Ritual magic, like Hermeticism, Qabalah, Tarot, and Gnosticism, is one of the central repositories of esoteric spirituality in the West. Due to bigotry and religious persecution, the Western Mystery Tradition was nearly lost altogether. Magic, or magick, as it is sometimes rendered, is a spiritual discipline combining so many aspects of occult spirituality, it has been called the "Yoga of the West." Magical ritual can best be thought of as a form of meditation which overcomes the natural tendency of the mind to turn outward by employing sights, sounds, scents, and emotion. Thus robes, wands, cups, incense, drama, etc., are used to stimulate and focus the mind and will toward the object of the meditation (the ritual).
Every magical ritual has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning consists of consecration of the sacred space and an invocation of beings such as Gods or angels. The middle includes the statement of the intention of the working, and the direction of any forces invoked in the beginning. The end includes the thanking and dismissal of any beings present and deconsecration of the sacred space.
The participants in the ritual choose symbolism that is in harmony with the intention of the working. Often a mythological theme is employed since this resonates deeply in the psyche of the ritualists. All the magical implements and accessories such as robes, banners, wands, incense, etc., are carefully coordinated to fit consistently into the symbolism. In many cases correspondences from the Qabalistic Tree of Life are used to organize the symbolism in a coherent way.
