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The miracles in Alfonso X, el Sabio's (1252-84), Cantigas de Santa Maria are textual and visual representations of marvelous events attributed to the Virgin. This article examines how miracles and magic differ in their means of action through study of the magic depicted in Cantiga 125, in which a priest uses magic to seduce a maiden. Whereas magic is often strategically employed with identifiable and recorded steps and outcomes, we cannot describe how miracles come about or what actions can precipitate them apart from the divine reality to which they refer. Both miracles and magic, however, require faith, though in the case of magic, faith refers to a belief that magic can impact the world around us, rather than a faith in God. Through reference to theories of magic I argue that while a magic act is a marvel produced from a magician's expertise or a user's ability to follow instructions, a miracle results from God's grace.
