Many people (who are interested in this kind of thing) tend to be moving away from the heavy ceremonial ritual magick because it is not always practical or convenient. Ceremonial magick tends to be done for the love of the ritual and the honour of pomp and circumstance, perhaps to contact a particular deity in a group setting.It puts very heavy emphasis on doing every thing at the right time, including chants and hand movements.
A friend of mine is an atheist who believes in nothing - No Godhead figures or Supreme Beings. She doesn't even celebrate Christmas. It is quite a challenge being in communication with someone like that because it appears to me that life is too great only to exist the one time and for nothing else to be out there anywhere. But I respect that she is so replete in her security on the earth that she does not feel the need for anything other than what she can experience with her five senses that is right in front of her. Each to his own in every way, so to speak.
The television and media often portray what is termed as 'magick' or 'magic', as being linked to someone waving a wand and dancing round a cauldron and wanting lightening quick results from spells and potions.
Real occultism, in my opinion, is the genuine love of magick, occultism, the supernatural etc, for its own honest sake, not necessarily to gain any 'power' from it, other than real enjoyment, even from it just being there and yes, existing. To do rituals and enjoy doing them as a connection to the earth, sky, sun, moon etc and feeling that connection, can be extremely rewarding, whatever one's personal beliefs about who is actually 'in charge' up there. There is magick to suit virtually every religion and most circumstances, some good and some not so good, but choice is always the keyword.
See also:
The Hermetic Order of the Silver Luna Mist
