everything i know about physical magic as an irl puella magi + chuunibyo
(note ; this is not roleplay, fictionkin, or delusion, though roleplayers, fictionkin, and delusional people are allowed to interact. this is irl magical heroing, astral projection, a spiritual practice, and is under the pop culture paganism / magick umbrella. please do not call me delusional, as this can cause me to doubt my experiences and reality, which can send me into psychosis.)
(note no. 2 : PLEASE make sure you are using proper discernment when dealing with magic within the physical. i wont be talking about how to discer in this post because i do will be assuming that you are NOT a complete beginner. this post is not for absolute beginners within the magical world. if you dont know how to properly discern, ESPECIALLY if you are someone who is at risk of experiencing hallucinations, delusions, or other non-magical distortions of reality, then please make sure you can properly discern.)
what's physical magic ? whats the difference between physical and astral magic ?
magic is generally split into two main categories, physical and astral. astral is the most common, due to it being easier, more accessible, and easily hidden.
astral magic is, as it sounds, magic practiced within the astral realm through either astral projection or bilocation. While astral magic can affect the physical, itβs not practiced in the physical, which is why even astral magic that affects the physical is still considered astral magic.
physical magic, on the other hand, is magic practiced in the physical. This most commonly is seen as energy work that doesnβt use the astral to be done, sympathetic magic (so poppets), spell jars and other magical charms / objects, etc etc. rarely do you ever see physical magic thatβs like a chuunibyoβs magic, as in transformations, weapons, battling, etc. for the purposes of this post, βphysical magicβ will refer to βchuunibyo magicβ (as in transformations, weapons, battling, etc) and βwitchcraftβ or βspell-workβ will refer to spell jars, sympathetic magic, charms, etc.
good posts on this topic that delve further (list subject to change / new posts may be added in the future):
Exploring the Distinction Between Physical and Astral Magical Girls by majokkid
so, wait, how is physical magic even possible ?
there are multiple ways to achieve physical magic, all having their own pros, cons, easiness, troubles, etc. Iβll be briefly going over which way, as well as giving good starting points for further research
Working in the Physical World
reality shifting is the act of changing your awareness from one reality to another. this is based off the theory of infinite realities, all of which we exist in, and reality shifting is just becoming aware of one of those realities. so, you can reality shift to a reality where you have physical magic / your magic can break through the veil.
posts about shifting that i like:
how to shift whenever (from an experienced shifter)
for those who don't understand what is meant by "just assume you're in your dr"
The Overlap of Reality Shifters and Real Magical Girls
there are many forms of manifestation, and I canβt go through all of them in just one post, but there are mainly two forms, attraction and assumption. attraction is where you βattractβ your desire, which in this case would be using physical magic through affirming, meditating, using subliminals, having a specific mindset, etc. assumption is where you assume that you already have your desire, and live as if you already do. both work, and itβs all up to personal preference as to which one you choose !
posts about manifestation that i like:
what to do if your manifesting isn't working
Your feelings don't manifest, your thoughts do
masterlist: manifestation methods
persisting is not hard. you just think it isn't realistic enough.
βchannelingβ can refer to many different things, but in this case it refers to channeling the magic you have in the astral into the physical world. this wayβs the hardest to explain in my opinion, mainly because a lot of it is just, like, feeling it out. this involves being in the physical and astral at the same time, but just because it involves the astral doesnβt mean it doesnβt have real world affects. this is the method i use, and when I use it I can walk unassisted and without my mobility aids, but as soon as I de-transform, I collapse. This method does require good clairsenses to be visible, so most normal people wonβt be able to see it unless your channeling such a large amount of energy that it breaks through the veil, which, at this moment, I donβt think someone with that level of energy exists within this world at the moment.
posts that helped me learn how to channel my magic into the physical world
Adjusting the Layers of Reality and Fine-tuning your Psychic Censor
making a contract with a magical entity (most likely an entity from a magical concept) can allow you to obtain physical magic. this is exceedingly rare, as it requires you to have a large amount of energy and be in a situation for it, like a near death experience for example. for example, there was a puella magi I heard of once who became a physical magi by contracting with kyubey. they had immense energy, karmic fate, AND were in a near death experience, the contract saving their life. so, obviously, this is rare and requires very specific circumstances.
contacting an incubator (<- for puella magi's)
familiars and magical guides
On forming magical contracts
contracts and wishes (plus unbearable pain)
what can physical magic look like ?
well, it depends on the method, if you're reality shifting, have come a VERY long way in your manifestations, or depending on the specifics of your contract, it can look like typical anime-style magic, with flashy transformations and such.
but, if you're channeling, have only come so far in your manifestations, or depending on the specifics of your contract, it may be not visible or only visible by a small amount. to "normal" people, it may look like vivdly imagining (as discussed in rania's post about magical combat irl) due to it only being perceptible to those with good clairsenses or those in the astral.
there may also be a mix of both of these. for example, when i physically transform by using channeling, i am able to walk unassisted (as in, without using a mobility aid). this is a clearly visible effect of my magic. im also a p-shifter / werewolf, and my transformations are somewhat physically visibly to the human eye. these are both forms of clearly visible physical magic that doesn't need clairsenses in order to perceive.
you can also use magic to make magic more visible ! by using veil lowering spells that effect a specific area, or entering an area that is inherently magical like a labyrinth, a place where the veil is naturally weaker, a magical beings home / domain, etc. etc. these are all ways to allow the non-magical to see magic without them having to develop their clairsenses.
both astral and physical magic are equally as important and vauable, and not everyone will be able to do physical magic (whether you dont have enough time, enough energy to break through the veil if you're doing it in this reality, etc.) magic is a deeply personal path, so its all up to you how you practice it !
also, its important to keep in mind that, if you aren't good at seeing and sensing magic outside the astral realm, that physical magic will be much harder.
this was very well put by a frined of mine in the magic outpost, which i'll share here:
i hope this post helped some magic users, and if i missed anything or should add anything let me know or add onto the post in a reblog
thank you for reading, and may you all have magical days ahead !! ^_^