Medina1
Destiny Medina
Professor Weston
REL 3075
June 4, 2019
Magic’s Existence Within Contemporary Societies
In popular culture, we are used to seeing magic associated with witches, Satan, spells,
and talking cats. The media has long portrayed magic and the like as an evil and often demonic
practice. This misrepresentation has led many to believe that magic is fake or is something that is
taboo to our society. It is something that a lot of people often scoff and shake their head at. Even
if we discuss magic historically, the connotation surrounding it was often negative. Other
religions, such as Christianity and Catholicism, went through extensive measures to ensure that
these practices were cast out and halted so as not to contaminate the evangelical view of these
religions. Why was magic portrayed in such a dark light? Could it be the fear that magic caused
when it made them question their own faith? The answer depends on who you ask. Nevertheless,
what often goes unnoticed is how magic could reside in all religions and aspects of life. Magic is
the faith that empowers those who believe in their religion. It is the miracles we see within our
religion that perpetuate our beliefs and allows us to pass it down to future generations. It is what
keeps people together as a community and put faith in it its powers. Whether people want to
believe it or not, Christianity contains forms of magic that grant it’s believers a strong sense of
following. Our faith allows us to celebrate the magic in all of its forms. It is multifaceted and
encompasses a variety of methodology making it uniquely personable.
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When I was younger my imagination would run wild. I often thought about what it would
be like to be a magical person. However, I was taught that magic wasn’t real. It was simply a
fantasy that occurred by being exposed to movies and other outlets that perpetuated the existence
of magic. I grew up thinking that magic was just this fake concept that movies created to give an
escape of reality, however, learning that magic can exist but in different forms across cultures
has shifted my view on magic. If we understand magic from an anthropological sense we can
understand the concept of magic that can exist within many aspects of Life. Magic is real and
based on the concept of “magical thinking,” it exists within the subconscious mind of
individuals. People are very much aware that the contents of this world, as well the mystical
incidents that occur, are too supernatural to explain within the parameters of religion, science, or
