Magick

“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” ― Roald Dahl, author

Dark Paganism, as the name implies, is part of the larger Contemporary Pagan movement. And magick plays a vital role in the lives of most Pagans.  

Magick is a profound and sacred spiritual practice with deep, ancient roots. The world’s earliest writings of Mesopotamia contain spells used by sorcerers and everyday people. Magick continues to impact all aspects of our lives.

What is magick? The most common definition one will find was given by Aleister Crowley, who defined it as “the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with the will.” However, many practitioners, myself included, are moving away from this. The definition I use is “probability influence.” Magick increases or decreases the odds of an occurrence.  

We can see magick as an influence on probability in money spells. The odds of finding an American dollar randomly lying on the sidewalk of a major city in the US is greater than finding a roll of $100 bills. Therefore, a money spell may increase your cash flow, but it’s not likely to make you rich because it takes less influence to simply increase cash flow. 

Interestingly, I’ve found that the most profound benefit of practicing magick isn’t the changes it makes to my mundane life. Sure, it helps me with my finances and family. Magick opens doors and gives me opportunities I might not have had without it. However, the most significant benefit of magick is its effect on me as a person.  

I am a better person because of magick. It has helped me grow and become more confident. Because of this confidence, I can do more without magick now than I could before I started practicing.

The benefit of personal growth is a major reason magick is an integral part of Dark Paganism.