Is Magic Science?

Is it Science or Magic?

Why has witchcraft always been shunned while scientist has been help in high esteem? By this point in history we understand that some every day science we experience all the time would seem like magic to our ancestors. Perhaps it is because magic was practiced under cover while science was being published and practiced in the open. Perhaps it is simply because witchcraft is associated with women while science is associated with men.

Biblical Witches

Even though we can argue that the biblical injunction against witches, really meant bad witches, and not good ones like Glenda, the term raises eyebrows in any organized, conservative religion. Famous biblical figures did consult with witches, though it was obvious they really were not supposed to be the prohibitions of their time. But the actual women who practiced these arts, like the Witch of Endor, are presented in a sympathetic light.

Modern Witches

Consider The Secret book and video. It has become a media sensation with famous people endorsing it on TV. This concept, creative visualization, is not new though. It is probably the basis of ancient rituals and incantations.

Modern witches will admit that their arts are mental, and the better they become at flexing their mental muscles, the more powerful their spells become. Think about gurus who teach positive thinking and scientists who study the effect of placebos.

Think about common herbs. Some have evolved into the basis of modern medicine. If a witch brewed a tea that contained a natural painkiller, how different is that from taking a couple of aspirin? Well, willow bark contains salicylic acid, what we know as aspirin. Is making this into a tea really a dark art or is it science?

Fragrant oil are also used in spells. Aromatherapy has been studied, and even scientists agree there is substance to this use. While rosemary may make us more lively, mint may tend to relax us. Is this witchcraft? Maybe, but it is also using natural plants to affect our moods and bodies. This is hardly different than drinking a cup of coffee to wake up or a warm glass of milk to fall asleep.

Scientists are just barely beginning to study the power of our minds. We can barely understand how our own grey matter works! But it is hard to dispute the power of thought and outlook in our lives.

The ancients may have called it magic, but tomorrow we may take it for granted as common science.