Chapter 4: Section 1: Overview of Magic

Although this is not a class on magical theory, there is nevertheless a basic level of understanding you must attain to truly understand magic wands and how they work. What is magic? Whether you use the word's traditional spelling, as we do in the name of our school: The Isle of Skye School of Magick, or its current spelling; whether you call it witchcraft, the craft, wizardry, sorcery, or something else, you are talking about the same power. So what is this ancient and noble art?

To begin with, we are not talking about the illusions of mundane magicians, who entertain people with what appears to be magic when it is nothing more that trickery. It is also not a religion, although some of you may come from families that retain the old pagan faiths and rituals or that practice the new religion of Wicca. No, true magic is something far older and more fundamental to the universe and our place in it.

Every living being begins life with an innate level of magical power. This is not only true of people; it is also true of magical creatures, animals, and even plants. Each living creature's magical power must be nurtured and trained to properly develop and strengthen. Otherwise, the magic will wither like a plant placed in a dark room.

Because most children's magical abilities are not nurtured during their formative years, very few adults retain more than a hint of the magical powers they were born with. This is the primary reason why so few people can consciously cast a spell or even recognize when they accidentally and unknowingly use magic. It is not that these unfortunate mundanes have no magic. It is just that they have never had their magical abilities properly developed and trained, which is something that is nearly impossible in today's world of science and engineering

Some witches and wizards are of the opinion that there is something wrong with mundanes, some inherent weakness that prevents them from using magic. They believe that those of us who are born into magical families are somehow better than the non-magical mundanes around us. This is a delusion. The difference between us and the mundanes is really only a matter of luck. We were fortunate enough to be born into the magical community and were raised as mages. Our natural magical abilities were supported rather than suppressed. The mundanes were not as fortunate. Therefore, I urge you to resist the temptation to look down on them. Remember that had things been only slightly different, you too may have been born into the mundane world. And if that is not sufficient to convince you, then consider this. Some of the most powerful witches and wizards in history did not learn about magic until they were adults. The mundanes you tease today with simple spells may one day learn far more powerful spells and remember what you did to them when they were young and at your mercy.

Even if a witch or wizard's magical powers have been properly nourished and trained, it is quite rare for them to become sufficiently powerful to cast spells without the help of a magic wand, staff, or amulet. Without such a means to strengthen and focus their magic, most witches and wizards are unable to achieve noticeable results.

Luckily, you who are reading this book are not doomed to grow up to live the life of the poor mundanes, powerless to use the magic within you. Instead, whether you are formally studying magic at a school (such as my illustrious Isle of Skye School of Magick, where I have the honor to teach wand lore) or are informally taking magical classes from your parents as part of home schooling, you are now taking your first steps along a lifelong road of magical learning and discovery. Either way, it is with no small amount of pleasure and pride that I know that you are sitting there with my book in your eager young hands. Read on and soon your wand will bend its will to yours, and you will have formed a close and unbreakable bond that will last a lifetime.