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Magic back in history was firmly belived and people respected it and feared it. Today many people still respect it but then some don't.

Do you feel magic was stronger back in history or is it still strong now?

What makes you feel this way?

well,
Magic was unfairly misunderstood back in the 17 18 hundreds.
then it became a side-show.
Now days..its more like..trying to get people to
believe in magic again,as for selling magic for TV.
some people still pratice it..and are very good with it.
mostly..its become nothing more then a good thrill for TV.

i think magic is stronger now because back in the olden times there were more people who had the power to use magic and now in the present there are fewer and fewer people who have the ability to use magic either because they do not know it is there or becasue the lack of magic usage in their families has stamped it out but that is just my point of view

It is my opinion that the potential power or strength of magik is unchanged over the years.

Magik, in my opinion, is a system to unlock and put to use energies that exist in nature. The total amount of energy is an unchanging constant, as explained in the law of conservation of energy. The FORM energy takes, however can be manipulated through chemistry, physics and, indeed magik.

Whether or not it is wise to use magik to manipulate energy to do your will is where I think various belief systems diverge.

Magic is part of the fabric of all existance.

Most know nothing of the Old Ways in anything they do in Modern terms.

The Old Ways are the building blocks to the present and the future, however without maintance, all foundations break with neglect.

Modern ways of nearly everything from Making Love to Making a Meal are expect to be done within mere minutes, when in fact it should be hours, days and Life times.

The "Old Ways" are the Purer of the Magic within the fabric and in a Traditional sense, stronger because they where the foundation. (Think of it this way: Your Great Grandmother and before her, made the sause, the pasta and the bread by hand. The wines served where hand picked grape and aged to taste of those with a real Passion. Everyone knows that Truth within their Family and it is a sense of Honor that we speak of it to others.) Today, most open a jar and twist a cap and look for a microwave pre-set on the box.

The Modern ways are no less powerful, they are just not as Practiced. Like anything worth doing, it is best to learn the basic's, the foundation and then move forward. By jumping in, so to speak, One might not know or even be aware that their recipe calls for discression, not deseption.

Since magic is not a 'real thing' but rather a belief, I would say that it was stronger in the past. Way, way back in time, before Christianity arrived and ruined everything, Paganism was a normal religious structure. It was only after Christianity began to take over that it became thought that, if you practiced magic, that you were working for the Devil and should be burned immediately to save your soul. Even during those strict times, people used to do it still, upholding the old ways. Housewives would often practice witchcraft at home, or get together with their friends in secret. i think then that people did it because they believed in it and it was part of them, so much so that they risked their lives and the lives of their families by even putting a toe out of line and not being a 100% law abiding Christian.
Nowadays, most people practice witchcraft because it is trendy to do so. Don't flame me, it's just the truth. Many do genuinely dedicate their lives to it and have had the knowledge of it passed down through generations, but in modern times, that is quite rare. Also, the fact that Wicca now exists supports this. Wicca is a modern version of Paganism, probably not much like what witchcraft used to be hundreds of years ago.

Magic has not changed over time. I just think that less people want to believe in it now adays

Yes magic was very much feared back in the day. That is why they had the salem Witch Hunts. To destroy them & not have to fear them anymore. I used to work at a Metaphysical store & people were always coming in asking me questions for different spells & potions. So, I think magic is still feared today. I know some of the spells I did worked. And some didn't.

magick back then was way more traditional and therefore more powerful. Today it's been altered a lot. I am pegan, so I try to be more traditional with my magick skills that I do. I also believe in past lives to the extreme and use that as part of my magick. I believe it helps my magick become more fluent. I believe all magick these days are equal.

It really depends on your view of magic and religion. Practically what path you follow.

As for in general, I believe in the past it was more powerful not because a majority of people practiced it.

But because they were more in tune with nature. They KNEW what the Earth needed and praised it, took care of it, cultivated it, gave back to it, and in turn the Earth cared for them.

The magic was stronger and more fluent because of a DEEP, VERY intimate, and PASSIONATE bond with the Earth and it's elements.

Not ONLY were they practitioners of their designed crafts, but they were truly elementals human incarnate.

It has nothing to do with majority or history (what was lost), but the lack of a solid bond in modern times.

I agree with you on that as well. I try to be in tune with nature as much as possible. I meditate best when I am surrounded by all elements and my spells are strongest when done surrounded by the elements.

Not all who practice believe that magic is mystic.

Early magic was basically applied phsics, when people witnessed a man in robes present a strip of fire, they had no studied reference of practical science.

Now days we would let ourselves be entertained by such an effect.

In actiallity mature, learned adults know that a strip of fire is produced by
Flash paper stowed inside a sealed tube.

Magic is constant.
Just as Natural Law and Spiritual Law is constant.

The level of comprehension of the individual varies, and the societies arround those individuals benifit from residual knowledge. Real knowledge comes through tribulation. Tribulation is in short supply, and when it is plentiful (even in our imagining) we bemoan it.

A magician is someone who affects change in themself; because they understand that what they can (or should) affect outwardly, is a reflection of "inner" reality.

Yes, magic is as it has always been. There is only sublime recapitulation.
Knowledge is a being unto itself, so as is magic, sorcerry, etc...
They have always been here. We can not think say or do anything new. It is only new because you have not heard it. It has all been done before.If you have not heard of something doesn't mean it doesn't exist either. Thus the saying, those who do not know history, are doomed to repeat it. And even when we teach what we know, we are still uttering words that have been uttered before.
Hence sublime recapitulation. Noble action to repeat what has already been said.

Oh and I forgot to answer the other question.
It is not how I feel, but a truth that has been passed on from generation to generation since before time as you know it existed. The truth must be passed on without my interpretation or personal opinion attached to it, so that it remains the truth. That is what I learned in a very long apprenticeship
[ 25year apprenticeship, not to be confused with the 15 year apprenticeship ]
to be a holy person in my Native American culture. Certain truths are universal.
So, I learned it from my Elders.

All I know from truth of magic, is magic is equal. The spirits guide you, the elements guide you, the energy flow guides you.
I learned to get magic stronger sometimes you need symbols, or the spirits help, other peoples help during rituals, and other ways. No one person is stronger then the other in magic.
I learned that all magic is equal and true to the cause of life and the flow of the spirit world.

It depends on which magic(k)s we are discussing, the hocus pocus of the rabbit in the hat, which was used during houdini's time, the mystic circumstances that surround ancient Avalon and Merlin, or the practices that are commonly named "esoterics"?

The magic(k)'s seem to fall under the category of misunderstood, and not a priority to be either feared or judged as respected. Most magic(k)'s now-a-days fall into the category of "for entertainment purposes only." Which is understandable since society likes to look at the word as if it were some childish usefulness to keep the "kids entertained."

As far as the "adult content" magic(k)'s catergories such as "esoterics", this would be a matter of speculative opinion. Society "fears" this type of practice because they truly do not understand its underlying consequences. Its not that a spell, binding, or whathaveyou is dangerous in the wrong hands... but rather that they would be percieved as dangerous because of what they represent. Esoterics are given a bad reputation by those who do not understand them and are begrudged solely based on wide opinion and not personal use or practice.

most the magicks I use is elemental, necromancy, some voodoo and a few more. I have basicly dedicated myself to magick for my life. I am always willing to learn more. I feel extremely connected to the earth and elements in it. I sometimes feel as if I hear the passing wind giving me a message, or the burning flames are a video to me, showing me something I don't know, deep ancient secrets of fire, water to me shows me what has passed, the now, and what is to come. I feel earth is my protector and my energy. Earth is everything to me. I believe in the great spirits and that there is a council somewhere that helps keep all things connected. I believe in the moon powers and star powers.
To me this is my beliefs of magick. It is a powerful belief deep within. My strongest element is earth and fire. Fire is the death of old life and the mother of new life. Fire rebirths the forest. Anyways. go ahead, think I'm crazy for this. But if someone else wants to learn more of what I believe in this subject, go ahead, message me. I will be glad to share my ideas/knowledge/beliefs.
I am dedicated to teaching magick as well as learning it.

I believe it was more respected back in the old days. It is not feared so much as people are skeptical about it

magic was, and is a craft, a craft that creates illusion, and sometimes implies
an interpretation. When people learn that people once where reverent to magicians, they adopt the persona of mystism , as though that is being magical.. Thus mysterious.

Metaphysical magic has been shown time and again to be nothing more then crafted illusion. The current majority accept the mystic inclination of magic indifferntly.

This is the same with vampire lore.

Magic was not always practiced to entertain, it was practiced by Fakirs to intimidate common peasents, and those uneducated in early physics.

so believing magic to be something other then crafted illusion is ideal for those who practice slight to keep the selected masses mesmerized.

I just cannot wait until people see behind the curtain.

Magic was stronger and feared more back in the day because many did not realize that it was mostly physics, and many was not educated to things as we are now.

I do know that magic is still about and many do still practice the craft as well. The ones who do are more intune with the natural flow of things with the universe.

magic can be more powerful now than back in the day because we are educated and know how alot of different things work together to get a result. They burned people at the stake mainly because they were scared and had no clue as to what it was.

many medicines and potions are just things made from nature and are not harmful, yet, can be in the wrong hands. So it depends on how or who is doing it that I feel if it is stronger now or then.

most magic is also alchemy. If you think about it potions, herbalism, certain things that witches use. I use potions, herbal teas and other natural remedies to heal myself and family. I will not use pills unless I have to due to life/death situation. I want to keep living for my family, but if I die, then it's meant to be that way.
I know some people have to take pills for some things so I'm not completely against it, I'm just slightly against it. I wont allow depression pills to go into my body even though I swirl into depression a lot. I have found ways to remove myself from extreme depression when I get there. When I notice myself heading there I don't let it get to me too deep. I take teas I make, or I meditate daily when it happens, I drink way more water and speak to the elements more. I speak to the wind, I speak to the water, I speak to the earth, I speak to the fire. I don't really pray to them, because I believe they are my friends. If I had to pray to them I would and sometimes I believe in rituals to celebrate the elements. I would like to do a ritual when I can sometime soon. To celebrate the elements for helping me on my quest to magic.

Some that has been written in religous books have been extrapolated upon especially those written from Latin translations. We really don't know and many things written after the fact. Some of it was to discredit Astarte in her many forms because she was so venerated.

I think magick is a natural process and everyone has the ability to create something by using their will to wield energy. It's not anything new it is just that some thought there were special formulas to use. Some of the older grimoires are very steeped in religious beliefs in how they preformed their workings. It is all about frame of reference. Some need tools and a special day and other trappings to focus will etc. There's nothing wrong with that. There are many systems as well as religio/systems. I don't think it requires belief in so much as the will. In olden times they were more open to things of this nature and it ties into their spiritual beliefs. Nowadays we want science to prove everything so the art of magick is practiced by people who are more interested in the occult. It isn't so mainstream as it was in the past. It also depended on the time frame. You wouldn't want to openly claim to be a magickian or alchemist during the crusades now would you. So I think it depends now on your social circles and in the past on a matter of life and death and if it was accepted as commonplace in the particular culture. So to me magick is magick and the time makes no difference except in how society viewed it, whether it was in the open or hidden.

just recently I did an offering of elemental things such as a feather, a rose petal, sandelwood oil, and pieces of a candle, and a slice of bread into a wax bowl. I then added some tabbacco as a piece of my offering, my bf actually decided to give some up for my beliefs, he's a smoker, I am not.
Anyways the feather is for wind, the rose petal is for earth, the sandlewood oil is mixed with water for the water element, candle wax for fire, the bread is for an offering for the gods to represent that they are filling(food is filling).

Anyways my point is that because I do believe in magic to the extreme and practice it, the very next day I was given a gift from the dryads which is the main thing I was praying to with my offering. The gift the dryads and father sky gave me, was a birds nest.
Why is a birds nest important? It represents life, earth, wind, and so on. Well when I build my new alter to be complete, I have a birds nest that will be able to help my magic go on a straighter path that I want it to go to.
I believe that a birds nest is a very powerful gift not only from the dryads but from father sky and from the earth as well. Both of my strongest elements.

Anyways I must be driving you guys nuts talking about my magic and my gifts to/from the greater spirits.

All i have to say is merry meet and blessed be .

TY. Always glad to meet other magic users and I am always glad to share my knowledge. Knowledge/Respect is all about magic to me. So the more I learn and the more I respect nature and it's way, the more respect they give me. Which by all means the spirits see the respect and they want to help out more. If you respect all other magic users and nature, then you will gain more in your spells. Spirits will greatly respect your wishes as you respect them.
I don't know many people who truly believe what I do about magic and about respect/knowledge being a great deal about it.
Oh well now I'm just blabbing about a subject I love.

Magic was stronger in history, but i do believe it is growing once again as new found freedoms are finally placed into laws to allow such practices of the ancient realms.

magic is what it was then as it is now its just that the mean of using it the right way and slowly been lost over time for people stopped beliving in it and thous that where mastes of the craft slowly allowed themselfs to fade. the only thing keeping them alive is the myths and legends bein told as stories and by the memories of thous who can still recall them and remeber them. the world is waiting for its care takers and magic user to step up and take up the slack that has been left by thous that have gone before us. we all have the knowaldge and experince to be able to do what thous that have gone before us been able to do its just a matter or breaking down the barriers and the programing that moderen socieity has forced upon us. look deep with in yourself and u shall find many anwser to the unvoiced question that u all have on ur minds.

well, i certainly see the varius points and agree with the fello that said that energy has been constant but i also agree with the fact that old ones used it a bit better then todays generation

Magic (energy) has not changed at all over the years. What has changed are peoples peceptions/interpretaions of what magic is.

The knowledge was used to intimidate as it was also used to heal...Just as religion has been used in the same way!

The greater the ignorance of the masses, the greater their gullibility. And the greater that gullibility the more "powerful" seem those who make "magic(k)," the occult, the supernatural, and/or the theological their profession.


- Upir'

In my opinion it is not that it has changed , it is the way that people have viewed it. Those that were tortured or use for their practices back ages ago, that had a large impact and just drove things underground it is not that it just disppeared, it was guarded more. With all of the new things that came with understaning science more and the possabilities of mass production of pharmacuticles, no one goes to the local healers/herbalist these days.

I think people have more explainations for what used to be unexplainable. Hence they don't believe events happened due to magic. So overall, people probably use to believe more in the power of magic then they do now.