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Belief and Magic
Scott Cunningham
Several magical books repeatedly state the necessity of believing in magic. You must believe in the power for it to have any effect," they drone on.
A friend of mine once went to Mexico to by some magical supplies. He gladly paid the tremendously marked up prices. This surprised the vendor, who was willing to greatly reduce the price by the standard marketplace phenomenon known as bartering. Why had my friends done this? Because he believed that haggling would lessen the goods' magical worth.
When I was learning a specific cultural form a natural magic; I often heard (in effect) that one plus one equaled 5. Why? Don't ask questions. This is what we've always believed."
Belief has no place in magic. Belief is an integral part of spirituality, religion, philosophy and politics, but it should be banished from magic.
Belief indicates doubt. Doubt is an inadequate framework upon which to base magical practice. Indeed, doubt renders magic ineffective.
Knowledge, however, is the most powerful magical tool. This consists of familiarity with magical ethics, techniques and tools, as well as personal knowledge of and experience with the energies used in magic. This knowledge is only achievable through experimentation. Once you've sensed and moved magical energies, you'll never again believe in its effectiveness, for you'll have gained this knowledge.
When you have achieved this, investigate the shadowy, superstitious areas of magical practice. Haggling over tools is a fine example. Does this lessen their magical effectiveness? If you believe that it will, it will. If you know that it won't through experimentation it won't. Knowledge is far stronger than belief. Knowledge sits upon bedrock of solid granite formed from personal experience, true observation and experimentation. Belief floats on a vaporous cloud of indecision, doubt and uncertainty. Beliefs can change on a daily basis; knowledge can only be enlarged and refined, never totally altered.
I'm surprised when someone asks me if I believe in magic. I'm always tempted to ask them if they believe in electricity, or human birth, or sunshine.
Admittedly, knowledge of magic's effectiveness doesn't spring fully formed into humans without experience. But after that experience, one should relegate belief solely to non-magical areas of life.
If you're just beginning to practice magic this is the best advice this I can give: Be open-minded. Try things out. Give magic the time and space to prove its effectiveness.
Be sensitive to the nonphysical energies that exist within ourselves and within the natural world around us. Don't believe that a stone contains powers—allow yourself to feel them.
Increase your knowledge, practice; analyze your magical experiences. Soon belief will be a thing of the past, and you'll be able to perform magical acts with the most potent took of all—knowledge.
1991 by Scott Cunningham. All rights reserved.
Magic is the movement of natural energies to manifest positive, needed changes; it is not anything supernatural, evil or dangerous. | 
