Chris Angel freaks our minds with many alluring and daring stunts that make us marvel and wonder, “How did he do that?” What can I do to be that awesome and amazing?!
Well if that is what you think we're talking about tonight than you are wrong. There are no card tricks, or pulling things through glass windows, there is only the magick that resides within you.
“The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood which unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself...”
“Magick is about connecting with the Divine force, allowing it to fill us, transform us, and make us wise. All magick flows from our connection to the sacred, therefore all of our work must be guided by the divine nature of expression of the divine, magic has always been used for practical purposes. But unless it is informed by the sacred, practical magic based on the projection of will alone rapidly deteriorates into selfish ego gratification. Ultimately, when magick is practiced only for this purpose, it soon ceases to work. All magick ultimately runs on our connection to the divine. There is a basic rule of magic that you must remember: The energy you put into a spell determines the energy that comes out of your spell. If you are angry, anger will return; if you are needy, neediness will return to you; if you are greedy, greediness will return to you. I think that is what most people think the threefold law means.”
“Spiritual work is about learning to make the connection to the divine web of life and then giving expression to the sacred power that resides within each of us.”
-Book of Shadows by Phyllis W. Curott
“Magick is the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with the will”
“Every intentional act is a Magickal act.”
“Magick is the Science of understanding oneself and one's conditions. It is the Art of applying that understanding in action.”
-Aleister Crowley
Before we can start even thinking about using magick we need to learn what exactly it is we are working with. Like working out, magick can be compared to exercising, it is like your muscles, if you don't use it then it will get weaker.
Magick is something you have with in yourself , something very personal and alive. Before you can fully grasp and control it, you must be able to love, accept, appreciate, and know YOURSELF.
As mentioned above in the quote from Book of Shadows by Phyllis Curott, if you can not calm yourself, or know yourself well enough to fix your anger issues, than you bring that into your magick and when you place that spell or prayer before the universe wrapped in anger than it will give you anger back in turn. If you can not balance yourself and realize that you are constantly changing and learning and that you are connected to everything and you every day actions and thoughts affect what is around you than you can not control and use the magick with in you.
Notes
- Paganism itself is about constantly learning, not a single person knows everything and even if you've studied elements your whole life you still can read and learn more about them.
- Not everyone is perfect, not everyone has themselves figured out. It is something that can take years and time but they still use the magic within themselves and grow and learn from it. This is okay.
- Magic is a LAST step. If you can not change yourself to get the desired affect you want than why should the universe do it for you?
- Example of bad use: You really want a job and did one interview but don't really know how it's going to go. You do a spell to get the job and the universe does answer. What if that job was suppose to be someone elses and they needed it more than you did. By doing this you put them out because you didn't want to keep checking or looking for other jobs.
- Example of a good use: You applied at many places around town, you have had many many job interviews, each having given them your best resume and smile. You have done extra social networking to see if your friends can get you a job or know of where to go but that doesn't seem to be working. You preform a small ritual where you make a small pouch for prosperity and work, asking for a job that is for you to come your way. You carry this pouch into the next interview with you and the next day they call you back.
- For those that follow karma this can be countered with, what if by making the pouch you are taking the job from someone like mentioned before. Here is the difference, you gave it your all! You did what you could do to get what you needed but that wasn't enough. You also asked the pouch to bring you a job for you, not demanding the one job you applied for without making more effort.
- Spells are one way of directing your magick. My personal explanation of what a spell is, is the use of objects to enhance a prayer where you are sending your will into the universe in hopes it will be answered.
- The word spell comes from Rune casting, when someone would cast runes the would read what the runes spelled.
- Magick is not just with in you but around you.
- The wind
- Rainbows
- that odd feeling you get when something is amiss
- The way the sun shines during your lunch break
- When a walk in the park makes everything go away for a time
- the moon over a the trees
- your dog greeting you at the door, ect.
