Intrinsic magic is powerful. It becomes a part of you, allowing you to channel it instantly, repeatedly, and effectively. However, it comes at the cost of altering your mind permanently. The pattern resides in your mind. Practitioners are limited to how much intrinsic magic they can take on. Too much and they suffer permanent backlash, their minds no longer working in any recognizably human way.
Before you study the pattern you plan on learning, you'll prepare your mind with a different pattern. It's like softening plastic with a blowtorch so you can deform it.
That's Not a Comforting Analogy
The intrinsic magic teacher, Mr. Goodwin, has set up study carrels in a Carter Hall lab. You settle into one, while Darcy takes the carrel next to you.
You pull out your binder of patterns and select the two you need. The first one's the preparatory pattern.
Fire has numerous uses, not all destructive. Darcy joked that she'd have you heat water for her tea from now on.
There are plenty of patterns that can create fire. The trick is to have researched them well enough to pick one that your brain will accept the most readily.
You lean around the sides of your carrel and whisper, "Hey, Darcy, which pattern did you choose?"
"Create ice, natch," she says. "Ice knives, ice walls, ice…uh…ice cubes. I'm gonna make them all."
"Cool, we'll be opposites."
"Anti-twinsies!" Darcy whispers.
You're delaying by talking with Darcy. Probably because you're a tiny bit worried about what you're about to do to yourself.
Second-guessing won't get your project done. You turn back to your carrel and square up the two patterns on the desk.