The Secrets of Magic

Magic does not live within the mage, no - rather, he is the one who channels it. So his gift doesn't lie in the possession of magic - which is impossible - but in its mastery. He bends, he guides, he casts, he weaves - the stream, the flow, the substance, the fabric that is the arcane. The adept who is initiated into the this highest of arts must learn that the mind is his most important tool; the bow he sets upon the stringed instrument that is his potential. And to master it means to produce the most delightful music.

Indeed, it is the mind that gathers the ever-present arcane force, shapes and forms it, and then releases it into the sphere which is visible to us. In these moments of utmost focus, the mage does this: he pierces the veil of our sphere and catches what is denied to the rest of us, namely, a glimpse into the Other Side. This is where the magic comes from, where it originates! The mage himself is just its shaper, its channel, its weaver, its conductor.

Barthos of Laran