of scientific culture], such as computer technology.”[27]
Some references:
Hutton, Ronald (1999). Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Withcraft. Oxford University Press. Page 392
Farrar, Stewart. What Witches Do. pp. 88.
Gallagher, Ann-Marie (2005). The Wicca Bible. Godsfield. pp. 250 to 265.
Valiente, Doreen (1973). An ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present. Hale. pp. 231.
Gallagher, Ann-Marie (2005). The Wicca Bible. Godsfield. pp. 321.
