Magick or Magic

[Greeneyed_falcon]

As I'm sure most of you have noticed/come accross, there seems to be almost as many people using one or the other. I'm wondering on people's thoughts on the subject.
The most common arguments I've heard are;
1). It's spelt magick, to differenciate between illusionary or stage magic, and real magick
2). It's spelt magic. Look it up in the dictionary, anyone who spells it otherwise needs to bring the english language forward a few centuries

Also do people know do certain traditions lean toward on of the other, or is it just a matter of personal preference?
Sorry if I haven't phrased this all that well  

[IH_Zero]

From what I gather, the magick spelling was used by someone (I can't for the life of me remember who that someone was), for numerological reasons. Being as I don't deal with numerology in any way, I use the magic spelling. Spelling it magick just seems pretty pointless, otherwise.  

[Deoridhe]

AngryRobotsInc.

From what I gather, the magick spelling was used by someone (I can't for the life of me remember who that someone was), for numerological reasons. Being as I don't deal with numerology in any way, I use the magic spelling. Spelling it magick just seems pretty pointless, otherwise.

Alestair Crowley is who you're thinking of, and he is the origin of magick.

I spell it magic, when I spell it at all, and tend to be more specific than that. Magic covers a whole lot of ground, and I tend to find more misunderstandings occur when people are unspecific.  

[Annalixa]

I think people who practice witchy things as Crowley laid out, with qaballah and everything, are the only ones who are entitled to talk about magick.

Otherwise, there's no need to differentiate. Context is a huge clue-by-four.


(I'm subscribed to a mailing list for a local new age store called Ostara*. They spell it as "majik." stressed )  

[Funa Spectrum]

I've always felt it looked pretentious putting a k on the end - I stick to the universal magic when I can't find any other word. Although magick seems oddly pleasing to the eye.

Any other spellings look wrong to me. Why on earth did the J appear, anyway?  

[Fiddlers Green]

I would opt for an unavailable choice...
3). It doesn't matter how it's spelled, so long as people know what I am talking about. ninja

Trying to use numerology on English, arguably the most eclectic of all languages is about as silly as one who is not a Rabbi, nor even at least of the Tribes of Israel attempting to practice Kabbalah. ninja  

[Kuroiban]

Funny story...

So me and my one friend are both familiar with a gaming world called "Legend of the Five Rings" or "Rokugan". In it, there are a lot of evil sorcerors who practice evil blood magic, or Maho. Lastly, while my friend is Christian, he is fairly familiar with a lot of religious practices, and can't stand a lot of the fluffy bunnism that goes on.

Rokugan is based very very heavily on Japanese culture, something we both have a passing curiocity about it. One day...

"You know, the word Maho in Japanese just means 'magic'. There is no connotation between evil and good, or even real or fake with it." he says to me, "The guys who made L5R have used it for like, evil magic, but in the original Japanese 'maho' covers everything magical...from voodoo to stage magic"

"Hunh...so do you think pretencious, wannabe, pre-teen Japanese warlocks spell it 'Mahok?"

He gave me a very evil stare at the point.

Note: I understand in some traditions, the numerlogical spell of magic may be more then just a "it looks neat and makes me feel important" sort of thing. I just haven't, once, met anyone who uses in that form.  

[Fiddlers Green]

Kuroiban, that is quite funny...
and if you look at the game, who really practices Maho?
Desperate peasants, and snivelly surpluss nobles.
I mean, Iuchiban, Shahai, and Daiagotsu are the poster children for the angst club. xd

Seriously tho, Rokugani culture has some similarities to Japan, but there are very direct areas where they are at odds...
They try at Shinto and Buddhism but it gets odd along the way...

Also, keep in mind, they are Maho Tsukai, Servants/Slaves of Magic. ninja  

[Kuroiban]

Fiddlers Green

Kuroiban, that is quite funny...
and if you look at the game, who really practices Maho?
Desperate peasants, and snivelly surpluss nobles.
I mean, Iuchiban, Shahai, and Daiagotsu are the poster children for the angst club. xd

Seriously tho, Rokugani culture has some similarities to Japan, but there are very direct areas where they are at odds...
They try at Shinto and Buddhism but it gets odd along the way...

Also, keep in mind, they are Maho Tsukai, Servants/Slaves of Magic. ninja

Gepephofhdj!

YOU KNEW WHAT THE HELL I WAS TALKING ABOUT!!! eek

No one every knows about L5R...ever.

And Daigotsu is the first Shadowlands guy I didn't think sucked-a**...  

[IH_Zero]

Kuroiban

Gepephofhdj!

YOU KNEW WHAT THE HELL I WAS TALKING ABOUT!!! eek

No one every knows about L5R...ever.

And Daigotsu is the first Shadowlands guy I didn't think sucked-a**...

I know of it. Though mostly only through InQuest Gamer.

To keep this slightly on topic, but still on the TCG angle, when people talk about "white magic(k)" and "black magic(k)" makes me think of Magic the Gathering.  

[Kuroiban]

AngryRobotsInc.

Kuroiban

Gepephofhdj!

YOU KNEW WHAT THE HELL I WAS TALKING ABOUT!!! eek

No one every knows about L5R...ever.

And Daigotsu is the first Shadowlands guy I didn't think sucked-a**...

I know of it. Though mostly only through InQuest Gamer.

To keep this slightly on topic, but still on the TCG angle, when people talk about "white magic(k)" and "black magic(k)" makes me think of Magic the Gathering.

Sometimes I think in that manor as well... lol  

[wikkedpixie]

Quote:

To keep this slightly on topic, but still on the TCG angle, when people talk about "white magic(k)" and "black magic(k)" makes me think of Magic the Gathering.

Wow! I haven't heard neone talk about that game in ages.. I never really tried it but have heard of it.  

[Starlock]

I usually spell it how it is listed in the general dictionaries of the English language (that is, without the K) but I also don't have any qualms about those who do use the alternate spelling. If I ever end up writing for a website or something I'll probably somewhere in it use the alternate spelling somewhere for the article's search tags at least. Google 'magic' and the first thing you get is usually that blasted card game. Google 'magick' and you actually get what you're looking for.  

[Deoridhe]

Starlock

I usually spell it how it is listed in the general dictionaries of the English language (that is, without the K) but I also don't have any qualms about those who do use the alternate spelling. If I ever end up writing for a website or something I'll probably somewhere in it use the alternate spelling somewhere for the article's search tags at least. Google 'magic' and the first thing you get is usually that blasted card game. Google 'magick' and you actually get what you're looking for.

Not necessarily. One of the forms of magic I practice isn't particularly neo-pagan.

One of the pet peeves I have with magic, especially in a pagan context, is how people use it without specifics. I had someone comment that so and so was learning "Norse magick" and I never got a straight answer out of them of what the Hel that was.

Honestly, when people think of magic, what do they think of?  

[Greeneyed_falcon]

Deoridhe

Starlock

I usually spell it how it is listed in the general dictionaries of the English language (that is, without the K) but I also don't have any qualms about those who do use the alternate spelling. If I ever end up writing for a website or something I'll probably somewhere in it use the alternate spelling somewhere for the article's search tags at least. Google 'magic' and the first thing you get is usually that blasted card game. Google 'magick' and you actually get what you're looking for.

Not necessarily. One of the forms of magic I practice isn't particularly neo-pagan.

One of the pet peeves I have with magic, especially in a pagan context, is how people use it without specifics. I had someone comment that so and so was learning "Norse magick" and I never got a straight answer out of them of what the Hel that was.

Honestly, when people think of magic, what do they think of?

Sadly, for the large part Charmed, Satanism or the Tooth Fairy, depending on their age.
I agree, the one word really doesn't cover all the ideas it needs to cover. Maybe we should come up with a system where we number them.
TradCraft Magic1
Wicca Magic2
Harry Potter Magic3
Runes Magic4
and so on and so forth.... (joking)