From what I’ve seen, there are two equally valid ways of looking at magickal practice.
One view is what I call the magickal arts. The other I see as magickal sciences.
Now, before anyone gets all up in arms about “magickal science” being an oxymoron (which I will not argue one bit if it’s taken out of context), let me explain.
I firmly believe that most of what we consider magick (as well as psychic abilities) will eventually be explained by good ol’ science. Just like we (more or less) figured out gravity and electricity and magnetism, we’ll ferret out what’s actually going on when magick works. Current science fails miserably at this and, as a result, magick fails miserably as Science.
Just like you can have an intuitive mechanic (who lacks actual training) or a technically proficient painter (who lacks that artistic vision). Things exist on a continuum.
In this case, we’re talking about a continuum located squarely in the magickal sphere.
That being said…
There are dozens (if not many, many more) of schools of magickal thought. All are governed by some measure of rules that should be followed. It is the general strictness of those rules that is one of the key determining factors of where along the art to science continuum a particular school lives.
Kabbalahistic or Solomonic magick, for instance, with all of it’s rituals and the long-term plans that must be made, is quite deep in “magickal science” territory. Things are supposed to be done the same way, every time and should, therefore, produce the same results. There are reams of step-by step instructions and diagrams illustrating just how, where and when everything must be done. Deviation from those plans may not just doom the working to failure, but may go as far as to produce very unwelcome results. (Imagine a hostile spirit being summoned without proper containment or controls being put in place first.)
A shamanic tradition, while still governed by some rules, has much more free reign over how rituals are conducted, how spirits are contacted and how mystical goals are accomplished. It is at the opposite end–the more artistic end–of the continuum.
The majority of traditions fall somewhere in between.
This is especially true of the ever-popular Wiccan traditions and modern witches in general. In those circles, pre-planned and sometimes elaborate rituals are conducted as are more, off-the-cuff castings and celebrations.
The Hermetic tradition also seems to be well-spread along the continuum. Though it generally appears to lean toward the scientific side.
Both the magickal arts and magickal sciences appear to be able to accomplish the same goals. The path toward those goals and the way the results are expected to present themselves, however, are often quite different.
For a shaman, divination may be done on a whim. After minutes or hours of preparation, he may enter a trance or case some sticks upon the ground and arrive at his interpretation of the vision he sees or the pattern of the sticks. A more Kabbalahistic practitioner may fast for days, all the while performing prayers and motions and mixing incense. At the end of the process, timed to culminate at a celestially auspicious time, a vision may occur and the interpretation gained.
Obviously, some things seem to lend themselves to the more artistic approach. Those that adhere to traditions on the more scientific end of the scale will most likely be a bit apprehensive when it comes to the worth of any hastily gained prophecy, though.
The thing to keep in mind is that the different traditions suit different types of people. Once upon a time, they served very different types of communities. With that main distinction gone, it is the more personal aspects that need to be taken into account when choosing a path.
No matter which you lean toward, you will have to learn discipline and clear-cut thought processes. You will not be able to avoid study of the movements of the earth and celestial objects. You will learn the importance of personal responsibility and the necessity to consider the community in all of your actions.
In other words, the arts can be just a rigorous a test of the self as the sciences are. The sciences can also be as creative and varied as the arts. It works both ways.
Magick deals in the very life-force of the Universe.
Many paths lead to it. There is (at least) one for everyone who chooses to seek it.
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