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To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.magick,alt.pagan.magick,alt.magick.folk,alt.satanism,alt.satannet,alt.paranormal.spells.hexes.magic
From: nagasiva@luckymojo.com (nagasiva)
Subject: Sorcery, Wizardry (was Could you send a mail with the basics of sorcery)
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 10:37:02 -0700

49991007 IVom 

"Joco" :
#> I'm intrested in become a sorceror or a wizard, which of those 
#> two I don't know because I don't know the diference.  

sorcerers are explorers and, eventually, masters of the exploration
of consciousness. this can include psychoactives, rhythms, and
numerous other simple and dangerous triggers. it can include
ceremony and powertools. it can include grimoires and alchemy.
it need only include a human being and their physical activities.
many mystics who are solitary and applying a variety of mystical
psychotechnologies (incantation or mantra, for example) are what
I would class as 'sorcerers'. where they get locked into a very
specific objective and stop exploring they become religious mystics.
in many ways 'sorcery' is renegade or controversial religion or
magic. it has a bad reputation because the term has been used as
a condemnation by the religious establishment (esp. Christianity).

wizards are those mages who have learned a degree of skill in
perception and expression, insight and intuition. adapting to
the level of their aptitude in their life skills, they have the
appearance of mastery without being the most expert in the arts
of their involvement. 'wizard' is like the Asian 'sage' in that
it is an honorific title given to the respected and 'wise' among
the occult community. it has a less sullied history in its usage
and combines social integrity (if controversial) with personal
equilibrium.

#> All I need is the basics the way to do it 

the basic way to do sorcery is to start without props. try
standing in the middle of a field or otherwise cushiony place
where you won't hurt yourself if you fall down (a park on the
lawn is a favored place among children sorcerers). begin to
turn circles at first slowly and then faster and faster until
you are completely disoriented and then sit down. experience
how this feels, try to figure out why it is the case, and
glory in the strangeness of it all.

sorcery is an adventure into disorientation and reorientation.
when you feel drawn toward certain techniques or technologies
of consciousness alteration, the best method I have found in
approaching them is to read about and meet with people who
have been to the extremes in their usage. take care that you
understand the possible risk factors of your genetic heritage,
any physiological factors of the technologies themselves, etc.
some can be dangerous, and it is better to know something of
what you are exploring before jumping in with both feet. 

of course, sorcery INCLUDES this kind of risk-taking behavior,
and so this advice will only apply to the beginner. eventually
the sorcerer will come to know where she wishes to draw the
line and we hope that she will survive hir self-created ordeal.

to get started in wizardry it is usually necessary to begin
a social education of science, letters, and sleight of hand.
this can include jugglery as well as magic tricks. it should
incorporate the attempted reading of some classics and a
variety of scientific primers geared for your level of
approach (if you're in high school be wary of starting out
with a college level physics text). eventually this will 
lead to an examination and thorough familiarity with the
arts and principles of philosophy. be careful to learn the
methods rather than merely adopting the perspective or
ideology of any single philosopher (using one as a base or
that from which to approach others is common, but is, by
the diligent, eventually seen as wanting in the face of
becoming one's own authority).

but these are only the basics of wizardry. knowledge of
this sort is abstracted and requires some type of ordeal,
experience, life-richness in order to be suitably
apprehended. indulge in life, take adventures, dress your
life in symbols (symbolism being a life-long study of the
successful wizard often proceeding from mathematics and
poetry into occult arts and sciences). examine some of
the principles of alchemy and see which ones may assist
in metaphoric or physical application.

#> and some spells for iniciation.

initiation can be as simple as a stated declaration of
your intent to engage the process before the night sky
and as complex as a ceremonial designed by adepts to
encode the seeds of greatness into the core of your
being. spells of empowerment, courage, the meeting with
legendary figures or reservoirs of mysteries can be
very helpful here. my own explorations included meetings
with beings of the Underworld, and I recommend these as
important sources of occult wisdom.

blessed beast!
nagasiva@luckymojo.com (nagasiva)

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