The ancient alchemists were famously concerned with turning lead into gold. Scientifically impossible? Perhaps. But it's easy to miss the poetic point if we take things like this too literally... or not literally enough.
Alistair Crowley, in his book Magick in Theory and Practice, said, "Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will." And also, "Magick is the Science of understanding oneself and one's conditions. It is the Art of applying that understanding in action." Finally summing these up in even simpler language, "Magick is merely to be and to do." Let's take another look at turning lead into gold. What if we assume that the "magic" needs to operate through some reasonable mechanism? We'll decide perhaps that conversion of one element into another at the atomic level is at the very least difficult and energy intensive. Honestly, even if it were possible, it would probably cost more gold than it would generate. So let's forget that.
It's worth pointing out that a great many people have used lead bullets to get the gold they want. Still, assuming your a decent human being and don't fancy playing the predator, we can dispense with that as well.
But pencils are also made of lead (yeah, I know they're all graphite now...but you get the point...heh heh, the point...okay). You've surely heard the pen is mightier than the sword; and no less the pencil. My father is fond of the phrase, "Let's see how this pencils out." So pencils are for making plans, and drafting agreements, and that's the basis of starting any good venture. So whatever your personal "gold" is, whatever your goal, you get it by following a basic formula. 1. You name it. There is a mystical power in a name.
2. You put it in words. Speak those things which are not as though they are. 3. You work out the plan. The devil's in the details.
4. You take action in alignment with the plan.
5. You learn by measuring your results. Everything is an experiment.
6. You integrate what you've learned in your next design.
7. You iterate endlessly. The best ideas survive by adapting to reality. Magic is one of those "secrets" that's not really secret. It's hidden in plain sight, right under our noses. The supernatural acts through the natural. The metaphysical acts through the physical.
You are here. In the world. To embody your inspiration through manifestation.
