Fundamentals of Magic

This aricle is under construction and is subject to revision.

Magic is an incromprehensibly vast and detailed subject. A person could spend his entire life studying it in all its depictions, and barely scratch the surface of its secrets. As we have a limited amount of time on this world to read and learn about magic, these explanations will center around the fundamentals of western magic (primarily of the Hermetic discipline).

The most mysterious and confusing aspect of magic, and the one that is most central to its nature, is that at its basis it is a contradiction. To express a fact about magic is to place a boundry upon it- to limit it- to limit your own comprehension. The more expansive and universal a statement is about magic, the less knowlege and understanding you are able to draw from that conclusion. You'll find in the course of your own studies of magic, that the more focussed your research of a branch of magic is, the more internally consistant it will be within itself- but those same laws and assumptions are often powerless in a different branch. To put it simply: for magic, fact is inversely related to understanding. It is through our beliefs that we are able to gain a foothold in magic, and it is with our will that we can force that door open, to step beyond the limitations of the normal world.

Ironically, I'll provide you with this definition of magic, which will surely be lacking in any meaningful truths: At its most basic level, magic is simply enacting a change on the universe.

The Fundamentals
Hermetic magic centers around two central principles, which serve as the foundation of most of the rest of Western magic. I'll desribe these basic ideas at length here, and strive to explain how they relate to the practices of magic.

Sympathy
Sympathy is a basic magical law, that similar things are connected on a spiritual or magical level. It is split further apart between the concepts of Simililarity and Contagion.

''If we analyze the principles of thought on which magic is based, they will probably be found to resolve themselves into two: first, that like produces like, or that an effect resembles its cause; and, second, that things which have once been in contact with each other continue to act on each other at a distance after the physical contact has been severed. The former principle may be called the Law of Similarity, the latter the Law of Contact or Contagion. From the first of these principles, namely the Law of Similarity, the magician infers that he can produce any effect he desires merely by imitating it: from the second he infers that whatever he does to a material object will affect equally the person with whom the object was once in contact, whether it formed part of his body or not. - ''Sir James George Frazer (1854–1941). The Golden Bough. 1922.

Things that are similar in concept, appearance, or function are connected to eachother. When one subject acts upon another, it creates a imprint and connection with what he acts upon.

As Above, So Below
This second fundamental principle is the key to how we, as mere mortals, are able to manipulate these connections and employ them to create the fantastic effects for which magic is so well known.

That which is Below corresponds to that which is Above, and that which is Above, corresponds to that which is Below, to accomplish the miracles of the One Thing. - The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus

At its most basic interpretation, this means that the universe (the macrocosm) emulates the self or the small (the microcosm), and vice versa. By emulating an event in the microcosm and acting upon it, you may be able to create changes accordingly in the macrocosm. Of course, without a belief in the act itself, or the will to enact a larger change, your magic will be powerless.

Practices of Magic
Magical practices are the medium through which we are able to exact changes upon the universe with our belief and will. Their are nigh-infinite variations of the practices, and many individuals unwittingly use them on a day to day basis. Have you ever heard the term "god bless you" after you have sneezed? It is a simple spell to ward the subject from the influence and harm of diseases and curses, powered by the sympathy of the caster toward his subject. Such minor practices abound within society, and so the focus of this section will be on the formalized magical practices.

Formal practives of magic within the hermetic tradition draw on connections between either the subject enacting the magic and a person or event, or between the activity and an external event or person. Some formal practices instead function to change the subject or caster through the influence of outside forces, primarily for the purposes of purification and meditation, but occasionally also empowerement. Keep in mind that although magical events may require expensive and time-consuming preparation, the magic itself is performed through the act itself, not through the preparations or the effects.

Fetishes
Fetishes are objects or constructions that emulate a concept, person, or event. Effigies, wands, staffs, orbs, candles, and generally any material substance that is employed or consumed in the use of magic is a type of fetish. Fetishes are used as a metaphor for the subject to be effected, or the event. Many mages carry a special fetish that is intimately connected to themselves, through which they perform the majority of their magic.

Five Elements
The five classical elements are fire, air, water, earth, and the quintessence (also known as the void, the mind, or the aether). The five elements are believed to be the foundation of the universe. A healthy body likewise contains equal quantities of these elements. Rituals and spells that enact external changes often include the use of the body as a means of emulating the desired changes. Fore example, drawing blood and soaking a quantity of earth with it, would emulate rainfall.

The elements are also connected to the cardinal directions. Air corresponds to the East. Water corresponds to the West. Fire corresponds to the South. Earth corresponds to the North. Beginning a ritual or spell without consideration for the orientation of the subject or effect can cause it to fail.

How the elements are balanced against eachother within the medium of the act can empower or weaken the results.

Numerology
Numerology deals with the power of numbers. Each number represents a nature depending on how it interacts with others. The use of numbers in magical rituals is a very common practice, since numbers are so closely connected to the cyclical nature and foundations of the universe. Numerology is often used as a determinant of future events and predictions for this reason. Each of the five elements has a number and a perfect geometric form associated with it- this means that you can translate an elemental ritual into numerology, and vice versa, or use them in combination.

Astrology
Astrology is related to the belief that knowledge of fate and universal changes is evident in the motion of the celestial bodies. It employs the use of star charts, numerology, and elementalism for its predictions, but is also heavily vested in metaphor and symbolism. Astrology is often used to determine the optimal date and time on which a magical ritual can be peformed. When the forces of the universe are in confluence, the magnitude and power of a specific magical effect can be greatly magnified.

Incantations and True Names
Spoken and written magic is the most commonly practiced form of magic. Idiomatic expressions, metaphors, poetry, and even music can fall into this broad practice. It is a common belief that symbolism imparts power, but that knowledge of the meaning of that symbolism grants power over the symbol. Hence, the magic of words is often arcane and secret- the knowledge of their meaning is concealed so that the caster is safe from being manipulated by others. It is the deepest meaning of trust and affection for another, to tell him your true name, but at the same time it is a deadly risk.

Invocations are rarely a single word, and are instead often lengthy incantations. Through the song, limeric, or poem, the caster strives to define his subject contextually, since it is rare that a person's soul perfectly matches a single word in our limited dialects. Woven into the words is a metaphor for the desired effect. The precision of word-magic depends greatly on the skill, creativity, intellect, and spontaneity of the speaker.

Most types of summonings require the use of an incantation or true name. If a caster tells a summoned entity his true name, it gains control over him and the ritual (the caster becomes possessed).

Circle Magic
Circle magic empoys the use of inscriptions and circles to bound the function and nature of magic. Circles are used to protect the caster, and to increase the accuracy and precision of the ritual's results. Circle magic draws heavily on the five elements, numerology, astrology, and true names, and often uses fetishes and incantations in conjunction with it. With literally millions of possible combinations, the practical use of circle magic requires a broad and detailed understanding of many branches of magic. Circle magic is capable of more sophisticated rituals of great power, but requires immense time, focus, and preparation. Some elements of circle magic take generations to execute, spanning many casters' lives.

Circle magic is often used in wards (if the circle faces outward) and in seals (if the circle faces inward). Seals can be used to summon and bind spirits.

Alchemy
Alchemy primarily focuses on the principle of contagion and the five-elements theory to create its effects. The power of alchemy is a less spiritually related branch of magic, instead focussing on how universal forces effect the material world. Some achemists employ the use of circles, astrology, and numerology as a means of manipulating and controlling the universal forces to enact a particular result.

Location-based Magic
Magic is a variable phenomenon, and nothing holds a greater influence over its practice than the caster's location. The presence of particular geometric structures (such as buildings, mountains, lakes, and other megoliths) can influence the effectiveness of rituals. Ley lines are invisible lines of power that criss-cross the world between these prominent structures. At points where ley lines cross, particular aspects of magic are enhanced or weakened.