I’m not really sure I see the point of adding the “k”.
From what I understand, Crowley added it to distinguish what we do from stage illusions. I get it, and it makes sense on paper, I suppose, but I’ve always just written “magic” because it feels more natural, and I have never once been confused about whether I’m pulling a rabbit out of my hat or my actual practice.
Maybe some people feel a real shift in intention when they spell it with the k? That’s valid if so. I just… don’t. I wonder if we’re just overthinking it and confusing everyone else. I think people are smart enough these days to understand that when I’m talking about my practice, they don’t think I’m a magician on a stage.
Curious what the rest of you think on this, or if anyone’s changed their spelling over time and actually noticed a difference.
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I would agree it probably mattered more in the past but now just use whatever feels right. Same way I pick herbs for a blend, I just go with what connects.
It used to be we kind of had to use magick because nobody had ever heard of modern witchcraft and would immediately just think of people burning at stakes. Social media is pretty bad in many ways, but at least now nobody is surprised by our witchy ways.
The ‘k’ thing was historically about separating our practice from stage illusions and all that, but it depends on the person whether that distinction actually matters.
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The whole Crowley connection is actually what made me step back from the ‘magick’ spelling, honestly. Like yes, he introduced it to separate what we do from stage illusions (apparently you couldn’t walk ten feet without bumping into a Houdini wannabe back then) but knowing more about who he actually was as a person… I’m not sure I want that association baked into my practice, you know?
I could be wrong about this mattering at all. Maybe the spelling has taken on its own life separate from him at this point. But I’m with you on that… just ‘magic’ feels right to me, and I genuinely don’t think anyone’s confusing my practice with Penn & Teller these days.
Even if they are, who cares? The people that matter to you, will understand the difference.
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It comes down to what feels right. I think I mostly use it out of habit at this point. I think most people miss that k spelling. It’s basically a shorthand signal to other practitioners that you’re talking about the real work, like intention setting and manifestation or ritual, rather than pulling cards out of sleeves.
Some folks find the distinction useful. Others don’t need it, and that’s fine too.
My guess would be that because of the influx of people using and abusing terms like manifestation or Wicca, some probably use the term to signal that they’ve been practicing long before it was a TikTok trend.
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When I’m writing about energy work, manifestation, or spellcraft, I use ‘magick’ because it just feels like the right container for what I’m actually doing. You might try it for a week and see if it changes anything for you, or stick with ‘magic’ if that already feels aligned.
If you have some time to kill, Crowley’s Wikipedia page is a wild ride. He’s basically the reason the K spelling caught on, whether you love him or hate him, but I’ve always stuck with ‘magic’ myself. I think it really just comes down to personal preference at this point.
I lean toward using the ‘k’ myself, since the visual distinction from Vegas stage magic just makes it easier for me. Could be wrong about whether it actually matters to anyone else, though.
Maybe I’ve just spent too much time around the strip that I see ‘magic’ used on billboards too often to feel it has the same spelling as my practice.
One’s David Copperfield, the other’s Crowley. Context usually makes it clear enough without needing the k.
I only use ‘magick’ in tags and searches. It keeps my practice posts from getting buried under fantasy results, you know?
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Crowley’s choice was his own system, not a rule for everyone else. My workings feel cleaner without forcing an artificial marker that most outsiders ignore anyway.
No judgment, but I do side-eye it when people correct newcomers like the ‘k’ is a badge of legitimacy.
In groups, I’ve found it helps to say up front that both spellings are welcome, because otherwise people start worrying about vocabulary instead of the actual working. If you’re writing public ritual notes or teaching materials, I’d pick one spelling for consistency and maybe define it once. After that, the work should speak louder than the orthography.
Oh just learned something. Magick has 6 letters and apparently that’s a number Crowley was super into for occult and numerology reasons. Not sure how true that is but I thought it was a cool little detail to stumble on.
I’ve been switching between both spellings depending on my mood lol
Think Harry Potter fanfic versus documenting your actual ritual work. Context handles the distinction, mostly. The ‘k’ can add a certain mystique when you want it to, but I could take it or leave it in everyday practice.
Personal choice is what it comes down to for me. The k spelling just feels a bit self-conscious, though I know it’s popular in Thelema and ritual magic circles.
There’s an old saying that ‘the spell knows its own name,’ which honestly captures why I don’t stress about it. Some practitioners deliberately avoid the k because of Crowley’s problematic history, which is its own valid reason.
I think the ‘k’ is just about aesthetics and personal expression now, which is fine. It started as a way to tell it apart from stage magic, and that made sense at the time. I think (as others have already said) it doesn’t matter as much these days.
I think, as with anything else in your practice, don’t worry too much about the names and labels. They’re really for the sake of other people, not you anyway.
It’s a personal choice, end of story.
The k spelling traces back to Crowley, and you’ll see it a lot with Thelema and ritual magic folks. It’s not limited to them though. It just feels self-conscious to me. But that’s me.
The ‘magick’ spelling has a pretty specific origin in Wiccan publishing history. Back when Wicca books were basically the only accessible witchcraft resources out there, authors made a deliberate distinction: ‘magic’ for stage illusions, ‘magick’ for the actual practice. They pushed readers to adopt the k spelling.
These days it’s just personal preference. I use magic myself.
Just use whatever feels right. Folk magic has pretty much always used ‘magic’. The k spelling is more of a ceremonial magician thing, a way to set themselves apart from stage performers.
Not everyone agrees on spelling in our community anyway. Try it both ways and see.
Low-key, I think Crowley just didn’t trust people to figure out context clues. Most folks can tell the difference without needing a special spelling.
I think I probably alternate all the time. I don’t think it really matters and it won’t confuse anyone who’s ever going to really understand anyway.
