**WARNING!!*** This is going to be a heck of a long sucker so get your drinks and nick-fix before you start. I’m afraid this essay isn’t really in any format. Just a simple question-answer style.

"WHAT IS MAGIC?"

Magic is the term used to define the act of creating an effect through the use of an insubstantial/unseen/spiritual force involving incantations, gestures, rituals, etc. Naturally there are a few categories that fall under that term though.

Stage Magic
This is, of course, the average performer's 'smoke and mirrors' trickery. It is in itself a fine art, requiring years of work and dedication, planning, and an adept comprehension of performance and misdirection.

Sympathetic magic
This is magic performed through mimicking the desired effect through symbols. I.E.: dressing in a wolf skin and moving like one as part of a dance to 'become a wolf', or setting up something akin to a Druidic 'life board' which is set out to represent a situation symbolically and the desired change. This one is most commonly done through ritual.

Spell magic
otherwise known as Rites, are spells performed through visualization of the desired effect, and the use of a basic symbol or incantation to quickly set the spell into motion.

Energy-based or 'quiet' magic
This is magic performed through visualization and will alone, where the mage/caster/shaman/insert favorite term here trusts in the energy and *knows* the desired effect will come about.

"WHAT ARE SPELLS?"

A spell is a method of working magic, through use of incantations, symbols, and sometimes even gestures in a short sequence by a single person to bring about a desired effect. By the subjective nature of symbology though the symbols and methods for even the same spell can vary from person to person. It is actually a method to see if someone is experienced or a novice. ... A novice will do a spell 'by the book' in it's basic form while an Experienced person has developed his or her own method which is tailor-made to better attain the desired effect.

"HOW DO SPELLS WORK?"

Spells work by providing a focus for a person's will into setting a desired event/effect/affect into motion. The focused thought and speaking of your intention sort of... calls the energy that would be required to do what you want and puts it in motion. Contrary to common belief spells are, 99% of the time, not a single gesture and word which causes an instant effect. The only exceptions are defensive or energy gathering rites... like forming a shield by stating a personal power word, (one of the most powerful being simply "no") or throwing your hands, palm down, towards the ground to cast of negative and/or excess energy. They are, however, still shorter than rituals, and are most often performed solo.

"WHAT ARE RITUALS?"

A ritual could in my view also be called a 'group spell'. In other words it is a process-based spell that involves more than one person contributing to it. A ritual is performed over a longer period of time, ranging from ten minutes to a month or even longer. (In which case it is a shorter ritual that is done at the same time every day in the same method for the duration) Rituals are usually reserved for difficult spells that require the wills of several people all focused on the same thing to get the necessary energy. Things like exorcising a room/house, or placing a protective charm against a strong force/entity that is haunting someone. Or to initiate a circle and define who can access it, or awakening/charging/enchanting something.

"HOW DO RITUALS WORK?"

Well a ritual is much like a spell... only done through a longer process and often with more than one person. They tend to have a few steps to them beginning with preparing the area where the magic is going to be performed. I.E. making the circle/ward, purifying the space with incense or gold/iron filings or a couple rites... or any combination of course. Then gathering at the appropriate time and burning incense, chanting, singing, or playing instruments to gather everyone into the same mindset and level of awareness/consciousness. Then the circle is closed and symbolically sealed to protect those within. Then the ritual to achieve the desired effect is performed, each person contributing a particular part and representing a different part/role/factor in the situation while the leader is most often the one to represent the desired change. Then the magic/summoned entity/energy etc. is sent away/dispelled, and the circle opened once again. Then the site is taken apart and returned to normal... unless it is the circle's sacred or 'spell' spot naturally. I.E.: a place of frequent use to them that will go unfound to outsiders.

One thing about magic is that it is not meant to be observed or invaded on. It tends to severely disrupt things on several levels. It interferes with the caster's focus, it introduces energy that shouldn't be there, and if the person is unaware enough they could disturb the circle/place and literally obliterate what the desired effect was for the site/spell.

"...IS MAGIC REALLY SO DELICATE THAT THE ACT OF OBSERVING OR INVADING CAN RUIN IT? DOES THIS MEAN MAGIC WILL NOT WORK IF SOMEONE DISBELIEVES IT HARD ENOUGH? WHAT LEVELS ARE SO DISTURBED? IF POSSIBLE I WOULD LIKE A LITTLE MORE ELABORATION ON THAT SECTION."

Well, as it is said, Magic is a deeply personal art, and indeed it can be that fragile. Though that is more reserved to people who have taken the time to set up a circle and cleanse an area several hours before a ritual. But also it's in a way common sense. err... when seen from the right angle. Imagine if some kids, or even an uncaring adult wandered through the area and saw the unattended circle. Kids would immediately start playing and pretending, having no idea that they're erasing and scuffing the marks of a ritual, shifting things around, tromping on the dirt etc., and also leaving behind their energy on the things they come into contact with which ruins the purification. In the case of the (average) adult it would become a point of interest or, more likely concern, and they'd rub it out, out of uncaring/unaware principle.

Similar holds true for outsiders coming in on a circle during the ritual... put yourself into the situation if you can. ... walking through a park or forest, and coming up on a bunch of people sitting around some incense saying weird chants and calling out phrases while handling chimes, daggers, wands, rocks, and other stuff. ...Now imagine the same situation only where you are actually a small group of people, how would the reaction go?

The typical is "What the hell... those people are on crack! We'd better get rid of them or something!"

Or of course if this happens in a younger peer group there's cat calling, insults, threats, public embarrassment and all that fun stuff. Not only is it to protect the site from being damaged, but also it's a mark of wisdom because it helps protect the wizard/caster/whomever.

"WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO WITH YOUR MAGIC? HOW DO YOU USE IT, STEP BY STEP, AND WHAT EFFECTS HAVE YOU ACHIEVED?"

I think to start off I should tell you what sort of magic I practice. ...To be honest I'm not sure if I even consider it magic. It seems to be a mix of magic, psi, and that other... unnamable‘-ish’ that's out there. I just work with energy, using my intuition as a guide and will to shape what I desire to happen. Here's a step-by-step of what I mean, using a healing session as an example:

Very rarely (OK... never) is a healing 'session' ever planned with me. Instead it tends to be a spur of the moment, no warning thing. During a conversation someone would mention having a sore back, shoulder, whatever. Or that they feel sick or have stomach problems etc. etc., and I would offer to try and help. If someone says no then that's that. If they say yes then I begin by getting a little more information... I.E. where the pain is, what it feels like to them... basically I keep talking while I open myself to the person's energy, and see what I interpret from the feelings and compare with what the person is saying. Once I have an idea of where to start I simply sit close to the person, and hold my hands a couple inches over their body somewhere near or directly over the area in question. I take a moment, clear out any negative energy in myself, then form the desire to help the person heal. I visualize, and consciously feel the energy move through me from my crown chakra, through my body and then down my arms where it flows into the other person. My thoughts focus on drawing energy of the highest vibration I can reach (the most good/positive/godly/insert term here) and my thoughts center around healing, help, and sending positive. I don't concern myself with sending a specific color 'somewhere' or feeling the technicality of it all. I trust that the energy knows what needs to be where and I- in essence- get out of the way.

This might be a bit of a tangent, but here is my reason for this. The more you get out of the way and let the energy flow, the easier it will go, and the faster it will happen. Compare channeling energy to doing something like walking, or reaching out, grabbing a cup, and bringing it to your mouth to drink. You don't think about the process of it to get it done. You merely desire to go from point 'A' to point 'B', and your legs carry you there. ... or you feel thirsty and want the cup, so your arm reaches out and grabs it. If you were to take the time and move your arm, muscle by muscle, position it, close your fingers, tightening until the pressure is right, and so on just to take a drink it would take you a while longer. Try it some time. Put a drink in front of you and just reach out and grab it. Notice how easy and fast it was. Then put the drink back and try to control your arm and hand. Guide it step by step to the cup and back again consciously, in as fine detail as necessary to accomplish the task. Note the differences in the processes, and the differences in the result. By no means does this mean you shouldn't know the ideas behind the process though... just that you shouldn't try to force it to happen.

*Anyway* As I channel energy I let my intuition tell me where/how I should move my hands, and sometimes I've ended up working over someone's stomach when they were complaining about their Jaw. Technically you don't need to move your hands at all but it helps my focus for now. I channel until I feel the flow slowing or changing, or any other signal that it is time to stop. Then I just sit back, take a breath, and that's that.

As for effects that I have personally achieved, there are a few but most would consider them not really proof considering the... err… arena of the effect. Naturally by what I said above I have some practice in healing, and though I haven't achieved any dramatic effects I've been able to help people reduce pain, and I seem to have a natural intuition into knowing what someone's particular injury is. For example one summer my mother went water skiing and fell hard. She was really sore and I could tell the instant she climbed up onto the dock when she came back in. Right away I knew it was her shoulder by the way she was moving... which is normal enough. But the instant she was in ear shot and listening I told her she should go to a hospital and get it looked at, because I'd bet dollars to Doughnuts that was fractured. Naturally being the stubborn woman she is she convinced herself she just hurt the muscle and forced herself to carry on with the vacation. (She is a nurse too so she should know better, right?) About six months later she was in the doctors for a different reason and mentioned that she had hurt her shoulder and it never stopped bothering her. Sure enough after an x-ray it was shown that it had been fractured near the ball of the joint, and was having troubles healing because she was constantly using her shoulder. The bone had healed, just not perfectly.

Also, twice I have sent away a -for lack of a better term- dark being. The first time it was what could only be called a demon which was haunting my Brother, and had been since he was really little. (There's an interesting story for that one too but I'll save that for if someone actually wants to know. This is gonna be long enough already!) I was in his bedroom, between myself and it, and I acted like a physical and Spiritual barrier between them. I had never, ever experienced being so drained and feeling so weak during the event... but eventually it was sent away and isn't ever coming back. The second time I had just performed a distance-healing for a friend over IRC of all places. She had felt as if a piece of her aura had been ripped out, and told me that she was trying to get rid of what she called a leach. It had been driven from her already but that left a hole, literally, in her aura which I could easily feel. I channeled her a bunch of energy and she responded rather quickly. However the sudden lack of a home for the creature had it a bit miffed, and it caught wind of my energy I guess because it decided to pay me a visit a night later. Again I'll write down the entire encounter eventually so people can give it a read if they want to. But in a nutshell it refused my telling it to leave, and so I blasted it with as much positive energy as I could muster, and ..well... it left after that. Oh, and for those wondering no. Neither of these beings had a physical, tangible image/appearance. They were entities of spirit that existed past the physical. They had shape and form, just not 'real life' ones.

Also, of course I can shield myself, and I have relearned how to use and channel energy on the astral level to defend myself or others, heal up there (naturally), travel from place to place in a heartbeat, etc. So far my chief focus has been on healing and combat on an astral level. (The whole ‘spirit-warrior’ being my path thing.)

"...HOW DO YOU KNOW WHETHER OR NOT YOUR ACTIONS CAUSED IT/THEM?"

Well, in the cases of the attacking beings, because they left; and their effects on myself, and in the case of the first one my brother as well, ended. In the case of healing I can only truly tell by the feedback I get from the people. In other words they tell me if they feel better or not, and by how much. As to the astral level, I used to be able to tell simply by the way I felt in the morning and comparing it to what few fragmented images I had of what I did and/or encountered. Again he story will appear later, but an example would be when I had somehow been caught in a fight with ...basically... a humanoid-shaped black mist with glowing eyes and rather solid claws. The last thing I remembered of the fight was it catching my left arm. I literally felt the claws tear my arm open as they ran down from shoulder to elbow. When I woke up my left arm was completely and utterly numb, as if it had been cut completely off. It was so numb it hurt if that makes any sense, and I could barely will my hand to open and close, mitt-like, and without any sense of speed or timeliness. To further add to it I had not slept on the arm funny. Not trapped under a pillow or my head, not laying to pinch off a nerve or vessel, I woke up laying on my right side with my left arm relaxed and stretched out across the bed.

"WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COLORED ENERGY AND NON-COLORED ENERGY? WHAT PRODUCES THE COLOR? HOW DO YOU DETECT THE COLOR? CAN ANY ENERGY BE COLORED OR ONLY THE ENERGY OF CERTAIN THINGS?"

All energy has color to it. Just as it all has a sound, temperature, feel, and weight even. It all ties into the energy's vibration. High vibration energy feels warmer, it makes the air seem lighter, and the colors associated with it tend to be more white/brighter. Lower vibration energy is naturally the opposite. It makes the air feel heavier, cold, makes you feel shaky and weaker or tired, run down, etc. The colors associated with it tend to be dark, muted, dull and sometimes hazy. As to specific colors themselves, each one is an association with a quality or emotion... and isn't necessarily directly tied to the 'goodness' of the energy. Naturally reds and other 'hot' colors are more common in use of offensive/damaging energy though, while colder colors like green, purple, shades of brown, yellow, etc. are more common with spiritual growth, constructive energy, healing, peace, etc. Non-colored energy is... sort of the unrefined level. It isn't a specific emotion or quality. It is solely of higher or lower vibration... otherwise it has all the same capabilities though. A person can consciously shift the energy into a color, but I personally work with it as it is. It makes things less complicated and, like I said, it does what's needed automatically anyway.

The actual seeing/intuiting/feeling of the color is to me little more than an effect of translating what you feel and sense on the intangible level, into something your 'tangible thought' based mind can understand and associate. In essence it is another set of symbols. And energy is energy. Its color can be changed. It can be moved and shaped, molded and channeled, it is a neutral 'substance'. Pure energy that is uninfluenced, however, is completely without form, color or shape. It simply *is*.

Heh I suppose a few are wondering about my mentioning that energy also has a sound. It's true! *smiles* Each note matches with a certain vibration, and vice versa. That is why instruments are often used in shamanistic magic, as well as Druidic and sometimes even pagan, religious, and Wiccan magic too. Chimes, drums, horns, voice, string and reed instruments, they all are there to bring sound which again helps single out the types of energy desired. Unfortunately I have done relatively little study on the inns and outs of the relation, but you can find some info in books like 'Linda Goodman's StarSigns' or 'the 21 lessons of Merlin.' In the latter book there is a small section on songspell.

~Spiritrunner

This article is presented as part of an ongoing effort to present other views outside of, as well as within, the online vampire community. Those of us who consider ourselves vampiric don't always look at things from the same viewpoint due to our life experiences. As such, the views and opinions contained in this article are entirely those of the author(s), and may not necessarily be shared by SphynxCatVP. The webmaster is not under obligation to update or otherwise keep current the contents of this article. Most importantly, only you can decide for yourself whether this article or any of the author(s) other views are useful or applicable to you - you are responsible for using your own reasoning and judgement, so judge wisely.

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