A question

[Anonymous]

I was asked a question at Yule that I'm still thinking about.

"Which is more important in magick, Belief or Intent?"

I've always thought that magick was 95% belief and 5% bluff.  I've been able to bluff my way out of situations, but I also believed that, if necessary, I could back up the bluff with a metaphysical 2 x 4.

This ties into the question on how magick works.  I'm not sure if you start with intent or with belief.

It's a bit of chicken or egg situation, isn't it?  What are your thoughts?

Schuylar

[Rowan CedarWolf]

For me it's a 50/50 deal, Magick needs both to be effective, if  you do not have both it will not work. It's like making a pie and leaving out half of the ingredients.

[RedRonin]

If you don't believe in what you're doing, then it's not going to work.

If you believe in what you're doing, it likely will, so long as one knows what they're doing.

So from the standpoint of your working accomplishing it's intended goals, belief is all-important and intent has zero to do with it.

Now, this is modified by saying that if your intent isn't focused, then you're just shotgunning energies all over the place and your results will be less than desired and may not be worthwhile at all.

I guess I'm fishing with your definition of "intent".  Are you using it in terms of focus, as I did above, or more along the line of "good spell/bad spell" stuff?

In the second case, intent will have no relevance on whether or not a spell works.  There's all the other karmic hoopla to deal with, though.

[Anonymous]

I am using "intent" in terms of focus.  

I'm of the opinion that you can't have one without the other, but   without belief would you know to direct your intent?  And a bit visa versa.

It's an interesting conundrum.

[RedRonin]

Given that belief is necessary, then focus (intent) as you've defined would be equally necessary.

I'd then ask, though, if there is insufficient focus in the working, is there a point in the attempt?

Now granted, when I get to the point where I'm actually putting the full spell whammy together, it's not a simple little thing, but a full-blown production.  There is a set-up, banishing rit to clear my space, etc and so forth.  Focus/intent are a foregone conclusion since I'm committing everything I have toward the successful conclusion of that working.  Once begun, there are no doubts or second guessing, nor is there any deviation from from my targeted purpose.

Sorta like getting in a brawl......  it takes me a long time to become physical, but once that line is crossed, there is nothing in my mind other than the complete and utter obliteration of the other person.  Half-assing it is an invitation to the emergency room.  Why would one bother at that point?

[Eolas]

I was asked a question at Yule that I'm still thinking about.

"Which is more important in magick, Belief or Intent?"

Well, how are you going to Believe without intent? And, for that matter, how are you going to Intend without Believing?

I would say that the two are inextricable.

[Anonymous]

I don't think this is something you can define in terms of ratios. It's more of a linear process with causal factors.

If you don't believe that what you're doing is going to work, you cannot get into the mindset to actually make it work. With focus you can have varying levels of concentration and below a certain point you'll be unable to focus enough to do the magic.

There are lots of factors that affect how well magic is performed. If you simply believed you could do it, and were able to concentrate, that would mean nothing if you didn't know what it was you were supposed to be focusing on, and were unable to raise enough energy to actually get the job done.

[Zenon]

I was asked a question at Yule that I'm still thinking about.

"Which is more important in magick, Belief or Intent?"

Well, how are you going to Believe without intent? And, for that matter, how are you going to Intend without Believing?

I would say that the two are inextricable.

The question is... how do you intend to believe?

I think that in Magick, belief and intent are only suggestions.

In order to acheive a result, you don't "believe" the ritual, you live it, and you become it.  And as for intent, in order for magick to work, you must have no lust for result - you must be as it the result of the spell is already consummated.

That should be the power of your magick.  No belief, and no intent.  You should be certain it is happening, much like knowing that you are breathing.

[NachtSorcier]

My magical philosophy when it comes to belief is "Belief is to magic as gasoline is to a car."  The less faith you have in your magical efforts, the closer you are to a vehicle (in this case a metaphysical one) that doesn't work.  

Intent and focus are also of great importance.  If you're not focusing on what it is you want, then how will you achieve it?  This is why I dislike this multi-tasking trend that seems to be all the rage lately.  I feel that when you scatter your energies among many tasks, each task gets less of your time and focus, and so you're more likely to end up with several projects that are half-assed (pardon my French).  This is why several books on magic I've read advise the reader to focus on one magical operation at a time.

So in short, I'm of the mind that belief and focus are of equal importance in magic, as well as in mundane efforts.  If you don't believe that you can achieve your desires, then you won't.  If you don't have the willpower to focus on your desired outcome, then you will miss your mark.