Chaos magic (as I understand it) states that the only reality is the paradigm. There is no objective reality, only people's opinions. So, magic comes from being able to change yourself so drastically that you change reality (your perception of reality, which is no different from "real" reality so it's enough.)
For these magicians, happiness really is a choice you make not an emotion you feel... they can schedule or make spontaneous a "paradigm" shift-- changing religions with the wind and yet at the same time fully believing in every changing second of it. They could be talking with a spirit and shifting paradigms (of whether they're objectively existing spirits or only psychological projections) mid-sentence.
In a way, this works... have you ever had a friend who's so steeped in their own perspective that they make a world of their own? Like, she asks you to read her story, and you say, "I liked it! I think the ending was unrealistic, but I loved your characters and writing style and everything..." but all she hears is "I think the ending was unrealistic, you're a horrible writer, you should never write again!" she's trapped in her paradigm.
Some chaotic change in perspective is enough magic for some people.
Or if you've ever been with a skeptic, and found your usually reliable intuition just blanking out... then chaotes will say that's because you're becoming a part of that person's paradigm. Skepticism and magic both are real -- for the paradigm's value of real. Psychics will say something about energy, and sometimes chaotes will say something like that too, but it's mostly purely psychological.
The key features of chaos magic seem to be banishing with laughter (forgetting what you were so worried about in the first place to banish... so, the bad juju or spirit or whatever doesn't exist anymore-- changing your paradigm to "skepticism" should also do the same banishing),
the use of quickfire sigils (to re-program your subconscious to form to a certain reality),
summoning fictional characters (because it's all in our head anyway),
and using a moment of orgasm to get to the "magical mindstate" that other magicians usually get by meditating (though they can meditate too, if the present paradigm is ascetic, or something.)
Bottom line with chaos magic: nothing is true, [so] everything is permitted/possible. Hope this helps!
Thanks! There was an entertaining list of "signs that you're a chaos magician" where one of them was "When someone asks you if reality is objective or subjective, you say 'yes' " so I obviously can't speak for every chaote ^_^
Color magic is just about using colors in magic. Richard Webster wrote (in his book I read about Color Magick for beginners) that colors are rarely just recognized-- you feel colors, they can change your mood and so change your spirit. Since a lot of modern magic is attributed to psychic "energy", a lot of visualizing colors would be involved... because what's more familiar energy than light? Color correspondents like gemstones and candles are also a lot a part of it.
I'm much less sure about the classifications of magic by color... (for example black magic for curses, white magic for protection and healing-- simple enough, if a little too simple. But then some say green magic concerns money, others say green magic is all about nature. If purple magic concerns itself with power, how is that different from any and all other kinds of magic? And what's blue magic? 0_o)
