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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Clavis" data-source="post: 5047453" data-attributes="member: 31898">For me, Magic is a matter of command and will, while Miracles can only be requested and accepted. The magician commands the spirits and forces of nature to do his will, while the priest only requests that his deity grant him a miracle. Magic is subject to laws and rules, albeit bizarre rules that only make sense to the magicians themselves. Miracles, on the other hand, are subject only to the whim of some deity. The magician is a rival to the gods, while the holy man who performs miracles is only their servant. In most pre-industrial societies there is only a vague line between magic and science. Many of the fathers of modern science, such as Paracelsus and Newton, also engaged in magical practices (in both cases Alchemy). Ultimately, the goal of the magician and the scientist are the same - to make man the master of his environment. Such a goal is opposed to reliance on miracles, which demonstrate that man cannot master his environment. In a fantasy setting, magicians and clerics should stand opposed to each other, just as they usually have in the real world.</blockquote>