My 2¢ on Wicca

The Color of Magick

The Color of Magick

Is there yellow magick, or perhaps rainbow? Black and White are among the most popular buzz-words about the color of magick. So, explore this whole color fiasco about the color of magick. If you have any opinions on this matter-or even a counter-write a comment here and there shall be a wonderful discussion in the comment section-for everyone to read and thoughtfully think about as well.

Why do I spell Magic with a 'k'?

For you readers. Everyone who starts out studying Wicca learns that many Wiccans spell Magick with a 'K'. Supposedly, it is meant to differentiate the magic and trickery of a magician pulling stunts and rabbits out of hats with the other kind. These performances tricks the eyes; it is entertainment. Magick, the other kind, is the prayer type. It is what Shamans use to heal the sick, for what Witches do to connect with the Spirits. It is a way of life, prayer, connection to the earth and yourself. You can will yourself to do anything if you have self-efficacy.

A man named Aleister Crowley was an Occultist and dear friend of Gerald Gardner, founder of Wicca. Not only did we get the Wiccan Rede from Mr. Crowley, but we also got the trend towards spelling magic with a 'k.' It is your decision to spell 'magick' like Mr. Crowley, or decide to only spell out 'magic' like Scott Cunningham did. It is just a preference and out of habit, I spell magick as it is.

The Connection of Science and the Occult

Remember your high school biology class? Maybe you are still in middle school and have only taken physical science so far- possibly, you are taking an AP Biology course or even enrolled in a college course. In this case, having an understanding of basic biology and chemistry are useful skills in magick. Think about the origins of scientific research and the occult. In the past, chemistry and alchemy were under one field- eventually splitting off. Many scientific theories are from the Occult. Socrates in Ancient Greece viewed the mind as an entity, and the passages within the body are tubes- where the spirit travels in the body so that certain actions occur- of course, modern Psychology comes from many archaic theories such as this. The Egyptians viewed the heart as the center of the spirit, and the brain was simply an annoyance- filler for the head so the eyes may connect to the heart. Some theories are wrong, but some have many truths in the logic, and it is important to not blindly read any book as the truth-like this one. More trusted sources are from peer-reviewed books and heavy literary criticism.

Modern science and the Occult were one field before. Therefore, it makes sense to pay attention to Science because many discoverers, such as Isaac Newton, were involved with the Occult as well. So, why the Occult? The definition of the occult is: hidden; supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena. Therefore, based on inference, Witchcraft is part of the Occult, and Paganism is very connected with these ideas. Gardner, the founder of Wicca, had participated in a Rosicrucian Theatre in England-with networking with the right people, he found Clutterback and other witches. Rosicrucianism is an occultic society- Isaac Newton was heavily influenced by this group, as seen in having 169 alchemy books in his library at the time of his death. The pentagram has origins in the Occult and with Greek ideas. The symbol itself has been used in many places around Europe for quite a while, whether as a symbol of the five wounds of Christ or of the Five Elements. The Five Elements can be traced to Aristotle-he called Spirit: Quintessence. With the Occult and Wicca heavily intertwined with each other, it is important to see how history influences the modern beliefs of Wicca and to see how science had branched apart from these secret societies.

How we perceive light and colors

Our concept of color comes from visible light. It starts with the Sun. Continuously fusing hydrogen atoms into helium, the energy created gives off very, very large emissions of heat and light.

Our eyes can process visible light and it comes from our ability to discern healthy and poisonous plants, for example. These colors evoke emotion and feeling, and these same colors invoke similar meanings in different cultures. Your cones and rods within the eye processes your experiences and surroundings, which, therefore, can become a memory locked within the oceans of the preconscious.

Colors are a manner of expression in the world. Which is great, but it can also limit the mind and become a crutch. In the case of working with the Craft, colors are used for correspondences-crystals, herbs, candles and in other ornaments. Colors can be used to facilitate visualization techniques in order for magick to happen.

However, it is easily confused that the new Wiccan believes in White and Black Magick. That of in itself is a fallacy which undermines a large concept or belief in Wicca that separates itself from the Abrahamic faiths. Misinformation is the root cause of this dilemma and it takes time for the new Wiccan to sift through the information and find out what really works. It can even take years.

The Origins of Black and White Magic

In Wicca, there is no concept of 'black' or 'white' magic. Instead, it is all about balance. Magick is a colorless tool-you can think of it as a mixture of varying shades of gray. The concept of pure evil or good does not exist in Wiccan theology. Rather, this idea of duality: pure light and abyssal dark are Christian concepts traced back to the dawn of Zoroastrianism.

In the Hermetic system of Magick, the intent behind the ritual is not merely as important as the structure and intricacies of the ritual itself. You lend your energies to the work and the build up, motions and words of ritual is the actual focal point of the energies' purpose. Perhaps somewhere in your readings you have come across these terms: high magick and low magick. High magick, also known as White magick is considered good, benevolent, and with order. Highly complicated rituals with evocations in dead languages is what makes it 'good' magick. The more structured the ritual, the more it is of high magick. On the contrary, folk magic, also known as black magick or low magick is considered evil because of the basis that the rituals performed are very simple. Simplicity spawns chaos and evil; shortcuts are made and there is a price to be paid. This is possibly where the terms: Black and White Magick came from. Easily, society can scorn on the mysteries of the Occult and this legacy onto fictional materials and in turn, adopted by the new and confused Hex Generation. This is likely how it is jumbled with Witchcraft. However, in Wicca, the rules of high and low magick don't apply, and there is no duality of evil or good.

Magick in Wicca

Continuing on defining Magick through Wiccan eyes, I can summarize that in my mind, I don't view magic as multi-chromatic or with strict divisions: white and black. Instead, I find that it is colorless. Magic is magic--why add embellishments and other unnecessary bells and whistles to spellwork? It is like a tool or the gods themselves, which is neither pure benevolent nor abyssal malice. A tool is a tool and the intent is what affects the magic in the end. It is not simple and as Cunningham puts it: "I may not be able to tell you exactly how magic works, only that it does work. Fortunately, we don't have to know this; all we must know is how to make it work. I'm no expert in electricity, but I can plug my toaster into a wall socket and burn my whole wheat bread. Similarly, in magic we "plug into" the energies that stretch, crisscross, and zip around and through us." So, magic is like electricity, but the intent is what matters in the end. Not the actual layout of the ritual.

And for all these reasons, I stress that newconers find credible sources and hopefully can learn about this common mistake the same as that Wiccans are not always Witches and vice-versa. However, it is still going to happen. Maybe you won't be one of those confused by Black and White Magick--which is nonexistent in Wicca.