What is Magic?

[Mohammed Salah]

Magic is a tremendous theme that hold many overlaping branches, religions, philosophies, ideas.....etc
A huge maze
but what is magic about?
I found three major definitions
1-Aleister Crowley (Magic is the art and science in causing change in conformitywith will)
2-Dion Fortune (Magic is the art and science in causing change in conformity or Psyche with will)
Although highly accepted and approved between all Occult circles, but I feel it is not enough for holding the core quintessence of this divine science.
So the above mentioned I feel that they focusing on the outcome of magic and slightly on the quintessence of it.
3-Papus in his monumental work - A practical treaties on elementary magic - posted an all-compassing definition
(Magic is the science for understanding God, through understanding the nature of universe and the nature of Man)
because God no creature arrives to his holiness level to get a full understanding of his operations and wisdom, so Man can only feel God holiness through study and contemplation the mechanisms of the Cosmos and the inner operations of Man.
So I think Papus`s definitions touches the inner intimate core of Magic idenity.

 

[Ananda]

What you need to know is that magic is haram, according to Islam.

 

[Morell]

What you need to know is that magic is haram, according to Islam.

On a forum filled with magic practitioners... who cares? Besides it wasn't that much forbidden considering huge libraries of Islamic occultism.

I find trying to ban magic quite stupid and hypocritical.

 

[Van Horne]

What you need to know is that magic is haram, according to Islam.

So is ham! You should try it, it's freakin' delicious!

Post automatically merged: Today at 9:21 AM

An interesting approach by Valentin Tomberg:
"There are three kinds of magic: magic where the magician is the instrument of divine power - this sacred magic; magic where the magician himself is the source of the magical operation - this is personal magic; lastly, magic where the magician is the instrument of elemental forces or other unconscious forces - this is sorcery."

 

[MorganBlack]

Well, magic is now thought of like art. Once art became about self-expression, then anything you express is art. Quality is a secondary consideration.

I'd love to see an evidence-based timeline of Magic and magical thinking as a wiki project. From the rise of shamanic magical symbolic thinking by Homo erectus 500,000 years ago, to capital 'M' Magic in the Mediterranean Greco-Roman world , to Dragon Ball Z chaos magic with Goku as a god. (Yes, it's a thing.).