From the Greek magika, meaning “what wizards do”; any ritualistic practice intended to produce results without using the causal processes of the physical world. In its less elevated form, it could be any sleight-of- hand trick used by conjurers or any demonstration of mind reading or Table rapping by stage entertainers. The concept behind the serious belief in magic is that physical actions performed in one context can have an effect in a totally different context, perhaps miles away or years apart; for example, nature is thought to be controllable by rain dances, or evil spirits are warded off by carrying a talisman, or good luck is brought about by the carrying of amulets or charms. The two contexts the action and the result are either seen to be directly connected, or somehow linked together, by a third external, mystical force.
Because magic depends on a worldview that believes that there are supernatural forces at work outside the ordinary laws of nature, it is, in its broadest sense, at the core of most religious systems. But many Western religious thinkers make a distinction between, on the one hand, the external manipulation of magic symbols with the emphasis on technique, such as water when blessed acquiring curative qualities, and, on the other hand, the effect exerted by personal inner grace on an outside force for good. But even in the latter case, religious ritual is not always seen to be very distinct from magic as, for example, when the contemplation of icons is thought either to heal directly or to help evoke a state of grace, which then promotes a process of healing.