The Sacred Hearth

What is Magic(k)?

Magic (which is often spelled Magick, to distinguish it from stage magic or prestidigitation) is the manipulation of energy to bring about change according to one's Will.

What is Will?

Will is an extremely complicated and multi-layered subject. Many people believe that Will simply means whatever you want, and it sort of does, but that's an oversimplification.

Every living thing in this world has a purpose. We are all like Cogs in an enormous machine called Gaia or the Earth, or the Universe if you prefer. Or like cells in a great body. Each plant, animal, rock, river, etc. It is our duty to fulfill our purpose, but it is our choice how to go about it. (Most of us, especially those of us who are sentient (i.e. humans) never fully grasp our purpose, but, if we pay attention, we get some clues by midlife.) The Will is a combination of our Purpose and our Free Will. It is the path we choose to take to get to our destination, it is a unique path and nobody can follow it except us.

There are a few laws associated with the Will that you may have heard. The Wiccan Rede says "An it harm none, do as ye Will" it means (again arguably) follow your path to your purpose as you chose it, but don't hurt anyone on the way. In contrast, Aleister Crowley gave us: "Do as ye Will shall be the whole of the Law" "Love is the Law, Love under Will" That is, respect and love others, let love be your guide, but don't let that love interfere with your own Will. Fulfill your Will (your Purpose as guided by Free Will) at any cost, but allow others to fulfill their Will as well, through Love. Crowley believed that if everyone followed their own Will perfectly, we would never get in each others' way anyway.

Besides Witchcraft, what other types of magic are there?

Magic is (arguably) generally divided into 4 categories. Witchcraft, Sorcery, Shamanism and Alchemy. Alli of these involve the manipulation of energy, but differ in how it is accomplished. Witches cast spells which involves releasing their own energy "coded" for their intention into the Universe. Sorcerers summon spirits, demons, daemons or other energetic (spiritual) entities and compel them to accomplish the task for them. Shamans engage in Astral Projection. They leave their bodies and go out into the Universe to accomplish the task "manually" and convince spirits, usually by establishing friendly relationships with them, to assist in accomplishing their desired ends. Alchemists (they often go by other names, such as Kitchen Witches) research the energy contained within natural objects, plants, stones, chemicals, elementsi, etc. and combine those objects to make potions or charms (or even meals and clothing) so that the energy from the finished product- once ingested or worn, will draw something to the user or send something away from him or her.

Most magic-users do not stick to just one technique.

What is a spelli?

A spell is a specific kind of magic that involves altering the energy of the Universe (or a specific person of object) through the force of your own energy in order to bring about a change in accordance with your Will. To accomplish this, you must first change the "flavor" of your energy before sending it out. There are many ways to do this. An accomplished Witchi can change her energy by simply changing her mood at will. The majority of Witches surround themselves with objects, colors, scents, etc. that represent their intention and say chants to help them focus which allows them to change the "flavor" (sometimes referred to as color or vibration) of their energy before sending it out into the world. A spell generally has 3 parts.
1. Establishing your intent- During this part, you "get in the mood". You surround yourself with objects that represent your intent or simply focus on it, whichever method you prefer.
2. Build energy- Once your intent is established, you continue to focus while building up your personal energy. This is done through chanting, dancing, beating a drum, shaking a rattle, visualizationi, meditationi and/or sexual activity.
3. Release energy- Once the energy has peaked, it is released into the world. Some Witches simply visualize the energy releasing into a person or object or disappating into the Universe at large, while others may perform some physical action to release the energy, such as pointing, throwing their arms wide, or collapsing to the ground.