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here is a topic stemming from a conversation on the nature of magic and the use of magical trappings...
the question...what is magic
My answer....I feel that performing magic is just another way of exercising an inborn talent of psychic capability...and the trappings..ex:robe, wands, candles, chants...etc are little more than a way to mentally focus the energy you are trying to manipulate within your own psyche. I rarely use such things as written spells and other sorts of trappings and to my experience, my workings(however small) have no less impact to others who have been around them. i'm not saying that the traditional trappings are wrong....just perhaps outdated....give it a try...visualize what your intentions for the energy you collect....and just let it do the task you give it....but the key here is focus and intent.....for if your intent is unworthy...you cannot hide that from your own subcontious, and it could backfire.
this is my own opinion....lets hear some others......

I've been doing this for years, I dont use anything, but my mind. I just focus on what it is i want. Some people don't have the mind power to give up their focusing tools.

I suppose it's also different if the object you care for most is natural value.

I myself have a recently (this Summer) acquired a beautiful handmade wand of applewood. From the first time I saw it, it called to me. A week later it was one of the last ones on the shelf, calling to me, and I had to have it. It fits me perfectly, and represents that which I hold dear.

...it's getting jealous, I can feel it. *giggles* I hold it as a High item since it happens to be from Ireland, and I have a bit of Irish in me. Mostly Scottish and English, but there's that strong heart in the Irish, and I think that's what drew me to it.

I don't use it all the time-- in fact only with certain healings on myself and the area around me. Otherwise I almost always call on the energy around me to do what it needs to in order to get things accomplished.

another thought is that magic is just a science that has yet to be codified in a proveable manner

Magic is not science. You have to feel it, believe and do it...

I'm magic with a pool cue... hehe

All right you baited me... the will strong enough for your wish to occur.

Can be anything and include everything.... it's the hiden mystical unity of happening....

ohhh deep stuff!

Not delved much into magic, but to build on what i mentioned.. sometimes i feel 'magic' I call it in the Zone and thats the zenith of power.... i guess this is close to magic..

im not sure if i believe magic is possible.. but really can anyone define magic anyway.. i cant say something is not possible when no 1 can give me the same idea of what magic is... :S

I do believe magick is possible but to try and define it???
Maybe its a connection of sorts and maybe jus gettin the ability to converse energy along those connection back and forth (if that made any sense congratulations)

actually dude that made complete sense and i praise u for the effort.. but thats just ur opinion.. many others have some other way to define it.. so no true definition can be found

I agree with Chaos..... let me indulge on my opinion....

Most people when you throw in the word 'magick' think of witches and wizards, curses, cauldrons and the like...

magick in essence is the use and control of natural energies or power to produce and effect needed change. There are three basic sources of natural energy or power used: Personal Power, Earth Power and Divine Power.

How you use this power, or gain this power ect, is up to what you believe....

True kinda like the old saying really
"different strokes for different folks"

I'm leaning towards Daermon on this one.

I think it is an expression of natural abilities, with material as foci for those abilites, to focus thought and will.

It may be science, after a fashion, but not hard science.

I have always wanted to learn the ways of the old healers, with the herbs and chants or spells, would they be classified under magic...or more spell casting, or would it be wiccan?

*** Applauds D*** It all stems from within.

to quote "any sufficiently advanced science might as well be magic"

if one doesn't understand it's functioning and can't reproduce the effect it might as well be magic for the person using it. It might be common and mundane but it's still magical that one can get warm food from a device with out having to go grow the food oneself, harvest it, process it and any other steps you should wish to include.

quite simply there is magic aplenty around us we just keep ourselves ignorant and jaded to it.... then we ask why our lives don't feel miraculous and magical.... it's cause we're ignoring the magic

sounds like a lot of people are basicaly saying that magik is the manipulation of chi ( ki, qui, internal engeries, nature's energy ..... it is all the same)

i have to agree with you guys here and i believe this is perfectly fine and moral, hell i do it myself on a fairly regular basis

the only time i think magik is immoral is if one invokes it from Satan or one of his minons

also , yes to any uptight chritain out there, i would like to include that prayer is easily a form of magik, i mean it is just like spell except that it has a virtually random success rate

actually most spells have a fairly ramdom success rate...contrary to what most practitioners will admit....I try to avoid the fault of ego concerning my abilities....sometime things work....sometimes they dont...thats all
and yes...prayer would classify as a spell of protection/plenty/etc...depending what you pray for......keep in mind tho...god helps those who help themselves...but once you have helped yourself...you don't need his help anymore now do you?
hehehe
now theres a quandry for y'all...(see req..I agree with y'all)
hehe