-John Moraga
Question: Is magick psychological or spiritual?
Answer: Yes
DISCLAIMER: In no way is this article intended to encourage the use of magic. On the contrary, it is my hope that by providing this information, it will help educate the reader and arm him with the knowledge to guard against the effects of magic. I pray that the reader will seek the redemptive gospel of Christ as the primary supernatural experience of his soul.
Magick, yes, with a “k” is a respelling of the word, “magic,” popularized by the British occultist, Aleister Crowley.
I will not be analyzing the etymology or historical use of the term “magick.” Instead, I will be unraveling the term within the context of its modern application, specifically, as it is understood by the world of the occult. First, I need to define the term “magick.” Magic without a “k” is the common spelling of the term and according to Merriam-Webster means:
Magic
noun
mag·ic | \ ˈma-jik \
Definition of magic
(Entry 1 of 3)
1a: the use of means (such as charms or spells) believed to have supernatural power over natural forces.
…
3: the art of producing illusions by sleight of hand
//entertained with acts of jugglery and magic.
…
CROWLEY
Familiar to those who have even a peripheral familiarity of the occult, magick with a “k” is defined as:
the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will.
Although the normative usage of the term “magic” can already refer to supernatural power, Crowley’s definition was the actual magical (pun intended) definition of magic. He defined it with a distinct spelling, in order to provide serious students of the occult verbiage, which was not in circulation among the masses, who diluted the term as to simply mean entertainment or child’s play. He understood that the vast majority of the English-speaking world had been desensitized to the term “magic.” Phrases like “black magic,” “sorcery,” or “occult” may have still had certain connotations in the schemas of the masses, but “magic” had become too colloquial for Crowley. Of course, he was not the first to divulge the esoteric applications of magic, but much like his revelations of other occult concepts, Crowley has been most notorious for articulating occult philosophy for its students from the 19th through 21st centuries, by drawing from an amalgamation of several magical systems, reinterpreting them, and making them attractive and accessible to an audience in a way that it had not been done before him.
My intent is not to elevate such a lost soul as Crowley, but, objectively, I must give credit where credit is due. Aleister Crowley has single-handedly revolutionized the occult over the past century and a half. He sits on the shoulders of giants, and his successors are indebted to him. But, ironically, his notoriety was mostly accomplished posthumously, during the late 1960’s/1970’s, when various musicians’ and celebrities’ platforms popularized his teachings to even much large audiences than Crowley himself was able to reach. However, Crowley was just as much of a con artist, as he was an infamous magician. This makes sense, as he was of his father, the devil, the father of lies. His claims of magical experiences have always been bombastic, and skeptics believe them to be little more than hyperbole. The irony is that whether his “external” magical experiences were real, or whether they were all “in his head” and he deceptively claimed they were external, they actually go to the heart of our question.
MAGICK
If we consider a simplistic definition of Crowley’s magick, it should be dissected into three parts for the purposes of this article:
1. Science: Magick utilizes the hard sciences, as well
as psychology.
a. Hard Sciences
i. Biology/Physiology: Five Senses ex.
visual aesthetics, smells and tastes of
appetizing foods, auditory responses
to musical formulas, and tactile
gratification.
ii. Chemistry
1. Benefits of medicine
2. Abusive drug use
iii. Other hard sciences: physics,
astronomy, etc.
b. Psychology
Our brains process countless neural
synaptic interactions, which communicate
physical stimuli, but they also convey to us
our emotions, perceptions of reality,
inclination of choices.
2. Art: Much like the saying, “there is an art to it,”
the workings of magick require expertise and
finesse. It is a skill, a craft, and some have
even turned it into a trade. Magick also relies
on the performing and fine arts. The muse of
the theatre, Pan’s pipes, and Dali’s tarot are
just a few examples of how magick demands
art.
3. Will (change in conformity with): The Self. It is
extremely important to keep in mind that the
practice of magic is an exercise of
self-deification.
PSYCHOLOGICAL
When we prepare for a test we utilize the normal faculties of our brain, but when we become so obsessed with a topic of study it unhealthily consumes our thoughts, we can open up our minds to the power of magick. When we evaluate the challenges of circumstances in our lives, we conduct ourselves as mature and responsible people, but when we become overwhelmed with fear and melancholia because of those same circumstances, we are vulnerable to the influences of magick.
When a magical working is intentionally exercised, it begins in the mind of the magician. It may never leave his mind, but it always begins there. In turn, a receptor of a magical working first feels the effects of it in his mind. Even if nothing is objectively taking place as a product of the magical working, it is perceived to be effective by the receiving subject(s). Our perceptions of reality are intensely subjective interpretations, even when they may not be objectively real. This is why the hallucinogenic and euphoric effects of certain drugs have been used as magical tools (Diary Of A Drug Fiend). It is also no coincidence that some alcoholic beverages are called “spirits.”* The normative scientific method may not be able to replicate our perceptions and experiences, but they are real to us nonetheless. The complexities of the mind’s processes continue to be intensely researched.
It should be stipulated that lines can become blurred when non-magical ailments affect the mind. Psychological conditions such as schizophrenia, bi-polar/manic depression, and even Alzheimer’s could be easily confused as the effects of magick on a person’s mind, especially prior to psychiatrists’ ability to understand and properly diagnose these types of conditions. However, the effects of magick on the mind and psychological ailments should neither be considered mutually exclusive or inclusive.
Christ not only brought physically healing, He gave peace of mind to those who suffered from psychological despair. However, He also exorcised demons (demon possession is a result of the effects of magick). Contemporary psychiatrists may speculate that the demoniacs spoken of in the Gospels may have actually been schizophrenics or may have suffered from erratic seizures, and that demon possession may have been an ancient way to describe psychological ailments. This may actually be true, and Christ may actually agree with this assessment, in part. The demoniacs may have been both possessed and suffering from psychological ailments, which only gives more legitimacy to the charge Christ gave to his disciples:
"Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness." Matthew 10:1
SPIRITUAL
Undoubtedly, magick draws from the spiritual realms. There are hierarchies of demons, which work in concert with the magician…for a price. These demons are conjured by name. Their names vary from region to region, but often their attributes can be similar. It is comparable to the fusion of the Greek god Zeus, the Roman god Jupiter, and the Nordic god Odin. Just like those gods, demons have different names from different regions of the world, but can share similar attributes. There are legions of demons, which hale from the deserts of Egypt to the Scandinavian land of ice and snow, and from the jungles of India to the forests of Mesoamerica.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12
Commentary on the spiritual effects of magick need not be extensively unpacked here, as they are generally acknowledged to be true and only disputed by skeptics, who likely need more convincing than I am providing in this short article.
____________________
Magick can be an exclusively psychological virus, it can also be purely spiritual warfare, but it is most frequently a synthesis of the two. One could think of the psychological effects of magick as the internal side of magick, and the spiritual effects as the external side. However, that would be oversimplifying the answer to our question. Psychological perceptions rely on both internal and external stimuli. Our spirit is also dependent on internal and external influences.
Magick is what some highly-effective marketers utilize to persuade consumers, it’s what mass media employs to influence opinions, it’s what public schools use for social engineering and to indoctrinate students. I intend to more deeply explore the history and nature of magick in subsequent articles, but I wanted to spore the conversation of this topic in this article. It should also be noted that our psychological make-up and our spiritual status are not only susceptible to magick, but they are also receptors of holy influences, and should be even more inviting to serving the most high God than struggling against the forces of darkness.
*The term "spirits," when referring to certain alcoholic beverages, is actually describing a specific type of distillation process, not anything magical. However, any number of words could have been applied to describe these certain types of drinks. So, the irony of using this term to describe any type of alcohol is not lost.
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