One of the first practices many witches are taught when learning how to participate in ritual and create spells is the use of visualization. One of the basic exercises that is commonly used is to learn to picture an apple in your “mind's eye” and then to manipulate it by turning it in various directions. The idea is to relate this apple to the movement and directing of energy in all its forms for powering magic.

I must have spent over 50 hours trying to see that stupid apple and nothing happened! I felt like a complete failure and that I would never be able to use magick in my spiritual practice. Since then, I have learned over the years that people have a variety of learning styles from the visual to the auditory to the kinesthetic and all combinations in between. I have discovered that I experience energy through physical sensations and not by seeing things internally; the palms of my hands will get hot, my face will feel a breeze passing by, or there is a heaviness in the back of my neck.

Through experience and practice, I have validated that all of these sensations are a direct result of my working with various magical energies. I just realized that sounds like I am discussing the results of some sort of scientific experiment. However, what I'm trying to say is if you are like me, you may never experience seeing that stupid apple. It's important to figure out through trial and error how you experience the manipulation of energy for yourself. If you are visual, great! If you are not, figure it out.

The whole point is to be able to effectively manage working with various types of energy to increase the power of your spellwork by directing your intent out into the Universe. It is important to know when and where you are sending this energy and how you perceive it lets you know when you are done or that you have generated enough energy to do so. The apple was never important in the first place. What was important is the principle behind it that they were trying to teach. You can work magic regardless of whether you visualize energy successfully, experience it in some other way, or just know in your heart that it works.