What Is It Capable Of? Options

I'm relatively new to the serious study of magick. I've been reading some of the works of Aleister Crowley, Gerald del Campo, and other thelemists. After reading about thelema, I'm left with the distinct impession that magickal workings are, in practice, essentially useless. All of the claims of "magickal" happenings seem to be spiritual and introverted in nature. They seem to be a means to better understand one's self, much like buddhist forms of philosophy and mysticism. Here is what I want to know: What are the actualy practical applications of magick? Is it possible for magick to effect dramatic, tangible change in a subject outside of the practitioners own mind? What kind of changes can be observed?

I'm relatively new to the serious study of magick. I've been reading some of the works of Aleister Crowley, Gerald del Campo, and other thelemists. After reading about thelema, I'm left with the distinct impession that magickal workings are, in practice, essentially useless. All of the claims of "magickal" happenings seem to be spiritual and introverted in nature. They seem to be a means to better understand one's self, much like buddhist forms of philosophy and mysticism. Here is what I want to know: What are the actualy practical applications of magick? Is it possible for magick to effect dramatic, tangible change in a subject outside of the practitioners own mind? What kind of changes can be observed?

I believe in miracles. I believe in dramatic magickal effects as well as subtle meaningful syncronicities.

Once, I made a pot of stew with four servings for my husband and I. At the time we were both broke and that was almost the last of the food. Three teenaged friends of our showed up. Knowing they were dumpster diving most of the time to eat, I offered them food. As I stirred and dished the food I thought over and over to myself, "Let there be plenty." Four servings feed five people two bowls each. There were left overs. And more left overs the next day.

I attended a Pagan Picnic in St. Louis in the late 90s. It was a muggy, hot, cloudy day. The elements manifested at the opening ritual. When earth was called there was a very warm calming sensation. Air was called and cold wind blew through the circle. Fire was called by Dana Eilers, author of The Practicle Pagan. The clouds parted and the sun beat down on us. Water was called. The clouds gathered again and it started to rain.

These are just a couple of examples. No fireballs or flying but it's magick enough for my life.

This post has been edited by Masery: Nov 6 2006, 03:12 PM

Once, I made a pot of stew with four servings for my husband and I. At the time we were both broke and that was almost the last of the food. Three teenaged friends of our showed up. Knowing they were dumpster diving most of the time to eat, I offered them food. As I stirred and dished the food I thought over and over to myself, "Let there be plenty." Four servings feed five people two bowls each. There were left overs. And more left overs the next day.

So you don't think that perhaps the recipe was just bigger than you initially thought?

So you don't think that perhaps the recipe was just bigger than you initially thought?

No I'm sure. This was about a quart pot half full. It wasn't a hug tall pot. Just a small pot to make enough for two people.

No I'm sure. This was about a quart pot half full. It wasn't a hug tall pot. Just a small pot to make enough for two people.

I'm sorry. That's just a hard story to swallow. That you just said "Let there be plenty" a couple of times and that turned a bowl of stew into a gallon...even according to what I understand of the laws of magick, that doesn't make sense.

I belive magick is capable of doing anything as long as enough study and understanding and power is used. I have experienced practical magick, I have seen my mother heal a pet from lumonia, the pet was trashing aboute, dying, unable to breathe one evening, Mother healed it whit Reiki and in three days the pet was fine. It was a dancing mouse, two yers at the time of the ilness and she lived another year before she died peacefully in her sleep, and three years of life is wery good for a dancing mouse. I have experienced other things as well, and performed practical magick, but I belive that the bigger the miracle the more power is needed and the magician must be rather advanced to make it happen.

Edited to add this, also Cermonial magick, like Thelema was mutch developed for self development, Cermonial magick was performed by the rich elite. Witchcraft have always been more practical as it was developed for pepole to give them better lives on the hard material plane.

This post has been edited by Venefica: Nov 7 2006, 06:34 AM

Edited to add this, also Cermonial magick, like Thelema was mutch developed for self development, Cermonial magick was performed by the rich elite. Witchcraft have always been more practical as it was developed for pepole to give them better lives on the hard material plane.

Actually, this entire question is a part of my search for a "witchcraft" alternative. I've read two books on witchcraft (Cunningham's Guide for the Solitary Practitioner and Ravenwolf's To Stir a Magic Cauldron), and they both seemed like loads of crap. All of their exercises consisted of lighting candles and visualizing. I've always been of the opinion that if you have to imagine something, it probably isn't real. Is this what most witchcraft is like?

Well in most cermonial magick ou do as mutch visulisation as in witchcraft. Wicca a Guide to the Solitary practitoner is actualy quite good and was the first book of its kind that i read, it give a solid fondation for starting out in witchcraft, Silver Ravenwolf, wel...she get a fair bit of bad rewies on her books, I like some of the things she writes but not all. Creating what do not exisit is the wery essense of magic, that be creating a more spiriutal exsistance for yourself, or creating harmony in your home, to creatin a curse or for that matter reating good fortune. If you dislike the more loose systems of witchcraft that ou have read aboute you can try to read somthing aboute Alexsandrian wicca and its like, perhaps the more ritualised aprotch will suit you better.