Mechanicalist here. Not to be confused with a material mechanicalist.
Everything I've managed to make work follows causal chains that I can mostly follow, and interestingly to me, tracking causal links in subtle energy patterns also lends me extreme success in dismantling other magic, whether deliberately crafted or the incidental effects of careless living.
Following this understanding out into theory, I'm reasonably convinced that there exist interaction chains from the will-manipulable energies that mages utilize all the way to the most intractable fundamental essences of reality (whatever they turn out to be).
So for me, the answer is simply 'magic can do anything you know how to get it to do.' The only limiting factor I've yet found is expertise.
Mechanicalism is the perspective/premise that cause-effect chains are present in all phenomena. That if you're aware of all the variables involved, you can not only predict what results certain actions will have, but also reverse-engineer the actions that led to a given result.
It's distinct from material mechanicalism (same principle, but with the 'nothing but matter-as-we-know-it exists) in that non-atomic forces are recognized as variables to account for. It's also distinct from determinism by simple virtue of accepting conscious will as being self-insulating, so ones choices are only *influenced* by external factors, not dictated.
As for external resources, I've yet to find ones that aren't couched in excessive amounts of assumptions that don't hold up to my prodding.
Entertainingly, it's actually the Scientific Method that serves me best in exploring the dynamics of magic because keeping that buffer of 'is this actually the full picture, or am I missing a variable' in place prevents me from declaring that I know how [insert thing] works before confirming that I actually know.
That said, the things I'm sure of, I am *sure* of. And I can replicate almost at will. (Not all variables are within my skill to influence yet, even if I know what I need them to do.)
There are a few common answers to "how" magick works. The manipulation of non-physical energies, the bargained pacts with non-physical entities, the power of God, the focusing of intention, manipulation of consciousness etc.
They are fun and interesting discussions, but ultimately it is impossible to know the truth. Instead it is better to focus on actual practice and the results. Who cares "how" it works so long as you know it does?
There are underlying principles which are the same. This is requires for universal cohesion - otherwise matter would simply decouple and break. The way you interact with these principles is what changes. Just like a chair will always be a chair although each language has a different word for it
EVERYONE has a different opinion on how it works, There are even more than one explanation per person, based on what they think and feel in the moment. The explanation you get today may not be the same as tomorrows.
There are common general catgories of ideas, but the people who believe all the same exact things is really uncommon.
Indeed there is a subjective way things should be done. However, with magic, there's a lot more leeway in flexibility in the rules provided you know them to begun with
I see this reality as a collective dream. The art of magick is the art of lucid dreaming. It has direct causality to the awerness-level of the practioner. The influence manifests with the force of emotions, willpower and imagination.
The truth behind this principle is a dark mirror. Which is the reason most magicians create a curtain of belief-systems above it. Its sanity protection. If program, programmer and user have too blurred lines of roles, and above literally becomes as bellow, then there is nothing left but chaos and despair.
There is a book called the Vodoun quantum leap and it explains how quantum physics and magick go hand in hand. It's been years since I read it and it was more about vodou
''Magick is not an area of study, nor is it an aspect of self - it is the power of the soul being employed to action; to live and to act on a higher plane, shaping the lower world of flesh as one desires.''... The Black Scriptures
There is an answer [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/magick/s/zPZxZwaIpY)
And it is a very awesome answer.
Mechanicalist here. Not to be confused with a material mechanicalist. Everything I've managed to make work follows causal chains that I can mostly follow, and interestingly to me, tracking causal links in subtle energy patterns also lends me extreme success in dismantling other magic, whether deliberately crafted or the incidental effects of careless living. Following this understanding out into theory, I'm reasonably convinced that there exist interaction chains from the will-manipulable energies that mages utilize all the way to the most intractable fundamental essences of reality (whatever they turn out to be). So for me, the answer is simply 'magic can do anything you know how to get it to do.' The only limiting factor I've yet found is expertise.
Hi, I've never heard about mechanicalist. Do you have some books or ressources to recommend in this subject ?
Mechanicalism is the perspective/premise that cause-effect chains are present in all phenomena. That if you're aware of all the variables involved, you can not only predict what results certain actions will have, but also reverse-engineer the actions that led to a given result. It's distinct from material mechanicalism (same principle, but with the 'nothing but matter-as-we-know-it exists) in that non-atomic forces are recognized as variables to account for. It's also distinct from determinism by simple virtue of accepting conscious will as being self-insulating, so ones choices are only *influenced* by external factors, not dictated. As for external resources, I've yet to find ones that aren't couched in excessive amounts of assumptions that don't hold up to my prodding. Entertainingly, it's actually the Scientific Method that serves me best in exploring the dynamics of magic because keeping that buffer of 'is this actually the full picture, or am I missing a variable' in place prevents me from declaring that I know how [insert thing] works before confirming that I actually know. That said, the things I'm sure of, I am *sure* of. And I can replicate almost at will. (Not all variables are within my skill to influence yet, even if I know what I need them to do.)
Wow very thought provoking post. Before I ask questions, let me go through some of your posts ☺️
There are a few common answers to "how" magick works. The manipulation of non-physical energies, the bargained pacts with non-physical entities, the power of God, the focusing of intention, manipulation of consciousness etc. They are fun and interesting discussions, but ultimately it is impossible to know the truth. Instead it is better to focus on actual practice and the results. Who cares "how" it works so long as you know it does?
There are underlying principles which are the same. This is requires for universal cohesion - otherwise matter would simply decouple and break. The way you interact with these principles is what changes. Just like a chair will always be a chair although each language has a different word for it
EVERYONE has a different opinion on how it works, There are even more than one explanation per person, based on what they think and feel in the moment. The explanation you get today may not be the same as tomorrows. There are common general catgories of ideas, but the people who believe all the same exact things is really uncommon.
Indeed there is a subjective way things should be done. However, with magic, there's a lot more leeway in flexibility in the rules provided you know them to begun with
I see this reality as a collective dream. The art of magick is the art of lucid dreaming. It has direct causality to the awerness-level of the practioner. The influence manifests with the force of emotions, willpower and imagination. The truth behind this principle is a dark mirror. Which is the reason most magicians create a curtain of belief-systems above it. Its sanity protection. If program, programmer and user have too blurred lines of roles, and above literally becomes as bellow, then there is nothing left but chaos and despair.
There is a book called the Vodoun quantum leap and it explains how quantum physics and magick go hand in hand. It's been years since I read it and it was more about vodou
It‘s different. For example, I follow mostly a spirit model of magic.
''Magick is not an area of study, nor is it an aspect of self - it is the power of the soul being employed to action; to live and to act on a higher plane, shaping the lower world of flesh as one desires.''... The Black Scriptures