As you are the most experienced members on this Site,I have some questions which would give me as well some of the other un-experienced members some knowledge and guidance.
1.) What is Magic ?
2.) How many forms of Magic are there ?
3.) What kind of Magic do Dynamo, David Blane, Cyril and other magicians and illusionist .etc use
4.) Do they use spirits, Jinn or their inner powers ?
5.) What side affects can magic have
6.) What is the most impossible and unbelievable magic you know about
7.) Above what age and what preparation would be required before getting involved in magic.
8.) What kind of magic is real and which is Fake.
I hope this would give answers to many of the members questions
Thanks for your efforts. your knowledge and experiences would be really helpful if we would know these answers.
I would like only experienced magicians and experts write comments and stick to the topic of the questions above.
Re: Lark/ Zeus and Experts By: kts Moderator / Adept
Post # 2 Oct 14, 2014
1. Magic is energy and the redirecting of it.
2. The universes are infinite and so are the ways in which magic is used or practiced.
3. Stage magic is what illusionists use.
4. Not sure who they refers to. If it is those named in number three; they use slight of hand, distraction methods, and other illusions.
5. One may experience both positive and negative affects from casting. The most important thing is to learn from the experience.
6. This seems like a role play question.
7. Everyone is different. I have been teaching my children since before birth to utilize the energy in the universe. Meditation should be started at a young age. My children meditated with me while in utero. Maturity of the student and the teacher is necessary for success.
8. If a magical working seems too good to be true or unrealistic then it most likely is. Use common sense, intelligence, and maturity when researching any aspect of the craft.
Even though not directed at me, I feel I can answer some of your questions.
1.) What is Magic ?
There are many personal definitions for magick. I personally go by Aleister Crowley's "Magick is the science and are of creating change in conformity with ones will". That means causing a change within your internal or external environment. Any intentional act is magick. But in the sense you are asking, it is the act of directing ones energies to bring about a desired result by causing change or influencing the natural forces of the universe.
There are many forms of magick, and many work from different principles.
2.) How many forms of Magic are there ?
Hundreds at least. Thousands maybe.
3.) What kind of Magic do Dynamo, David Blane, Cyril and other magicians and illusionist .etc use
None whatsoever, in the metaphysical sense. They are illusionists they use sleight of hand and distraction whilst they create a change right under our noses....they have no supernatural power in their tricks.
4.) Do they use spirits, Jinn or their inner powers ?
Nothing supernatural whatsoever.
5.) What side affects can magic have
Depends on our magick. Some people can feel drained and tired, in my opinion they are doing it wrong, but everyone has their own way. For me, magick is; calming, energising, peace invoking, and generally makes me feel great. I feel drained only when I have been doing a fairly intense ritual- but a small bite to eat and a drink of water usually subsides this. (It is more due to concentration than anything else, concentrating really hard is hard work sometimes)
6.) What is the most impossible and unbelievable magic you know about
Anyhing fluffy is most certainly impossible and should have no one believing in it...therefore changing ones physical form. It is impossible and therefore technically not magick.....
7.) Above what age and what preparation would be required before getting involved in magic.
Now this is a tricky one. Personally I believe age is not always an indication of maturity. I would say aa mature attitude is a must have in magick.
No magickal group will take a person on until they are 18, before that age most people do not take an interest or fail to comprehend more serious aspects of magick, and therefore mostly practice 'the basics'.
I believe it is an individual choice and if a younger person wishes to learn, they should be helped, however, they should be educated to develop slowly and steadily, and not jump in at the deep end....but again maturity is enough, and from my experience of this site, most people under the age of 16 do not have the maturity required- however, about 20% do.
8.) What kind of magic is real and which is Fake.
Just use common sense and critical thinking. If a theory is incredulous, it is proably fake. You cannot change yourself physically. YOu cannot control the powers of nature, work with and influence; perhaps, but you cannot start controlling water etc.
All kinesis is fake. No one can control anything physical with magick. The elemental energies can be worked with, but I would ay those are immensely different than physical fire, water, air , and earth.
Anything which sounds like something from a Hollywood film is a good rule of thumb for deciding if it is fake.
Magick is a personal thing, and also there are lots of traditions, it would be impossible to give you a comprehensive list.
Re: Lark/ Zeus and Experts By: Brysing Moderator / Adept
Post # 4 Oct 14, 2014
JDF, according to your profile "Magic is an ancient gift".
Really? It is not a gift. It can be, and is, taught; beginning,as KTS has said, with meditation. And it can take years to learn! My witch teacher wouldn't allow me to do any magic,other than meditation, until I was about 17 years old; and she was teaching me from the age of six!
I am now 81, and I'm still learning. Just today I learnt something new from WhiteRaven.
Magic,itself,is all around you. Learning how to use it is something else!
I guess I can put my two cents in (is that how they say it?)
1.) What is Magic ?
I believe magic is an aid to the natural forces already taking place in your life. I find that magic works through you, again, aiding you.
2.) How many forms of Magic are there ?
A lot, kiddo. A lot.
3.) What kind of Magic do Dynamo, David Blane, Cyril and other magicians and illusionist .etc use
They're just a bunch of fakes to get rich quick, so none of it is actually real.
4.) Do they use spirits, Jinn or their inner powers ?
No one really has "inner powers", and as I said, they're all a bunch of fluffy bunnies.
5.) What side affects can magic have
Honestly. I don't think you would have "side effects" unless you know what you're doing.
6.) What is the most impossible and unbelievable magic you know about
If you're thinking of impossible feats, you can't really do that.
7.) Above what age and what preparation would be required before getting involved in magic.
I really don't know a required age, I guess you could be any age. But just in my opinion, you have to be matured and be able to think for yourself before you get yourself involved in Witchcraft, or a Pagan/Wiccan/whatever path.
8.) What kind of magic is real and which is Fake.
Just keep this in mind: If it's too good to be true, it is.
Re: Lark/ Zeus and Experts By: Brysing Moderator / Adept
Post # 7 Oct 14, 2014
I wouldn't say that "stage" magicians are "fakes" or "Fluffies". What they do is for entertainment; and they always make it clear that it is illusion, and that they have no supernatural powers. I met many illusionists during my sixty years in showbusiness, and found them to be very talented people, who spend many hours of hard work perfecting their "tricks". And they are tricks! They never pretend otherwise. Although many use the word"magic" on their Bill matter; but the good ones also make sure that somewhere on the Bill is the word "illusion".
1. I believe Magick is a energy that is everywhere. We learn to use it to help us and others. We use it for a number of things in our life.
2. There are infinite forms of magick.
3. They use the art of illusion. It's a fun thing to watch, but it's not actual magick.
4. It's a fluffy comment.
5. Depends on the type of magick. I personally feel drained of energy for a few days if I use it too much.
6. Fluffy spells. Vampire werewolf etc.
7. Any age can do it. Just learn the basics and be safe. Of your a newbie, don't summon a demon spirit or anything like that.
8. Fluffy ones. Become a vampire werewolf angel demon neko etc. are fake spells.
Hope this helps.
I have two questions for you, first being who's Zeus? [And if its the Zeus I'm thinking of, no offense to him, but there are other members as knowledgeable or more than him, but he can certainly answer your questions.] Second if you wanted Lark and Zeus to answer you, why didn't you simply mail them? Anyway, you've gotten the answers, but I like answering questions so hope you don't mind:
1.) What is Magic ?
There isn't an exact definition, but its a neutral energy found in the universe. When you cast a spell, you give this neutral energy a positive or negative charge and focus it in a direction to create subtle changes in the energy around you or a person to create desired change. As a force of nature though, it can only work with nature and effect energy. No physical or dramatically instant chances will happen.
2.) How many forms of Magic are there ?
Short answer a lot. Long answer, jars, potions, poppets, knots, blood, herbs, crystals/stones, kitchen, candle, rune, tarot, shell, mirror, and a bunch others [grab Scott Cunninghams Earth Powerthe chapters are introductions to different types] and of course you have things like curses, love spells, healing and so on.
3.) What kind of Magic do Dynamo, David Blane, Cyril and other magicians and illusionist .etc use
Illusions aka stage magic. They make tricks, and utilize slight of hand, misdirection, and other tricks to confuse your eye. Look up Penn and Teller, they explain this, there was one I saw as a kid where Teller is smoking a cigarette, he takes a puff, adjusts his hat, throws the cigarette away, lights a new cigarette and turns it into a pencil, swats at something in the air and changes it back into a cigarette. Penn is speaking, asking the audience if what they just saw was fact or illusion. The second time, Penn instructs Teller to stand on the opposite side and we see he hides the cigarette in his ear when he adjusts his hat ["palm"] blows out a mouth of smoke to hide the smoke from the lit cigarette ["misdirection"] he then pulls out a pencil from the pack of cigarettes ["plant"] uses a lighter to simulate lighting up, and when he swats at something by his hat he grabs the cigarette, changing it back. If you are looking straight you would be impressed, one step to the left and it doesn't work.
4.) Do they use spirits, Jinn or their inner powers ?
See above answer.
5.) What side affects can magic have
You'll turn into a toad. Joking! I'm joking! Couple things good and bad can happen depending on how you use your knowledge. [Don't worry, you won't become a toad]
6.) What is the most impossible and unbelievable magic you know about
Do you mean a magic trick? I've always been blown away by the trick where you take a lemon, cut it open and there's an egg, cut it open and theres a ball, cut that open to find a ring, but this isn't spiritual magick.
7.) Above what age and what preparation would be required before getting involved in magic.
It's more maturity than age. Most parents go with 13, some 18, but I have met those who taught their kids sooner than they originally planned because they were more mature than they expected.
8.) What kind of magic is real and which is Fake.
Again, stage performers. The majority of spells in the Trick and Fantasy sections of this site. Spells claiming instant and dramatic change. Working spells are things like luck, wealth, love, curses, protection, cleansing, healing, and so on where it requires energy and time. Grey areas are death and weather spells. Both of which you don't need to try for some time until you are well past your year and a day so its not important. If they are real, they are dangerous and shouldn't be done unless its a life or death situation because of the huge effect on others these spells would have. If they're not real, you've saved valuable time and energy.
