What are the limitations of magick and esoteric practice in terms of tangible and credible resukts

[Dragonborn]

This question has been bothering me for awhile as a result of multiple failed rites. The last straw was when more than three months ago my bag was stolen and in it was my book of shadows. I have tried every ritual i could to acquire just this book back to no avail. I tried to console myself and say maybe it was something my spirit needed to let go off and i tried new rituals from seeking contact with spirits and exercises to improve my spiritual connectivity like hallowing new runes with my blood but nothing changes there’s no reaction and once more i feel more isolated than ever. I try to read magic journal to see where i went wrong and maybe find memories that remind me that it really does work but it is filled with attempt after attempt with no result. And after taking a break from the magical practice i realize that all the things i normally would cast a spell for or seek help from a spirit are the same without all the practice. For now i can only reach to the conclusion that the psychological system of magic might be the only system that delivers what it promises working well within the boundaries it has set which is its influence on the mind. And now i ask still hoping for more, can magic actually cause a change other than mental or psychological to occur? Even if there were to exist a plane beyond the physical why should it matter to a physical being who has no means of accessing it? I am happy to receive any advice or opinion that is contrary to mine out of hope that I am wrong.

 

[aeonvirelith5060]

Dear Dragonborn,

Generally I see only two types of magical working. That first one is probalistic working. It is not tangible at all. It increases the probability of the event you intent occurs naturally. Another one is deterministic and tangible, but it is very difficult to practice and let alone find teachers who are excellent in this. I am under the assumption that you are doing probabalistic form. Well, since it is probalistic, it merely increases probability of the outcome that might naturally happens.

 

[Ziran]

I have tried every ritual i could to acquire just this book back to no avail.

It's too specific. In my community it's taught: "Don't test God..." in reference to a story in the bible, but, in modern terms, magic operates at the quantum scale. Being specific triggers the "observer effect". The outcome defaults back to mundane material cause and effect mixed with bits of random chaos.

Executing a ritual is like seeding the clouds. It's operating within a highly general abstract realm.