Energy, Power simply IS. I personally believe it was created by God, the Great Mystery, but once created it just continues to live on as its self. Ahhhhh...but one who works with Power or "Makes a Bid for Power" can attract both good and evil and it bodes not well for one not aware and not grounded in faith of a good nature to attempt to "play" with power. It is not the power that is evil or bad, it is neither good or bad...but what one chooses to DO WITH power that can become corrupted by evil or lifted higher by good. And...with the knowledge of and use of Power, comes responsibility. Not only to make a choice to strive for goodness or evil...but even to deciding if you will use it for YOUR OWN profit and personal gain, or for others. If you can help others, by the use of power, yet choose to be blind because you see no profit to be gained, or perhaps because you are lazy or do not wish to be involved or "put out," then what are you? What is your purpose? There is nothing here that will last, nor that you can take with you, when you leave this place. All that we know here is transition....a moment...to learn and weld Power and work for goodness, to pray for opportunities to act, like a thief in the night, to do your good deeds....that is a good path to walk upon.

The underlying force for the control of magic is the Chi within us. By manipulating our own internal energies, we may create a certain type of energy field in us and around us, that can then be used to affect & alter other energies that are outside of our bodies. As "RedHawk" mentions in her excellent answer, "the energy that is" ... is then made into the "spell" that then causes some sort of magical result. The precise nature of this energy and the energies used to control and focus, all vary depending on the type of magic and the type of spell ... incantation, alteration, abjuration, summoning, conjuration, etc.

Simple: belief. If you don't believe without doubt, you have nothing. I don't care how much "energy" you muster up, without the power of true belief it has nowhere to go.

Beings that have been here far longer than we have .................they have and are the force behind all magic

but what is it? is it a chemical reaction or the transfering of electrons? or is it just wishis being granted by wanting something enough?