What Magick Isn't: 5 Common Misconceptions I See on Reddit Subs
I've talked a lot about what magick is, but let's talk about what magick isn't; which I think is just as important a topic for people new to the occult. I frequent most of the occult/magick subreddits, and this is the stuff I see asked about multiple times, daily.
1. Magick isn't "supernatural". In fact, it's the opposite. People literally do "magick" every day subconsciously. Learning how to perform magick is simply learning how to do what you already do subconsciously with conscious intent. There are actual natural processes behind everything that we do. The same can be said about angels, demons, "gods", ghosts, spirits, the fey, etc. They aren't "supernatural" beings. We've made them into such in our stories and myths, but in actuality they're all a part of the natural order of how creation works. I know that kinda kills the fun fantasy vibe that most go into the occult looking for starting out, but trust me, the reality is just as crazy and amazing as the stuff we've made up about it.
2. You can't sell your soul to make a deal for XYZ. For one, a soul isn't something you possess, it's something you are. Your soul is the real, immortal you that exists in Spirit and outside of time. Besides that, you have nothing to offer, outside of energy, that could remotely benefit a being like a demon; and it would take far more energy than you could possibly offer to do anything that you'd ask for anyway. They have no incentive to be your personal wish-fulfilling genie.
3. Along the same lines, magick isn't a quick fix for your problems. Can it help? Absolutely. Will it make you instantly rich or healthy, or good at ___, or get you ___? Probably not. Especially not right away. It certainly won't if you're coming in completely inexperienced and need ___ by tomorrow. If someone is charging you for a "spell" or to do a ritual online, it's almost certainly a scam. If you're just desperate to give away your money for a placebo effect, you do you. If you want real magick, do it yourself.
4. No, you're not cursed. Are curses, hexes, etc. a thing? Yes. Are they as common as people think? Nope, not really. Despite the edgelords who like to convince themselves they're supernatural badasses of the mystic arts; in reality most of the people who walk the "left hand path" and practice "black magick" don't have enough mojo to bust a grape, much less ruin someone's life or give them cancer or whatever. Successful magick takes a lot of focus, mental discipline, and energy. The more extreme the thing you're trying to do, the more it takes. Most people advanced enough to be able to pull off something strong enough to have a major impact are mature enough to not bother because they know it isn't worth the effort or the cost. A vast majority of the people convinced they've been cursed are actually experiencing a placebo effect. They believe they've been cursed, so everything looks like it. In reality, bad, unlucky shit happens. Most of the time it's because of our own choices, not because an old lady gave you the evil eye in the parking lot of Walmart when you stole her spot.
5. Magick isn't evil, and it won't send you to hell. Even people who haven't grown up particularly religious still believe this because of how pervasive it's become in our societal beliefs thanks to both religion and pop culture. In reality, some form of magick has been practiced as far back as we have written records in every society that we historically know about. "White magick" was even perfectly acceptable and encouraged in Christianity up until the dark ages. There are even several canonized saints that were recognized and renowned alchemists, like St. Dunstan of Canterbury and St. Roselina of Villeneuve. In fact, prayer and all the various rituals that you'll find in any world religion are all forms of white magick. They may not call it that, but it's effectively the same thing. It's the intent behind what you do that determines if it's "good" or "evil".
