Murmur's Lesson 1:Magic 101
Contents
Introductions
Aus, since I'll be gone for a while, I prepared a few files to help you pass the time and further your education. You're also free to browse any of the grimoires I own except the one on the top shelf; those should not be opened by anyone aside from a master for the dark secrets they contain is too dangerous
-Yours truly Murmur
Magic
What is Magic
Magic can be hard to describe, it is an art, a science, a force and a skill. It is the power that binds the multiverse together, the spark of power given to us by Ein Sof so we could realize the great work.
A small tale
A werewolf friend of mine once told me a tale, it went as follow;
When the Maker created the world, separating it from its infinity, he called every creature to his side. One by one, he gave them a Name, which came with abilities and duties. So, coyote was made a cunning trickster, bear was made strong and powerful while stag was made proud and quick.
Last to be called, was mankind. When they appeared before the maker, he gave them their name and abilities yet he refused to give them a sacred role within creation. For long, mankind was unhappy and all the sons and daughters of man assembled at the palace of the Maker.
"Oh, maker. Please tell us, what have we done to bring forth your hatred? What shall we do to atone for our sins?" One of the human asked the Maker which in turn answered. "What has made you think that I hold a grudge against you son of man?"
"But Maker, if you held no grudge, why would you have endowed us with so little power? Why have we been made weaker than bear, slower than cheetah and not as cunning as fox? Why have we been denied a role within creation?"
By hearing the claims of mankind, the creator could not help but laugh and laugh. After a long moment where mankind stood in silence as the crystalline laughter of their creator filled the air, the Maker finally deigned to explain itself.
"My children, if I have not endowed you quite as well as your cousins is because I hold you capable enough to rise above those limitation."
"But what about our duty?"
"I never have meant it as an insult or a sign of my displeasure. What I truly intended was that since Man lacked a duty, they would be free to make their own, to find their own goals and path."
With that, the Maker asked the assembled sons and daughters of man to leave and when all left its palace, the abode of the maker faded away. That night, the children of man slept with a heavy heart, knowing that the maker had left them to find their own destiny yet as the land fell into the embrace of sleep, the wisest of man dreamed together.
In their sleep, they saw a great door and heard the voice of their maker. "Come." It said."I will be waiting for you in the next world. When morning came, the first shaman had awoken and the great work began"Now, what does this have to do with anything? No idea. But I liked the story. I think it parallels a good amount of mythology where God has created mankind in it's image (And saying as in two arms, two legs a head and a torso is blasphemous at best... The original judeo-christian god is shapeless and infinite.)
How to do Magic
Although most people cannot use magic, it seems that the majority have the potential to. I have heard many people describe how they call upon magic and it is generally seen differently depending on the person's cultural paradigm.
Personally, I've always felt magic as being a spark hidden in the back of my mind, like a light in a darkened room that you can only see with the corner of your eyes. When I call upon that spark, I've always focused on feeling and seeing it flow through me, rising from my heart and filling the magical patterns I created in my mind's eye.
One of the most important part of the magical process is visualization. Regardless of how ones feel magic, all mages must channel the spark of magic in forms they hold in their mind, generally using tools to help the process. (Which I'll get to below.)
Magic also stems from belief, only what one believes is possible can happen. One who does not believe in demons could not summon one no matter how much he tried unless he changed his mind and accepted the possibility of it. Which is why attitude is essential, going into a magical work with the impression that it will not succeed will result in failure.
To make the magic happen, one must Will it to happen, to Know it will happen and to Dare going against all that holds him back, crushing the debris of doubt and compromise.
Tools of Magic
Virtually all magicians with the exception of the Archmage and the most powerful supernatural beings such a Takofanes requires the use of tools called Focus (plural is Foci) to help them channel their power.
Foci helps novices gather their will and channel their beliefs into useful forms, it is afterall easier to believe that chanting a curse over a sigil and candle will make amgic happen rather than just wishing for it.
But even those who realize what foci are still require them, it is always easier to focus on a specific goal by using representation of it, using poppet to represent the target, symbols for the forces and staves or gestures to direct the energy.
Foci range from extremely complex (Summoning circle, Elaborate incantations, specially crafted objects) to very simple (A sentence, a pointing gesture, a pentacle drawn in sharpie on a wall). Although both are equally working, more complex focus are necessary for larger spells as simply focusing on a simple image for an hour is less evocative and meaningful than a carefully crafted seal of Solomon.
Magical Methodology
Wizard, Warlock, Witch, Sorcerer, Brujo, Mambo, Bokor, Houngan, Druid, Alchemist, Thaumaturge, Theurgist, Chaote, Thugee, Hashshashin, X/Y/Z-mancer, Magi, Cultist and Demonologist.
Need I say anymore to get the point across? There’s a lot of different names for people who can do magic. And that’s not even covering a fraction religious titles also claimed by magicians.
So, what exactly is the point in using these names? Well, that is rather simple, the title can help people be identified to what tradition they belong to. Each of them is a different style of doing magic, a different way of learning and a different magnum opus at the end of the road.
But there’s also a practical classification of magic in addition to the style one. Magical feats can be divided into four different methodology.
Thaumaturgy
From the greek word ‘thaûma’ meaning miracle or marvel, thaumaturgy is probably the most used form of magic amongst super heroes.
Thaumaturgy consist of the dirtiest elements of the art, what could be considered point and blast (Or point and laser) is Thaumaturgy, it’s quick, dirty and most often not subtle.
This methodology of magic requires little foci, a quick incantation, a staff or a pinch of powder usually do.
Example of Thaumaturgy spells;
- Cloaking (A rare, rather discrete spell of Thaum.)
- Elemental bolts or shields.
- Small scale weather or material modifications
- Healing wounds
- Local Magical sight/ Minor Premonition
Theurgy
From the ancient greek, theós (god) and ergon (work), Theurgy is the more complex side of magic. Theurgy place a greater emphasis on rituals, formula and the creation of enchanted talismans.
Although Theurgy seems like a worse choice than Theurgy, afterall, why would anyone waste their time with elaborate rituals if simple tools can get the job done? The answer is simple; Scope. Although Theurgy is of little use on the spot, with the same amount of study where a thaumaturgy learns how to throw strong bolts of flames around for more than thirty seconds, a theurge (given an hour) could raze a city block with earthquakes.
Which has lead to the thaumaturgy often getting scorned and shunned by devoted theurgist. Who see the former as little more than gauche parlor trick users.
Theurgy has many styles and focus, from the large hermetic circle, to long incantations invoking the quarters, archangels, the creation and blessing of talismans and finally the meditative trances of shamans and yogi.
Theurgy however tends to speak of gods and spirits more as concepts, archetypes and patterns rather than beings, invoking Hermes as the idea of communication and travel rather than the toga and sandal wearing being.
Example of Theurgy spells;
- Summoning/binding spirits
- Astral journey
- Calling storms / massive attacks
- Distance Scrying / Future Divination
- Regenerating lost limbs and organs
Alchemy
Alchemy is a form of magic that is often under rated, after all, there’s more important thing than creating gold to be done with magic… Right?
The transmutation of lead into gold can be a bit of a dead horse with alchemists for several reasons, for one, the ‘secret’ was found a while ago and for two, there’s a lot more things that can be accomplished with it than just transmutation.
Alchemy makes use of special procedures in order to enhance the propriety of substances, extract their magical ones or to change them. Although the alchemists’ concoctions are usually named potions, they may take just about any form; pills, powder, liquid, jelly, pastille that can be ingested, inhaled or burned to unleash the desired effect.
While alchemy requires foresight, since creating potions is not something that can be done in a minute or two, while under fire in the streets, once concoctions have been prepared they may be used at any time without requiring any real effort. Thus an alchemist with preparation could outlast a fire thaumaturge in a duel of throwing incendiary magic.
Alchemical labs range from medieval to modern chemist’s lab. Beakers, burners, filters, mixers and humongous shelves full of mason jars with reagents are to be expected.
Example of spell/concoction
- Classic potion of healing
- Blast vials (Fire, air pressure, sound)
- Making silver weapons harder than steel (Werewolves won’t like this.)
- Sense altering drugs, whether to give insightful vision or to give a rather bad and horrifying trip.
Note on Gold; Although transmuting material into gold might seem like a way to round the end of the month, alchemical gold rarely gets past jewelers. Not that they know the real origin of the gold but without perfect knowledge of atomic composition and all proprieties of gold well known to the alchemist, the result will end up flawed and often obvious; It won’t have the right weight, the right density or solidity, the right gleam.
Which is why transmutation is not that great a way to attempt making money. Beside, even if one manage to make perfect specimen, people tend to notice the man who comes every week or two with a bag full of jewelry to sell. The cops might also take interest…
Witchcraft
Witchcraft is less of a different path and more of an amalgamation of all the others. Practitioners of this art (which are not all witches, many sorcerer, pagan priest and chaote also practice it.) combine the basis of the other system for a very versatile effect.
Like theurgists, they create talismans and call upon deities but they do so not as abstract symbology but with religious fervor. Like Alchemists, they use the natural proprieties of herbs and stones to reinforce themselves and spells to fight against their enemies.
Witchcraft is an extremely diverse path and little can be really said about it for that very reason.
Nomenclature of Magic Users
What do title means; A look at all these fancy title I mentioned earlier (and more!)
- Alchemist: A user of alchemy.
- Ant’iihnii: Navajo dark witch (Usually Male)
- Bokor: Voodoo sorcerer, one who sells his service for money and has less problems with performing darker magical deeds.
- Brujo: Spanish for male witch, used by Spaniards and sometimes Aztec/mayan magicians as well (Female form is Bruja)
- Chaote: A chaos magic practitioner. Note; Chaos denotes lack of dogma rather than disorder. Although the latter is not necessarily rejected…
Conjurer: Also called Summoner, conjurers are people who summon and bind spirits to their services.
- Cualli Ohtli: Aztec Magician-priests
- Cultist: Rather derogatory, Cultists are people part of a cult, which can be self aware or not.
- Exorcist: Used in Christianity as someone who fights demons but also used in ceremonial magic as someone who invoke and compels demon into service as opposed to working with them.
- Demonologist: Summoner of demons (You don’t say?)
- Druid: Originally priests of the old Celts. Nowadays, Druids generally include any nature based mage.
- Hashshashin: Religious assassins (And origin of that word) from Shi’ah Islam.
- Houngan: A Voodoo priest
- Inyanga: Zulu magical healer.
- Kabbalist: Someone who study and use the magical Kabbalah/Qabbalah/Cabbalah (Which are respectively, Jewish, hermetic and Christian)
- Kitsune-tsukai and Kitsune-mochi: Japanese magicians that have struck a deal with a kitsune for power.
- Maenad: Female priests of Dionysus, ecstatic magic
- Kalku: Mapuche dark magicians.
- Machi: Mapuche good magicians.
- Magi: Once used to denote followers of Zoroastrianism. Now used for any magicians. (Plural of magus)
- Mambabarang: Filipino sorcerer (Female is Mamalarang)
- Mambo: Voodoo Priestest
- Mangukukulam: Tagalong magicians who use curses and hexes (Kulam).
- Medicine Men/Women: A generally more accurate name for shamans,
- N’anga: Traditional healer of the Shona people of Zimbabwe.
- Pharmakon: Greek Sorcerer.
- Sangoma: Zulu healers and who also speak with ancestor spirits.
- Shaman: Those who connect the spirit and material world, originally applied to Turks and Mongol religion, also tacked onto native Americans and Australians.
- Seer: A magician specialized in scrying and divination.
- Seiðkonur: Norse sorcery user (Female)
- Seiðmenn: Norse sorcery user (Male) Note; Magic was considered something for women and emasculating for men to learn it in Norse Culture.
- Sorcerer: a user of Sorcery, sometimes used as derogatory by some, implying intuitive magic rather than scholarly. (Genderless)
- Tagati: South African witch who use poisons and familiars out of spite to carry harmful deeds.
- Thaumaturge: Someone who use mainly Thaumaturgy
- Theurgist: A specialist of Theurgy
- Thugee: Members of the cult of Kali, often criminals.
- Warlock: Means oath breaker and traitor, extremely derogatory, do not use! (Despite common conception, male witches call themselves witches.)
- Werethekau: Egyptian magic user, using the power of names and language.
- Witch: Pagan magic user, used for both sexes.
- Wizard: Generally traditional European magic users (as opposed to modern or renaissance ceremonial magic.)
- X/Y/Z-mancer: Used to denote specialisation in a specific field of magic such as; Pyromancy, Necromancy,
Magical Community Survival Guide
What to do
- Study, study, study; In the magical world, knowledge is power in more ways than one. Mages with little power but high amount of knowledge tend to be respected than powerful but ignorant magi.
- Practice: Once confident in your knowledge, it's important to practice a spell until it becomes almost reflexive. This is especially true for thaumaturgy. This makes combat much faster and magic more reliable.
- Show respect: With both spirits from the inner planes and eldest magi, respect, courtesy and following traditions can get you a long way. Brown Nosing, not so much...
- Give and take fairly Spirits and mages tend to be long lived and can hold grudges for a long time, dealing fairly is very much advised unless you do not mind gaining enemies.
What to avoid
- Open Spell battles: are considered gauche and the mark of dabblers rather than true magicians.
- Dealing with Qliphothic entities; Only the most insane of mage deals with beings from the tree of death and some would see it as ground for summary execution, just to be sure.
- Seek publicity: As it might seem obvious, mages do not like publicity and any mage actively seeking some (by writing books, appearing on talk-show or performing flashing spells in public) will generally earn the scorn of the rest of the magical world.
- Practice dark magic (in public): While I admittedly don't share the animosity of many younger magi toward what is generally considered darker magical spells (Necromancy, Blood magic, vampiric magic), many people will be offended or even enraged by such practices. Although I don't need to tell you that human sacrifices are a bit too far, do I?
