By Cat Gina Cole
In the study of psychism, we often take mundane things and use them as tools in our psychic practices. The five faculties of the mind are the fundamental functions of psychism. We use them a thousand times a day without a second thought. But when we draw them out and hone them, they become powerful tools that lead to mastery of our psychic skills and spiritual self. As I work through the definitions of each, you will begin to see how they play a role in our spiritual, magical, and psychic work.
The five skills I speak of are reason, will, intellect, perception, and discrimination. Let’s explore what they really mean and how they apply to psychic skills, magic, and spirituality.
Reason
The definition of reason is: a cause, explanation, or justification for an action or event; to think for oneself; the mental powers concerned with forming conclusions and sound powers of the mind.
To be clear and logical, reason is the explanation of a situation or circumstance that makes certain results seem possible or appropriate. It is the cause or motive behind a belief or action and is regarded as a source of knowledge contrasted with experience. It is the grounds for belief, the premise of an argument, and the integration of material provided by the senses. Reason is based on awareness—a faculty we experience by choice.
We use reason whenever perception or information stimulates the mind. We think about it and ask ourselves what is reasonable. It is the process of thought. In a definition of magic: “Magic is what we think, say, and do with intent set to bring about the desired effect.” Reason applies directly. We must first assess or “reason out” what intent we wish to send. It is our cause or motive for intent.
In magic, we rely on correspondences that have worked for us—knowledge contrasted with experience—giving us reason to use them again. In ritual, reason becomes our grounds for belief; it is why we trust the process. When we do a spell, reason gathers the components and makes it reasonable to expect our desired results. The same is true for magical manifestation.
Reason shapes the explanation that makes certain results seem possible and appropriate to our worldview. We apply reason to experiences and construct complete thought forms, which then become our beliefs and evolve into intellect as a source of knowledge. It has been said, “Without reason there is nothing.”
Reasoning relies on our past, our desires for the future, and our social conditioning. When we use reason, we draw from all these factors, and they become a “reason”—sometimes even a belief.
In spirituality, reason is the cause or motive for belief and provides a premise to support that belief. Reason gives explanation and justification, making certain results seem possible. Yet one must use reason with awareness in spiritual practice. Because spirituality often reaches beyond reason, reason can also talk us out of our own beliefs. The ego, supported by social conditioning, can use reason to weave doubt into our minds.
Doubt appears in many forms. We dismiss what we thought we saw out of the corner of our eye with statements like, “They’ll think I’m nuts,” or “That was just coincidence.” There is no such thing as coincidence—it is a concept created to make it easier to dismiss what our subconscious knows to be true, often to avoid making others uncomfortable. This dismissal is a form of social conditioning.
There comes a time in spirituality when we must leave reason behind. It is up to us to use reason with discretion within the context of our spiritual lives.
In psychic skills, reason is the conception of the totality of conditions. It identifies and integrates the material received psychically and is based on awareness of the senses. We become aware of what our mind and body tell us; reason then triggers our intuition and other psychic faculties through perceived stimuli—vibrations, energy, imagery. When we receive psychic or intuitive stimuli, reason merges the information with our other faculties and pieces it together.
Will
Will is defined as: the faculty by which a person decides on and initiates action; conscious and deliberate action; the power of choosing one’s own actions; a determination or preference resulting from choice.
In this definition, we see an essential act of magic: the attempt to affect an outcome through will—using thought, conscious decision, and intention. We use will to send intentions, strengthen them, and manifest. Will is the power of the mind, the force that fuels determination and keeps us focused on our goals.
In meditation, we exercise our will—the will to focus, to connect, to quiet the mind. After receiving intuitive or psychic information, we use will to choose how we respond.
In psychic skills, will assists us much as it does in magic. We use will to focus and open ourselves, to clear mental clutter, and to choose what information we send or receive. In spirituality, we use will to hold to the beliefs that sustain our faith and moral code. Everything is done by will. The freedom to choose is an expression of free will itself.
Intellect
Intellect is defined as: the faculty of reasoning and understanding; the mental powers of a person; the capacity for rational thought or discrimination; the faculty by which one knows or understands, distinguished from what one feels or wills.
These definitions overlap strongly with magic and psychic skills: understanding, mental power, perception, and knowing. Intellect represents the sum of our knowledge based on input and experience. In spirituality, it is the faculty of the soul by which it knows. Here, it refers to the deep, often hidden knowledge within us that requires heightened awareness to access. In magical, spiritual, and psychic life, this is the intellect we strive toward.
Perception
Perception may be the most important of the five faculties, because nothing occurs in our thought processes without it. Perception is defined as: the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses; the process of becoming aware; sensory experiences and recognition of stimuli; cognitive processing of information.
Perception is limitless and is the only faculty we can consciously change and develop. It includes senses, feelings, ideas, thoughts, theories, and concepts. It allows us to recognize differences and understand them.
Perception is what our mind receives before anything else. It rubs against our knowledge, experiences, and spirit, passing through intuition. Perception influences magic, psychic development, and spirituality. Our perception of magic is the cornerstone of magical work. Our perception of psychic experiences shapes our psychic skills. Our perception of right and wrong forms the basis of our spirituality.
Without perception, there would be no knowledge, intellect, or reason—nothing to apply them to. Perception gives us the raw material for the mind.
One can have perception without knowledge, intellect, or reason, but not the other way around. Perception is the beginning of the process; the other faculties follow.
Perception is mutable. It can be changed through intellect, reason, will, and discrimination. Changing our perceptions can alter our beliefs, behavior, self-image, and relationships. Many people enter therapy due to how they perceive things. While psychology often focuses on revisiting past experiences to change those perceptions, I believe that sometimes simply changing our perception is enough. Reliving every event is not always necessary for healing.
Discrimination
Discrimination is defined as: recognition and understanding of differences; the ability to perceive similarities; choosing the content of stimuli and what to do with it based on values; making different responses to different stimuli.
Discrimination allows us to describe sensory activities—essential in magic, psychic work, and spirituality. It is where the subconscious mind translates stimuli into forms the conscious mind can understand. This is how we make sense of our perceptions.
Related words include discernment and discretion, which Webster’s Thesaurus lists alongside discrimination. Discernment involves perceiving with intellect and distinguishing one thing from another. Discretion involves prudence and applying values—essential aspects of discrimination.
For magical, psychic, and spiritual practitioners, discrimination extends beyond recognition. We must use prudence and values when interpreting stimuli. Not everyone is ready to hear about magical, psychic, or spiritual experiences. Others may be open—yet only at certain levels. We must discern through perception and intellect how best to communicate information in a way that serves others and causes no harm.
Though the word “discrimination” often carries negative connotations due to social conditioning, its true meaning is beautiful: recognition, perception of similarities, values-based choices, and adaptive responses.
Working With the Five Faculties
Each practitioner works with the five faculties differently. What worked for me was focusing on one faculty at a time and tracking how often I used it in a week. At the end of the week, I would perform a meditation, divination, or magical act using that faculty and journal the experience.
I found the faculties form steps toward intuition:
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Perception of stimuli
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Intellect processes it
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Reason evaluates it
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Discrimination clarifies it
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Will determines action
The point is to be creative and have fun with the process. The reward is learning to use these faculties intentionally at any moment—something that can create profound positive change.
Many blessings to all.
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Cat Gina Cole is a Hereditary Witch and author of Psychic Skills for Magic and Witchcraft (Llewellyn, 2022). She is the founder of The Coven of the Rising Phoenix, Haven Coven, and Haven Sanctuary You can reach her at www.catginacole.com.