A thread about magic!

[Highbrow]

Magick, if you must.

I was rereading the religion thread and I wanted to know people's opinions on the occult - Crowley, Alice Bailey, Theosophy, Peter Carroll et al. Personally, I got really involved with the stuff, then I decided it was bunk after I had to get a job and quit poncing around with "daemons." Sure, I still believe in a sort of Schopenhauerian Will, but I like to keep boring, everyday life separate from boring, everyday D&D. Hence why I leave off the K, since even "real magick" involves a lot of misdirection, coyness, and Rorschach effects just like stage magic.

Any thoughts?

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

It all seems to go back to either witchcraft or alchemy which in either case are just obsolete non scientific method versions of science.

At the same time though there is a semantic confusion. Black Magik is anything done to influence others (public speaking, poisoning, bombs, etc) while White Magik is anything done to influence ones self (vitamin shakes, working out, etc). When viewed in this semantic light most Black Magik literature actually takes the form of Black Magik itself using semantic confusion and lies to manipulate the reader.

I wonder if Wi-Fi is white or black magik.. ? hm...

 

[jim_doki]

I've always said magic is just science we dont understand yet. this also works in reverse, being that advanced enough techology is exactly the same as magic to people who dont understand it. for example, if you showed Merlin a handgun, he'll claim it was magic that allowed it to kill someone 400 feet away, not the compression of gas forcing a projectile out of the barrel

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Most 'magick' is based around Psychology, if you read the workings of Messers Pratchett and Constantine.

People who BELIEVE are capable of much more than people who think.

There may be real 'magic' out there, but as Jim says, maybe it's just Advanced Science.

 

[RetiarySword]

Well my aunt is a 'medium', in a way she can see the future or knows half the conversation before you said it. I just think shes realy good at the game 20 questions. Allow me to explain;

Everyone in my family thinks shes physcic, but when she was 'predicting' what my cousins boyfriend done for a living, there were alot of questions. "Does it involve his hands?", "Does he lift things?", etc. I guessed it, a lorry loader. After that she was all like "I can't continue now hes already said it". Thats not prediction aunt! Thats inteligent question pitching!

Also just on a side note, shes very religious, I think. When I'm around her, at least once something holy comes into it. If she read up, she would know that mediums are bad!

 

[Highbrow]

I've always said magic is just science we dont understand yet. this also works in reverse, being that advanced enough techology is exactly the same as magic to people who dont understand it. for example, if you showed Merlin a handgun, he'll claim it was magic that allowed it to kill someone 400 feet away, not the compression of gas forcing a projectile out of the barrel

Merlin wasn't real.

I guess my point is something like this, that we say "magic" (or however it's spelled) not because it works through some mystical powers, it actually works through a device that is completely comprehensible to ordinary folks, they just don't know the specifics - a piece of elastic up the sleeve, a bit of sleight of hand as cards are switched out. In other words, something very non-magical is done, but as for exactly what, the magician never reveals his secrets, as we all know.

My point is that you don't need to negotiate a contract with Beelzebub to do this (http://www.cracked.com/article_16400_5-superpowers-science-will-give-us-in-our-lifetime.html) or this: (http://www.cracked.com/article_16449_7-people-from-around-world-with-real-mutant-superpowers.html), but figuring out how it's done will take some doing of course.

In closing: lucid dreaming. http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dreaming