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Im not wicca im not a warlock so im wondering what is the difference between Magic and an illusion?

Illusion is something that fools your eyes like a "magic trick" Its not really magic more of a trick, fooling the humans eyes.

Magic is something that is a lot deeper and is not like a poof here is a dollar, more for healing and cursing.

The difference depends, if you're talking about the kind of magic you see in magic shows than there is no difference but if you're talking about magic (or magick as you'll often see it) that is practiced in Wicca and similar religions than the difference is much bigger. An illusion is just what it says and the magic performed in religion is not. If you really want an understanding of the difference I'd suggest researching Wicca or a similar religion.

In a lot of ways they are the same. That is when you go to a show Magic is a form of Illusion the performer is trying to trick you into believing whats happening is real.

The Magic as in spells etc is totally different it is someone trying to make something happen by the use of words or such to make something better or worse in some cases.

Illusions are somethings that you see but are really not there

Magic is what most people can see

Magic is real with real consequinces, illussions are simple tricks, that the eye does not catch.

Illusions are generally false impressions used to trick or entertain others.

Magic used in a spiritual manner such as spells or rituals has nothing to do with illusions, think of it more in the way of prayer. My opinion at least.

Magic as in Wicca is from within you.

Illusions, like "magicians" do is mostly slight of hand type trickery.

True magic as with Wicca is religious and from deep within the person who is practicing it.

Hope that this helps, even though it is almost the same as everyone else's replies on here.

well, real magic cant be explained half the time. an illusion is a misleading, getting people to believe that you have performed magic. magic just is.

Illusions are what you see when magic is done well.

magic is not what it is , but what it appears to be.

Magik is craft with ritual and study.

An illusion is a trick and magic is real to make things happen

yet you never see magic.. completely see magic it is the resulting illusion that you see. a false perception crafted by magic.

well the difference is pretty obvious but yeah magic must be real cuz someone sure cursed me V_V

Magic and Illusion are different but they are also connected in a way.

So many people miss the point of illusion. Sure, it is good entertainment and all but there is a lot more to it, if you want to take something away from the experience that is.

I find it incredibly strange how someone can be moved so deeply by seeing a bad musician play and yet totally dismiss what a good magician does as sleight of hand or "trickery." Being fooled isn't the point.

Its the emotion, the feeling and the metaphor of the "trick" that you are really supposed to grasp. It's not about where the coin went, how the lady was sawed in half, or any of that other stuff. Its all about that wow/awe factor.

THAT is where the magic in illusion lies. That is whats worth seeking. It's not a puzzle to be solved but a moment to be enjoyed and savored.

Moving on...

There are always exceptions to the rule though. People who portray these illusions as reality are horrible people. They pray on your wallet and attention. They feel content and smug convincing you that you have talked to you dead grandmother or found some spiritual enlightenment. These people are all around you. I am not saying that everyone is a charlatan, but a large percentage of them are. Some even "tip their mitts" to magicians so we can employ the methods.

So, there you have it. The two sides of the coin from someone who enjoys making people savor the moment of wonder, with no ill will intended.

♠ JS ♠

and I will stand up for the charlatans .. but only if they pay me my hush money.. hehe you know the investigative industry is crammed with guys working for such charlatans, but then the person they "investigated for the medium/psychic comes in for fraud inquiries.. Such hacks don't want people to question motive. Entertaining is one thing a good magician, is good enough to perform in front of an expecting audience, a medium/psychic performs to a blinded selection of people, people preconditioned by attached claims to such supernatural connection.

It is how bubbles blown into the face of a sitter become spirits touching them, and static charges are "oppressive spirits" being drawn from you.
Vantiliquism is channaling voices. to be astonished is one thing we all like but to build a core belief on something that stands a greater chance of being fraud then "genuine.. provable". Illusions are harder to let go of then one would think. Magic takes study and practice, part theatrics, part ritual, and part commitment.

As a group of friends gathering after mourning, a seance' can be a social
enriching event. common back in parlors, yet as the radio and ciniama came to being those that study the sly craft

Magick is transformation through an action or effort undertaken because of a personal need to effect change.

Illusion is the act of deception used to convince one they are seeing something that is not true.


PS Warlock is a dirty word to true magick users.

illusion an act? allusion can be found in acting but illusion is created by tricking perspective. What you see is the illusion. What alludes to the illusion is the act or performance.

Magik is metaphysical based craft, dealing with nonphysical energies.

There IS a happy middle ground that can be met between charlatan and illusionist. You can perform for the unsuspecting with nothing but good intentions. Its just a fairly rare thing. Some call it street magic and some call it busking (a more common phrase around Europe.) Neither is entirely accurate though.

The term street magic implies that it is just that and can only be done on the street, which just isn't so. On the other hand busking is usually only done on the street or festival settings AND done for money in a "pass the hat" type situation. So there is no term for the in between that I'm aware of.

♠ JS ♠

Sir Dabbler, the greatest illusions were cast by using a battalion of armored cavalry to deceive Nazis into thinking a division held the battle line. It was a great "act" of deception.

illusion are not physical, deception/misdirection/actual actors performing as soldiers that is theatric action you are right. That is the foundation for an illusion to appear, the illusion that in the case you speak of appeared as a scary move by an enemy. The illusion is the "product" of a magical act.

Dear sir, you are splitting hairs on the scale under which the illusion was portrayed as the stage was Europe and not a theater. I am certain Operation Barclay was quite magical in its deception to Nazi Germany.

Magick is a change caused through an effort generally though energy transference as many of our magick users would say. I am not disagreeing with my definition but possibly wording it differently.

yes they created an illusion, they did not act illusion, they acted in guile.

Illusion is simply manipulating the way our brains process data in conjunction with the psychological setting controlled by the illusionist. For example, causing flamboyant motions with his left hand so that the audience no longer processes the activities of the right.

Magic, some would say, is the intermingling of all facets of death, life, especially nature and an almost scientific faith that does occasionally yield results.

I prefer to look at it from a more subjective standpoint: Reality .vs. Illusion.

If something can be done with relative ease to an observer, then by all means, it is reality. Whether or not the action in question is some kind of trick is almost non-sequitir. It's just a matter of belief in the idea or action that makes it a reality.

Illusions on the other hand, are something that is entirely false and can never be achieved. However, what makes an illusion an illusion and instead something else entirely is the insistence that whatever is in question does indeed exist or can happen.

Ultimately, a blending of these two things which results in a 50-50 ratio is merely Fantasy. While something as simple as The French Drop is indeed a trick, the coin is still there. The perfect blend of these two things result in perplexity to the bystander, regardless of how much one would like to believe that the object did indeed vanish without a trace.

So is that to say that a trick is nothing more than an illusion? Or perhaps that a trick is reality. Depending on who is involved, the answer will always vary. Just keep in mind that while the unexplained does happen, that there is always some ratio of Reality .vs. Illusion. Whether that ratio is a 100:0 or 1:99 is inconsequential. What matters is how much you know.

both are very similar in the fact that they are used to trick ppl into believing something is happening.

It is also true that when you go to a magic show in fact it is really an illusion, the person is using tricks to make you believe they are performing something magic but it is merely a trick to the eye.

Real magic is something someone does that isnt a trick to the eye.

An illusion is something that isn't real.
Like a trick, because a trick is...well, tricking you. It's not real.

Real magic, usually isn't that flashy, like a magic trick is. It's real.

An illusion is a sliught of hand, a trick of the eye, sometimes even a trick of the mind. Magick is all around you. It's an energy field that is connected to everything and everyone, even though you can't see it. But magick can also have a cause and effect, where an illusion is basically a...crowd pleasure...i guess you could say.

magic is something you can see but an illussion is something that you think you see but aiant really there .

well said and defined Idbeholda , Magic Vs Illusion is sort of like saying artificial flavoring verses color adative yea something may appear to be red but does it taste like a cherry or strawberry, one person may try it and agree that it is but they are witnessing an illusion
prepared with props , food coloring and arificial flavoring.

one is real the other fake .

First off, the french drop that was mentioned is NOT a trick, it is a sleight and just a means to an end. Much as a wither vanish or other "moves" might be.

The magic IN illusion lies in the conviction of the person witnessing the event. Its not intended to be a puzzle to be put together so you can feel smug about yourself and think you are in the know. The deisred result is to capture the feeling of the impossible not to actually do something impossible. Its not about the mechanics. Its about the feeling associated with seeing impossible things. There is no point in disecting or reverse engineering these things. It goes against the entier purpose it was set out to achieve.

Illusion poses as magic :)

To many people cling to illusions, because it is what they want to see, very few want to study or accept the magic that made the illusion appear. They only want to see the illusion created. so they can be astonished or show others so they can be astonished together.

We all want to learn a trick, we all want to be tricked, some want to learn to trick others others just want to say I know how you where tricked, and still others even after learning a trick cling to the illusion...

I'LLusion
fades
Away
With
A
Yawn

Once you study and learn the secrets you are on a different side of the "game." It becomes very different from your perspective. Most people simply wouldn't be happy once ther were on the other side. Its just the way it is.

illusion is fake well i don't believe in magic either.i think its up to the person.if you think its real you will see signs that it works.

an illusion is also often used to entertain people.

Magic is real. Illusion is just showy stuff. Mainly visual trickery such as making things look like they've vanished when they're just covered or hidden.

yes, illusion is an eye trick to fool people
magic or magick as some spell it is real

although you can you magic to fool people too

magic is usually the illusion kind you speak of, rabbits out of a hat, card tricks, etc.
Magicks are spell casting, healing ,etc.

magic is the real deal...
and illusion is a trick that appear to the audience as magic...

well stated^ the performance is billed as a magic act.. the illusion is what is created, by the act of magic.

Argeeing with Jackofspades on this one. Both are connected in various ways.

From my own personal view both are the same if one is open minded enough to pay attention to the things that are within the heart and soul.

I would have to agree with all the thread postining here for this particular question terror. People that already answered you were quicker then i

magic is something you can not explain but illusions can always be explained.

Magic is when I had money being deposited into my bank account.

Illusion is when I thought that money was there when muh ex actually took it all.

Jokes on me!!! WooHoo!

Illusion is something someone tries to make you belive
Magic is something you can feel

ok umm and illusion is not real magick it is fake when something disapears it is smoke and mirrors theres always a trapped door now when it comes to magic spell tossing and witchcraft there is concequences things that can go wrong that can be harmful to u and the ppl u love if things are done incorrectly.

magic is better

An illusion is merely something you are shown, but it doesn't exist...but it is presented well enough to convince your brain that it does exist.

Magic is the art of performing those illusions.

Thats his answer and he will Stick to it..

That is why I am called Stikki.

No magic performed...no frills...no spills.

There is a difference, as I have observed above, between magic and magik.

i agree with darkicewolf. illusion is simply fooling perception. magic is actually doing something, not just making it seem like you did something

an illusion is when the hand is quicker than your eyes.

Waxer - How so can you not see magick ?

Anywho ...


An illusion is something that isn't real. When your mind gets a trick played on it or pays one on you.

I believen an illusion or "magic trick" is simply performed to entertain people or to fool them into believing something happened when nothing truly supernatural is happening.

Magic, I think is a belief system, something that can be used/harnessed to bring about change in someone's life whether it's negative (like a curse) or positive (like a blessing). Just depends on what you believe I guess.

magic and illusion in entertainment is simular magic is slight of hand, card tricks, ropes and linking chains etc. . . .Illusions are usually bigger tricks thats fool the mind and make you percieve the impossible is real...sawing in half, levitation, making big things cars, planes, etc disappear. . . , Magick/witchcraft is more knowledge of things words, herbs, etc. that can produce desired effects...healing, sickness, etc.

illusions are something unreal/untrue its a mind game.... magick to me is when you feel and believe strongly in what you are practicing. i feel that magick comes to you.. when you are creating magick with spells, herbs,candles insence ect ect you make /create that magick and make it real.. thats as best that i can say it

well this is a thread which I think I will enjoy.

Illusionary magic or magician's magic is sleight of hand making you think you saw something when you did not in fact.
A elephant disappearing behind a drop curtain with people in the audience and later its found it was done with simple mirror angling.

or another prime example sawing a person in half they cut them in half and move things around the toes still moving and the head moving no pain then put back together and them be in one piece no blood no shredded organs. then finding out there was a second person in the second half of the box.


Magik whether it be witches warlocks vampires or what ever you claim to be or believe or don't.

This would constitute say the old witches flying spell you take a infants fat cook it and cover yourself in it say some words and you can fly like the wind(obviously I am not going to say how to do this cause we wouldnt want someone to try) However there would be those trying to find the gimmick that this was done with and learning it was done naturally.

A better example would be a shaman for a indian tribe doing a rain dance ritual so his people will have good crops.
Many a time whether it be by luck or by something supernatural most shaman after performing this would be showered with profitable rain.
again no tricks to do this something mysterious truly would happen.

Illusions are somethings that you see but are really not there

Illusions are a trick on your mind, making you see what the illusionist wishes you to see.

Magic is totally different, It has to do with spells, healing and the power of believing in things.

Morbid is right it's what you believe. Magic, spells, hexes, curses only work if the reciever believes one is placed on them. Like hypnosis, it can't make anyone do anything that wouldn't normally be thinking or do.

an illusion is where some one has you think soe thing then your eyes and mind trick you magic how ever come from the heart not the mind and you cant see it

I beg to differ with whoever said that you can't feel illusion. The whole idea is to get an emotional responce. Thats a feeling if you ask me.

illusion is real magic is real to those who believe it is

What do you mean, illusions are real, Hooded?

well magic can psyical hurt some 1 or change somethin and an illusion jus messes wit wat some 1 sees or feels

what if magic is the greatest illusion of all? not to mention prayer.

Illusion is fake and is soly meant to trick the eyes into believing something that isnt real.

Magic(k) however is real and is much deeper then and Illusion but does not happen in one split second which is common in illusions.

I have NEVER seen any results to so called real magic. Its a load of pooey if you ask me. Dance around your alters, speak gibberish, and convince yourself something worthwhile happened. I have never seen anything happen afterword that was anything more delusion. You might as well take a suger pill and cure cancer while you are at it.

jackofspades: mass hysteria is a real condition. that my friend is not an illusion.

Dragonfly -


Aren't illusions actually meant to trick the mind?

Illusion is fake magic.

"magic" or illusions are fake, card and mirrors, etc.
"magick" are spells, energy manipulation,etc.

Well maybe illusions are used to get an emotional response, to surpirse, shock, and entertain people...but it's still not what most people would consider real magic. No matter if you believe it's real or not, there's always a way to explain how an illusion was performed.

Real magic...well maybe it's just something that people believe in, like something they can have faith in, maybe nothing actually happens after they perform a spell (they, meaning the people who practice magic), I kind of believe that maybe it is just something that people believe in and nothing more.

Noc -



Can't magic and magick be considered the same thing?

I have always considered it to mean the same thing, kind of like vampire and vampyre...I have always thought it was just two ways of spelling the same word.

As have I. I honestly don't see any difference between them aside from the spelling.

I always used to think that they were the same. Two different spellings of the same word that could be used interchangeably, however after reading these forums and other forums relating to alternative lifestyles, I have the idea that they are two different meanings of the same word, spelt differently to distinguish between them.

Magic, this is what most people are used to. Stage magic performed by magicians is mainly illusions used to trick the human eye/mind into believing what is happening is real.

Magik, this refers to magic used in a religious/spiritual way such as Wicca.

Darkshadow87 -

The way you defined "magic" sounded more like illusion to me...

What Chris Angel. What he does is illusions. They trick the mind using skill and speed.

Magic on the other hand is different. It is actual power that can heal, destroy, repair, or anything the user wants.

Magic and magick are different things?

Magic and illusion can't be the same thing. Illusion simply tricks the mind. Magic and magick however are not meant to do so in my opinion.

If there was some confusion about what I meant, I was referring to what darkshadow87 typed:

"Magic, this is what most people are used to. Stage magic performed by magicians is mainly illusions used to trick the human eye/mind into believing what is happening is real."

I mean that it sounded as if he was saying that magic is the same as illusion.

i believe true magik comes from within a persons energy or soul....illusion comes from the mind of a mindest

Well....it's kinda like comparing the two movies..

The Prestige and The Illusion.

Illusion is something that fools the eye. Like you think you see it, but you really don't.

And I really dunno how to explain Magic lol.

-Juggalette givin MMFWCL

Illusions play tricks on you.. makes you think it happened when it didnt..
Magick is a pure gift, and it happens right in front of you.. whether your flowers come back to life, or something levitates off the table.. It still happens..

Technically you can't call magick pure. Chaos magick sure ain't.

I thought that they were both the same thing

Magic is something you can cast ,

Illusion is something that people think thats there but really is just in your mind.

bleedingforyou -


You can't cast natural magic such as child birth and love.