Magic (supernatural)

Howard Pyle illustration of Merlin from the 1903 edition of The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

Magic is an ancient practice rooted in rituals, spiritual divinations, and/or cultural lineage—with an intention to invoke, manipulate, or otherwise manifest supernatural forces, beings, or entities in the natural world.[1] It is a categorical yet often ambiguous term which has been used to refer to a wide variety of beliefs and practices, frequently considered separate from both religion and science.[2]

Connotations have varied from positive to negative at times throughout history.[3] Within Western culture, magic has been linked to ideas of the Other,[4] foreignness,[5] and primitivism;[6] indicating that it is "a powerful marker of cultural difference"[7] and likewise, a non-modern phenomenon.[8] During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Western intellectuals perceived the practice of magic to be a sign of a primitive mentality and also commonly attributed it to marginalised groups of people.[7]

Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), a British occultist, defined "magick" as "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will",[9] adding a 'k' to distinguish ceremonial or ritual magic from stage magic.[10] In modern occultism and neopagan religions, many self-described magicians and witches regularly practice ritual magic.[11] This view has been incorporated into chaos magic and the new religious movements of Thelema and Wicca.

  1. ^ "magic | Etymology, origin and meaning of magic by etymonline". www.etymonline.com. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  2. ^ Hutton 2017, p. x.
  3. ^ Bailey 2018, pp. 1–5.
  4. ^ Bogdan 2012, p. 2; Graham 2018, p. 255.
  5. ^ Bailey 2018, p. 89.
  6. ^ Davies 2012, p. 1.
  7. ^ a b Styers 2004, p. 14.
  8. ^ Styers 2004, p. 8.
  9. ^ Crowley (1997), Introduction to Part III.
  10. ^ Bogdan 2012, p. 12; Bailey 2018, pp. 22–23.
  11. ^ Berger & Ezzy 2007, p. 24.

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