Magic in the Tora and Talmud

Shalom Uvracha Rav Michael,
 
The whole issue of magic in the Torah, meaning sorcery, speaking to the dead etc really concerns me. 

Im  of course aware of the machloket between the Rambam and the Ramban, regarding the authenticity of magic,  and even though my rational thought allows me to dismiss the Ramban and his school of thought (and as far as I know, Rambam was very much the minority opinion)., still I find it  challenging to do so for two main  reasons.

1) My gut tells me that pashtut dikra says  that if we are forbidden to engage in witchcraft. And that  it exists, in the Tora\'s  perception. I know I am just repeating the Rambans opinion, , but it almost appears to me that the Rambam is engaging in rationalistic apologetica. (You barely even need to answer me on this. I am clear that the Rambam would not agree).

2) The Talmud (and I have just been learning a piece of mishna and gemara in sanhedrin עז , where its clear that the tannaim (including Rabbi Akiva) and ammoraim,  believe in magic wholeheartedly. So much so that Rabbi Eliezer was able to bring together all the cucumbers in a field by magic, which he did purely to teach his students!
How does the Rambam reconcile his rationalistic approach with that of the Talmud. (Another way of saying: how are we supposed to deal with these passages, and retain our faith in chazal.- apologies for being quite so blunt.)

As usual, pls feel free to respond in Hebrew.