Magick... not Magic
"Magick, in the context of Aleister Crowley's Thelema, is a term used to show and differentiate the occult from performance magic and is defined as "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will", including both "mundane" acts of will as well as ritual magic. "
~Wikipedia
"Magic" makes me think of Disneyland or a performing magician trying to trick me with his stunts.
Yet, to me, "magick" is a bit more interesting. It is a practice of ritualizing a process by bringing conscious intention and presence into the creative experience. This has the ability to impact the psyche and alter reality.
The brilliant Dr. Wayne Dyer used to say, "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."
This is what magick is all about. Bringing a deeper sense of awareness to the way you look at life and what you allow yourself to be immersed in. Changing the lens of perception shifts your reality.
There is a lot of false propaganda around magick, the occult, and witches... but it is simply because of ignorance and lack of knowledge.
Witches were wise women (and men) who could use herbs and rituals to impact the physiology, psyche and reality. By impacting people on such a deeper level the work can go all the way down into the subconscious realms.
I usually use the title "high priestess" or "medicine woman" (when referring to people who understand this type of art form) over the term "witch," due to it's negative associations. Yet, I think reclaiming the word is an act of empowerment agains a patriarchical worldview and a religious system that has contributed to the suppression of the power of women, their sexual freedom, the power of the earth and all its plants, and the power of our mind and our ability to have our own access to the divine, without the need of a mediary priest.
No doubt that there are people with power who use this knowledge of impacting the psyche through symbolism to propagate their own agenda in a manipulative way. We use symbolism all the time to spread fear or love. We are also bewitched daily by the media we allow ourselves to consume. It continuously programs our subconscious mind. Choose wisely what kind of symbolism you want to surround yourself with. It truly creates your reality.
