Magick
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
"The Anglo-Saxon k in Magick, like most of Crowley's conceits, indicates the kind of magic he performed. K stands for kteis, the vulva in Greek, the complement of the wand, or phallus, which is used by the magician in certain aspects of the Great Work. In addition, k is the eleventh letter of several alphabets, and eleven is the principal number of magick because it is the number attributed to the Qliphoth – the underworld of demonic and chaotic forces that have to be conquered before magick can be performed . K has other implications : it corresponds to the power of shakti aspect of creative energy in Hinduism; and k is the ancient Egyptian khu , the magical power. Magick indicates , therefore, the sexual technique that Crowley used in his magical operations , with what success the reader of this biography will be able to decide for himself." --The King of the Shadow Realm: Aleister Crowley, His Life and Magic (1989) by John Symonds |
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Magick, in the context of Aleister Crowley's Thelema, is a term used to differentiate the occult from stage magic. On why it is written with a k, see inset.
See also