Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-1916997-20150312220054/@comment-25926288-20150507170042

I think this also hearkens back to a previous thought.

Magic is a learned skill, just like any other. When Rumple apporached Cora and the incident with young Ingrid, I thought for sure magical abillity is just a trait passed on. It is, as seen with shapeshifters, but it seems that it can be learned and people have differing ranges of talent that isn't genetically prediposed.

Jefferson would have magic (I disagreed earlier with this) because it seems that you have to have magic to use the hat, shown via 2x01, I think.

So, it would stand that however people posssess magical ability, they can use the hat. So, either the hat passed down people with some magical potential or they just learned to channel magic in order to use the hat. However, it isn't one of those items that the powerless can use, i.e. wishing star, pixie dust, potions, fairy-dust filled wands, other enchanted items, etc.