Just springing from the 'Magic and the Mundane' thread.

My first response to the question is " Why would anyone think magic wasn't also mundane?

So, why do people have separate categories for something of which the workings of are not understood in the first place? It might be that 'magic' is extremely 'Mundane'. Or, maybe not.

Unless someone addends a 'moral' to it's use, I can't see where, if it is possible, then it's ultra-mundane as if one can work it - it obviously isn't.

Any thoughts?

Marto

I think it's a knee jerk, fire and brimstone reaction to think that magick is extraordinary powers. Think Buffy, Harry Potter etc. and ermm.. ahem King Kev..

To me, magick is mundane. I don't set up big ceremonies, wear velvet capes/ robes and utter incantations to achieve results.. I go with the flow, work with whats around me and to be honest, don't give it much thought, there for it is very ordinary/ mundane.

I suppose it depends then, on what the individual perceives magick ( don't even start on the many spellings of the word lol!!) to be.

Barnx

Your both right of course. Magic is something thats allways with us it surrounds us like "the force". I'm my own experice though I've come accross a few Witches who tend to be very compartmentised in their practice, They will cleabrate the festivals and acto out rituals in Covens and Solitary Practice. But don't (or have a Moral Objection) to using Magic in their day to day life. Magic is mundae as well as fantastical...hhhh just like Nature I guess.

Ahhh Harry Potter, hes turning out to be a bit of a double egded sword isn't he? The books and films have brought Magic into the Mainstream Media and provoked a kneejerk reaction of the whole "magic is bad" kind of lazy thinking so beloved of the Tabloids.
Or ever worse is having to answer the barrage of stupid questions from the public. "No I can't ride a broomstick/throw fireballs/fight the forces of evul with my ginger mate"

Mybe one of the Problems with the way People Percive Magic is in the word Cermomonial and the connatations that throws up? the Word Ceromony brings up mental images of Wands, Robes, Chanting and people taking themselves a litte bit too seroiusly.

And then there the whole High/Low distinction, which as I've said before not even CM's can agree on (A Witch Whitch is Which kind of deal ) And the Whole Majick/magic/magik is just as silly.

It is mundane. It also isnt. Thats not fence sitting Magic is not as has been pointed out some fantastical ability to hurl fire or conjure something from nothing etc. However though it exists within and around us it is not an "average" point of view. It does open up ones senses to "more" than just the everyday.

Depends what kind of magic you use. I would consider the type of charms used for proving dough, brewing wines, or turning aside bad weather as mundane. The full on, 'lets strip off and start flagellating each other to raise a cone of power' is definitely not mundane.

Bear in mind that old farts like me have been pottering around the astral planes for over 25 years, so it can get a bit 'here we go again', but someone new to it all would consider even the smallest candle spell as amazing! So I guess it isn't only what you do, but how long you have been doing it too. And I suspect that goes for all crafts, not just the magicals one.

I think there's a problem with people thinking that because magic's normal it's mundane. It's like love, love is normal, if your lucky you get to experience it everyday, but it's never mundane it's always special, it's also normal, just like magic.

I didn't mean magick wasn't special.... I said it was mundane ( IMO) as in the adjective... of or pertaining to this world or earth, it's something that's naturally there on a day to day basis and I agree Gawain, it's perfectly normal

Barnx

Ah, but that's the ting isn't it? Is magic of this world or is it of other worlds and realms? Does magic work because we do seomething that fires our intent off into some other world and it somehow results in us getting what we were after back here?

Well Harry Potter's not meant to taken seriously, I mean, a ginger kid with two friends, how believable is that?

Good point Gawain. To me, it's very much of this world, given that I'm from this world, all things deriving from me must also be of this world. Perhaps my perception of 'this world/earth' is different from some, I don't know, I've never been other than myself so have no comparison. I am all that I see, imagine and dream, reality is a state of consciousness, magick is within


Well Harry Potter's not meant to taken seriously, I mean, a ginger kid with two friends, how believable is that?



Barnx

I do...well, if drink is a demon we've certainly banished a good few.


As to the whole natural/supernatural spiritual/mundane thing, I tend to be of the opinion that everything that exists is 'natural', it's not magic's fault that our model of the universe is incomplete.

I used to think magic was something specifically not mundane - that its power lay in its very separateness from the everyday and ordinary. I mean the keeping or opening of a sacred space, wearing special clothes, wielding sacred or sanctified objects, doing things at a specially prescribed time. I feel uncomfortable with all this kind of thing so have never done it.

I've since found out about the concept of magic as part of tasks - I think of it like zen magic Incorporating blessings, or protection into everyday things like cookery, cleaning, gardening, sewing my husband's buttons on, posting a letter to a loved one. These kind of magics I do everyday.

I think it is very mundane, its part of the world around us, who we are, why should it be segregated?

I'll agree with those who say the church had a major part in it. There is no way that they would want people learning about the inter connected nature of the world. They'd also fear people empowering themselves though it and being less dependant on them for direction.

Amen to that Gryphon

I was actually thinking of you for part of that.

From the descriptions of you after a big ritual, no way they could cope.

It's not (IMO) so much that magic per se isn't mundane - it is.
But how it's used is far from (again IMO) mundane!