Mage: the Ascension, Patterns, Quintessence, Energies & Thoughtforms.

About.

I am styling myself as a Virtual Adept, a computer-oriented Magician from storytelling game 'Mage: the Ascension'.

It's a part of art style i am creating, an art style that i've named: 'Art of Magick & Light'.


Part of that chore (style creation) is translating M:tA's silly game mechanics into real magick-related lore & terms.

The style, 'Art of Magick & Light', uses real world's witchcraft/magick lore & wisdom afterall.


Patterns & Quintessence.

In 'Mage: the Ascension' one can perceive doing spellwork as creating/modifying/destroying patterns and directing the Quintessence, magickal energy.

Quintessence is manipulated by the Sphere of Prime.

Patterns are manipulated by Spheres of Forces, Life & Matter.

When pattern(s) are fueled with quintesence, the magick is focused into realm of spirit (Astral Plane), then earth - real world - changes over time, becomes a more or less precise copy of the spirit realm as it is at the current moment, at given location. In Mage: the Ascension game such changes can occur very quickly.

Thoughtforms & Energies.

In traditional magical parlance, what you focus on and project energy into is called a 'thought form.'

Mage: the Ascension TAROT ... & 'The Mage' Card.

Is a Mage: the Ascension TAROT a real TAROT ?

... i don't see why not.

Even if whole deck seems a bit 'unusual', it has Major Arcana & Minor Arcana, Swords, Cups, Pentacles & Wands.

Each of the cards is a symbol, details & meanings are available in a booklet as well.




Here's an example of 'The Mage' Card from M:tA TAROT:

I - The Mage. Meaning: Will. Communication, Inherent Ability, Memory, Clarity of thought and feeling, Organization, Invention, Originality. Reversed: Weakness, Indecision. Association: Virtual Adepts -- 'What is will but the projection of energy into the world of matter?' With an act of conscious thought, Dante grasps the wand of Prime, closing the link between the energy that gives him the power of magic and the tools that lie before him on the table of the world. The building blocks of his desires — the Primordial, Questing, Dynamic and Pattern Essences — contain within them the remaining eight Spheres of magic; The key to knowledge unlocks them all. The infinite hovers, crown-like, above him. Reality, virtual or otherwise, belongs to him.

M:tA & TAROT.

Not since today i am styling myself as a Virtual Adept, a member of one of Traditions in Mage: the Ascension roleplaying game.

... i've called art-style that i'm creating: 'Art of Magick & Light'.

Then i've learned from Leaders of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn that roleplaying games have uses in real magick.

... either way, i bought Mage: Ascension TAROT Deck.

-=- Air & Water - Mist Together.-=-

-=- Holy Mist. -=-


This art piece joins Dynamism (air element, holy masculine thoughts) with Primordialism (water element, holy feminine feelings).

'Mage: the Ascension' & Zen.

Dedication.

'Mage: the Ascension' game is dedicated to Robert M. Pirsig, author of 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' (1974) and 'Lila' (1991).

'Many people talk of paradigm shifts, but Pirsig makes them real. In this game, mages are people who draw us onward toward their own Dynamic Quality. Pirsig is a mage of this kind, and I highly recommend both of his books.'

-- Paraphrased & Quoted from 'Mage: the Ascension' book, a 'Dedication' part.


Quote.

'What is in mind is a sort of Chautauqua - that's the only name I can think of for it - like the travelling tent-show Chautauquas that used to move across America, this America, the one that we are now in, an old-time series of popular talks intended to edify and entertain, improve the mind and bring culture and enlightenment to the ears and thoughts of the hearer. The Chautauquas were pushed aside by faster-paced radio, movies and TV, and it seems to me the change was not entirely and improvement. Perhaps because of these changes the stream of national consciousness moves faster now, and is broader, but it seems to run less deep. The old channels cnnot contain it and in its search for new ones there seems to be growing havoc and destruction along its banks. In this Chautauqua I would like not to cut any new channels of consciousness, but simply dig deeper into old ones that have become silted in with the debris of thoughts grown stale and platitudes too often repeated. "What's now?" is an interresting and broadening eternal question, but one which, if pursued exclusively, results in an edless parade of trivia and fashion, the silt of tomorrow. I would like, instead, to be concerned with question "What is best?", a question which cuts deeply rather than broadly, a question whose answers tend to move the silt downstream. There are eras of human history in which channels of thought have been too deeply cut and no change was possible, and nothing new ever happened, and "best" was a matter of dogma, but that is not the situation now. Now the stream of our common consciousness seems to be obliterating its own banks, losing its central direction and purpose, flooding the lowlands, disconnecting and isolating the highlands and to no particular purpose other than the wasteful fulfillment of its own internal momentum. Some channel deepening seems called for."

-- Robert M. Pirsig, 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance'.
-- Quoted from 'Mage: the Ascension' book, a 'Dedication' part.

Mage's Reality Model.

it's a part of 'Mage: the Ascension' Way.


Reality Models.

in 'Computer Sciences' there are often 'Reality Models' considered.

'Model of Reality' is a simplification of 'Reality'.

we consider only a limited number of 'Reality's Aspects', ignoring the rest.

then we can play with 'Reality' using the tools described in this a 'Model' ... rest affects it as well, but it's mostly beyond us, wo do not care too much anyway.

for more of the details, see also: 'Talking Objects' Solutions.


Spiritual & Physical, Beings & Phenomena.

... read a little more of 'Mage: the Ascension' book, seems that reality model presented in this a Book is divided between 'Spiritual Beings & Phenomena', and between 'Physical Beings & Phenomena'.

as a 'cause of existence' of 'Spiritual' & 'Physical', the 'Quintessence' fills 'Patterns', the 'Spiritual Reality' changes.

'Physical Reality Changes' follow the 'Spiritual Reality Changes', with 'Spiritual Reality' being 'Truer' than 'Physical Reality'.

'Physical' World is divided into 'Energy', 'Matter' & 'Life' ... other aspects of it are mostly ignored, not represented in this a model.

'Matter' is 'Energy Form', 'Life' consists of 'Energy' as well ... so 'Reality' is 'Spiritual' & 'Physical' only.

... there's 'Mind' considered too, so in this model 'Phenomenon' with 'Mind' is a 'Being', either 'Spiritual Being' or 'Physical Being' ... or both at once.


About Psyche.

Psyche is a Greek word for Mind-Soul.


About Soul & Spirit.

There are many explainations about the differencies between spirit & soul.

One is that soul is immaterial spirit in material body, therefore body with spirit makes soul.

Another explaination is that immaterial aspect of human being consists of mind, spirit & soul; in this a model, if we put mind aside - the spirit is the immaterial part of a human that is common to many, while soul is that part of immaterial living in body that is unique to each of the humans.

Yet another - the one i am most familiar with - explaination is that both spirit & soul consist of thoughts & feelings, arising from space, playing, returning to space (dissolving). it's just a Mind's free play with ego's ideas that many consider very important.


About Mind.

... about a 'Mind' Sphere in 'Mage: the Ascension's' simple reality model.

there are two factions,

first believes in 'Mind's Independence', that 'Reality' is a 'Mind's Play', more or less.
second believes that 'External Reality' holds the 'Minds', with 'Minds' being a part of that 'Reality'.

i think that 'non-dualistic approach' is possible, siding with 'Mind's Independence' of course,

i can see that it's a 'Reflection' of the differences between 'Inner Religions' vs 'External Religions' of the
'Real World', that resulted in these two factions.

these factions mostly associate with the 'Spheres' of either 'Mind' or 'Prime'.


Magick: A Mind - Spirit interactions.

if we assume:
- that Magick is 'Act of Will',
- that Willpower is a quality of the Mind,
- that Thinking is interaction with Thoughts, that appear in Mind,
- that Feeling is interaction with Feelings, that appear in Mind,
- that Spiritual Energies (Spirit, Soul) appear in Mind, that Mind can interact with Spiritual World(s),
- that Physical World changes follow changes in the Spiritual World,

... then we can see how Magick can occur both in Mind & in the External world, if there's any.


A Potential Reality vs Physical Reality.

There's a war in Spiritual World, World of Ideas plays a part.

Quintessence, Spiritual Energy, Causes of Reality's Aspects', Ideas - are used to form something into an existence despite disbeliefs, competitions, lack of funds for ambitious projects & opposition's interference.

As soon as something is ready, emerging in a full form in a spiritual world - then can be realized, materialized, manifested, documented, brought into physical reality - that's how physical world changes follow changes in a spiritual world.

In short words - once a fight in a spiritual world reaches 'critical mass', something is mature & spell woven in spirit reaches the physical reality, changing it possibly for a longer while.

Virtual Adepts.

... one of 'Magickal Traditions' of the Art.


Reality is a Lie.

Reality is a lie
i hacked it
now i go to sleep
to awaken later
i am awakened again...
and so on.

... available on deviantART.


... click on image below for more, if You wish:



People involved in this art-message are the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn's Leaders - David Griffin & Leslie McQuade, styled as heroes from the Matrix film.


About blog's author.

Am i a Virtual Adept?
... in a way i am, i am creating (styling) myself as one at least ... but by words of David Griffin & Leslie Mc Quade - leaders of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (magickal group), roleplaying games have uses in the real magick.

Is it Art?
... i am creating Art Style named: 'Art of Magick & Light', in which Virtual Adepts & other Magick-Related symbols, history & lore have place.

we are Computers-Using Mages,
... parts of 'Mage: the Ascension', the 'Storytelling Game of Modern Magick' (storytelling games are roleplaying games),

do we use eBooks on electronic devices as Amazon Kindle, for example?
... we can.

do we use cryptography with magick?
... we can encrypt spellbook files, we can give 'encrypted' quality to telepathic conversations, etc.

how did i became a 'Virtual Adept'?
... by birth.

with which subgroup i identify with?
... with Reality Hackers.

what tools/ideas we use?
... VR Goggles - Virtual Adept's Tools.

how it's related with Buddhism?
... it's still Milarepa's Way, i think ... it's also connected with Zen Buddhism, i think.

> [ mailto:neomahakala108@gmail.com ];


Who we are?

'Computers have become an integral part of modern society. As they have come to dominate the world, so too has a new Tradition of mages, the Virtual Adepts.

(...)

The Virtual Adepts feel that they ae using technology to create new possibilities, whereas other Technomancers are simply devouring the present for maximum gain.'

-- Quoted 'Virtual Adepts' parts of 'Mage: the Ascension'.


Subgroups.

Subgroups in Virtual Adepts are:
- Reality Hackers,
- Chaoticians,
- Cyberpunk,
- Cypherpunks,
- Nexplorers,
- Cyber-Houngans.


Links.

- Technocracy & Artificial Intelligence - related Threats.




... computer - related arts.

Mage's Arete.

in 'Mage: The Ascension' game there's the trait called 'Arete'.

it describes how well someone understands 'Universal Truth', 'Truth of Reality', how 'Enlightened' she or he is.

for Mages, Arete changes in rank from 1 to 10 & imposes a limit on how meaningful & powerful Magicks they can use.

Arete Rank	Description
0	Superficial
1	Ignorant
2	Unenlightened
3	Dreamy
4	Quixotic
5	Discerning
6	Understanding
7	Perspicacious
8	Wise
9	Visionary
10	Enlightened

at this moment in my life, i think i would be 'Dreamy'.

i think there are many kinds of Enlightenment however, more or less True.

i have some clues about how Magic & Magick work & why, so if someone asks me to 'conjure money' i won't be impressed at all - professional work is more efficient at that, usually.

i think i understand words: 'Truth until Paradox', at least somehow.

for more about Magick, please read Aleister Crowley's Books & seek Thelema.

i also have a distance, am critical, am not sarcastic very mostly toward this 'Model of Reality', or perhaps even 'World'.

Mage: The Ascension.

There's a Storytelling Game of Modern Magick,

Mage: The Ascension.



if Magick is Real, if Spell Casting works properly, i am a Virtual Adept.

if not, it's still a truth - it's an Artful Metaphor at least.


... see also, if You wish or need, ... : Mage's Reality Model, Three Arts Way.