Magic, Magick, Magik, and Witchcraft: What’s the Deal?
What is the difference between magic, magick, and magik? Is it merely a personal preference in spelling? Is it the same as witchcraft or is it something completely different? Llewellyn.com describes the difference between magic and magick saying,
Most people reading this will know that adding the “k” to “magic” is not merely an affectation. Rather, it is a way to discriminate between the entertainment known for pulling rabbits out of hats (magic) and techniques for harnessing internal and external energies that will help us change ourselves and our environment (magick). I like to define the difference simply as “Magic is an attempt to imitate magick, by artificial means, as part of entertainment.” Although the spelling with the “k” has a long history (there was a time when manuscript copyists were paid by the letter, resulting in the many words with needless double and multiple letters), it was Aleister Crowley who is credited with using the spelling to mark this difference.” (“Magic Vs. Magick”)
The Free Dictionary also defines magick saying, “In Wicca and certain other belief systems, action or effort undertaken to effect personal transformation or external change.”
So we have here the distinction between magic and magick, but where does that leave magik?
The Urban Dictionary defines magik thusly:
A take on the word "magic" to signify “real magic.” It goes on to say magik is, “a force, similar to magic, which instead of being drawn from inside a spellcaster through innate talent, is collected by those with the ability from the energy which pervades the entire universe.
Magik users are prone to random weakening or empowering, as the universal "web" of magik rotates around the center of the universe and a particular area fluctuates in concentration of power.
So let us summarize: magic, in the popular sense, is the art of imitation and trickery for the sake of entertainment. Magick is the real deal and like it, magik is the working of power, similar to real magic (magick), which pulls on natural energy from the universe. But where does that leave witchcraft? Simply put, they’re all witchcraft.
See the full article at SupernaturalMagazine.com!
