Image Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kylehailey
Before starting I want to clarify that I will be referring to occult magic in this post, not to performance magic like the one done by Penn and Teller in Las Vegas.
Now, different people have made different descriptions and theories about magic, the most common definition of magic is: "the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces" and we know that the root of the word comes from the Greek magikē tekhnē ("art of a magus").
A more traditional definition of magic is the one from King Solomon, in his Lesser Key of the Goetia, says:
"Magic is the Highest, most Absolute, and most Divine Knowledge of Natural Philosophy, advanced in its works and wonderful operations by a right understanding of the inward and occult virtue of things; so that true Agents being applied to proper Patients, strange and admirable effects will thereby be produced. Whence magicians are profound and diligent searchers into Nature; they, because of their skill, know how to anticipate an effect, the which to the vulgar shall seem to be a miracle."
In 1913, Aleister Crowley gave us some famous statements regarding the nature of Occult Magic; on his book called "Magick: Book 4", he defines magick as "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will", he also said that every intentional act is an act of magick (by the way he named occult magic "Magick" to distinguish it from performance magic).
Other authors like Harry E. Wedeck on his book "A Treasure of Witchcraft" described magic as "the imposition of human will over natural phenomena". On the other hand Gerina Dunwich states that magic is the ritual use of the 3 powers (will, purpose and visualization) to bring certain positive or negative transformations and manifestations. Spells and rituals are tools to channel the power of this magic in the desired direction.
Gerina Dunwich also mentions and I agree, that spells are not the work of the Devil, nor are they under the domain of just a few gifted people with supernatural powers, almost anybody can learn how to use them. Also you don't have to belong to a certain religion or cult, you don't have a worship any God or Goddess, you can even have a agnostic or atheist point of view, it doesn't matter.
For me it's important to have an opened mind for magic to work, a true desire to help others and yourself, to get positive results from it and we must take ownership for your own actions and the consequences. So once you understand what magic is and how it works, you will be able to take advantage of your inner powers and lead them in the right direction.
@TheMidnight will have more articles about magic and how to use it and other interesting and fun articles about esoterism 😇.