▁the ▁historian ▁Michael ▁D . ▁Ba iley ▁character ised ▁magic ▁as ▁" a ▁deeply ▁cont ested ▁category ▁and ▁a ▁very ▁fra ug ht ▁label "; ▁as ▁a ▁category , ▁he ▁noted , ▁it ▁was ▁" pro found ly ▁un stable " ▁given ▁that ▁definitions ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁have ▁" var ied ▁dram atically ▁across ▁time ▁and ▁between ▁cult ures ". ▁Sch ol ars ▁have ▁engaged ▁in ▁extensive ▁deb ates ▁as ▁to ▁how ▁to ▁define ▁magic , ▁with ▁such ▁deb ates ▁resulting ▁in ▁inten se ▁dispute . ▁Through out ▁such ▁deb ates , ▁the ▁scholar ly ▁community ▁has ▁failed ▁to ▁agree ▁on ▁a ▁definition ▁of ▁magic , ▁in ▁a ▁similar ▁manner ▁to ▁how ▁they ▁have ▁failed ▁to ▁agree ▁on ▁a ▁definition ▁of ▁religion . ▁Even ▁among ▁those ▁throughout ▁history ▁who ▁have ▁described ▁themselves ▁as ▁mag icians , ▁there ▁has ▁been ▁no ▁common ▁understanding ▁of ▁what ▁magic ▁is . ▁ ▁Con cept s ▁of ▁magic ▁generally ▁serve ▁to ▁sharp ly ▁dem arc ate ▁certain ▁practices ▁from ▁other , ▁otherwise ▁similar ▁practices ▁in ▁a ▁given ▁society . ▁According ▁to ▁Ba iley : ▁" In ▁many ▁cult ures ▁and ▁across ▁various ▁historical ▁periods , ▁categories ▁of ▁magic ▁often ▁define ▁and ▁maintain ▁the ▁limits ▁of ▁soci ally ▁and ▁cult ur ally ▁acceptable ▁actions ▁in ▁respect ▁to ▁num in ous ▁or ▁occ ult ▁entities ▁or ▁forces . ▁Even ▁more ▁basically ▁they ▁serve ▁to ▁del ine ate ▁aren as ▁of ▁appropriate ▁belief ." ▁In ▁this , ▁he ▁noted ▁that ▁" draw ing ▁these ▁dist in ctions ▁is ▁an ▁exercise ▁in