Define "Sorcerer"

Well met, dear community.

One of my best books about the occult explain many terms used when dealing with magic.

Two of them is the definition of a wizard/witch and a sorcerer/sorcereress.

Wizard/Witch: A mage who use his/her magical abilities to help others.

Sorcerer/Sorceress: A mage who use his/her magical abilities to pursue his/her own goals.


Ive been thinking it over and I myself find it valid, but I need others thoughts about the matter.

I would call myself a sorcerer...to a degree.

It all depends on the term, I would like to use the right terms when speaking to someone else involved with magic...


So...whats your definition of "Sorcerer"?

*Addon*

It seem like the net have two major definitions of "Sorcery".

1) Simple a person who practice magic.
2) A person who practice black magic.

I just don't use it. I would assume a sorcerer is one who practices sorcery. I don't consider it to be dark or light magic at all, or have anything to do with intention. Wizards to me are false practitioners of magic. They use alchemy and trickery like magicians. Sorcerers however, well I don't really know. I have my own mind walking backwards now. Just disregard this, I've nothing constructive.

Vertigo wrote:

Wizard/Witch: A mage who use his/her magical abilities to help others.

Sorcerer/Sorceress: A mage who use his/her magical abilities to pursue his/her own goals.

I think it depends on the path that one is on.....I would say in some cases, some people use both definitions to somewhat define their practices. for example, if one practiced say a predatorial spirituality for personal evolution but, teaches the practice to others for their benefit and evolution, would not that person fit both definitions?

Yes, usually the term "sorcerer" is used to describe a person that uses magic to affect the world in order to get something from that change. That is, the change is within the limits of Maya/the Causal universe and thus it is a change external to ourselves.

On the other hand we have "magic", which nowadays is used like mysticism was used a long time ago I think, that is, the union with the divine/the evolution of your consciousness and so the transcendence of Maya/Causal/phenomenological world. Here the goal and destiny depends on tradition, path, perspective and your own Will, of course: Nirvana, God, Chaos, maybe Heaven, maybe Hell, The Acausal....well you have a lot of options to choose.

I would suggest to not pay much attention to those definitions that are based on an almost moralistic dualism, such as "if you use your magic to heal a person, you are a wizard, however if you use it to kill your dady, you are evil and thus a sorcerer."

Personally, I use both concepts as the same thing. A witch or a sorcerer, I make no real distinction. To me, both are students of the occult and practitioners of the magickal arts. I don't think we should attach any of the definitions to a specific path, moral mindset or intent. Magick is magick, and so are those who practice it.

It's odd that a book would separate them when even in a regular
dictionary or thesaurus sorcerer, magician, wizard, etc. are synonyms. All of the above are capable of both harming and healing magic. It sounds like some New Age crap, to be honest.

I've met witches who practice magick for their own benefit. So, I think there is a faulty premise in the given definitions of witch/wizard, versus sorcerer/sorceress. I believe that there is no real difference, and that these are just terms used to describe practitioners of magick. But, if one feels that there is a distinction, and would prefer a particular term to refer to herself, then I would rspectfully use the preferred term.

Thanks for all the answers.
Sorry for such a trivial question, just that I need to verify claims like that.

It is not a trivial question. Thank you for your post.