Does Magic Exist - Assignment Example

Does Magic Exist?

Magic is probably something every one of us has heard about it, and a good number of people believe it exists while others believe that it does not exist. Magic in one word that covers wizardry, Alchemy, sorcery, and Witchcraft where people use magical powers to perform tricks for entertainment and other purposes such as healing and spell casting. Many people question whether magic is real and does exist in this world, and, yes, magic does exist among us. For many years, stories have been told about magicians, sorcerers, and witches. Lifting boulders, inflicting harm, making potions and many other supernatural things yet people still doubt its existence. Magic is a skill of coercion whereby people are prepared to believe in supernatural powers even though it is not proven by physics. It involves casting of spells and changing things to influence other people.

The act of magic is always performed with the aid of mystical powers, and this brings us to the question, does magic really exist among us? The answer to this question is a bit complicated because anything to do with the supernatural has doubts, questions, and fears and most people insist that it is just a myth. Nonetheless, magic does exist, and it can be for either evil or good. Magical tricks can be performed for evil or good purposes depending on the reasons or rather the intention of the person using it. Magic has always been performed in both the medieval and the modern world as it has evolved over time. Therefore, we cannot deny that is here with us because we can see it in the movies, entertainment sports, and even in the books we read meaning it does exist.

Since the beginning of the early twentieth century, the scholars documenting about magic have had interesting views on the topic. Their theories have offered a wide range of ways to approach the subject of magic despite them failing to agree on the actual definition of magic because they term it as something mystical and unexplainable (Douglas 23). Performing magic can be for evil or good, depending on the intentions of the person using it or dependent on the rituals the magic is being performed for. In fact, nowadays, magic is becoming very popular and is being recognized as an art across the globe. It has been around for years and now and currently, it is one of the most significant forms of entertainment with a large number of followers.

Many people have always asked the question does magic really exist, and where do magical powers originate from? Magic has existed throughout history, and the trend has proliferated to the modern world with the list of magicians growing day-by-day (Douglas 40). Magic is something that is being practiced throughout the world, and it can be either evil or good. Many people ask whether magic is harmful or helpful and the answer to this is that magic can cause both good and evil depending on the reasons why it is being performed. One can resolve to use magic to cast an evil spell on someone to make them suffer, get sick, and even, die and this does portray magic to be evil. On the other hand, magic can be used for good reasons, for instance, to heal a sick person, to bring good luck, for protection and this makes magic helpful. Therefore, magic has existed throughout the world history, and it still exists until now, and it can be of good use or harmful on people depending on the reason why a person is using magic.

When we talk about magic, witchcraft is a topic that comes up all the time, as it is associated with magical powers. Witchcraft has become a very interesting topic that has been highly misunderstood by the modern societies. It is a magical phenomenon that has captured the minds of several people since the beginning of its history (231). Those considered witches have caused panic, hatred, fear, and destruction all over the world and this has made people question whether it exists or it is just a myth. Witchcraft is the belief and practice of magical skills and abilities. It is mainly practiced by covens, and it is present in our societies. Those who use witchcraft are said to fly with brooms at night by leaving their bodies just to hurt other people or meet with the other witches. Witches are known to cause fights, accidents, and even suck blood from people. Moreover, witchcraft is known to manipulate situations or the environment in favor of those practicing it.

The concept of witchcraft has existed throughout history in different cultures and religions. Nonetheless, it has always been associated with evil because it culminates torture, misfortunes, and even deaths (De Martino and Zinn 101). Today, many cultures around the world have widespread practices and beliefs that are being referred to as witchcraft because witchcraft beliefs are related to magic. Witchcraft is labeled as a practice that can influence a person’s mind, body and spirit against their will and it can cause pain, sickness, and even death.

The most evident characteristic of a witch is the ability to cast a spell on someone by a magical action. The spell can be either be through a word or a ritual action, and this practice is commonly seen in Africa. Some of the itches use herbs, potions, amulets, amulets, and other means to cast their spells. Ancient magic is most popular in African countries whereby people use magic to cast spells on other people to either bring evil or good luck (Middleton and Edward 76). In Africa, most people believe in witchcraft starting with the rich, the poor, the educated, the illiterate and even the religious. Even though most Africans believe witchcraft does exist, they also believe that God has control over magic and all evil spirits and spells that have to do with magic. There is black witchcraft and while witchcraft whereby one (white) is used for the good while the other (Black) is used to cast evil spells. Black witchcraft is used to cast spells that harm people or preferably to people who those who use it believe that they are enemies. In fact, it is said to be responsible for illness, barrenness, bad luck, fights, and even death.

On the other hand, there is white witchcraft, which is believed to have the power to bring good luck and to provide protection to the users. Those who use white witchcraft will always wear bracelets or rings that are to give them good luck or protect them from evil. In fact, white magic/ witchcraft is believed to encompass spells that help in healing, protecting, and bringing luck as the spells are used for good intentions (Middleton and Edward 89). The people using white witchcraft claim to be using it for good and this brings us to the question, is magic harmful or helpful; or both? Witchcraft is the use of supernatural forces to gain desired results, and this is enough proof that magic does exist through witchcraft.

Apart from Africa, witchcraft is also present in France through spiritism and occultism. Monroe notes that witches perform magical tricks by communicating with spirits of dead people anytime they want to cast spells (112). The spirits later interact with the magician, and this is how he/she is able to perform magic tricks. The use of spirits in France has met a lot of opposition from the Catholic Church, but despite the opposition, this form of magic has always been practiced in France. The magicians here use dead people’s spirits in their magic.

Today, magic has become very popular in the world today as an art. It does exist because magicians are now using their power to perform tricks and earn a living by performing in auditoriums and even competitions to gain popularity. Stage/fantasy magic is now prevalent an example is the performances at the America Got Talent, and Britain got talent competitions/shows. The modern magicians have come up with spectacular ideas and magic illusions on how to entertain people while performing their magic tricks. There are different types of stage magic, for instance, alchemy. Alchemy is the ability to change/transform elements specifically chemical elements from one substance to the other, and it is hidden in secrecy and mystery (Sherwood 33). The history of alchemy is traced back to Egypt’s medieval times where both women and men participated in alchemy (Taylor 166). The alchemists had the power to change or create things magically or mysteriously like changing a metal, for instance, lead into gold. Magic is a quest that has captured many people's interests for several years. Today alchemy has gone beyond turning metal into gold as people use the magic of alchemy

Apart from alchemy, another form of modern magic is wizardry, which is the magical use of spiritual wisdom. A wizard is an expert in the art of wisdom to deal with situations be it mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional in nature. This type of magic involves both male and female wizards who are destined to help restore humanity to its true nature. Wizardry is an art of magic that is common in movies and TV shows where wizards are shown to live in magic castles like in Harry Potter. Wizards use wisdom to cast spells on people and make them do whatever they want and this is a type of magic.

The most popular magic can be found in movies. Movie magic takes the audience to the next level by giving them a whole new experience while glued to the screens. Movie magic comes to the aspect of visual effects generated by the computer to keep the movie going. The most successful movie with magic is the Harry Potter series. In Harry Potter, magic overrides the laws of nature. The Harry Potter series contains several fictional magical creatures and objects, and we also experience wizards and witches in the same series. In Harry Potter, magic is used in several ways for instance, via portions, magical objects, emotion control, and casting spells, and this has made the series the most watched and loved across the globe. Currently, we know that magic does exist and Harry Potter is one of the famous magicians around the world. Before Harry Potter, there was Merlin who used to have exceptional magical skills and abilities that he used to save others. Magic is mostly heard through movies, books, and stage performances, and it is a concept that we can relate to because it lives within our reach. In fact, magic is appealing to audiences around the world as it is a form of entertainment that helps them escape from reality. Therefore, despite some people not believing in magic, it is here, and it does exist.

Nature uses an enormous amount of magic, as magic needs more power and energy to operate. Magicians are known to use the power of nature while performing their magic tricks. Levi notes that magic will always work by the laws of nature and it deals with intelligence, spirits, and entities (33). Magicians will still use nature while performing their magical tricks and illusions because magic is built in nature. The magicians will need nature in performing their tricks.

Magic is a subject that has created a lot of controversies among different scholars as many have failed to agree on the right definition of magic, as some believe it does exist while others believe it does not exist. It is evident that people have divided magic into evil or good, but magic is open-ended and impersonal as it is just the same despite where and when it is being practiced. What can make magic evil or good is its intentions. For instance, one can say a prayer or words to curse someone or to as to ask for luck for that person and this is where black and white magic comes in. Therefore, the way we use magical forces will determine whether it is white or black magic and this means that magic does exist.

Some people argue that the use of magical powers is just a myth and it does not exist in our world today, and there are others who firmly believe that magic exists and it is around us. Those who do not believe in magic argue that it is just a fairytale in movies that have not been scientifically proven. According to Robben, magic is something that is unpredictable and thus has no explanation and for that reason, it does not exist (22). It is true that people believe in spirits and the supernatural world but one thing that is clear that is that there is no scientific documented evidence supporting the existence of magic. Magic cannot be proven to exist because it is not seen, as it is unexplainable because no one has ever come up with a clear explanation on where magical powers come from.

Everyone has a different view on the existence of magic, and since magic is an unexplainable phenomenon, whether it exists or not depends on what a person wants to believe. Magic is something that is not describable in simple terms because it covers several practices including witchcraft, alchemy, wizardry, and sorcery, just to mention but a few (Levi 89). The term is also used to describe acts and tricks that are used for entertainment purposes as magicians have continued to dazzle the audience with their magic tricks for several years now. Therefore, those who believe in magic believe in the existence of supernatural forces

Magic has been in existence for several years, and with the modern magic, it is evident that people do enjoy the use of magical powers. Several magicians now consider Frenchman Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin as the father of modern magic that is being embraced by everyone. Robert-Houdin has a theatre where he performed magic tricks for his audience. Over the years, magic has evolved but again, it is a phenomenon that is hard to understand, but it has become famous because of its entertainment value. Magic is a source of joy and laughter to many audiences regardless of whom and where it is performed. Nowadays, people are fascinated with magic performances from the streets to the formal stage where it is performed. Magic tricks just like movies are everywhere, and it exists.

One of the most popular magicians with a TV show is David Blaine. With his TV show, American magician Blaine performs mind-blowing magic in front of several audiences for entertainment purposes. Apart from David Blaine, there is Teller and Penn who also do magic shows for their audiences. Therefore, magic does exist amongst us and is accessible on the streets, on the internet, and across several social media sites. Magicians provide entertainment to their audience on the social media, and the audience can even watch them for free. Hence, despite it being a hard phenomenon to interpret, magic exists in our world mostly for entertainment purposes. Spence notes that magic has been in existence for a very long time and its existence should not be disputed because it is still being studied in today’s modern world (Spence 5). Magic is real, and it will never cease to exist.

In conclusion, magic is a concept that has been in existence throughout history. It is a broad concept that has been misunderstood b several people in the modern societies thus bringing the question, does it exist or not? Magic is a phenomenon that everyone has heard of and yes, it does exist since time immemorial, and it is still being practiced in the modern world. Even though scientifically, the existence of magic or magical powers lacks credence, magic does exist, and we can see it in movies, series, comedies, and talent show on our TV’s today. Today, magic disguises itself in different ways, and we can see this through the movies, books, and TV shows.

Initially, magic was used to cast spells on people to either hurt them or give them good luck. It was in the form of witchcraft and wizardry whereby one could cast a spell or a curse on someone to bring either good luck or bad luck on the person. However, with time, it has evolved into art whereby it is a form of entertainment that has attracted several viewers. Currently, there are several magicians across the globe that use their magic tricks to entertain people and make a living. Magic does exist in our modern society today just as it first existed in the medieval times.