Cermonial magic/Ritual Vs. Garden Variety Witchcraft?

[Artistic Genocide]

Okay, I haven't seen an old thread on this, so i think I'm safe in bringing it up.

Often, I'm confussed when reading responses in this guild, because I'm having trouble establishing the difference between cermonial magic/ritual and your basic garden variety witchcraft. My question is, What makes the difference between the two? What makes it cermonial, and what makes it basic witchcraft? And which do you prefer, if that's possible?

Thanks!

-Artistic Genocide  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Going by dictionary definitions there's no solid difference. It's more of a... sort of... implication. I mean, Wicca is a form of witchcraft, in a way, and it's heavily influenced by ceremonialism.

Ceremonial-type magic draws influence from ceremonial orders, Kaballah, Christian Mysticism and so on. Much attention is paid to details, to astrological influences, ritual form, symbols, tools and so forth.

Low magic draws more influence from folk magic. There's more in the way of charms and chants, things that don't require much in the way of tools or objects that one can do without a lot in the way of planning.

Now, that's just witchcraft. There's also difference between what we might call "ceremonial-type ritual" (that is, ritual influenced by ceremonial magic and initiatory orders) and other forms of ritual, that may be influenced more by historical ritual practices.

Neither form is better than the other, they're just different. Personally, ceremonialism makes me feel slightly uncomfortable. I'm not sure why. Perhaps its the history of Christian elements (rites based on the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, maybe). Perhaps it's the form the rituals take. Perhaps my mind just doesn't work with that sort of structure. But there we go. I feel much more at home with low magic, and more at ease with different forms of ritual.  

[Artistic Genocide]

Okay, I think I'm starting to understand the difference. So Cermonial magic is where you have a set structure, and low magic(had know idea it was called that >.>') is more free-form?  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Ehhh, not really. There are forms of traditional witchcraft, for example, that will have very particular ways of doing things, passed down for generations etc. This is worn this way and spirits are called this way and so on.

Generally Ceremonial stuff is more elaborate, more expensive, involving more tools and so forth. But there are overlaps and exceptions and it's not all properly defined and everything.

Maybe someone else will have some helpful input sweatdrop  

[Morgandria]

In the end, both high magic and low magic are about will and intent. What makes them very different is their methodology.

'High' magic is about creating a very specific set of conditions under which the magician may summon, command, and compel a spirit to work his will. This involves understanding the nature and language of spirits, their true names, how to properly set up the circle and triangle into which the spirit will be summoned, and an iron-clad understand of HOW to ask for EXACTLY what you want without any room for misinterpretation. High magic is absolutely about command - will and intent honed to a scapel's edge.

'Low' magic is not focused on command, in the same manner. Most low magic techniques involve contagion, attraction, or sympathetic magic: using things to stand in for a subject, or creating items to place on or near the subject to affect them. Poppets, wax dolls, mojo bags, medicine pouches, sprinkling powders, candle magic...
all low magic.

Some people like to define high magic as being purely for spiritual growth, and low magic as that which attains physical goals. I reject this, simply because there's plenty of magicians who use high magic to attain money/sex/power. And there's sometimes low magic - like making amulets or ritual components like incense or tools - that are part of the making of high magic.

It's almost too easy to say that high magic is "ceremonial" magic, and low magic is "witchcraft". There are forms for ceremonial witchcraft, and I've seen plenty of low magic techniques aimed at spiritual growth.  

[Artistic Genocide]

Morgandria, your awesome. XD
I actually completely understood everything you wrote. and thanks to you, Sanguina, for trying to help my understand.xD

I believe i understand the difference now.^_^

Also, I got a book today, called "Modern Magick", by Donald Michael Kraig. have either of you heard of it?  

[-X-Luciferin-X-Bandit-X-]

Morgandria took the words from my mouth...

 

[whiporwill-o]

morg, wonderful description heart

i personally prefer low magic, it actually just seems more, well, magical to me 3nodding  

[-X-Luciferin-X-Bandit-X-]

I like Ceremonial Magick, but you absolutely cannot do it spur-of-the-moment, which is how i like to do my spells.

I use the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram all the time, though.