Witchcraft

"Magick is the Science of understanding oneself and one's conditions. It is the Art of applying that understanding in action" ~ Aleister Crowley.

The earth, and everything around us is made up of particles of energy, all vibrating

at different frequencies - those that vibrate relatively slowly mass together and form

solid objects which we can all see and touch, these take different forms of course,

such as the living body, or water for example, both very different but each made

up of exactly the same thing..energy. Now those particles which vibrate at higher

frequencies are not visible to the human eye, but they are there, think of air for

example.

The fact that everything is made of those same particles, means that it is connected, and can be influenced - just like when the brain sends a signal to a limb to make it move; both are part of the same body although appearing to be in two different areas.. and an action in one results in a reaction in the other.

This action and reaction is central in Magick. Performing a ritual or spell, or simply thinking of what it is that you need, is an action (thoughts are things!), and actions result in reactions. The trick with Magick is in learning first to attune (tune into) that connection present in the universe, and then to guide yourself within it so that you can recognise and take advantage of opportunities.

This is just the tip of the iceberg where Magick and how it works is concerned. My door is always open if you need further information.

If on the other hand you meant stage Magic.... well, that's another story!

•He asked what is magic.

Given that the spelling is M A G I C ,this magic you're talking about is the art of sleight of hand techniques, there's a saying in this art which is the hand is faster than the eyes, this kind of art is purely for entertainment purposes.

** The question was posted in Magic & Illusions, and in Paganism.. he got two answers for the price of one! :)

If a witch decides to use their finger, then yes. The use of a pointed finger, knife (Athame), wand, or other object actually symbolises the drawing of the protective circle, or the imbuing of objects with energy. The entire ritualistic process is the spell "casting".
Witches use their minds and will to cast spells.

All the rest, fancy/made-up words, gestures, tools and costumes are unnecessary.

That does not mean that they can not be used, just that they don not need to be used.

1st Answer:

In the Middle Ages witchcraft was feared thoughtout Europe, people thought that magic was an illusion created by the devil and was associated with worship of the devil. Some say that their are different types of magic, Black magic and White magic. Black magic was more associated with the devil and had santanic symbols. People thought that witches could cause harm to society by causing accidents, bad luck, illnesses and death. Witches got the blame so if someone fell ill for some unknown cause then witches got the blame for it. White magic had Christian symbolism that had more to do with nature and herbs, White magic was believed to be used in spells such as love, health,goodluck & wealth. Astrology and alcherly which is about potions such as turning metal into Gold and searching for a cure for a deadly illness are considered to be Abe apart of magic.

2nd Answer:

In the Middle Ages, there were some people who believed in witchcraft, which is not any different than today. What was different was that in the Middle Ages, there were laws about it. Early on, there were all sorts of laws, some of which outlawed witchcraft. Other, very important laws, such as the legal code of the Carolingian Empire, made it illegal to believe in witchcraft because it was a superstition. The the logical conclusion was that executing a witch was murder based on superstition and a capital crime.

As the Middle Ages progressed, ignorant people called on the Church to do something about witchcraft. In time, the Church responded with bulls against the practice. In the late 13th century, when the Renaissance was just starting to begin, and after about 800 years of the Middle Ages were over, there began inquisitions on the subject, with some very uneven application of laws. Some people were prosecuted, but there was no clear understanding of what should be done with them. Some were admonished not to be bad and released. Others said confessions and were told to repent. A few were punished, and a very few punished with death.

After the Middle Ages were all over and gone, people recorded histories about how unenlightened medieval people were, and calling their own period the Renaissance, a rebirth of the high culture of ancient Rome. It was during this age that the Church had professional witch haters write books on how to discover witches. These books were produced on the newly invented printing presses, and used by enthusiastic persecutors of ignorant people. Thousands of people were tortured and executed. Among the most important culprits was King James I of England, who wrote books on the subject and instituted actions against witchcraft, 150 years after the Middle Ages had ended.

Later, historians believed that the Renaissance people were more rational than people of the Middle Ages, possibly because they believed what Renaissance people said about their own greatness. Personally, I think a lot of it was because the Renaissance had linear perspective which meant paintings were much more realistic than medieval art, and this vision was thought applicable to the rest of comparisons of the two times. However it happened, the Middle Ages came to be defined in most people's minds as a time of ignorance, and the Renaissance as a time of rational thinking, so irrational acts were regarded as medieval, regardless of when they were committed, and science was always ascribed to the Renaissance without thought to when it developed.

There is a link below to an article on witch hunts.

Because they aren't good but cast evil on the world because they find humans easy Target's.

Another response

The term "witchcraft" can mean a number of different things. People often speak of witchcraft when talking about evil magic, usually involving women who are not under the control of a husband, father or other male authority. When used this way, "witchcraft" is a figment of the imagination or a false accusation. People are afraid of strangers or of people who are strange, and so they accuse that person of witchcraft.

"Witchcraft" is also used as an insult when talking of religious traditions other than the major institutional religions, especially Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. These traditions, unfortunately, teach that there is only one "right" religion and all other religions are evil. Consequently, anyone who is not part of the major religion is considered evil and often believed to practice witchcraft.

Before Christianity, Islam and Judaism were widely practiced in Europe, the people in Europe practiced different varieties of nature-based religions. Today, people practicing those religions are called Neo-Pagan or Wiccan. They are condemned as evil by the major religions.

there are several possibilities to obtain magic that are transmitted throughout the human culture and history.

1. you've got to find a shaman/prophet/master/someone-who's-already-using-magic

2. get the affection of the being by praising him,listening to them, beating them

or at least show your worthyness in a special way

3. learn the secret (to the common man)

there's also the chance you might learn magic throughout books or documents.

but most of them will tell you to find magical creatures and so far there's no prove that these are real.

you might also try to find a spritual/religious group which specializes in developing chi( or ki

).

if all of this doesn't work for you(or know more) try to find alternative ways to your way of living, because the way you must have lived by now surely doesn't grant you your wish.

Magic is defined as the manipulation of naturally occurring powers by the use of will.

The study and practice of magic is an on going and very real thing for those of us who take it seriously.

There are those who will tell you it can not be done. And those who claim to know some "shortcut" to success. But in my experience, magic has and is a lifetime of study, and practice. And for all that one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.

Wiccans believe in magic (the first answer was really wrong, well sort of)

so Google:

wicca

the craft

witchcraft

the craft

what does the pentacle stand for

what is a wiccan

then e-mail me at

wiccaninfo@aim.com

The male equivalent of a witch is called a "Warlock"; however they are all collectively called Witches; male and female.

The word Warlock is thought to derive from the Old English wǣrloga meaning "oathbreaker" or "deceiver." It is not an alternative for the term Witch, originating in all likelihood from late middle English Scotland, where witches were termed oath breakers as they broke their oaths with the Christian church. In actuality, practitioners of Witchcraft are correctly termed "Witch" regardless of gender.