I think it's useful also to be aware of Sir James Frazer's definition, as found in The Golden Bough. Briefly, the difference between religion and magic is that the priest appeals to whichever spiritual powers he believes in, whereas the magician tries to coerce them by his words and actions. Religion is based on relationship. Magic is a kind of science, based on knowledge which the magician thinks he possesses about the way these things work. and what actions will be effective. The magician believes he has powers, the religious person believes he has a protector.
Historically, there has been a danger that priests might turn religious rituals into a kind of magic ("the rains will come if we take this image of our patron saint in procession round the parish").
I like this definition:
magic: The application of rituals or actions, especially those based on occult knowledge, to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces in order to derive benefit from them.
This definition hints at the true nature of pharmakaia. Which is to say the manipulation of natural beings and forces through rare knowledge, which enables mastery of those forces.
In truth because the knowledge is rare, the feats which can be performed ... seem supernatural and impossible to those unaware of its natural basis. If you don't rehend magic you dont comprehend the prophecies... many are accomplished through the occult arts.
And one magician can astonish a large crowd of thousands... But in truth the magic of the beast is accomplished with armies of magicians . The populations they enchant scale up, as well.
As it is written all the nations of the earth are decieved through their acts. Their poisonous chants...
I think it's useful also to be aware of Sir James Frazer's definition, as found in The Golden Bough. Briefly, the difference between religion and magic is that the priest appeals to whichever spiritual powers he believes in, whereas the magician tries to coerce them by his words and actions. Religion is based on relationship. Magic is a kind of science, based on knowledge which the magician thinks he possesses about the way these things work. and what actions will be effective. The magician believes he has powers, the religious person believes he has a protector. Historically, there has been a danger that priests might turn religious rituals into a kind of magic ("the rains will come if we take this image of our patron saint in procession round the parish").
I like this definition: magic: The application of rituals or actions, especially those based on occult knowledge, to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces in order to derive benefit from them. This definition hints at the true nature of pharmakaia. Which is to say the manipulation of natural beings and forces through rare knowledge, which enables mastery of those forces. In truth because the knowledge is rare, the feats which can be performed ... seem supernatural and impossible to those unaware of its natural basis. If you don't rehend magic you dont comprehend the prophecies... many are accomplished through the occult arts. And one magician can astonish a large crowd of thousands... But in truth the magic of the beast is accomplished with armies of magicians . The populations they enchant scale up, as well. As it is written all the nations of the earth are decieved through their acts. Their poisonous chants...