▁id iom . ▁In ▁contemporary ▁context s , ▁the ▁word ▁magic ▁is ▁sometimes ▁used ▁to ▁" des cribe ▁a ▁type ▁of ▁excitement , ▁of ▁wonder , ▁or ▁sudden ▁delight ", ▁and ▁in ▁such ▁a ▁context ▁can ▁be ▁" a ▁term ▁of ▁high ▁pra ise ". ▁Despite ▁its ▁historical ▁contrast ▁against ▁science , ▁scient ists ▁have ▁also ▁adopted ▁the ▁term ▁in ▁application ▁to ▁various ▁concepts , ▁such ▁as ▁magic ▁acid , ▁magic ▁bul lets , ▁and ▁magic ▁angles . ▁ ▁Modern ▁Western ▁occ ult ism ▁ ▁Modern ▁Western ▁magic ▁has ▁challeng ed ▁widely - h eld ▁pre con ception s ▁about ▁contemporary ▁religion ▁and ▁spiritual ity . ▁The ▁po lem ical ▁disc ourses ▁about ▁magic ▁influenced ▁the ▁self - under standing ▁of ▁modern ▁mag icians , ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁whom — such ▁as ▁Ale ister ▁Crow ley ▁and ▁Julius ▁E vol a — w ere ▁well ▁vers ed ▁in ▁academic ▁literature ▁on ▁the ▁subject . ▁According ▁to ▁scholar ▁of ▁religion ▁Hen rik ▁Bog dan , ▁" arg u ably ▁the ▁best ▁known ▁em ic ▁definition " ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁" mag ic " ▁was ▁provided ▁by ▁Crow ley . ▁Crow ley — who ▁fav oured ▁the ▁sp elling ▁" mag ick " ▁over ▁" mag ic " ▁to ▁distinguish ▁it ▁from ▁stage ▁ill usion ism — was ▁of ▁the ▁view ▁that ▁" Mag ick ▁is ▁the ▁Science ▁and ▁Art ▁of ▁causing ▁Change ▁to ▁occur ▁in ▁conform ity ▁with ▁Will ". ▁Crow ley ' s ▁definition ▁influenced ▁that ▁of ▁subsequent ▁mag icians . ▁D ion