Magic/Magick... the difference?

[twisted_silhouette]

:colorful:


I would like to know what the difference between the spelling of Magick, and the spelling of Magic... What does the extra 'k' mean? I've heard that Magick is Witchcraft, directing energy and all; and that Magic is the 'pull the bunny out of the hat' trick. Is this true, or have I been deceived? What is the difference between the two concepts?

Twisted Silhouette

[Ben Trismegistus]

You'll get a hundred different answers to this question. I present four of them as a random sampling of the most popular answers:

The "k" on the end of "magick" is to differentiate witchcraft from David Copperfield.
The spelling of "magick" has some sort of special numerological properties that have never been sufficiently explained.
"Magick" just looks cooler than "magic".
There's no difference whatsoever - the extra "k" in "magick" is simply an affectation.

[CloakofStars9]

yes what he said ^^^

i always spell it Magick

[Rain Gnosis]

The spelling of "magick" has some sort of special numerological properties that have never been sufficiently explained.

Whoa. What do you mean they've never been sufficiently explained? Look into Gematria and some of Crowley's writings. You make it sound like someone just made this up without having any explanation for it :)

Crowley popularized the term - he used it because of his studies in Gematria (which is based on the idea that words have significant numerological values that help us tap into the spiritual), because the "k" stands for "kteis" which has specific meanings in terms of the feminine and the Goddess, and because John Dee used a "k" (Crowley felt he was Dee's reincarnation). It's also believed that Crowley used the "k" not to distinguish himself from stage magicians, but from the Golden Dawn (who, sufficed to say, he didn't get along well with).

There are specific reasons people use the "k". I find it funny when people do use it because it "looks cool" but are scared of/hate Crowley. :D

[SylverStar]

Thanks Rain. I was going to say It has been explained but you can put things in to words much better than me.

[Ryhla]

You'll get a hundred different answers to this question. I present four of them as a random sampling of the most popular answers:


The "k" on the end of "magick" is to differentiate witchcraft from David Copperfield. The spelling of "magick" has some sort of special numerological properties that have never been sufficiently explained. "Magick" just looks cooler than "magic". There's no difference whatsoever - the extra "k" in "magick" is simply an affectation.I generally use the rule of thumb to differenciate from witchcraft and slight of hand. But because of the extra "K", I find myself adding that "K" to other words ending in "C". ;)

[Erincelt]

Personally, I just use magic. That's what it is, so why call it anything different? Having read plenty of Crowley, I do indeed use his spelling in my forays with "High Magick" but otherwise its pointless. I suppose in Wicca specifically, it starts to boil down to aesthetics. Besides, like someone else said, it starts getting tempting to stick k's on everything.

[Calzaer]

Since numbers are my mortal enemy, I refuse to gratify them further by using "Magick" over "magic".

[Sylvan]

I have seen a guy on another board who is so fed up with the bickering over how to spell it that he spells it magiq. :lol:

[Semele]

and because John Dee used a "k" (Crowley felt he was Dee's reincarnation).

John Dee??? Do you mean Eliphas Levi perhaps??

Maybe you got John Dee confused with Edward Kelly, who deciphered the Enochian language along with John Dee. Crowley has been rumored to list Kelly as one of his past incarnations. To my knowledge, and I am certainly no Crowley expert, (but I know one pretty well ;)) he never claimed to be incarnated from John Dee. The main incarnation he claimed was Eliphas Levi who happened to die the same day he was born interestingly enough.


As to the spelling of Magick/magic, I tend to spell it with a K because to me it does differentiate between the practice of Magick and the entertainment of magic. I also tend to use a capitol M although I am unsure why I do that.

[SilentStarWolf]

I've gotten into the habit of putting the 'k' on the end of it.

[nomadicdragon]

I think I use magick instead of magic just because in my own mind it separates pulling rabbits out of hats to my own beliefs.. but that's just my own mind tricks... i think everyone else explained the "real" reasons.. :)

[Amhailte]

I've always kind of preferred to call what I do "spellwork" :)

For some reason "spellwork" just seems like a more accurate term for the witchy stuff I do. And of course it avoids the spelling problem entirely.

Mind you, I like 'magiq' too!

BB
Amhailte

[SylverStar]

I use it well because I really like the letter K. So there. I have a lot of favorites and K is my favorite letter so I use it whenever I can, plus I like all the other reasons to use it. But in the end it doesn't really matter.

[twisted_silhouette]

Are you sure there is no specific reason for the 'k'? I have heard thet this author (don't know who) wrote the first book on why magick is spelled with a 'k'. I have been trying to find this book, but haven't been able to... He was the first to spell it with a 'k'. Does anyone follow my train of thought?(the name of the book, please?) :ballonsmi

Twisted Silhouette

[Rain Gnosis]

I have never heard of a book on why magic is spelled with a "k". In Elizabethan times it was spelled both with and without by anyone - it was simply something some used and some did not. Dee was one who used it then, and Crowley popularized it. A book on that would have to be pretty short :)