Subj : Newsgroups: alt.pagan.magick [ 2/15]
To   : All
From : Rachel L. Akers
Date : Mon Feb 12 2001 09:16 pm

>... (cont)
Subject: nagasiva's alt.magick FAQ
Summary: This is a file of biased responses to frequently
         asked questions in the alt.magick newsgroup.
Keywords: FAQ, magic, magick, occult, occultism
Replaces: 500009
Url: http://www.luckymojo.com/namfaq.html
X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.4 (NOV)
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 02:34:31 GMT

     ____________________________________________________________

   01.00 EDUCATION

   01.01 how do I become a mage?

     the identifier 'mage' has become popular with the adoption of
     the term within role-playing games and comic books. it has had
     intermittent usage within the occult community, but typically
     other titles are used indicating association with
     mystico-religious traditions (e.g. witch, Magus, etc.) to
     indicate a proficiency with magical tools, principles, rites,
     or knowledge.

     there *are* organizations which confer official designations
     upon those who wish to obtain them, usually in exchange for
     paying some fee and perhaps also for passing a test of some
     kind. the Universal Life Church gives out certificates
     conferring titles like "Magus", "Monk", "Shaman" and even
     "Angel". most require no test and can be obtained through
     Universal Life Books, P.O. Box 1406, Woodland, CA, 95776 or
     maybe through a search engine if they've retained a stable web
     site. besides the liberal religious orgs, you can also try the
     occult organizations. their participative requirement can be
     as simple as paying the dues and agreeing to their oaths
     within rituals of initiation (such as in the OTO, which you
     can reach at http://www.otohq.org/oto/otohq.html, whose second
     degree title of conferment is "Magician") or studying and
     earning sufficient respect for one's (typically Hermetic)
     achievements that one may qualify for the degree of 'Magus' in
     some organization like one of the Golden Dawn orders (you can
     find many of them online -- try starting at the GD REF, which
     is a reference document of the alt.magick newsgroup FAQ, and
     may be reached at

            http://www.luckymojo.com/altmagickfaq/ref.html).

     the heart of your question as I understand it, however, is not
     so much whether *others* consider you to be a mage or magician
     as much as how you might proceed to integrate magic as a real
     part of your life, if not suffusing yourself completely. there
     are as many ways to do this as there are people, and your
     reflection on the best ways that you tend to learn and remake
     your life would profit you greatly.

     part of the variables encountered when answering this question
     include how to interpret the term 'magic' and whether some
     particular traditional or nontraditional style of magical
     practice would suit you best. without knowing you, that is
     rather difficult to know, and this seems to be the natural
     starting point for those who are completely new to occultism
     and want to 'become a mage': identifying what *kind* of mage
     you are likely to want to be. therefore the first step will be
     to study the subject in a general way so as to identify the
     most attractive style that will enthuse rather than dissuade.

     the history of magic is such that two main categories of magic
     are discernable: theurgy and thaumaturgy. these are further
     broken down based upon the religious character and practical
     results of the magical style. theurgy is as diverse as is the
     field of religion, ranging from the penitent service to a
     single deity (e.g. priests in Roman Catholicism and its Mass
     transubstantiation rituals) to the glorious variety found
     within Neopagan, African, or other pantheons and the convivial
     interaction which the mage is likely to have as a channel or
     vehicle for the manifestation of the god/orisha/loa/et al).
     the objectives of the theurge tend to center around gods,
     spirits, angels, demons, or some other nonordinary entities.
     placating these beings or engaging them in a negotiated use of
     their presumed powers for one's own ends often takes the form
     of invoking them or their power for this purpose.

     thaumaturgy is what might comparably be called 'natural magic'
     -- in that it includes the natural world as its components.
     here you'll find the typical significance of 'witchcraft',
     with its potions, philtres, and powders. the spells of the
     thaumaturge usually have quite practical ends as objectives,
     providing results or assistance in the pursuit of results that
     most of those who do not employ magic can well understand.
     most magic of this type seems to concentrate on that which
     concerns people: money, love, sex, antagonism, social or
     performance success, or the rectification of what is usually
     considered some 'adverse condition' (purification, removing
     jinxes, etc.).

     these two are categories between which you may choose right
     now and assist yourself in making the best of your stylistic
     assessment. there is at times a great deal of antagonism
     between theurges and thaumaturgists, because of the
     preferences each has with regard to values, goals, and the
     methods of attempting to achieve these. those who prefer
     theurgy may enjoy African-diaspora, Hermetic or New Age
     communities. examples from these include Santeria, Golden
     Dawn, OTO, and Neopagan communities, as well as the Berkeley
     Psychic Institute, those affiliated with A Course in Miracles,
     or some Eastern groups such as the Hindu SYDA Foundation or
     the Buddhist Nichiren Shoshu.

>... (cont)

--- Msged/2 4.00
 * Origin: Elfwhere - The POINTy eared POINT (3:640/531.2379)

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