Magick
Magick emcompasses any act designed to cause intentional change. To change nothing into something or something into something else. The spelling with the "k" at the end was popularized in the first half of the 20th century by Aleister Crowley.
K is the eleventh letter of several alphabets, and eleven is the principal number of magick, because it is the number attributed to the Qliphoth - the underworld of demonic and chaotic forces that have to be conquered before magick can be performed. K has other magical implications: it corresponds to the power or shakti aspect of creative energy, for k is the ancient Egyptian khu, the magical power.
Magick vs Magic
The alternate spelling is used to differentiate magick from stage magic. Magick is not capable of producing "miracles" or violating the physical laws of the universe, although it is theoretically possible to cause an object to change within the boundaries which that object is capable by nature. For many modern occultists, it refers strictly to paranormal magic, which involves influencing events and physical phenomena by supernatural, mystical, or paranormal means.
Definitions and general purpose of magick
Crowley defined magick as "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will."
For Crowley, the practice of magick—although it equally applies to mundane things, like balancing the checkbook—is essentially to be used for attaining the Knowledge and Conversation of one's Holy Guardian Angel (which he believed was the first step necessary for spiritual attainment). Since achieving this state with one's "Silent Self" can be extremely arduous, magick can be used not only to reach that particular goal, but to clear the way for it as well.
Crowley defined magick as "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will."
For Crowley, the practice of magick—although it equally applies to mundane things, like balancing the checkbook—is essentially to be used for attaining the Knowledge and Conversation of one's Holy Guardian Angel (which he believed was the first step necessary for spiritual attainment). Since achieving this state with one's "Silent Self" can be extremely arduous, magick can be used not only to reach that particular goal, but to clear the way for it as well.
High vs. low magick
Although he referred to magick as a "high" art, Crowley himself did not use the term "low magick." Rather, he compared magick—which he saw as the essential method for achieving enlightenment and doing one's sacred Will—with practices he referred to as witchcraft or sorcery. The essential difference, from Crowley's point of view, is one of intent, where the purpose of a magical event is either in service to the True Will (which he referred to as the Great Work) or to the individual ego. Within this framework, ego- or vanity-driven practices like love charms, fascinations, or fortune telling tend to fall into the latter category.
Techniques of magick
There are several ways to view what magick is. Again, at its most broad, it can be defined as any willed action leading to intended change. It can also be seen as the general set of methods used to accomplish the Great Work of mystical attainment. At the practical level, magick most often takes several practices and forms of ritual, including banishing, invocation and evocation, eucharistic ritual, consecration and purification, astral travel, yoga, sex magick, and divination.
Other magical practices
Qabalah and the Tree of Life
The Tree of Life is a tool used to categorize and organize various mystical concepts. At its most simple level, it is composed of ten spheres, or emanations, called sephiroth (sing. "sephira") which are connected by twenty two paths. The sephiroth are represented by the planets and the paths by the characters of the Hebrew alphabet, which are subdivided by the four elements, the seven classical planets, and the twelve signs of the Zodiac. Within the western magical tradition, the Tree is used as a kind of conceptual filing cabinet. Each sephira and path is assigned various ideas, such as gods, cards of the Tarot, astrological planets and signs, elements, etc.
The Tree of Life is a tool used to categorize and organize various mystical concepts. At its most simple level, it is composed of ten spheres, or emanations, called sephiroth (sing. "sephira") which are connected by twenty two paths. The sephiroth are represented by the planets and the paths by the characters of the Hebrew alphabet, which are subdivided by the four elements, the seven classical planets, and the twelve signs of the Zodiac. Within the western magical tradition, the Tree is used as a kind of conceptual filing cabinet. Each sephira and path is assigned various ideas, such as gods, cards of the Tarot, astrological planets and signs, elements, etc.
Magical record
A magical record is a journal or other source of documentation containing magical events, experiences, ideas, and any other information that the magician may see fit to add. There can be many purposes for such a record, such as recording evidence to verify the effectiveness of specific procedures (per the scientific method that Aleister Crowley claimed should be applied to the practice of magick) or to ensure that data may propagate beyond the lifetime of the magician. Benefits of this process vary, but usually include future analysis and further education by the individual and/or associates with whom the magician feels comfortable in revealing such intrinsically private information.
borrowed material from Wikipedia
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