Since our first glimmerings of awareness, humanity has held a fascination with influencing its destiny through the occult, the sacred, and the arcane. Those who feel this desire to deal with the spiritual foundation of the universe have a wide range of paths to choose from. The question inevitably arises: “Which one do I choose? Which of these many possibilities strewn before me is the ‘right’ path?” It’s a valid question, but the answer is worthy of a Zen Master’s riddle.

Which path is right? All of them... and none.

Shamanism, Hermetic traditions, the Wiccan faith... the ‘magic’ of each one can influence our lives and experiences. If all the paths are effective, then all of them are ‘right’ in the context of getting results. But if you’re looking for the ONE path, the ‘true’ path, then nothing created by someone else will serve. The only path that is the ONE path... is yours.

The foundation of any mystic path or application can be refined down to two basic concepts: Individual Awareness and the Collective Consciousness. These two forces are the keys to all magical ‘power’ and influence... if the two are in alignment, miracles can occur.

The collective consciousness can be thought of as the total investment of all the energy in the form of thought, feeling, and desire of every individual who has ever lived. Human archetypes – the symbols that represent primal concepts of existence – result from the attraction of that vast energy into specific patterns. Every god, angel or totemic spirit ever worshipped represents an archetype of some kind. Each has power in terms of the collective, BUT...

Without an individual acknowledging that specific archetype as a bridge between him or her and the collective energy pool, the god becomes utterly powerless. The symbolism and ritual of magical practice is the interface between the individual’s desires and the Collective ALL that help bring them to pass. Just as a lens can focus the sun’s rays to burn a piece of paper, so can an individual’s archetypal choices focus the collective energy into their hopes and desires.

So ultimately, you choose the forms and functions of the magic you wish to use. If you decide to create your own symphony of mystic application, it will be helpful to consider the following points.

1) What do you believe?
What is the foundation of your understanding of life? Is there a God? Are you spirit or flesh (or both)?

Bear in mind that this doesn’t have to be the definitive expression of reality, merely your current perception of it. As you move through the cycles of growing awareness and connection to the collective spirit, you will observe remarkable changes in your perceptions. But there must be a starting point, a foundation for you to build upon.

2) What do you love?
The activation of an archetype – your personal interface with the Collective – is derived through thought, emotion, and feeling. So figuring out what inspires and effects you will give a clearer perception of those meaningful symbols.

Pick a concept, such as ‘power’ or ‘knowledge’ or ‘protection’ and then create a list of everything in the world that those concepts invoke – animals, minerals, music, colors, tools, whatever. Don’t edit or censor anything – limiting yourself will only limit the structure you are creating. Once you have a list of 20 or so associations, start crossing off the ones that aren’t strong symbols for you. Ultimately, you’ll reach a point where you just can’t bear to remove something from the list... it’s too perfect, too right. Voila... you just found one of the tools of your magic.

Do the same thing for every concept that you want your magic to encompass and soon you will have the palette from which you will create your masterwork.

3) Ask, Observe, and Confirm
Once you’ve discovered the symbols and archetypes that will be the foundation of your system, the next step is to assemble them into a workable cycle or process. Examining the structure of other existing systems can provide effective insights into the application of you personal magic, BUT you can create a workable system using your own perception and awareness.

How? You ask. Ask yourself, ask a friend, ask a book, ask the universe. Frame the question clearly in your heart and ask it sincerely. Listen closely to the answers. Your responses to them will determine their usefulness in the context of you magic. If it sounds silly or dangerous, don’t do it.... it’s that simple. If it sounds good, incorporate it.

Observation of the world around us is another invaluable reference. If you want to understand the nature of the flow of energy, observe the flow of a stream. If you want to understand the invocation of potential, watch a storm gather and pass. The Collective is expressed most clearly in the forces that are not burdened with human awareness. To create a system in harmony with the Collective, utilize its expression as a guide.

Then, once you’ve settled on a system that seems to work for you, look for confirmation. This is a subtle expression of Collective energy, but it works consistently. You’re considering a full moon ceremony and suddenly full moons are all around you... they come up in conversations and appear on billboards. That’s confirmation! By allowing the Collective to have it’s say in the development of your personal system, you are opening up a dialog and forging a strong alignment between yourself and the energy that pulses throughout the entire universe.

4) Balance
Balance, harmony, and grace have become gentle and passive words in our culture. They are neither passive nor gentle... they are the foundation of the most potent and shattering breakthroughs humanity has ever experienced.

Think of balance not as inertia but rather the perfect tension of a violin string that allows it to sing. As you develop your system of magic, bear in mind that the universe works towards and is driven by this balance. If you build a system that has too much fire, for example, you can bet you’ll be getting a lot of water from the Collective to balance it. By incorporating balance into your system, you’ll be affirming the harmony that the universe strives for... and encouraging that same harmony in yourself.

5) Allow for Change
You will grow and evolve through this process. It’s inevitable, so don’t be afraid of scrapping something that is no longer useful or applicable to you. When things stop working for you (and they will), don’t get discouraged... it’s a sign of growth and development! Congratulations! Welcome it and then find the source of the shift. Then make the needed adjustment, throw out the deadwood, and keep going!

Every system of magic has evolved as the practitioners evolved. Grant yourself that same luxury and let your system grow with you.

6) Don’t Do it... BE it
There’s a subtle difference between doing and being. It’s the difference between working and creating, between eating and savoring. By creating your system and employing it actively and regularly, you have completed only the first part of the cycle. To complete the cycle of your creation, you literally become the system, not just go through the motions. Your thoughts, your actions, your perceptions... everything about you becomes an expression of the highest ideal of your magic. You literally are your magic made manifest in this world.

That’s a difficult transition to make for most people. In those first steps along the any path, there is always the feeling of wearing a mask, of ‘playing’ at the thing you’re doing. It’s like starting a new job. Until you’ve been there a while, the tasks seem artificial and awkward. Ultimately, they become second nature and soon you become integrated into the cycle of the work. And that’s when you really get things done.

The same applies to magic.

Ultimately, any truly effective magic derives its power from the choice and commitment of the mage. The power of free will is the ultimate magic and through it, the universe can work wonders beyond comprehension. Through the application of intent fueled by your will and your desire and commitment – whatever system or process you employ – you become a mage in the truest sense of the word.