These days I tend to think in terms of timing, alignment, and correspondence more so than beneficent or maleficent entities.
I don’t have access to any special direct knowledge so it’s a case of aesthetic preference as much as anything else.
I feel like when a space or a person is in a particular state then conditions that are harmonious with that state will be attracted; whether that includes entities, energies, or what have you.
A dirty unhygienic living space will attract vermin and germs. That’s not necessarily because some sort of little person notices the dirt and then delivers germs and vermin. The progression is natural and does not require any extra intermediary.
On the other hand, our biome has always been filled with helpful and unhelpful organisms, and it took us many millennia to discover what we now call bacteria and microorganisms. I’m perfectly fine with the possibility that there may be other kinds of entities and organisms as well.
The bottom line, for me, is that the broad strokes of the picture seem to remain the same. It seems that we can work with our internal and external conditions in order to cultivate and encourage beneficial developments.
If there is something that we could call a spirit, who’s to say what that being really is? Who’s to say that I’m not one myself?
If I see a worm stranded on a sunny sidewalk after the rain, and I move it over to the grass so it can continue living, how might that act be perceived from the perspective of the worm?
Is it not possible that some thing may have at times performed a similarly helpful service for me? I don’t know.
I don’t work with magick (or anything really) from a place of Belief or overarching View.
I would not want to limit my Cosmos to the boundaries of my or anyone else’s intellect or imagination.
Point is, I’m into Methods more than Views or Beliefs.
Washing my hands is a good method. Some people may say it scares away disease spirits; others may say it eliminates harmful micro-organisms. Others may say that it reinforces a mental perception of health that liberates my mind’s ability to establish healthy immune response and disease-free conditions. I’ll enjoy all of those stories (they’re good fitness exercises for our intellects); but whatever the story, I’m still washing my hands.
I, personally, take a similarly pragmatic approach to magick. I entertain a range of plausible (to me) explanations for it; but regardless of those explanations, I do practices that I think may be beneficial.
Okay that is enough story-telling from me. 
You actually asked if there were any relevant forum posts or book recommendations and I (and others, I assume) will share links to those.
Here are a few first:
Three very useful perspectives on magickal approaches are:
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Books by Damon Brand published by Gallery of Magick. I’ve worked with all or most of them. My first was The 72 Angels of Magick but frankly any of them will be fine.
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Daniel Ingram‘s Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha. This is more focused on contemplative practice in the Buddhist traditions; but for those who are able to access a particular attention-stabilization state known as 4th jhana, it’s easier to access and use the siddhis, which correspond to magickal manifestations.
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Alan Chapman - Advanced Magick for Beginners. I haven’t worked through that one but I’ve read it a bit and I like its quality.
The traditions and practices you mentioned from your own experiences all have their magickal, mystical, or esoteric arms as well. You already know quite a bit in my judgment.
Thanks for sharing your journey!!! 
(please excuse any typos, I’m dashing this out on my phone)
