Not every magic has the same intention or practice. As you enter the world of witchcraft, it is important to know the differences between ceremonial magick and folk magick. The last thing you want is to confuse one for the other. Contemporary Western Paganism practitioners recognize both types of magic. However, the underlying concept is different. When we look at magic from a scholarly perspective, the term refers to a continuum of practices that involve both informal and formal ritual acts performed in sacred buildings and sanctioned spaces.
Ceremonial Magick
When it comes to ceremonial magick, it is entirely unique. It has its roots in the Western Occult Tradition and was spread by organizations like the Freemasons, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and other occults. Ceremonial magick is very ritualistic and ceremonial, as the name suggests. Some of its elements date back to Ancient Egyptian high rites. It is also known as high magic. Ceremonial magicians need to enter an altered consciousness to perform the spell. They force change through the astral plane and physical plane. Astral travel is also used by ceremonial magicians and other techniques for gaining knowledge and communicating with other powerful entities that most witches might deem dangerous.
Book learning is necessary to master ceremonial magick. It is possible to unleash its power only through the understanding of intricate sets of correspondences and complicated rituals. Judeo-Christian myth has been the backbone of ceremonial magick in the West until the 19th century. The purpose of ceremonial magick is spiritual and not practical. Its concepts might overlap with folk magick. However, you should never confuse it for folk magick. One also has to improve their soul by embracing their destiny, attracting proper influences, purification, and gaining divine knowledge.
Folk Magick
Folk magick is also known as low magic. It is used in witchcraft for prayer. Due to its connections with different forms of Paganism, it has become a popular form of magic. Visualization and meditative techniques are used by folk magick practitioners in spellcraft to focus the mind, collect energy, and direct that energy to achieving the intended results.
Traditional witches who practice traditional witchcraft ask friend spirits such as local spirits, family spirits, and spirit guides to assist them. Folk magick has been used by the common folk. It offers practical purposes like fertility, bringing harvest, finding lost items, driving away evil forces, attracting good luck, and healing. However, records of these rituals are mostly non-existent as practitioners used to be illiterate back in the day. But, rituals were generally simple and have evolved with time. Everyday items such as wood, nails, coins, plant material, and the like were used. The practical nature of folk magic reveals that it was associated with the lower class.
Now you can see the differences between ceremonial magick and folk magick. You can start with folk magick and work towards mastering ceremonial magick if you are not afraid of contacting powerful spirits.
