Ritual and magick

[OlaMystique]

Merry meet, everyone!

I have what may seem to be (at least to me) a dumb question.

I've been reading about Wicca for awhile now and I don't quite see the distinction between rituals and magick, if there is one. I have read that there are rituals and then there are spellcasting rituals, but it would seem that in both we make use of some kind of magick even in casting circle without spellcraft intent.

Do some Wiccans not cast circle, and just meditate in their own way to the Goddess and the God, and nature all around us? Or is that circle casting part of and inseparable from Wicca? In my mind, circle casting is a sort of magick, if it occurs in the way that the books describe it. (A way which I have not yet figured out how to do...not quite getting that feeling about it yet.)

Thanks for the replies I am sure are to follow!

Blessed Be!

OlaMystique

[bluecat]

There is a great difference between Ritual and Magic. Ritual, in itself can be defined as something we do ina certain manner, right down to daily mundane patterns of cleaning, cooking, dressing, etc. The Magic comes in when you do the ritual for the purpose of doing magic.

That is a very broad brushed answer and I am sure you will get some refinements on it.

There are times when ritual and magic enter into a grey area, such as doing something a certain way to insurean outcome, such as how you ties your shoes or maybe even button your shirt or blouse. The pattern in how you do this may have some affect on the outcome of a project or your entire day, it sets the tone and puts you in the mental frame. That is really, for me, the true purpose of ritual, to put you in the correct frame of mind to carry out the task at hand.


Blue :cool:

[sandaljunkie]

"Do some Wiccans not cast circle, and just meditate in their own way to the Goddess and the God, and nature all around us? Or is that circle casting part of and inseparable from Wicca? "

Well - just to answer this one question - as i'm sure a lot of people will tell you on this sight - everyone does thier own thing, and the wayys are all differnt.

In my own practice - there will be days when i will meditate - or just sit in a field to do my magic. Some days i like to use a wand cast a circle and ask my kith and kin to join me. It's all part of your own practice - that creates your "magic" - in doing witchcraft.

And i always though Wicca - was just following the ideas and living ... umm wicca (arg arg) - and witchcraft is the actual practice of magic. but there are threads somewhere else about that...:elf:

[OlaMystique]

Thank you for replying! That was quite helpful!

Ola Mystique