Magic

WARNING: Do not go any further until you have grasped the subject of human energies, have ADVANCED practice in meditation, understand bare-bones alchemical work, and are in the state of mind and body to understand what magic is.  This is a serious subject only for the highest disciplines on this planet.  You must have the highest mental and spiritual body in order to proceed with this subject.  If you don't, you are tapping into dangerous waters - and no, that is NOT in a 'cool-rebellious' way.  Negative consequences for the inexperienced are a likely result. This is a subject you work your way up to over a long period of time. The below is credit to Franz Bardon who gives a good explanation on magic:

Throughout the ages, magic and mysticism have been taught simultaneously and with equal emphasis in the secret schools for the priests, for these two basic philosophical outlooks have always been extremely important in Hermetic science and will continue to be so in the future. Magic was once an integral part of all those sciences that developed in the course of time on the material plane and of everything which concerned this plane. Therefore all technical knowledge, no matter which field of science, was passed on from master to student at the discretion of the priestly caste. All sciences, among them mathematics, chemistry, physics, and astronomy, were included in the field of magic.

On the other hand, everything insubstantial, such as religion, philosophy, the understanding of God, morality, virtues, abilities, and qualities of any kind fell within the scope of mysticism. Therefore, from the Hermetic point of view, magic cannot be separated from mysticism, because where there is no lawful, substantial material basis, neither can there be any abilities nor any virtues nor moral views.

With time and the development of humankind, the material sciences have isolated themselves in their own progress. By necessity they have become independent, since the higher inherent laws of energy, matter and substance – which could no loner be perceived with the coarse physical senses and for which a certain maturity was required for their comprehension – isolated themselves.

Consequently, two fields of knowledge developed. Firstly, the physical knowledge that one could acquire by intellectual training; and secondly, the metaphysical knowledge that dealt with the more subtle powers and substances, but which could not be comprehended by the mere intellect alone. This was the reason that metaphysical knowledge receded into the background and finally became the property of the true adepts alone. However, a Hermetic who is capable of penetrating the metaphysical laws must, according to those same laws, understand the logical connection between all existing branches of knowledge.

To avoid any confusion, I will not use the term “metaphysics” in my further explanations, but will instead stay with the term “magic”, as the Hermetics did in former times. From the Hermetic point of view, magic is nothing else but a higher metaphysics that deals with powers, matters, and substances of a more subtle nature, but which has an analogous association with the general sciences of today, no matter to which branch of knowledge they may belong. Therefore, whenever an initiate speaks about magic, he is referring to powers, subtle matters and substances, their laws, their working effects in the microcosm and macrocosm – which means any human being, in nature and in the entire universe, and in the three stages of aggregation of the physical, the astral, and the mental bodies.

True magic is, therefore, the high knowledge of the more subtle powers that have not yet been acknowledged by today’s science, because scientific methods of scrutiny do not suffice to understand and utilize these powers, even though the laws of magic are analogous to all the official sciences of our world.

Logical reflections and conclusions on the science of magic and its effectiveness not only make the true Hermetic recognize the subtle material powers; they also put him in a position to bring the laws of these powers into harmony with all the official sciences of our planet. With the help of the various keys, the spiritual scientist is even capable of bringing his knowledge to bear in all branches of science and to enlarge and extend them. The knowledge of true magic offers the inventive mind a great many possibilities for technical and material development. Of course, the maturity of a human being is of great importance in this case insofar as he is able to transfer the universal laws of the powers of the material world.

This clearly shows that magic is a pure metaphysics which may be analyzed in exactly the same way as any field of science dealing with matter, and which can be brought into harmony with natural science. This is to say that metaphysics is an extension of normal physical knowledge of the natural sciences.

There is no magic without mysticism, i.e. no substance without influences, effects and manifestations since these two fundamental basic concepts are dependent on each other. Magic may not be separated from mysticism, and both have to be dealt with at the same time and in a like manner. In his studies, the Hermetic must always proceed in a magical and mystical manner; that is, he must always bear in mind both quantity and quality, and he must be able to differentiate distinctly between quantity (for example, power in matter and substances) and quality (for example attributes, effects, influences, and the like). He must never confuse the two concepts if he does not wish to create chaos.