What is "Magic"?

Hi fellow ATSers, I hope all is well, with you in particular whoever is reading this, because I'm beginning to suspect that anything is possible, and well if you weren't doing so well in whatever area of your life and were "hurting" in some way or another, as we all do, then my sincere hope, and prayer, is that you yourself in particuilar be well, and happy.

Hey I figured if we're going to be talking about "magic" maybe we can generate something positive, something formative for ourselves and our fellow man working together in sympathetic harmony and understanding, that is if there is anything to this whole notion that the will of man impinges on reality and the unfolding of fated destiny in powerful and unforeseen ways which we might not have previously considered to be even possible and yet that nevertheless we may discover, to our dismay, are possible.

So what is "magic"?

Magic (paranormal)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org...

Magic or sorcery is practiced in many cultures, and utilizes ways of understanding, experiencing and influencing the world in a manner akin to that of religion. Hanegraaff argues that magic is in fact "...a largely polemical concept that has been used by various religious interest groups either to describe their own religious beliefs and practices or - more frequently - to discredit those of others".

The concept of magic as a category separate from religion first appeared in Judaism, which derided as magic the practices of pagan worship designed to appease and receive benefits from gods other than Yahweh.

The belief in and the practice of magic has been present since the earliest human cultures and continues to have an important religious and medicinal role in many cultures today.

"Magic is central not only in 'primitive' societies but in 'high cultural' societies as well..."

Modern Western magicians generally state magic's primary purpose to be personal spiritual growth Modern perspectives on the theory of magic broadly follow two major views. The first sees magic as a result of a universal sympathy within the universe, where if something is done here a result happens somewhere else. The other view sees magic as a collaboration with spirits who cause the effect.

Magic is often viewed with suspicion by the wider community, and is sometimes practiced in isolation and secrecy.

Etymology

The word "magic" derives via Latin magicus from the Greek adjective magikos (μαγικός) used in reference to the "magical" arts of the Persian Magicians (Greek: magoi, singular mágos, μάγος), the Zoroastrian astrologer priests of the ancient Persian Empire. Greek mágos is first attested in Heraclitus (6th century BC, apud. Clement Protrepticus 12) who curses the Magians and others for their "impious rites".

Likewise, sorcery was taken in ca. 1300 from Old French sorcerie, which is from Vulgar Latin *sortiarius, from sors "fate", apparently meaning "one who influences fate".

en.wikipedia.org...

I've had a recent experience with this concept of magic, which I'll relate as we move forward, but for now I figured I would just posit it as a topic of discussion and see where it goes and where we might end up.

Best Wishes,

NAM

reply to post by NewAgeMan


What is "Magic"?


The ability to make the dumb look even dumber...

reply to post by NewAgeMan




What was your experience with magic NAM?

Was it a good experience or a negative one?

science you can't explain .

reply to post by biggmoneyme


I'd say science yet to be explained.

-AA

Originally posted by biggmoneyme
science you can't explain .

Agreed! Magic is undiscovered science. Simple as.

P

Originally posted by facelift
reply to post by NewAgeMan

 

What is "Magic"?


The ability to make the dumb look even dumber...

Can you elaborate on that?

Originally posted by Darkblade71
What was your experience with magic NAM?

Was it a good experience or a negative one?

It was very positive and humorous.

So here's the story:

I live in Vancouver Canada and there are a lot of homeless street people here, including music playing hippies, people on treks and journeys etc. Often, when I'm walking through the "downtown" core (it's not like any other "city" more like a town here in many ways), I'll stop to chat with someone or other, hang with them for a while, share a smoke, shoot the #, be with people you know the usual human interactions.

Anyway, one day I'm having the most interesting and fascinating conversation with this young hippy type dude, and of course we're having a conspiracy related conversation, trying to get the root and source of what's wrong with the world and what the purpose ought to be, saving the world type stuff, not unusual as many if not most conversations will ultimately tip in favor of that direction, like some sort of law of conversational cause and effect (I should give it a name) even if we can't actually save the world just by talking about it, or can we? To what degree are we "at cause" it might be much more mysterious than we realize at first glance.

Back to the story - after wowing him with my knowledge of "what's really going on" (most of which involves truly knowing that I don't know and am appreciative and open to the mystery that is life), he decides he wants to share it all and fill me in on some big secret, but he's protective of it at the same time, like he's worried about giving away too much. Of course I got him to share with me everything he knew and so he spills the beans on what he thinks he knows about magic, and he seemed to "ring the bell" a number of times in regards to what I evaluated to make perfect rational sense, from a metaphysical perspective.

Continued.. (heading out for a smoke to consider how best to proceed with the story). brb.

reply to post by NewAgeMan


What is magic? Science we don't understand.

reply to post by AsarAlubat

That's sort of a twist on Clarke's statement:
"Any sufficiently advanced technology would be indistinguishable from magic."
The difference being, of course, there is no such thing as magic.

reply to post by NewAgeMan


Story Cont'd..

Backstory: I'm a "headhunter" or executive recruiter, a "fisher of men" quite literally. Been at it for 27 years now, started when I was just 18 with some telemarketing experience selling newspapers for home delivery, lol. And no it's not as glamorous as it sounds, it's really feast or famine, but I don't mind Kraft Dinner in order to also have the opportunity to eat steak.

Anyway, the deals or what we call Placements (with a capital P because that's where the dough is) sometimes happen quickly, sometimes only after a long time, like months and months, and sometimes, even oftentimes.., not at all, and it's an emotional roller coaster capable of driving a person mad, and any good headhunter worth their salt is a little off the wall, just goes with the territory but it would take another thread to more fully explain the sorrows and the joys of headhunting.

So me and my colleague ,who's also the boss and the company owner (there are only four of us now total in the firm), we have this placement in progress or PIP involving his client, and my candidate (a "split" placement) that I'd recruited from a list of vetted names given me, mostly from LinkedIn, although I am capable of "rusing" secretaries for names where I have a competitive company but no name to begin with but that too is another story, lol.

The candidate in this case, while motivated for many reasons to make a change, is also a bit of a nuisance, often uncooperative, sometimes difficult or next to impossible to reach, you know the slightly arrogant premadonna type although he has some reason to be, because he's a superstar performer on a mission, workaholic, bright, youngish, demanding and controlling, evasive - needless to say it was a very difficult and challening "PIP" and it was driving us crazy. Process went on, let's see... from back in late February/March?!

So my boss exclaims one day when we're talking about it for the umpteenth time - "if or I should say when, we finally close this placement, we will have to go out for some cigars, drinks and a nice steak dinner!" (music to my ears).

Continued...

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by AsarAlubat

 

The difference being, of course, there is no such thing as magic.

Or, maybe all there is is magic, if by magic what is meant is an intentionality of fate in the unfolding of life's story, as a creative will where for everything that happens something does not happen, and thus where something is made real something is also sacrificed or cut away, and in the interplay between what was, is and what should be, a choice remains and an opportunity presents itself in a domain of all possibility.

There could be something to it. It sounds like the "law of attraction" or some sort of Deepak Chopra Quantum Woo I realize, but it's not, it's about the direction of the will in intending one outcome, but at the expense of another by some sacrifice of some kind and no I'm not referring to animal sacrifice or anything like that although that has been a favored method for certain reasons that might be explained as we explore this topic further.

Best regards, Phage, nice to see you again. This reminds me of that cartoon with the Sheepdog and the Wolf, Ralph and Sam, where they great themselves cordially each morning, and evening when punching the clock, but otherwise get carried away in the frakus of disagreement, during the day.

I disagree. I think that Magic is really a gift from God and that Jesus was himself, a Magus. Good morning Sam.

When a miracle occurs something happens that appear to be of God's volition.

When magic occurs something happens that appears to be of man's volition.

The only distinction appears to be who claims to have been the creator of an unexplained happening.

reply to post by NewAgeMan


Majik. What is it? The truth is magic is thought. Magic is the manipulation of thought. For positive or negative influence. Magic is the maniulation of man by any means necessary. Magic is light color sound images...the way that words are present. Magic is advertising. Magic is movies. Magic is The Mona Lisa and the leaning tower of piazza. Magic is chivalry. Magic is murder. Magic is Pictures of Mom. Magic is inspiring emotion. Magic is love hate peace war and understanding. Magic is the blue blue sky magic is ESOTERICS magic is EXOTERICS. Magic is feeling. Magic is intelligent consciousness, magic is God. Jesus. But what magic really is is esoterics, exoterics, What magic really is is Science, Religion and Philosophy. Magic is the rising sun and the setting sun. Magic is yin and yang. Magic is duality. Magic is going beyond religion. That is tru magic. Not that Harry Potter Bull . But I have read every bood. The interesting magic. Once you realize life is magic anything is possible. btw. There is a puppet master that has been pulling the strings of humanity for the past however many years his image is that of the all seeing eye. His names change. Horus has been the head of consciousness. Ra has...Thoth has influenced....Tat has influenced... Osiris has and will again. They might not be here. But their consciousness will be. In the form of the Illuminati. The 13 bloodlines. The passing on of Consciousness. Want to be a god??? That might have to remain a subject for another time...to you sir I bid adu

At a basic level, I would say magic is about tools and techniques to help focus the will. The placebo effect is a good general gauge at just how much impact beliefs can have. It does need to be accounted for and recognized in trying to determine drug interactions, simply because we believe in something. The community will is a very powerful thing.

Visualization is one technique that I would recommend to beginners, imagine and picture just where do you want to go in life. The clearer you can define just what it is you want, the better you chances in getting it.

In short, i'd say magik is the collecting of energies, and the harbouring of them via thoughts, actions or objects, and the releasing of through the dimensions above and back onto your own respective dimension.

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by AsarAlubat

 

That's sort of a twist on Clarke's statement:
"Any sufficiently advanced technology would be indistinguishable from magic."
The difference being, of course, there is no such thing as magic.

Lack of empirical distinguishability does not imply that magic is merely sufficiently advanced technology. This non sequitur may be what proponents of scientism would like to believe, and it is superficially attractive for their general purpose of always denying all non-physical causes of phenomena. But it still begs the question posed by the OP instead of answering it. Technology involves natural causes and their effects. It's what scientists study. Magic, on the other hand, by definition requires the temporary suspension of objective causation according to the laws of nature through the intervention, aided by the imagination and ritual, of the human will, which can act unrestricted by the laws of physics. It is not even adequate to fantasize that magic is merely future science. That's still an intellectual cop-out, for it implicity assumes that the human mind cannot act at a distance on matter, so that true magic cannot exist. That may be what materialistic science would have you believe. But, any honest attempt to answer the question: what is magic? cannot dismiss it by falling back on this assumption as though it is were an unquestionable article of religious faith. Some of us have moved beyond dogmatic science.

reply to post by NewAgeMan


Magic is to produce statistically unlikely states by will.

reply to post by NewAgeMan


Magick is the art of inducing change in conformity with the will. This can be interpreted and used in a number of different ways.

reply to post by Phage

The difference being, of course, there is no such thing as magic.

Magick is only non-existent in your narrow minded view or understanding of magic.