Gaining Magical Power

Magic is the art and act of using one's Will to affect, change and shape the world
around you. Your Will is used to direct your Personal Power. That power then acts
in concert with Energy of the Universe (Sympathies) and your goal is then achieved.
To effect magical change in the world you must have a strong, disciplined Will and
a store of Personal Power. Without those things no amount of information is enough
to cast a decent spell or working.

Power is not gained by knowledge alone but ultimately by performing hands on. What
good is studying if you never accomplish anything real? You can read and listen
for the rest of your life and never learn as much as you will by putting your Will
into practice.

Repetition is important do things over again, over time. Repeat exercises,
meditations and spells to increase their power and effectiveness. The repetition
builds Personal Power much the same way a body builder builds Physical Power,
through variety and repetition. The numbers 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 13 are often used as
they themselves contain power.

By continuously working with the Elements through spells and Elemental exercises
you will amass power as well as ease and fluidity when drawing Elemental Power.

Strengthening your Will and developing focus Self-discipline strengthens the Will.
Keeping ones word as ones bond is the most basic way you can build an iron Will.
Never make promises you do not know you can keep. Discipline comes in many forms,
if you are athletic then dance, yoga or karate and sports will lend you discipline
as well as strengthening your body. If you are more intellectual then setting goals
of reading or writing and surpassing them will serve to build both Will and a vast
store of knowledge from which you can draw and share.

There are some physical adjustments you can make in your life to gain power. Most
of these methods are used to gain a boost for a certain event or working and are
temporary. Practicing them over time will lend you a natural ease.

Periods of solitude strengthen the Will as well as allowing you to hear the still,
small voice of your Higher Self. Solitude reminds us who we are apart from the people
and things around us, knowing this helps you to focus on that which is your True Will
and not our pettier wants and desires. Solitude is essential in purifying the mind.

Fasting is a practice of either complete abstinence from food or a drastic reduction
in daily caloric intake (around 1,000 calories). Fasting is great for cleansing,
prophecy, spirituality and is a form of sacrifice. This practice builds Will and focus.

Sacrifice is the act of making something sacred and usually involves giving something
of worth in return for a gain. Folks have always given beautiful objects to the Gods
by breaking, burying, burning or casting them into rivers, lakes and the sea. Sacrifice
can be illustrated most simply by the act of sacrificing your time to the practice and
study of magic.

Feasting gathers power of another kind. Through the act of gathering with others and
enjoying good food and drink in abundance you gain joy, power and energy. In a room
where a feast is taking place the energy is extremely palpable. Just think of the way
it feels to attend a Birthday Celebration or a happy family Christmas. Make the best
food you have sacred and then take it into yourself as well as giving to your friends
and family.

Working with others, when you gather together with even one other individual and work
magic toward a shared goal the power and focus you raise is more than it would be had
the both of you worked alone. Imagine what a small, tightknit group accomplishes when
it bands together, as is done in The OCS.