If you're looking to dabble in magick or you're already experienced and want to see somebody else's perspective, these are the key fundamentals I always refer back to when doing magickal practices so hey hello :)
First and foremost, magick can be defined by the alteration of mind and energy to attain a desired state. By attaining a focused conscience and attaining these altered states, recognition and influence over the mental plane is amplified so that the user may exercise their will. It's kind of like accessing the command prompt of your brain and modifying the system through the commands of belief and intention. Others may refer to magick as divinity and prayer, psychic prowess or psychonauting, parapsychology, neuromancy, hacking and metaprogramming, alchemy and transmutation, or just plain agnostic belief. All in all, it is a matter of love for that which is esoteric, and you will start seeing the workings of magick whether you go.
The first fundamental is the recognition of a magickal state, and that would be gnosis. Be it meditation, prayer, dance, maths, poetry, art, ritual, arousal, pain…these chart a path to an altered state of mind. Attaining gnosis is like 'entering the zone' in which the mind is stilled so that insight and change may be applied fruitfully by the power of the will. You want to always attain gnosis for when you practice, as less distraction means greater focus and attunement to perceive what is initially hidden to us.
You can't reach the destination of gnosis without taking the journey, and you need a great vehicle to take you through that journey - that would be faith. Understand the placebo effect: a treatment purely in mind. Placebos are often used in tests involving the efficiency of medical treatment, operating on the notion of belief to improve symptoms. The placebo effect has evidenced the activation of neurotransmitters and heightened activity in regions of the brain linked to thoughts, feelings and intuition.
What this means is that the mind can be powered solely by attitude alone. If you have faith that something will happen as a result of your practice, regardless of what actually follows, you're not far off moving mountains (metaphorically). An intent sharpened by discipline and is unyielding is what results in wondrous magickal work.
Another example is lucid dreaming: You do not go to bed telling yourself "I might have a lucid dream", but rather "I WILL have a lucid dream". Even if you don't have a lucid dream in the end, do this with enough energy and devotion and you will eventually attain lucidity through the power of belief.
Magick is a matter of perspective, and grasping a new perspective and shifting into it takes time, faith, and a lot of gnosis. Once you get the hang of this however, a re-enchantment of the world takes place, all the more resonant and wondrous, and perhaps beautiful. Knowing how to let go is fundamental in this regard, through the abiding of principles and a great surge of clarity and inspiration.
Intuition is your best friend in this regard. Look to the Taoist thought of action through non-action and understand how ridding yourself of the intellectual entanglement can benefit you in grasping the wisdom of magick. Ultimately, the effects of magick cannot be explained by word, but instead by action, the doing.
You have the power to hack your mind. Set strong intentions and have an even stronger belief. Learn to meditate so that your mind becomes open to change. Give it time and you will soon get it.
as a wacky rapping dog once said... "I gotta believe!"
