Shouldn that be spelled “magick”?
No, it really should not. Aleister Crowley is responsible for popularizing that archaic “k.” The most common explanation for it is that it helps to differentiate between real magic and stage magic. This is specious. Regardless of spelling, nearly anyone of even average intelligence will be readily able to discern the difference between Pagan beliefs and prestidigitation. The real likelihood is that Crowley added the “k” to make his gematria fit. Of course if you like to add the “k” because you think it looks kewl, by all means continue to do so. Like the witchypoo names some Wiccans adopt, there’s no real harm in it, though some practitioners do find it a trifle embarrassing to have their religion associated with such antics.9 The school of thought here is that Wicca will not be taken seriously as long as its most visible practitioners behave in sophomoric ways, but I think that’s a lost cause on the Internet, and that in any case being a source of amusement is safer than being feared.
