Many people find that their initial desire to learn more about magick is in conflict with their devotion to their current religious affiliation, specifically the monotheistic traditions. Monotheistic religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam often teach that magick is somehow evil, because it challenges the authority of God.
Because of this reason, many people choose to leave the religion of their birth to explore a more magickal identity. However, there are those who are content with their current religion and wonder if religion and magick really need to be in such conflict.
The key to resolving this conflict lies in coming to a new understanding of what magick really is, and how it can be used to bring one closer to Divinity. Magick does not need to be in conflict with any other religious tradition, even the more rigidly structured monotheistic religions.
The first step in resolving this ideological conflict is to clarify the purpose behind the desire to study magick. A spiritual seeker should be very clear about what they hope to accomplish, and should know what they hope magick will do for them. Knowing ones own motives is critical to reconciling magickal thought and traditional religious forms. If a person feels the need to explore magick because they think it can get them fame or fortune, then they’re misled about the nature and function of magick. If they feel the urge to explore because their spirit yearns for it like a plant craves the sun, then they’re probably on the right track.
Ideologically, there does not need be any conflict between magick and monotheistic religions that equate magick with witchcraft. After all, "magick" isn't "witchcraft", or any religion for that matter. It's a concept. And it's a concept that fits very comfortably with the teachings of many major world religions. Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad and others spoke of a higher love, a mystical love that surpasses all understanding. This love is the creative force of the universe. It is the very essence of Divinity. It is the source of the Life Force. It is also known as “magick”.
Both magick and the monotheistic worldview depend on the existence of a "Responsive Universe". They share the belief that the "Universal Life Force", or God, responds to the thoughts, words, and deeds of humans. When a person devoutly desires something, their appeal influences the outcome. In other words, if a Christian prays to God, they fully expect that God has heard the prayer, and is handling the situation. Similarly, a practitioner of magick might light a candle and recite a rhyme, fully expecting that those words and actions have been "heard" and are being acted upon. Both magick and monotheism presume that the practitioner can express their wishes and have them be heard.
Magick can also be seen as a process of self-realization which progressively leads the practitioner into alignment with the deeper purpose of the self, and the flow of the universe. Magickal acts align the inner spirit with Divine Will. When one is in alignment with the Divine Will, then one is flowing with the current of the Universe. They are then living according to their higher purpose, and automatically manifesting whatever one needs. Magick is about getting what is needed to reach a deeper connection with Divinity. Thus, magick is the expression of Divine Will.
Magick is merely another way to describe the Energy of the universe, the "Universal Life Force". It is that awe-inducing force that causes electrons to spin around that atom and the seed to spring from its shell. This echoes the descriptions of God that are found in many religious traditions, including the Judeo-Christian faiths. God is described as omnipotent, omnipresent, and outside of time. This gender-less God is all-seeing, all-knowing, all-loving, and ever present to all. These are all common ways that people of many diverse faiths have described this awe-some Force. On the most fundamental levels, this Divine energy of the universe *IS* God, and each religious tradition calls it by different names. In their most essential aspects, God and magick are one.
The study of magick is a process that attunes the practitioner to the Universal Life Force. It involves learning how to sense and channel this Divine energy. As such, it is a path that leads one inevitably to a closer relationship with God. Practitioners of magick can be of any religious tradition. In fact, many religious traditions use magickal elements. For example, all ceremonies of cleansing, purification, and blessing could all be considered magickal acts. As such, the Rites of Baptism become a wonderful example of religious use of magick.
There doesn’t need to be any conflict for a person who feels called to pursue a magickal practice. As long as the practitioner is seeking their own higher selves, and a deeper connection with Divine, then their practice should not violate any other faith. If a seeker chooses to pursue their desire to learn more about magick, they should do so free from inherited religious guilt. As long as what is learned is used for the good of all, then the Divine will support and guide them to what they need to learn.
~Flame RavenHawk
December 13, 2002