Low & High Magick

Low & High Magick: A Definition

By
Rev. Dr. K.A. Sahure
Kemetic Wiccan High Priest & Metaphysician

Aleister Crowley defined Magick as being "…the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will." This does tie into the mystickal formulary:

Witch + Nature = Magick
or
Spiritual One + Nature = Magick

Low Magick (a.k.a. Sympathetic Magick, Folk Magick, or Natural Magick), in principle, is based on, surrounds an object, instrument, device or tool of which one is in sympathy with along with the person at whom magickal forces are directed toward by way of physical, spiritual, psychic, and/or symbolic linkages. Low or Natural Magick evolved out of the lowlands where farmers grew crops. Many Solitary Witches and Wiccans practice Low Magick as well as many ancient Pagan cultures did. Low magick utilizes natural objects such as crystals, herbs, rocks, fire, air, earth, water, the weather, seasonal changes or anything found within our environment or nature. It can be looked at as taking care of your physical earthly wants, needs, and desires such as love and relationships, money, health, personal protection and is generally short term. This form of magick is generally less structured in terms of spell casting and ritual work yet no less effective than high magick.

In contrast, High Magick (a.k.a. Ceremonial Magick or Ritual Magick), in principle High Magick seeks to enhance your spiritual growth and development transcendentally and bring you closer to the deities; and has been claimed to have evolved from scholars and higher societies of people. Some practitioners say that this form of magick invokes great spiritual energy and power and usually does not concern itself with Nature because it uses complex rituals and symbolic invocations of deities, dramatic ceremonial wardrobe, and complex concoctions such as with Alchemy. Ceremonial or Ritual Magick is a good example of high magick and concerns itself with the conscious application of willpower to achieve one’s or a group’s spiritual objectives.

Both forms of magick can be quite useful, powerful, and almost "equal" in their purpose and scope to achieve the intended results of the practitioner within the relative Laws of Nature and the Cosmic Universe.

Copyright © 2005 The Temple of Kheti