Magick involves the manipulation of energy to cause effect. Each of us is said to have an energy body that may be used to produce said effect by expanding our energy outwards, drawing energy into ourselves, and sending it various places. According to Theosophist belief, this energy body purportedly has different levels of vibrational frequency on different planes, with etheric being lowest in frequency, then astral , then mental , and the highest being the spiritual . Some correspond to HP Blavatsky's seven principles (Septenary) of human life, and others were changed or added later. Moving upwards trough the vibrational levels, our individual characteristics become less relavent and we become more "one with everything."
The etheric plane is said in contact with the physical, connecting it to the higher planes. Similar to Aristotle's theory of soul hylommorphism, the etheric body is said to have the semblance and form of the physical seen in people's aura. Astral means "of the stars" and on this plane astrological phenomenon are said to affect us energetically. Some argue that the astral body is the double that directly interfaces with the physical with no etheric in between.
During Hypnagogic consciousness (a trance state between sleep and wake), we can stimulate release of the subtle body through a process similar to lucid dreaming. There is some dispute as to whether this is the astral or etheric body being projected, but the consensus is that it is etheric if it has more definite form.
In occult belief, the mental body consists of our thoughts and emotions. The mental plane is where thoughtforms are created, because thoughts are believed to have an existance apart from patterns of neurons firing in our brain. On the spiritual plane is Atma, the Higher Self, our connection with a Divine source. Aleister Crowley called this our Holy Guardian Angel and advocates connecting with it via athe Abramelin operation or Bornless Ritual. indespensible occult knowledge and allows us to divine our True Will. (The True Will being our greater purpose in life that operates in perfect harmony with nature.)
This article argues that the etheric body is not real and not a valid part of Theosophical belief:
http://blavatskytheosophy.com/the-etheric-body-does-not-exist/
Helena Blavatsky's Key to Theosophy discusses her theory on subtle bodies in:
http://www.theosophytrust.org/Online_Books/The_Key_to_Theosophy_V1.5.pdf
For discussion:
What do you believe about subtle bodies?
How would you amend this model so it fits with your experiences?
