When most people think of the word “magic”, they think of that supernatural
force so often portrayed in pop culture and children’s stories. This version of magic essentially involves
forces outside the realm of the scientifically understood order of nature, and
the ways in which living creatures are affected by and are able to manipulate them. This makes for great story telling. After all, when you’re not limited the normal
laws of nature, pretty much anything goes.
But rarely will you meet someone who will admit they actually believe
this sort of magic exists in the real world.
In our society its primary function is as a device to help us escape the
confines of the real world, if only briefly, for the benefit of entertainment and
enjoyment. Magic has personally never
meant anything more than this to me, and I’ve moved away from it even more as I’ve
grown older and found more interest in entertainment and art that closely
represents real life. But that doesn’t
mean I don’t believe in magic. That’s
because the word “magic” means many things, and has meant many things
throughout history. And I think they all
have something in common.
First, there is, of
course, the supernatural implications of “magic”. 15th century philosopher Giordano
Bruno wrote about the many definitions of the term used during his time, many
of which related to the perceived ability to perform actions that tapped into a
higher order of nature, such as connecting with spirits (Bruno and De Lucca
105). During his time, the Catholic
Church was persecuting individuals based on the unfounded notion that they were
performing ritual magic declared as witchcraft that was doing the work of the
Devil (Mackay 548). During the late 19th
and early 20th centuries, members of the magical society the
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, featuring many prominent thinkers of the
time, practiced and studied a variety supernatural rituals, including
divination and alchemy (Cranmer and Billings). Many of these historical versions of magic
have manifested in the stories and tales of magic we see today. Despite what many have believed, and what
some now still believe, the supernatural aspects of these beliefs have no
empirical proof of existence, and have no place in our scientific understanding
of the universe.
However, many of these
systems of belief have had deeper meanings behind them that have relevance even
if you don’t believe in the supernatural aspects. Much like many religions throughout history,
which have used non-provable claims about the order of nature to advocate for
codes of morals, magical belief systems have often used similar claims to
represent methods of improving oneself and the universe. Writer Alice Bailey, for example, used the
term white magic to refer to forces that can be utilized by people to aid in
personal growth, help extend consciousness in the universe, and lead the world
towards an age of peace and enlightenment (Bailey 12). Whether the practices she outlines to do this
actually work may be questionable, but, viewed from the right angle, her
version of magic can be helpful in finding inner peace no matter what you believe.
Then there’s the fact
that “magic” doesn’t always refer to the supernatural. Bruno referred to what was commonly known as “natural
magic” to describe “wondrous things” that can be done simply by manipulating
regular powers of nature, such as in chemistry and medicine (Bruno and De Lucca
105). After all, haven’t we all used the
word to describe something that that amazes us or has special meaning to us,
even if there’s a perfectly logical explanation for its cause? Randall Auxier, in his essay on Led Zeppelin
and magic, describes the way in which this type of magic can be created by
ordinary people. He uses an example of
playing an instrument and getting so into the zone that you are able to
improvise incredible combinations of notes without having to think them out. This type of magic is caused by the will, but
is not necessarily logically understood at the time (Auxier 119). In short, if it amazes you and feels like
magic, then it is magic, and we can
all be magicians.
An underlying aspect
of essentially all definitions of magic is that it creates a sense of wonder and
amazement that such a force or thing could exist. For some people this has been found in what
they believe to be the supernatural. For
the rest of us who don’t believe in such a thing, there is still plenty of
magic in the universe. From the
astounding beauty of Earth’s natural landscape to the small wonders of everyday
life, it’s been all around us all along.
Works Cited
Auxier, Randall. "Magic Pages and Mythic
Plants." Led Zeppelin and Philosophy All Will Be Revealed. Ed. Scott
Calef. Chicago: Open Court, 2009. Print.
Bailey, Alice. A Treatise on White Magic, Or, The Way of the Disciple.
Eastford: Martino Fine, 2012. Print.
Bruno, Giordano, and Robert De. Lucca. Cause,
Principle, and Unity. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 1998. Print.
Cranmer, Steven, and Albert Billings.
"The Golden Dawn FAQ." The Golden Dawn FAQ. 1 Dec. 1999. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.
Mackay, Christopher S. Malleus
Maleficarum. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2006. Print.
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