Energy (explored)

Energy is the capability to do work, but in magick, it powers intent. Every single thing we do and feel are energies interacting with each other, like quantum fields do in reality. Similarly, theosophical planes can interact with each other. Changes to one plane of existence can affect the other: some strongly and others not so much. How well they affect one another depends on some factors, which have been attempted to be elaborated upon by multiple establishments. Two important concepts you need to know about before proceeding:

Vibration or frequency is a common word used in (esoteric or theosophical) energy work to distinguish between higher planes and the lower ones. A lower vibrational energy would be negative, while positive would be a higher vibrational energy. Negative corresponding with malice, depression, sadness, guilt etc. Positive corresponding with the opposite: compassion, happiness, confidence, etc. These also correspond to their respective realms, such as hell and heaven. There is another use for the word in eastern practices, referring to the vibration of the chakra's lotus petals, changing the overall vibration of the chakra. This has nothing to do with the actual energy inside the body, but the way chakras interact with each other, which are in essence just constructs created to improve aspects of our being.

The Chakras and Nadis yogic concept is a core component that led to the existence of many modern esoteric practices, with modern "superstitious" energy work being at the top of the list. The mistranslations and westernization of chakra systems has misconstrued the original meanings of the ancient texts, making it hard to distinguish between fluff and proper coverage of the topic on the internet. Forget anything you learnt about chakras and research it from a scholarly source. I find the ones comparing ancient texts the most trustworthy. Just know that chakras are more practice-based than unarguable truth. Now we can proceed to energy types.

Energy Types

For the sake of being thorough, I will add as many proper sources of these topics as possible. Read them through as you see fit. You can find them on the main "psionics & magick" page. 

Thought energy forms the basis of magical practices, where the sympathetic- and gnosis methods reign supreme. In a psionic sense, the arbitrary methods create masses of astral energy that carry out the intent imbued into them. These are pretty complex, with some aspects of psychism subtly incorporated into this magical system. These can subsequently be used to tickle the psionic senses and enhance them greatly. Within each practice, a construct made with thought energy as its base is broadly called a thoughtform. In traditional witchcraft it would more likely be called a spell, a sigil in chaos magic, and in psionics it's called an energy construct.

Emotions drive your mental state. Certain emotions are represented by the lotus petals of chakras. When a chakra is fully bloomed, large quantities of life-force is able to flow freely. I go more in-depth on this in the next paragraph. Emotions generate physical feelings in the body which can sometimes be indulged in or elevated deliberately to increase the strength of spellwork. Emotions can be manipulated with the use of psionics using thoughtforms to absorb emotion, which could later be repurposed as a fuel source for other constructs.

The most widely prevalent energy across all eastern philosophies is life-force. Within yogic and tantric practices, breath, poses and visualization is used to make subtle changes to the focal points within the energy body. These changes are generally small improvements to the specific chakra, which are viewed as energy baskets; a place where multiple Nadis (energy pathways) converge. These changes, when properly integrated in the energy body, leads to higher life-force output. Looking at this from a more modern-sensical standpoint, life-force is the feeling gained from optimal body and mind function. The psychophysiological changes that occur during these practices are mostly driven towards improving daily life, which in itself is a major benefit to magical practice, if not the most important aspect of states to magic.