MagickMagick is manipulating reality with our consciousness alone, as opposed to physical manipulation. For example, telepathy is magick where communication with vocal, audible words is not. Telekinesis is magick where pushing an object with your hands is not. Elemental wind magick is magick where creating a small current by blowing into the air is not.
But how does it work? Many people try, few succeed, and most don't even believe in magick anymore. Some people try to use runes, sigils, talismans, amulets, crystals, and other tools. Some people try to use their desires and hopes. Some try to contact gods, angels, and daemons to get help. But what it really all comes down to is consciousness. Why are runes, sigils, talismans, and amulets powerful? Because they are imbued with power by a person's will. They focus a person's will. But they are not the source of the magick. Crystals are kind of different, but there's a reason they are used for things like meditation and charms rather than more powerful magick.
This leads us to the people who attempt to change reality by focusing on their desires, hoping for things, imagining they already have what they want, and using the 'law of attraction'. This is certainly a step in the right direction, and it does work to some extent, but why is it so limited? Why does it only work sometimes? Because people are still going about it wrong. Do not focus on your desires or hopes. Do not think that envisioning what you want and pretending you already have it is going to magickally make it happen. Those, and the 'law of attraction', are the first step. And they can accomplish small things. But what it really comes down to is will, and will alone. Imagine that you are God and you are about to create the Universe. Do you pray to another god to make it happen? Do you hope for it to happen? Do you desire for it to happen? Do you imagine it has already happened? Do you try to attract it to you? No, not quite any of those. Rather, you WILL it to happen. And with a strong enough will, you can will pretty much anything to happen. That is how the gods do it, that is why they are so powerful. That is what works. So stop focusing on desires, hopes, imagining what you want, and instead WILL it to happen. But be very careful, as this is very effective and could make things happen quicker than you expected or intended, and/or to a further extent than you expected or intended. Use your will to shape your reality, and use your newfound power well. You are used to having to make a physical effort to affect physical reality and to your thoughts having no physical consequences. As you become powerful in magick, realize that your thoughts are now as powerful as your actions so you can't just think things impulsively anymore. You have to think about how your thoughts will affect others, how they will affect you long term, what irreversible things they might do, and what unexpected outcomes they might have, just as you have always had to consider these things before carrying out physical actions.
Many people are unsure of how to start. They think this means they can shoot lighting from their fingertips or throw rocks just by willing it. These things might be possible for someone who is powerful enough, but for a beginner, it is best to focus on guiding events in your favor rather than trying to manipulate physical reality in a more direct way. Pick a situation that affects you and will it to go in your favor. Pick an outcome that you already view as possible and will the Universe to take that path. This will be much easier than other things because you are making something happen that is already possible in your perception and could happen without your influence. When you get good at this and can usually make events go the way you want, then you can move on to things that are more difficult and might seem to be impossible without your influence.
Amulets, talismans, staves, and wands can be useful as a means of focusing/chanelling your power, but ultimately, they are powerful because of YOU. Because of your WILL. Runes can be used as well, and they are good because they are recognized by many people so collective will makes them powerful. Sigils can be used but in my view (I may be wrong) they aren't as powerful or as effective as the other methods I have described. But it can't hurt to use them. If you create your own, that is. Be careful using sigils created by other people. The most powerful sorcerers may have no need for any object, and in truth, no one does, but amulets, talismans, and other tools can still be useful.
As for crystals, you can use them sort of like luck charms, and yes, they can offer some protection, they can make you dream, they can help you unlock your abilities. But don't think that they are the key, they are just one thing that can be useful in some situations.
Many people also choose to include rituals in their magick. Rituals work the same way as amulets, talismans, staves, runes, and other objects and symbols. They work because those partaking in the rituals believe they will work, will them to work, and focus their conscious energy, intent, and will into the rituals. They are a means of focusing will. This can be helpful, however, it is important to consider what other implications a ritual could have. If you use crystals, salt, chanting, and meditating, no harm will come from that. However, some practitioners of black magick choose to also involve ritual sacrifice. This is a very harmful thing to incorporate into your magick, for others and for yourself. If you take innocent life for the furtherence of your magick, your magick will be based in meaningless killing and meaningless suffering and will do you far more harm than good. That doesn't mean that there is never a place for black magick, nor does it mean that you cannot use magick to harm your enemies. It simply means that if you desire to harm your enemy, harming other life will not bring you closer to your goal of harming your enemy; instead, it will harm you, because it is you that carried out the destruction of life, not your enemy.
http://theshadowoftruth.zzl.org/magick.html 