This article is from the Magick FAQ, by tyaginator nagasiva@luckymojo.com with numerous contributions by others.
Magic has been defined by many people in many different
ways. One infamous mage defined it as "the Science and Art
of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will." @05
Some see magic as a kind of energy which pervades the cosmos.
Others see it as a psychic tool by which we may influence the
material world using symbols and ritual. Many see it as a
means of coming to unite with the divine, some consider
it to be the exercise of will or Will, or the manipulation
of reality.
Whatever the word means, and however we choose to spell it,
magic (or magick) is the subject, generally, of the newsgroup,
and will likely be given many differing and contradictory
meanings during discussions there.
 
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