I tend to get this question a lot.

As Pirate101 Central's leading expert on the metaphysical and the supermundane,you will find that I am not surprised.We are scientific beings,in the sense that we require rational explanations for observations,and proof,evidence,as a consequence of experimantation that will prove the reality of what is hypothesized.

Mind you,the entirety of this conversation,is in a fantastical context.While references to real world philosophy,definitions,religions,mythologies,etc. will be made,I will emphasize that the purpose of this is purely within the imaginative world,mostly,but not always,of the Spiral.

And so,please keep this in mind,which is why I will not tolerate any rants and flame wars,because the purity of this comes from:
1.Applying fantastical or mythological axioms and concepts into the make-believe world we are in
2.The application of what is perceived in the games and justified by rationalized thinking
3.Fantastical and made-up concepts that come from the wider RPing community and ME

So,with that in mind,we may begin.

First of all,we will define certain concepts,magic,the supernatural,mysticism and the spiritual.

So,there are many definitions of magic.Here are a few:
''a power that allows people (such as witches and wizards) to do impossible things by saying special words or performing special actions'' Merriam Webster

'' The art that purports to control or forecast natural events, effects, or forces by invoking the supernatural and the practice of using charms, spells, or rituals to attempt to produce supernatural effects or to control events in nature.''
American Heritage dictionnary

"the art of effecting changes in consciousness at will."

"the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with Will."

These are just a few different ways of defining magic,which is where we will draw MY definition.But first,an etymological overview.

The world magic,comes from the Greek language.The Greeks had historical tensions with the Persians.The Persian religion,was Zortoastrianism,and it's priests were called ''magi'' which came from Aramaic which meant ''wise man''.Magic,then,was originally used to define Zoroastrian religious practices.Because the Greeks disdained the Persians,they began using the word ''magic'' as a pejorative for malevolent spiritual workings.And in the Middle Ages,it was taken out of Zoroastrian context and meant to refer to any non-Christian and heretic practice.

Which is where we can roughly translate the word to ''wisdom''.Not available to others.So,the Spiral definition of magic will be,in my view:

''An organized system of supernatural elements manipulated by physical effigies,with the intent of altering the environment of the Operator in accordance with his will or the will of another.''

For those who have not known,we will define how Creation works.You will find the full article HERE.The nucleus of the macrocosmic perception of reality is the Eternal Source,an ever-radiating sun-like construct boundless,limitless,and without will,radiating it's light.THis light,as it solidifies,traverses evanescent borders wherein it gains various traits,like color,sound,thought etc.

As it solidifies,it comes into our world,wherein it is harder to alter,solid,and in this world of flesh and substance,it is as real as we perceive it.Every item in creation,is constantly resolidified,by this falling light,gaining more and more pronounciation to it's characteristics.

The magician,as has been stated,enters a state of mind,wherein he connects to his own imprint on other planes,above his own.In this point,he manipulates the imprint of the subject being altered.This alteration,then proceeds to manifest physically.

This may appear ambiguous,so let us illustrate with an example.In this situation,a humble levitator wishes to lift a candle,with his magic.First,the magician,will trigger reactions within,and enter into the aforementioned trance,something that will become simpler and easier as he gains more knowledge and experience.When he does do so,the levitator will use his imagination,to structure that candle being lifted.In reality,he will connect to an imprint of his own self,on the Astral plane above him.And then,this energy would lift the candle on the Astral Plane.The candle being lifted,is a characteristic that will manifest on the physical plane,and the candle will be lifted,physically.

If one is in need of another example,let us imagine the magician wishes to open a lock,on a door.He will,once again,connect to a greater part of himself,that will manipulate the energy that leads to the lock,into making the lock unlock,and the lock will unlock physically once the effect bears fruit in the world.

This,is now how the most basic of magic works.And this basic magic,is what we call Spellcasting.There is infinite variation in this which will enable the operator of various kinds of magics to work various kinds of magic but the principle is the same:the Eternal Source.Personal Growth is both a consequence and an intent of most magic.

The sophistication of spiritual development is how we define High Magic,and Low Magic.High Magic,refers to any magical art that is ceremonial,sophisticated,developed into a compact system,wherein one must progress in systematically,is not allowed to cut ahead,and uses his own development and power,as a bonding agent to the powers above him.Low Magic,refers to magic that is not developed into a system,and thus rarely practiced,wherein the experiences of the magician are subjective and he may easily skip various stages of ascent,besides stern initiations that the spirits in question value.