Interested in discussing differences in Otherkin magical-styles or traditions. I think this is a field of wide research and would love the oppurtunity to discuss this with others.
I am very interested in the 'Magic vs. Psychology' debate, and am a little disapointed that it wasn't discussed more fully. I am a 'practitioner', but I am of the opinion that magic would work with or without some 'ancient energy', all we need is the psychology...so why believe in the power at all? I would love anyone to email to talk about this subject and their opinions with me, as I am researching it at the moment.
Maybe in the middleage, many people, like magicans, believed truely at magic and so some few things worked. Now no one believes and then the magic becomes a mythos.
I do believe magic exists, but to see it you must open your eyes. I know a young adolescent, he is quite old for his age, his hair is greying and bones arthritis. Now you could say that is a disability but I know for sure he has enemies channeling negative energies to him. It does work , because I combat them for him everyday. There is a sayign with my people "Nenenin eski cigeri" which means, through my thoughts the neck grows long when translated literally, but It means to have a higher thinking. Keep your thoughts open.
So. I am Marios, and i am not old enough to say that i know everything. But. I am sure that i have Magic inside me, and i have been trying to practice (and successfully, sometimes) true Magic. In this time, 4 years (up to today) of somewhat intense study on Magic, i have come to some conclusions on Magic's Nature. I think i will share them with you. I will just comment on what you wrote, so as not to make any wrong assumptions on your general beliefs. You stated in the beginning of this fine article (and i truly find it really good, on par with other "famous" arcane and mystical texts, because it comes from experience) that Magic in this world is subtle. I disagree with this, at least partly. Magic, as i feel it, is both a path to Freedom (as in Mysticism), but also a path to Power. I know (and this is from experience, too) that Magic can, as everything else around us, have levels of Understanding. What you call Magic, the art of changing the future (am i wrong? When you mention your experience, what you truly did was to create some "coincidence" so that you can achieve what you projected during the "casting"). Yes, this is the most fundamental Understanding of Magic, what i call in my theories "1st level of Focus". Moreover, you mentioned rituals. Ritual Magic must not be wrongly assumed to be the true and "High" type of Magic, as Rituals are not really useful and can be very "stiffy" when you have in mind a deeper understanding and commanding over the world. I my theory, there are two types of "spell casting". Oh, and i should mention this. I do not make things up. My theories are based on try-and-error. Back to our subject, the two types can be titled as "instant" and "ritual". The ritual is an "instant" but with special symbols, clothing, incantations and whatever more one wants. But it is based on instant casting. As one gains a deeper understanding on her Magic (and i mention "her" because there are many "types" of Magic, as Magic comes from deep within one's self), so does her Magic becomes more "undoubtful". I, unfortunately, am still on the point of "1st focus", but i have understood the way of instant and "brutal" spells. I think, better, Know, that a Magician, even though i prefer the title "Magus", can alter the reality according to his own Will. This being said, i am not a Magus yet, but i am an apprentice. To what master? My only master are my mistakes, as i approach Magic and all the Occult and "Supernatural" with the most Scientific spirit. Also, the part about understanding one's self in your article. I found it exactly, almost by word, true. You see, even one that has not understood Magic (without the capital "u", meaning no deep Understanding through practice and "arcane" study), can clearly see that if one can control the reality (even in your subtle way), she has to understand what she wants before making it happen. These were my comments, and i am open to whatever discussion on this subject you are willing to start. But i may repeat, i can not (yet) fire a lightning of my fingers. Thank you for your article, it was and is very interesting to read and think about.