Beginning Magick

Beginning Magick - YouTube

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The Library of Knowledge Part One beginning occult magic. The basics of practice magic is a touchy thing to begin. I suppose the first major question is religion. What is your religion? Is it compatible with magic? Do you wish to change religions to a magical one or simply merge what you have? There is much debate on this topic, but here is my opinion.

 Most religions ban magic as evil and have severe penalties either now in the eternal or both for practitioners of any form of magic. More than likely, your current religion will not mix with magic. Many practitioners have to break from their current belief system and form join a comfortable hybrid religion.

 Also, the option of simply abandoning what you currently know as religion and radically changing your belief system is open. It rarely works due to moral and emotional conflicts, but it is still an option. The second major question confronting magicians is, "What is my nature?" This question spawns many different answers.

 Some like aggressive magic to attack an adversary or a friend's adversary. Many use protective magic to shield themselves and their friends from the stormy blast of other magic. Many people abandon the idea of combative magic altogether and opt for enchantments to ease the burdens of life on everybody, such as blessings and prosperity spells. Here are most of the major classes of magician.

 As far as I can tell, all spells can be accounted for within these casts. White magician, expert of protective and healing spells. Black magician, expert of destructive spells. Mage, expert at psychic and mental control and spells of willpower. Druid, masters of nature and natural forces.

 Enchanter, experts at area effect magic, curses, blessings. Diver, experts of future and fortunetelling. Conjurer, experts at summoning spirits or entities. Healer, experts at manipulating and sustaining life force. Necromancer, experts at manipulating death and the dead. Sorcerer, freelance offensive casters of all types, mainly focused on black magic.

 Wizard, freelance defensive casters of all types, mainly focused on white magic. Priest calls on God to defend them and to work with their situation as necessary. Satanist calls on Satan to indulge their desires. After deciding what you want, or more accurately, what you are able to do, it is time to confront the third and most difficult question of magic. The third question of magic is the most difficult because of all the options it presents.

 What do you want? This is by far the most difficult. At this point, the magician must decide how to shape their universe. Do you want money, design a prosperity spell? Do you want power, create a node? Do you want knowledge, learn demon conjuration, or scrying for the white magician? Once you have the power, you must figure out how to use it. Wow. Enjoy figuring out the intrinsics of how to use abilities on your own.

 The basics of practice, fundamental ability. Now, keeping in mind the basic list of caster types given on the previous page, choose your type fate. You will as a rule fall under one of these categories. If you do not, you do not know your talent. Find your magical niche and exploit it.

 If I could offer one bit of advice, which I can, it would be this, which is take your time. The decision process is long and hard. You cannot just sit down one night, ponder your brains out, and emerge with the answer normally, but there are some people out there that are just plain gifted at everything.

 It takes a long time to figure out just what your talent is. And also keep in mind to search every aspect. Some people want to be conjurers, but are simply not good at it, while they are good at elemental magic, but do not like it. This may be the case. Do not disclude magics that you do not like for that reason alone.

 Try diligently to find out what you can do and then determine what you can do with it. A good idea is to find a scrier or conjurer that can tell you if you get really stuck. That was the first step, identifying your niche. Here is the second part, collecting power. To collect power, occasionally referred to as mana, though I despise the term, is as easy as breathing. Literally.

 Ever wonder why magicians, if they are so powerful, don't simply run out into all the world and smite their foes in great miraculous blasts of fire and lightning? Here is why. At the foundation of magic, one must collect power.

 A single lightning burst would nearly drain the reserves of even a fairly powerful wizard. To collect, perform this extremely simple ritual. One, sit where you can meditate and collect power undisturbed. Two, begin deep, slow breaths. Not too slow. This should not be uncomfortable. Three, with every inhalation, the true magician can feel the magical energy of the area being absorbed into their body.

 Understanding that this power is being saved in a finite storage, quit when you no longer feel any absorption. A basic principle in magic is that the person themsself has no true power. All power comes from the external. This practice is a must for any caster type that wishes to have power at any given time. rather than have to cast a circle, open the circle, conjure a spirit, use the spirit, recall the spirit, banish the spirit, and close the circle.

 This sort of power gathering is great for elemental magicians, ones who use fire, water, earth, or wind. All casters of any level require this exercise to gather personal reserves of energy. The apprentice and archamage alike have to do this. Remember that the more experienced you are, the longer this takes. The reserves of the caster grow with experience and constant flushing out filling.

 The whole idea of energy reserves, however, is set apart for those that wish to have onhand magic at any given moment. Those that are interested in, or better put, talented at spirit conjuring do not have to worry about instant power. A spirit conjuration is done by calling on higher powers to exert their energy to do your will.

 A conjurer is simply an ethereal coordinator, not a spellcaster, and thereby does not have to collect energy. The basics of practice, practical use. I hope by the time you view this page that you have already read my introduction philosophy. Safe magic hinges on comprehending that document and the ripple link.

 So far, if you have read these at a pace of approximately one per day, then this will be the third day of reading. It takes about a day to fully understand and put into practice the content of each page and maybe longer. I've heard of people going for up to eight months on the first page's questions.

 The final step to beginning magic is the practical application of all that stuff you have so diligently worked at understanding. Practical magic requires you to understand your caster type, power level, purpose. So, the first thing to do when applying all this wonderful information is to remember back to the first lesson when you were asked to determine your type.

 Obviously, if a caster was a necromancer and wish to heal a friend, it would be to the detriment of someone else. A necromancer has to draw on the powers of death. So, in that case, a suitable donor, voluntary or not, would have to be found. A healer, in contrast, would be able to siphon the energies of earth into the wounded friend and in turn hurt nobody.

 A conjurer would have to send a demon or angel into the person in question. There are many different options available, but each one has a different price to pay. The necromancer may lose a bit of their own life force or have to harm someone else and would have to kill a living person proportionately to the amount of healing they bestow. The healer would run out of available magic for a while and would be mentally weary.

 The conjurer would not only have to later exercise the possessing spirit from their friend, but also would render the services of that spirit unavailable to themsel for a time. Think of your objective and then think of the options available to you considering your caster type. Sometimes the cost isn't worth the benefit.

 That's why I personally recommend that whatever type of caster you are that you make friends with a caster of opposite alignment and ability, i.e. a demon conjurer with a priest, a healer with a necromancer, a wizard with a sorcerer, etc. Think of your objective again and think of how much energy it will cost you to obtain that goal.

 For a priest, a blessing is nothing. For a demoncer, a blessing is among the hardest things possible. Be shrewd in using your powers. Sometimes what is difficult for one caster class is simple for another. Try to find the most expedient and wise way to obtain your goal.

 If it was to gain money, then obviously a healer and a black mage would go about getting that money in a different way. The healer could offer their services of health while a black mage could offer enchanted items or magical services of their type. Lastly, one must evaluate purpose. This point is the most difficult to ascertain.

 If money is the purpose, perhaps that is too difficult to achieve. Instead, try aiming for a job as your purpose and as a result obtain money. Purposes range in every way possible. Some are altruistic and some are greedy and self-serving. Either way, one must be very cautious when deciding what their purpose is.

 When you are ready to proceed, prepare yourself mentally. You must prepare yourself for results, for the gravity of what you're about to do, and for the expulsion of some or all of the energy you have been gathering through the breathing exercise set out in beginning magic number two.

 First, extend your hands towards the target or if performing an area effect enchantment, point at the sky. Alternatively, some people find just as much strength by simply concentrating on the task at hand without any body positions. Clear your mind of disruptive thoughts that will distract you from concentrating 100% on your magical task at hand. Now you should think of your purpose.

 Think of it vigorously, vividly, and precisely. Now feel the energy you have saved up naturally flow in the proper proportion out of your body and affecting your will. Let's just say for a solid example that you're a mage who wishes to implant a thought in someone's mind. Flush out your mind.

 Enter that person's mind and convey your thoughts through air energy. If it didn't work the first time and the person just continues laughing, talking, or whatever they're doing, and it didn't seem to affect them, try again. There's no harm done by trying again. Some spells require a fair bit of raw energy to get started. Just keep trying.

 If by some chance it didn't work the first time or the hundth time, keep trying it. It will eventually work. But you may need more energy to perform that spell than you have at the time. It is a frustrating process, but it does work with practice. Some people get it the first time, some don't get it till the 101st time.

 It just depends on how accurately you have carried out these steps and how much energy you have reserved to perform these acts of magic. Have faith, keep practicing, and rest secure in the fact that you now have all the information necessary to become an awesomely powerful magician. There are other ways available, but this works the best hands down.

 The parting of ways white magician. The white art practitioner has among the easiest arts to advance in. The reason is that white casters typically are not constantly being hunted by adversaries. They do not start any fights and therefore are not compelled to finish any either. This allows them lots of time to understand the inner workings of nature and to collect their power for use in times of need.

 The main focus for you as a caster of this sort now would be to learn the basic uses of herbs, oils, runes, and stars. The creation of familiar elemental spirits is also quite useful as they can be helpful for gathering information and tending to matters. The more advanced caster may wish to create a magical node in which they can exercise absolute magical authority when they need to.

 A node is a concentration of magical energies into an area for absorption. The white caster can shape the magical auras of the trees, rocks, plants, and other items to concentrate on a spot, thereby making it a magical focal point. These are endlessly useful. People who are injured should be brought here so that the full effect of a white caster's magic can be experienced by the recipient of healing magic.

 Also, this is a safe haven against magic curses from adversaries. Learn how to neutralize an area and experiment with cleaning an area of magical influence. Enjoy the excursion into the white protective and healing arts. Black Magician. The black caster has a difficult task ahead. It requires much patience and discipline.

 The main thing to focus on is physical or tangible results. Don't assume that anything has ever happened. Be sure that if you cast a fire spell that something, perhaps not even your target, has caught on fire. In the beginning, absorb as much magical energy as possible and then channel all of it into a single action.

 It must be done that way at the beginning, or else your results will be lame and barely noticeable. Later, refine the amount of energy and the focus control thereof through experience. Focus on one type of magic at first, such as fire. Do not attempt to begin by casting ice and fire spells back to back. Try to perfect fire and then move on to something else.

 The black magician is to always increase their repertoire of destructive and varied spells. Always seek out new spells and of a different sort. At first, perfection of a single spell is sufficient. Do not be discouraged. Even after a few years of minimal results, if it really comes down to that after about two years, if you still cannot get anything, quit.

 You are not a black magician if there is no result by that time. Mage. The mage has a lot of decisions ahead of them. Mages are typically good at the mind arts, earth energy channeling, and some of the movement spells such as remote viewing and warp space for the initiated. Mages usually begin by attempting charm spells in which the caster attempts to magically win the loyalty of a creature.

 The success of this spell typically depends on the caster's skill level and the intelligence of the target. Attempt to control the will of beings of lesser intelligence to start, then move up. Starting on insects or hordes thereof is good. From there, move up to animals. The local dogs and cats tend to be good targets for that sort of practice. Moving up to humankind is a big step.

People, as a rule, have a 100 IQ. This is a far cry from the typical dog. Once a mage is at that point, there is no stopping them in the minefield. Another aforementioned ability is that of the movement field. Movement is very difficult because of the concentration level required.

 Even a momentary lapse of concentration is sufficient to trap a person or object on the ethereal plane. Making headway in this field is fun, but difficult. Enjoy experimentation, but be a bit wary while practicing. The last thing a mage proceeds in is the ability to channel earth energy. This allows the absorption of energy to be used in any sort of spell.

 Mages are blood hounds when it comes to finding a node. Try to find one or make one and experiment in it. Druid. The druid is part of their environment. Through an intimate bond with nature, the druid is able to move the very forces of nature to cover their tracks, defend themselves, or to perform duties.

 The interesting thing about a druid's ability, though, is that it is viewed as a natural extension of their unity with nature. Druids are also infamous for planting magical groves. First, a specific type of tree is chosen for it abilities, and then a lot of that species of saplings are planted into a spacious circle. The druid then visits this grove and meditates in it, ensuring its health and channeling magical properties into the trees.

 When these trees are older, they will cooperate with the druid and give what they can to their protector. For a druid, being in tune with nature and harmonious with all things is the highest calling. This does not mean that druids are unable to use the aggressive magics in their arsenal, but rather that they are only to be used on those that oppose and disrupt a harmonious way of life.

 A very intelligent and tastefully done mega resource on druidism and pretty much every aspect thereof can be found at neopagan net enchanter. An enchanter has one of the most technical of the magical arts. The problem with most enchanters is that they a don't keep a useful book of shadows b aren't resultoriented. If you are an enchanter, please do the opposite of the two points previously mentioned.

 An enchanter has to look for physical results in the creation of magical objects such as talismans, amulets, tools, etc. If an item is charged with a fire blessing, let's say it's a glove, be sure that it is capable of keeping the wearer warm. If it isn't 100% effective, it's useless. Keep a record of the procedure used and the result reaped.

 This enchanter's journal should be of sufficient detail that you can refine your procedures to the point that even the most extreme results of the most complex enchantments are available whenever they are needed. Another dangerous pitfall encountered by enchanters is overenchanting or using a previously enchanted item. Never charge an item with two opposing spells or with more than four enchantments total.

 The ethereal backlash from overenchanting an item is sufficient to at least blow out a magician's magical reserves for a few days, let alone the physical and mental damage possible. An item enchanted with two opposing charges is then classed as a cursed item. It is dangerous to the user and usually everybody in the area, too. It requires a cleric to remove a curse from an item or more accurately to remove the item's curse from a person.

 A cleric may with prayer and fasting remove a curse from an item completely. Elemental mage. The goal of an elemental magician at this point is to become familiar with the collection of elemental energy. This energy is perhaps the most abundant type of all, but also bar none the hardest to use.

 Elemental magic focuses on the concentration and surging of these energies to achieve a specific purpose. Air tends to be the easiest to control since by its very nature it is always in a state of change. Earth tends also by its nature to be the hardest thereby resisting the will of the magician.

 The trick so to speak of elemental magic is to learn what personal techniques or methods work best for you to get the element in question to obey. diver. The diver's main job is to find out what's going to happen.

 There are so many varieties of exactly how to do this that there will be no advanced page or master of this art. It is just too varied and difficult to pin down. As a general guideline, though, divers use a physical medium of some sort to find out what they can about the future. Every form divination imaginable is out there for the taking.

 Among many many other types of divination are the use of clouds, tarot decks, runes, water, fire, earth, wind, sand, sticks, rocks, birds, cats, dogs, spiders, bones, intestines, blood, insects, weather conditions, feces, fingernails, palms, fingerprints, the infamous crystal ball, head bumps, eye orientation, candles, saliva, spirits, fairies, sprites, hair, urine, body measurements, tea leaves, auras, stains, tooth alignment, eating habits, birthdays, zodiac signs, and a myriad more than I have room for on this page.

Each diver has a different way of telling what will happen, but the basic gist is that regardless of how they do it, they do it. Divers are often employed by magicians who have no divining power of their own to see what primary, secondary, tertiary, quturnary, etc. effects a particular spell will have on them, their friends, their target, etc.

 In the technological age, many people use online divination methods such as the ones offered at facade com. These sorts of services are everywhere and can sometimes be helpful. Usually, it is best to take your future divining needs to a real diver though, not a randomizerbased computer program, although many people see the computer as an equally legitimate form of divining. Books on fortune and futuretelling abound.

 One does not have to look far to find a place to learn divination. Conjurer. Conjurers have no limitations to their advancement except experience. All the basic knowledge for major advancement is held within the book series the greater key of Solomon and the lesser key of Solomon. Being careful and being sure to ask command properly is the only true difficulty.

 Acquire these books both series of which are available online and read them thoroughly. These are all a conjurer need. Perhaps later depending on your own personal alignment the grimmorium verum black arts may be desired. I have heard also through a fairly good source that A.E. Weight's book, The Book of Black Magic and Paxs, is a good read for the aspiring conjurer. Healer.

 Healers are much like a mage, channelers of earth energies. The healer is a realigner of magical forces to the benefit of a living being. The theory is that when the physical body is cut, the ethereal body is cut as well. Both wounds will eventually heal, but the ethereal cut is usually untended to. The healer must feel the energy of the wounded, soften it, and mold it back into alignment with the rest of the body.

 Once the ethereal body is healed, the physical body will quickly follow. By the same token, the healer can create wounds as well by disaling the ethereal body of a target. This is rarely done as a healer is almost always of a good nature. The healing is usually not instant, but it is extremely fast. Nothing short of practice will improve a healer in this art. Necromancer.

 The first way to begin necromancy is to get a black robe with hood and belt. Optional, but highly suggested. A staff, optional. A blank spell book, nonoptional. These should be sufficient to start. The hardest thing in this particular art is to get started in the first place. After that, it should be a snap. A thorough reading of internet necromancy sites is a start.

 There aren't any really good sites out there that I have found that cover the actual use of necromancy, but it will give you a general feel for what to expect. There should be books available in any bookstore. If it isn't there, a great place for alternative religion books, although they are sadly lacking necromancy books online is Maggus Books.

Next, all the items should be assembled. You can shop about and get most things from a typical grocery store, fabric store, forest area, or bookstore. Next, you need to find a cemetery. Of course, being necromancy, you have to have dead people around to start half this stuff.

 The main tool of a necromancer is the death ether. An occupational hazard of being a necromancer is that working so close to the essence of death, one becomes consumed by the very forces they are attempting to channel. Being careful with necromancy, as in conjuring, is the key to survival. And correct execution of the rituals is the key to power.

 With necromancy, you must experiment. There is no cut and dried way to simply pick up the big book of necromancy and be on your way. It is a personalized art that requires you to do your own brain work. Study gem properties, metal properties, demon summoning, wizardry to a small extent, and magecraft for a general idea of how magic works.

 With that understanding, warp and twist the knowledge so that it can be used to work with the forces of death. Write down everything you do to the letter. Sorcerer. Though there is no hard and fast rule as to how a wizard or sorcerer should continue their studies, there is a general trend for both. Sorcerers tend to experiment more in the dark arts and eventually become more often than not demoncers.

 This is not the best choice if you're looking to keep your sanity, but the fact cannot be denied that demons do get the job done. sometimes even the way you ask them to. Try to avoid letting the raw power of evil magics take over your mind. This is far easier said than done, but the key is this. Sorcerers, though generally nice, are occasionally selfserving and nasty. Power for a sorcerer is typically attained by convincing people to do their work for them. A classic example of this is a soulstealer.

 They are a very special breed of sorcerer that drain a portion of the life force of their victims in exchange for party trick style magical favors. They receive a lot more than they give. This power of the soul is then either consumed and turned into raw magical power or is re-released to do the sorcerer's bidding.

 A sorcerer has a very hard job ahead if they intend to remain a sorcerer. Many and truly most sorcerers become conjurers and demonsters or kill themselves. Be ever vigilant not to let evil totally overtake your mind. To continue sorcerer studies, become very proficient at the elemental spells, fire, wind, water, earth. When you can control the elements, then try to control demons.

 When controlling demons, start small and gradually work your way up. Never ever ever ever try to start at the top or you'll be possessed and you'll end up killing yourself against your will. Remember that unlike conjurers, sorcerers have no protection against the dangers of demons. Wizard. Wizards are masters of the movement class of spells.

 These are very hard to affect because of the fine mental concentration required and the large amounts of power for even a short movement. A traveling distance of any more than a kilometer can take up to an entire day to reserve enough energy for. More often than not, spells of this nature aid in the endurance, stamina, and speed of a wizard's target, often themselves, such that weariness does not set in, and that maximum efficiency is obtained.

 Try movement spells on everything but yourself first, so that you can gain the experience of the precise mental coordination required to move an object without trapping it on the ethereal plane, or to hasten a living organism without damaging the internal organs.

 We after all do not want the ethereal plane becoming as cluttered by stray objects and we do not want the targets of beneficial spells being injured. There are other ways of teleporting which take virtually nothing in the way of power but are not guaranteed. The wizard is to use their special status of being able to remain neutral in the magical realm, being able to use both white and black forms, though mostly white, and to use their abilities for overall good.

To attain the level of wizard usually requires a long time. So don't use the title unless you think you deserve it. Better yet, get someone else to call you a wizard, a person, or a truthful spirit before using the title.

 The main point to remember when advancing in wizardry is not to favor one sort of magic, but rather to keep a balance. Continue practicing and remember the responsibility that follows power invariably. Priest cleric. The priest cleric must and veritably yearns to learn the nature of God. The combination of wisdom, knowledge, and faith are what make a truly strong practitioner. Study of the scriptures is the way to knowledge.

 The leading of God is the way to wisdom. And the application of wisdom coupled with God's leading is the way to faith. I can't really say much more than a good copy of the Bible can about this topic. I suppose the main challenge for a beginning practitioner is to live a holy life. Holy means to be set apart and consecrated.

 Once a holy life has been attained, a priest is then empowered to the exorcism of demonic forces from a person, place, thing. Remember also that God works in many ways that we do not expect. Even if you are expecting a miracle, chances are that God will not use that way unless it's necessary. The story goes something like this. There are a thousand variations on this story for almost every sort of religion.

 One day, there was a priest who prayed day and night for the succession of evil magic in his area. This prayer went on for months. Finally, he consulted another priest and found out that the evil magicians not only increased in power, but that they were now using it on each other. The first priest in a lament at the increase of magic told his story to the second priest and asked God right then out loud why he didn't answer the prayer. The second priest looked and said, "Are you sure that your prayer wasn't answered? Take it for what you

will." The priest must learn faith, practice holiness, and rely on the powers of the spiritual to aid them in their task. Satanist. A magical Satanist has a fair amount to do. Despite the possible benefits, a price is paid in equal or greater proportion to the benefits reaped. Sacrifice of the proper sort should be offered to Satan or a demon.

 Find out what sort of sacrifice is needed such as blood, food, oil, desecrations, worship, a pact, or whatever. Each entity requires something different. In exchange for these sacrifices, a Satanist will receive just about any earthly pleasure they desire. The goods of the world and all it has to offer are at the fingertips of the devoted magical Satanist.

 A good spot to start for a fairsized list of demons, their traits, and what they require would be book one of the lesser key of Solomon, aka Lamegotin. Study this and you will soon find what you're looking for. Another point to mention about Satanism is that it does not only refer to the worship of the deity Satan, but is largely homosentric, thereby centering many Satanist activities around oneself and the hedonistic pursuit of happiness.

 Also, some tidbits of fun for the average Satanist are the Satanic Bible, Grimmoriam ver and the complete witch. These will well educate a Satanist. There is no lack of solid Satanism websites available out there. Part two, intermediate occult magic advancement to higher levels. Read this page very carefully. It covers the most important part of your magical journey, spell creation.

 This page contains all the answers to can you give me a spell for questions. Please read this and understand every paragraph since metaphysics and spells are the parts of magic you will continue to research for as long as you are a magician of any art. By this time, you have read all the introductory information necessary to begin the absorption of energy, energy storage, using energy towards a purpose, and have decided on a casting art to begin with.

 These are all key foundations, and to have made it this far, you must have had a great deal of dedication. Congratulations. Since the basics are covered, and you have a firm mental and practical grasp on the use of that information, you will want to know, how do I go farther? Isn't there a period between beginner and advanced? The answer is yes. There is an intermediary stage.

 The description of this stage will be kept brief for two reasons. Number one, so as to avoid confusion, and number two, because from this point on, you are your own magician. In the beginning stage, you learned how to store energy. In the intermediary stage, you will learn how to make use spells. I will not, as many may expect, herein list all the possible spells, the chance phrases associated with them, or give any spell type or description for any art, save for the example later on.

 The key to progressing is to begin using your book of shadows. A book of shadows is an absolutely necessary part of learning in any casting art mentioned within the library of knowledge. It is essentially a journal of your experiments into magic, both successful and unsuccessful, which helps you determine in hindsight what you did, what you didn't do, why you did didn't do it, why the spell worked, didn't work, and what you can do to improve progress.

 Once you have a book of shadows, which at first will be nothing more than a blank journal book, you have to think back to one of the questions you answered in beginning magic to even begin studying. The question I refer to is what do you want? It is the third question of magic for those who do not remember.

 Once you have found a purpose, you must then use the energies that you have learned to manipulate to attain a result which will affect that purpose. Remember that with a few exceptions, spells are unintelligent and will simply do their duty, much like a discharged bullet. Think of the purpose and then use the abilities available to your caster type to achieve that purpose.

 Of course, you're probably confused by this, but bravo if you're not. So, I'll provide an example. Caster type, necromancer, purpose, strength. A necromancer, of course, works only with death. So, things such as using the fire element or calling on God or Zeus are out of the question.

 Necromancers work with death essence. So, now the question is, how do I get strength through death? Well, as normal people walk around and use strength in the process, a necromancer does too. To get strength then could be to rob their strength.

 In this case, the necromancer fills their hand with death essence and uses it to switch with a target. While draining, some would say forcing out life force from a target. Death essence is replacing the stolen life force. In this way, the target will become weaker and the necromancer becomes stronger by supercharging their energy reserves.

 To turn this ability into a bonafide spell, all you have to do is give it a name. Something simple and straightforward like life drain. This then is the life drain spell. Now, I just cheated and told you how to perform one spell. It will not happen again. Never ask someone, "How do I cast a spell for what in my art?" Four. What do I do to get boon? The key to starting magic of this sort is that you learn the rules of spell creation and spell performance on your own without any help from anybody.

 Using your book of shadows, you try something, record the procedure, record the results, and write down what you think wrong right and improve on it. Or when satisfied, move on to another spell. This then in a nutshell is intermediate magic. The ability to learn on your own. Part three, advanced occult magic. The touch of darkness.

 By definition, a practitioner of black magic is someone who specializes in the casting of offensive, aggressive, and destructive spells. Black magic centers around the theory that the best defense is a good offense and thus concentrates on the use of magics that are meant solely for the purpose of destroying. To this end, the black magician must learn the arts of many different caster types, picking and choosing which spells to keep and which spells to discard.

 Also, as with all distinct caster types, black mages, the term used for a practitioner of black magic, despite the fact that they are not true mages, but are rather only mages by the etmological definition of the word, i.e. a magician, have a few spells specifically of their own. The black mage's spells, remember, these are not real mages, come from a variety of what might be loosely termed the casting arts.

 Though there are a lot of religions which use magic in one form or another, the black mage's arsenal comes from the casting arts, which are listed here in the library of knowledge. Having an affinity for destructive spells, the black mage hones only those spells which bring about the decay or destruction of their target, believing that this is the only useful way to progress in life and magic.

 Unlike a sorcerer, the black magician may worship certain deities, perhaps even themsel, as the Satanist does, and may hold to certain rules of casting which they find improve their performance. to the end of a well-rounded repertoire of offensive spells. The black mage takes from the following arts: conjuring, demoncy, elemental magic, enchanting, necromancy.

 The use of each of these arts will be further expounded on. As for conjuring and demoncsy, these arts tend to found the knowledge base and insidious powers of a black mage. Though not used very often for the purpose of totally destroying an enemy, it is quite common in this art to use them for intelligence gathering or for acts of treachery and subtle destruction.

 Demons, as opposed to standard spells, have intelligence and power that can work in a multitude of ways and can change methods without direct instruction from the caster. Having this benefit, sometimes a demon is the only force necessary to rectify a situation. Demons, however, and thankfully are not the only source of power for a black mage.

 One of the landmark abilities of a black mage is to be able to take different spells from different casting types altogether and bind them into one cohering magic form. Another one of the arts that is sapped of its unique abilities is elemental magic.

 Black mages tend to be fiercely fond of using the elemental class of magic since it represents the quickest and most effective form of physical destruction available. Fire among the four elements is a classic among these casters. Though never able to reach a level of control over the elements that compares with a dedicated elemental magician, some black magist rudimentary level spells of elemental magic.

 With the exception of earth, the elements are usually mastered at the most basic level by a black mage simply for the purpose of being able to use them for unleashing chaos. Very little from elemental magic is accessible to a black mage, but often instead of elemental magic, enchanting is used. Also, with enchanting, very little is available without dedicated study, but it tends to be far more forgiving and accessible to other caster types. Black mages use this to enhance their normal operations.

 If a black mage were simply trying to curse someone, this would be the art of choice. Using a fire elemental, the conjuration instructions of which can be found at Spirit Online, a black mage can create a spirit to go and harass, destroy, harm a selected target.

 Although the Spirit Online link is white magic based, so it will never recommend that you use an elemental servant for such purposes. This type of magic is based in enchanting and will probably not be the strongest ability of a black mage, but still is a casting ability worth mentioning. The final borrowed source of a black mage's ability is based in the use of necromancy. Necromancy is infamous for two things.

 Raising undead minions and vampiric spells. Though the raising of bodies or entities is an ability far above a black mage, they are capable of tapping the vampiric and draining powers of necromancy. By learning the basics of the use of death essence, the black mage can employ draining spells and spells of harm that will take the magical and/or life energies of a target and add it to one's own reserves.

This does not mean that a black mage can steal your soul or shorten your life, but rather that a feeling of weariness and lethargy can be induced. Also, as with every distinct caster type, there are a few spells available to a black magician that are truly and uniquely for that caster class alone.

 Much like the death essence of necromancy, black magic holds power through the use of the black channels. Many black mages hold the claim that much like death essence, there is a black energy source out there that can be commanded and controlled with willpower. This enables a variety of spells for the black mage. The different uses of the black energy cannot be discussed here in any meaningful way, but knowledge of its existence forms a base for the black mage's studies. This is the art of the black mage.

 Triumph through force. Practical and divine theology. Meet all biblical extracts are taken from an Naz. Clerics are currently a rare breed of magician despite the fact that at one point in history they were the most abundant religious rank available. The art of clerical magic has long been lost to the belief that all magics are evil devices of Satan.

 In truth, the practice of non-demonic magic by priests and clerics was widely supported by all people, both churchmen and laymen, until the publication of the Malas Maleficarum in 1486. With that publication written by Kramer and Springer, two Dominican priests, the whole magical community was turned upside down. People mostly ceased using the demonic magics and began investing all of their time in the natural magics.

 This tradition, the use of natural and divine magics lives on in clerics. First, so as to understand the basis of power for the cleric, one must examine their lifestyle and philosophy. The cleric must possess three attributes in order to use their magics. Firstly, a cleric must be spiritually ordained in Christ.

 This does not imply that an earthly second part be present, but rather that a belief in the saving power of Jesus Christ and the repentance of sins are parts of the cleric's life. Secondly, a cleric must aspire to spiritual and moral perfection in everyday life based on 1 Thessalonians 4:2. That each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor. As a cleric, you must show yourself to be an example of good deeds with purity in doctrine, dignified, and sound in speech, which is beyond reproach, in order that the opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say. Titus 2:78. A cleric lives their life in holiness, always striving to be of the

best moral and spiritual character that they can be. A day filled with prayer and solemn holiness is typical for a true cleric. Clerics are very familiar with the Bible, both Old and New Testament, and lead an exemplary life of devotion to God and of work befitting a servant of Christ.

 The benefits of this lifestyle are manifold. Some manifest themselves in the afterlife and some manifest themselves in this life. The benefits reaped in this life are the abilities of clerical magic. Clerics are famous for a few abilities both through experience and through legend that set them apart from the other caster types.

 Clerics historically have been attributed the powers of healing, magic immunity, exorcism, and calling divine intervention. Healing for a cleric unlike a standard healer does not involve a knowledge of the ethereal body. For a cleric the work is done by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is that spiritual part of the cleric which indwells them at the time of their salvation upon willing and injured person to be revived in the name of Jesus Christ through which a cleric receives any and all of their power.

 The Holy Spirit is the power which takes over and begins to work the revivification process in a target. Done with true compassion, a solid faith, and most importantly, a holy purpose, a cleric's healing is often instantaneous. Another rare but common power of the cleric is their seeming ability to ignore the effects of many spells.

 While not constituting a total immunity, the magical immunity of a prayerful cleric is a common attribute. The stronger the cleric is in their spiritual and moral walk with God, the purer their life and the stronger their prayers, the higher their immunity to direct magic seems.

 Exorcism is a power that was often used by medieval clerics and continues to be a common function of modern clerics. The demons which have been summoned by a conjurer often can be dislodged from the earth sphere by the holy presence of a cleric. Using devices such as holy water, a cleric can banish unwanted demons. Sometimes, though not often, the sheer presence of a holy servant of God, such as a dedicated cleric, is able to frighten a demon into submission.

 Clerics must be fondly familiar with the Bible to be able to banish a demon, but with enough practice can perform such a task with a holy strength. The last and most notable ability of a cleric is that of calling divine intervention. This is by far the most powerful ability that a cleric can call on.

 It is the power to call God himself to directly act in a situation, thereby often turning incredibly poor odds in the favor of the cleric's holy purpose. Impossible situations commonly turn themselves to the cleric's favor when divine intervention is called. Angels may assist the cleric in an infinite variety of ways depending on the situation and occasionally God himself intervenes on behalf of the cleric to sort matters out with the power of divinity.

 Concerning the plains demonology has been a study that humanity has been interested in since the dawn of the written word. Even in formal literature as early as Christopher Marlo's Dr. Fostess606004 has the image of a mortal making a pact with the devil been of intrigue.

 A great many informal tales passed down by legend and word of mouth have predated Fostess while still communicating the same idea that humans can control the supernatural. The means to this control has always been a sorted issue. After all, how does one say definitively that there is only one way to do such a thing or that any one way is better than another? It is a hard task to say the least.

 There are many methods available, but the most popular ones of the current age come from four sources. The keys of Solomon, the sacred magic of Abramlin, the mage, Satanism, and folk demoncy. The keys of Solomon suggest an approach which both honors the demonic realm and which acknowledges the superiority of God over demons, thereby logically making the extension to use him as a mechanism to control the hell spawn.

 The keys of Solomon suggest elaborate rituals in the greater keys, the first three books of the eightbook series. These rituals involve a large amount of moral, physical, and spiritual preparation, magical tools, and precise incantations in toned at the correct times.

 It is a fairly complex and involved system, but it has survived so long only because it works. The bottom line is that despite consuming resources, it is the longest standing and most reliable manual on conjuration available. The sacred magic of Abram and the mage is another old collection of toms used for a variety of reasons.

 Some of these reasons are to control the spirits of earth to obey the conjurer's bidding. Here is the breakdown of this threebook collection as stated by SL Maggregor Matthers a noted translator of magical texts on page six of the first book. First book equals advice and autobiography both addressed by the author to his son Lamek.

 Second book equals general and complete description of the means of obtaining the magical powers desired. Third book the application of these powers to produce an immense number of magical results. As with the keys of Solomon, the sacred magic of Abramalin the mage comes from a Jewish mystical tradition aimed at the personal purity of a potential conjurer.

It suggests rituals intended to keep the conjurer pure so that the evil of demons cannot take hold of whoever may conjure them. I mention this point only to bring it to your attention to highlight its contrast with the next two methods of conjuring. Satanism also as one might guess from the name has a hand in the manipulation of demons.

 The method of protection in this case is radically different from that used in the Jewish conjuration systems. The theory in this method is that humans and demons are on the same side that of being anti-God and prohanist. Demons are also in this view merely manifestations of the mind like Freudian ego given form and let loose to roam the earth.

 As such, satanic conjuration rituals involve the invocation of many ancient gods and entities to oversee that a desire is met. In exchange, some sort of trade is made. A payment is made to the gods responsible for fulfilling a satanic spell in the form of food, drink, money, or some other tangible offering. Occasionally, a non-tangible thing such as your health can be used as a swap item for these demonic trades.

 Although trades of this nature are generally unacceptable in satanic conjurations and fall more appropriately into the folk demoncy class, the requirements change of codes in accordance with which gods fulfilled the request. Folk demoncy is the final method used in the modern age. This type of conjuration has no cut and dry rules of what to do or not do since it varies with each practitioner's beliefs and practices.

 Typically, it adheres to a Fostian barter system, not unlike the Satanist. The difference is what gets bartered. Your soul is the classical trade item for a conjuration made with folk demoncy. In exchange for some earthly pleasure, the conjurer usually offers a souls of X amount of others. If x amount cannot be obtained by the agreed date, obtained usually means making x amount of other people enter into a pact of their own with one or more demons.

 The conjurer's own soul is forfeit and their life is taken as a security. The Fostian deal, however, is only half of what can be classed as folk demoncy. The other half is similar to the methods of a sorcerer. In this second variation, the conjurer is kept totally secured from the demons that are used through the application of sigils, symbols, magical ingredients, protection spells, amulets, talismans, and whatever else can be mustered to resist the maelstrom of a demon's entrance to the physical plane. This mishmash has had mixed results throughout history, with some being recorded as complete successes and

others ending in utter chaos and bloodshed. Given the vast array of possibilities for the conjurer, the only constant is that one must study. Each of these methods involve a great deal of thought, time, effort, concentration, patience, and wisdom.

 The conjurer must immerse themselves in the study of demonology until they are fully equipped to grapple with the unseen evil in the ethereal atmosphere and bend it to their will. The course of nature primary tenants. Druids approach magic using nature as a basis for context and power. Druids consider themselves and their magic to be a part of nature, not above it, below it, or outside of its influence. People are also a part of nature.

 All nature is sacred and trees particularly. So, druids ask instead of command when performing ritual and casting spells. This is in direct contrast to several traditions of sorcery or ceremonial magic. Again, this is a matter of respect for nature and an acknowledgement of the druid's place within it. Druids get to know the forces they work with through meditation, study, ritual, and spending time in nature.

 This relationship can be as professional or personal as the druid desires. Although most relationships with natural forces take on very personal and direct meanings very early on, this takes time. There is absolutely no way around it. Of course, your mileage may vary, but you must walk the walk. The primary natural forces that the druid works with are air, fire, earth, water, and spirit.

 A druid is free to work with whatever god forms he deems appropriate or partial to his working. The druidic path is primarily solar. Druidic magic taps into energy and bends or directs it. As much as possible, include nature in your workings. work and meditate outside as often as circumstances permit.

 Druids do not consider their spiritual path above or better than any other. Of course, we druids are human and do take pride in our path. In fact, it is a druid's responsibility to allow each individual to grow according to the pattern nature has dictated. Helping where help is needed is one thing.

 Forcing another sentient being to accept your view of reality is something else entirely. A very basic ritual structure. Opening. Open by giving peace to each quarter. For without peace can no work be. Cast the circle clockwise and consecrate the space. Druids primary motivation for circle casting is to create sacred space. Protection is a usually a secondary consideration. Open the quarters. State your intent.

 Perform your ritual meditation. State that your ritual is done. Close and give thanks to the quarters. Unwind circle wittershins. Of course, give thanks to any and all spirits who attended your ritual. Basic meditation structure. This varies widely. If you find something that helps you quiet and balance yourself, then do it and do it fairly regularly. As often as possible, do it outside. Do it outside.

 As you get more comfortable, sit under a tree and do meditations. Or focus your meditations on the qualities of earth, air, fire, and water. Use the above ritual structure. Then sit in the sacred space and meditate. It is okay to ask the spirits, gods, even the trees for help and guidance. Nature has the answers if you take the time and have the patience to listen.

 Basic magical implements, incense, sea salt, water, mistletoe, live plant, tree. Obviously, being outside makes this downright difficult to miss. Staff, wand, or sickle. You can add to or take from this list as you wish. For me, working rituals in the woods tends to make MCM travel very lightly indeed. Sometimes all I take is the mistletoe. We'll get into the magical properties of mistletoe at a later date.

 Environmental responsibility and your ritual. If you must leave an offering for the gods, the best is spring water. It leaves no mess. Other acceptable offers, at least in America, would be tobacco or a very small token of food. Something simple like bread. Don't leave a freaking Twinkie for the gods. It will be waiting for you where you left it when you come back in your next life.

 Do not leave plastic, large amounts of food, crystals, finished wood products, metal, or anything else that would qualify as garbage to anybody else on the planet but you. I cannot stress this too much. If you frequent stone circles where people leave this trash, then you will begin to see how much damage it does.

 Not just to the eye and environment either, but to the spirit of the place. Environmental responsibility in you. Start recycling, buddy. This is the only planet we've got. You want nature to respect and care for you. It is a two-way street. The three keys to mastery. To know, to dare, to be silent.

 Advanced druidic magic by Colin the Druid. A bard never reveals injurious truth. The disgrace of a friend. The secrets of the druid's preface. As a member of a druidic order, I am tied by secrecy in certain areas concerning advanced druidic lore.

 The challenge for me in this article has been to give the reader advanced information without compromising my oaths. I have decided the best way to do this is to discuss the advanced duties of the druids without going to detail. After proper preparation and time, the student will know which path is to be hers or his. Druidic grades in Druidism, there are three areas of specialization. These areas are bard, ovate, and druid.

All three have areas in common and sometimes overlap. Bards. Bards are the historians, genealogologists, musicians, entertainers, libraries, news commentators, and keepers of a nation's culture. Their powers of memory are beyond compare. Traditional Bic magical capabilities cover divination, satire, and prophecy. Divination and prophecy are fairly self-explanatory. However, satire needs further explanation.

 Satire coming from a bard is a hex or a curse. Bards could raise boils on the face of their victims, cause misfortune, or kill the victim outright by singing of their victims using satire. It is not a good thing to be on the bad side of a bard. Modern applications of bardism magic would include creating song spells or spell poems.

 This creativity could be applied in a myriad of ways to modern magical techniques commonly available. The key is to use your imagination. Oates. Oates are the shaman, the seers, the masters in this world in touch with the other world. Their principal function was prophecy and divination of the most extraordinary sort.

 And ovate could see far into the future or well into the distant past. They could speak with the dead or the gods themselves. Druids. Druids are the professionals, the philosophers, and the keepers of the mysteries. the doctors, the lawyers, judges, juries and executioners, the priests, teachers, and leaders.

 Druids were versed in history, law, and magic of all sorts, nature craft of all sorts, healing arts, and more. Principal druidic magical functions included working with the weather, the seasons, and the nature around them. Druids are also seers, sorcerers, and magicians. They bring balance between this world and the other world. Druidic history.

 Modern Celtic historians are divided on how bards, ovates, and druids related to each other. Some feel that each was a separate order. Others feel that bards and ovates were a subset of the druids. And a third set of theories holds that the bards and ovates were once druids but became specialist orders over a long period of time. History isn't clear.

 The overlapping of abilities makes it even harder to discern. Modern druidism generally has bards and ovates as the first two grades of a druidic order. Some orders invert, which is first. In my opinion, the specialization creates different techniques to achieve the same magical result.

 Bards sing, ovates talk to spirits, druids cast spells, or something like that. The four great powers. The elemental magician's approach to magic is much like a sorcerer in that raw power is the preferred method of spell-casting as opposed to refining the same amount of power for maximum effect. Elemental magicians are concerned with as the name suggests the elements. The elements of concern are fire, air, earth, and water.

I will attempt to describe at length what the functions of these respective elements are and the use of them in the elemental system. Unlike many of the other casting systems, there is no secret to the function of elemental magic. Quite simply, it is harnessing the energy of a desired element and focusing it towards a physical manifestation.

 As a quick addendum to the preamble, keep in mind that the elemental magic system described here and throughout the library of knowledge is literal. Fire in this case does not include things that are not related to physical fire such as strength, aggressiveness, and other correspondences of fire associated with enchanters. Fire. Like a magical magnifying glass, the elemental magician focuses all the loose fire magic floating about into one unified beam of energy. The result of this is a marked increase of heat.

 Perhaps the object targeted by a weaker elemental magician will not instantly burst into flames if combustible, but it will at least acquire a distinctly higher temperature than it should have. A trick of the trade in using fire energy is to withhold as much as you can and then release as much as possible all at once in a concentrated burst stream. Air.

 Air is typically the most used element because of its highly versatile nature. Air can be soft and slow to cool down a tired magician. And conversely, it can be raging and concentrated to destroy structures, deflect projectiles, or to relocate object forcibly.

 Air is most often used to make life easier, not as a destructive force. It can be used to cool or warm, I suppose, depending on the temperature of the air in question. Something to hinder anything airborne or to create many twisters. Earth earth elemental magic is very odd. The manifestations are extremely varied and radically alter whatever they affect.

Earth can be used in its most powerful form to cause earthquakes and in lesser forms to cause ground to cave in to form spikes to become uncooperative to an adversary and virtually anything else a caster can imagine. The trick to using earth is to combine it with another element. Earth and wind equals a sandstorm.

 Earth and water equals quick sand or mud. Earth and fire equals hardened clay which can be pre-shaped. The drawback of earth, however, is that it is extremely rare to find an elemental magician who has anything more than passing control of it. Water. Water is the quietest of the elements, though no less powerful.

 It can be used to turn dirt into quicksand, to cause whirlpools, to feed dying plant life, or to kill over thriving plant life through deprivation, to cause rain or even a local flood. Water, though often called the element of life, is also quite capable of ending life if present in inappropriate amounts. Lastly, water is also used to quench fires.

 The fusion of essence and being an enchanter, sometimes spelled enchanter, espion English circa 1300 to 1500, has a system worked out that is strikingly similar to that of the elemental magician. The elemental magician works with the four elements in their raw forms, casting fire to set objects ablaze. The enchanter, however, does not cast fire to obtain the warmth or destructive properties of fire, but rather uses fire as a title for an ideal or notion of being.

 Fire to an enchanter means that one is trying to infuse the qualities associated with fire into an object or being. Fire's attributes include things such as life, aggressiveness, rapid healing, health, strength, power, inner fortitude, courage, etc., etc. The list is virtually inexhaustible. This page will attempt to explain at length the major uses of the four elements and then explain a highly refined form of enchanting affectionately called wishcraft.

 This page will not make sense unless you understand or at least have access to a table of correspondences. Two good ones are the mage page correspondences or Ludvik's tower. Commonly used spell components. Fire. The enchanter approaches fire from a vastly different angle than any other art. Instead of the base use of fire as an actual element, it represents active energy.

 Fire is most commonly used for two purposes, though there is a very wide array of possibilities for this element. Do not limit it to these abilities alone. Healing and strength. To heal, an enchanter must, true to their trade, enchant something for the true target to absorb the spell from. Usually, a piece of jewelry is used. All of the gemstone and metallurgical correspondences must be adhered to when preparing to enchant.

 So don't cast fire into a lapis lazly stone. For example, a ruby stone set in gold would be ideal. The ruby stone has qualities similar to fire as does the metal gold. With this combination, a mundane ring can be made into a ring of healing. The enchanter would take this ring to a place where they could concentrate and would hold it.

 While holding the ring, the power of healing, warmth, strength, vitality, and well-being would be channeled into the ring so that the bearer of it would receive the affforementioned benefits. The enchanter should be able to see the warm and fervent power of fire flowing from their own body and solidifying in the ring.

 When the ring is no longer able to hold any more power, it is given to the correct person. Air. This element is usually associated with the following attributes: psychism, mental ability, intelligence, invisibility, covert operations, illusion, secrets, speed, protection to a lesser degree, and magic. To use the element of air is to imply something of a non-tangible nature being used to affect the tangible.

 Air is often charged into amulets of the appropriate correspondence such as silver metal and in moonstone gem to make people invisible more psychically adept or to increase the power of the mind such as wisdom, intelligence or mental endurance. It is possible with the element of air to turn a normal mundane into a low-level mage by increasing their control over their own mind and the minds of others.

 By the presence of this element, it is possible for an enchanter to bestow magic on a person who is not naturally a very skilled magician or a magician at all. Air can be used to increase speed as well, be it physical speed, mental speed, or in an advanced enough state, the speed of time itself.

 Air is a very versatile element and as a result is able to pass on its versatility to those things it enchants. Earth. The powers of earth, while not actually referring to the physical movement or disruption of the ground, still harbor the qualities that we value the earth for.

 Solidity, power, stability, defense, strength, endurance, defiance, immovability, firmness, etc. The power of earth is usually used not to create new attributes, but rather to keep and strengthen existing ones. Notice that the attribute of strength is present in the element of fire and earth. The difference between the two applications is as follows.

 If strength were bestowed by using the element of fire, a person would become strong even if they were not before. Their strength through fire enchantment would be quick, powerful, and would fade as quickly as it came afterwards. Earth strength, conversely, would only enhance the existing strength of a person, but would be more resilient and last longer.

 Earth is a slower and more stable form of enchantment which allows the user to reap benefits far longer afterwards than any other element. Supposing any other element was cast with equal or lesser strength. The main stay of earth is the ability to bestow endurance. Water. Water is the basic element of life on planet earth.

 It is the healing source that regenerates the body and refreshes the mind. In enchanting, it carries the following attributes. calmness, reflectiveness, spirituality, passive psychism, divining, healing, peace, serenity, quietness, muting, quiet power, passive defense, and one-sided adaptability. Water is used mainly for three purposes. To defend against other magician, to tune your spirituality, and to heal.

 As a defense against other magicians, water is a key device. The trick to water is that it cannot per se be used offensively. To mute another magician's magical ability or to simply protect yourself from stray spells or powers, an enchanter casts a globe of water energy around another magician to stop the inout outflow of energy from that magician.

 To protect, a sphere is made around the caster which allows only their own energy to permeate the barrier. To be used psychically or to tune spirituality, one would find create a reflecting pool and bless it with the power of water. Lastly, as a healing device, water can be used to reopen blocked energy channels within the body. Water is a passive but powerful force. Wishcraft. Wishcraft is a different spin entirely.

 The art of wishcraft is a subdivision of the abilities of an enchanter allowing the greatest flexibility and purpose. Essentially, it the accumulation of all the elemental powers known in mast form as ether which is sent out to perform a purpose. This is distinctly different from using the individual elements in one major way. The individual elements focus on performing one task.

 But an ether cluster under the influence of wishcraft is sent out to accomplish a goal. A goal may entail many tasks and that is what makes it such a unique skill. But to qualify this ability on an equal level with the other elements, an ether sphere which has been released under the influence of witchcraft is not nearly as powerful as a single concentrated element and is very difficult to produce in the first place since it requires the storage of not one but four elements at a time, all of which conflict with each other. Wishcraft simply collects a sphere of the four elements, implants a

full purpose in it, and lets it float away to perform a duty, the touch of life. In advanced healing, we try to step beyond the normal cantrips, chants, and spells to reach the true mechanics and skill involved in the art of healing.

 We also attempt to learn how to avoid sacrificing our own energy or aura to heal another. I will explain both the methodology and processes of healing as well as some of the abilities one can use in this art. No matter what view one takes on healing, most agree that the outer aetheric oric or simply put non-physical body takes injury along with the physical body too. It's believed that when physical damage is incurred, the atheric body becomes misaligned and small fissures begin to open up. These aetheric wounds heal much slower and sometimes not at all.

 Often the cause of chronic or reoccurring pain. This is the healer's purpose to realign and bring harmony to this etheric damage so the physical body can heal more efficiently. This can be done through a number of methods including what I've termed oric transference and the more refined art of oric healing. Oric transference is when the healer will sacrifice his or her own energy and strength to bind the aetheric wound.

Most healers start at this level until they learn to channel energy and move on to oric healing. This method can be both taxing and dangerous if you don't know when to stop. Oric healing is a much finer, less simple skill. During oric healing, the caster draws elemental energy into themselves and then expels it to use in the binding process.

 Once it's decided which method is to be used, I advise the latter as it is less taxing on your own energy supply, the caster must decide which process to use. My two preferred processes are binding and aligning. Binding and aligning are merely two different approaches to achieve the same goal.

 During a binding, energy, preferably chneled energy, is used to cleanse, close, and then bind or bandage the wound. Cleansing is to basically ensure any negative energy is removed from the wound. Closing of the wound allows the natural energy field of the target to again return to a natural state and cycle.

 The binding of the wound is visualized much like bandaging a physical wound and has the same purpose to ensure the wound doesn't reopen. A lining of a wound takes less time but more energy. So, this should only be used once you've learned to channel energy into yourself. The basics behind aligning is that you create enough energy to cause the other field to become supple and soft. This will actually create a noticeable heat.

The relaxed field can then be manipulated back into a normal healthy state. Because during a lining, you actually fuse the field together. No bandage is needed. Note, to efficiently manipulate a field, you must allow your field to come into contact with it and then use your mind to see the movement of the field. Movement of the hands can aid with this. There are quite a few abilities that invaluable to a healer.

The first is more of a necessity, that is being able to sense the oric field. This can be done either with sight or touch. People who can see the aura will notice marks or stains on the field. These appear black, gray or muddier colored. These stains are sights of damage to the athetheric bodies or sightes of physical pain.

 If you cannot see the aura, despair not. The same way blind people can function by feeling their way through things, so can you. The athetheric stains often feel like knotted tissue or hard rough spots and can often make you feel slightly pained or ill. This is the way you will find your wound to work on closing.

 Other useful abilities can be claradiance and the use of a pendulum. Clar audience allows people to clearly hear spirits or atheric entities. These entities will often impart information onto the healer. Pendulums can be useful in finding damaged areas in the oric field. Another skill the healer can use is converting energy.

 For example, if you just channel white energy and then expel it, there is no specialized strength. But if while cleansing a wound, for example, you expel red energy, you can more effectively break and dispel negative energy and physical bacteria. The commonly used colors in healing are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Any questions to the usage of these colors or anything else, I will gladly answer. Lastly, I reach a section on defense.

 Just as a healer can channel energy from the elements, so too can they channel energy out of a target. This leaves the target weaker and the caster proportionally stronger. As the skill is not simple to learn, it is best to get as much practice healing and drawing elemental energy before attempting draining the life from a target.

 Using the reverse of the aforementioned methods, so too can the healer rip and rupture the aetheric body. In these days, when new diseases seem to spring like wildfire, healers are probably one of the most needed individuals. Healers often concern themselves with the well-being of others before their own and the principles of truth, life, justice, and harmony. Mind over matter.

 The art of subtle domination of the environment and one's surroundings is summed most perfectly in the art of magecraft. The mage is a highly intelligent, peaceful, mentally focused individual who seeks the purest forms of control over themsel, their surroundings, the people they meet, and the beings they come into contact with.

 A mage must be peaceful as an angry, vengeful, confused, or otherwise highly emotional person cannot properly concentrate. Everything aspect of life that concerns a mage from day to day is doineered so that the mage is always in total control. Magecraft as a whole art consists essentially of three hubs: psychism, natural magic, and temporal magic.

 The highly psychic nature of a mage lends itself well to being developed into a finely tuned art. To control living beings, a mage must learn to impose his her will. Usually, what a mage does is to begin with becoming one with the environment. This will be discussed at length later on, so I will leave the detailed explanation until then. After a mage has become one with their environment, a psychic thread is opened between the mage and the target.

This is often seen with the vision of a magician as a yellow blue thread of light which extends from the third eye of the mage to the equivalent of their target. The opening of a psychic thread allows the mage to listen to thoughts, see past thoughts, and to insert thoughts of their own directly into the mind of their target.

 The pure energy of a psychic link is a phenomenal experience and not one that is soon forgotten. At first, it may be hard to link with another sentient being, and it may feel as though only the surface of the targets mind is being penetrated. It is a fine way to start. A mage will know the instant a truly powerful psychic link is formed.

 It is like having lived two lifetimes and instantaneously feeling overwhelmed, elated, and very godlike. Once the newness of the link sensation has subsided, the mage can then concentrate and will find that their own thoughts can quickly and simply become the thoughts of their target. This is because of the highly focused energy that is supporting the psychic bridge. This energy, however, must come from somewhere.

 Mages draw their energy from somewhere, truly anywhere. The mage appears to be a slightly different breed when one examines their method of energy storage/usage. Energy flows through a mage. Unlike many casters who store energy and use it at a later time, the mage uses their stored energy only to initiate a link. The magecraft system runs on the principle of the four elements: fire, air, earth, and water.

 A mage views the entire world as ethereally composed of one or more of these elements. Each of these elements also governs different properties. If a mage were to attempt a psychic link, their stored energy of air, intellect, and water, spiritualism would be used to open a channel between themsel, their target, and to turn themsel into ethereal lightning rods.

 The environment then with each spell casting continuously feeds a mage so that energy is not spent on the casting of the spell itself, but rather only in the spell's initiation. A link between the mage and the environment is opened with stored energy. The environment then starts flowing through the mage. The mage filters the energy into what is wanted and what is not.

 The mage uses the required energy types, air and water, to keep with the example and lets the energy then flow into its purpose. In this fashion, energy is conserved and the spell can continue as long as the required concentration level is maintained. Warning. Be sure to learn your limits. When you are getting tired, stop the spell. Because the energy will never stop flowing through a mage until it is willed to do so.

 Many mages injure themselves by continuing a spell until they can no longer maintain precise concentration and collapse to the floor with exhaustion and suffer from an ethereal backlash. You have been warned. Be careful. The last thing a mage does is temporal magic. Temporal magic is also known as superficial spellcasting. As the name and nickname imply, these spells have no lasting effect, but rather are used for dramatic results over a highly limited time span.

 These types of spells include teleporting, not a strong mage skill, elemental spells, mage enchantments, curses, effect spells such as casting weakness, sleep, clumsiness, etc., and a few more. The way this is done is that the mage uses their body as a magical battery. Energy is very quickly stored at ultra high speeds and then jettisoned into a spell.

This is quite draining on the mind and body of the mage and therefore can be done a finite amount of times in one day, but is a useful skill nonetheless. Sometimes in certain circles, the energy here listed as temporal magic is called psionic energy. Either way, the idea is the same. high amounts of energy used in large burst quantities to create short-lived dramatic magical changes.

Magecraft is a powerful art, but above all other caster types requires a great deal of mental control and concentration. The next page represents some of the finer points of this art and some of the minute details of magecraft, the powers of death and decay. The first rule of necromancy is to throw away your paperback necronomicon.

Tomakeeper, master necromancer of the Hall of Legions. This page is dedicated to my favorite and most used of the arts, necromancy. Necromancics is the intimate use of life and death energies to the advantage of the necromancer. Though at first appearance, the name implies the strict and explicit u of the powers of the lone.

 It does in a bizarre and twisted way also involve the manipulation of life forces. First, I'd like to explain my quote. It's quite probable that if you are interested in necromancy that at one point or another you have either read or bought or both the Necronomicon. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint those of you that have or had it, but it isn't worth the paper it's printed on.

 You cannot buy ancient powers, mighty gods, necroantic powers, and legitimate spells to go along with it for $20 Canadian. Sorry, but no. The truth of the matter is that HP Lovecraft is a fiction writer. His story about the origin, purpose, and discovery of the Necronomicon is totally fake, as is the content of his book.

 It is nothing more than a semi-intelligently wrought mishmash of facts that he has attempted to correlate into a cohesive tome. Don't believe it, don't buy it, and don't think it's worth even keeping. Let the neophites and those that are easily fooled keep that book. There is no such thing anywhere or in any art as the big book of magic spells that you can simply pick up and become a 20-minute magician.

The closest thing to an instant magical fix is the Keys of Solomon series for conjurers. Magic is a difficult ability to obtain and maintain. Some people are naturally gifted at magic, but even they have to practice often or else risk losing their ability.

 I am among the gifted, but I do not slack off at all in practice. As a result, each prospective magician to be a master must diligently seek out their art through trial, study, and tribulation. Cole's bookstore does not now, nor will they ever have a $20 solution. Here is an informative link on the Necronomicon's history.

 It is assumed you have already read and applied the text presented in Beginning Oult Magic and Branching Arts back at the main page. If not, use the link at the bottom of this page to go back or use the back button on your browser. As a necromancer, you will find yourself in a precarious position.

 You have, of course, been practicing necromancy for a while before visiting a page about advanced techniques. So, you would have noticed by now that working so close to death does some rather nasty things to you, being a living entity. This is because though you are protected as a necromancer, you are still not immune. The real dilemma that most people find is that their own bodies come to resemble the very forces they conjure.

Necromancers tend to become very fragile in body and in appearance. Their skin bleaches white, their cheeks go salow, and their hands become twisted and bony. Their gaunt and skeletal appearance eventually progresses to the point that healthy individuals view them as rather frightening or anorexic.

 This is what the magician reaps as a side effect of necromancy. So, one of the goals that must be achieved by every necromancer is the ability to try to avoid dying from practicing their magics. This is done by using a modified form of the energy channeling lessons laid out in beginning occult magic. The way you were instructed to channel energy in beginning occult magic was to breathe in the surrounding energies and focus them towards a purpose.

 Now, let's expand on that idea. A fire magician will not breathe in water energy, nor a water magician fire. Conversely, a necromancer will not be using the living or natural forces around them, but rather will start off with using the powers of death. When a living thing dies, its essence remains on things it has touched or associated with during life.

 It is like a personality fingerprint that is left for those that are sensitive to them. You also as a necromancer give off these pulses, but your essence is the essence of death. Instead of using an internal source of life, that being your health, to imitate operations of necromancy, use the death essence that exudes from your presence.

 Death forces will simply eat up the life forces used in an operation, although it works just as well. But death energies will initiate and also strengthen the operation at no cost to you. A great place to regenerate this ability to pulse out death energies if you are low on power is in a cemetery. Just walk around for a while viewing the vestiments of death in the faces of the other people.

 You don't have to hide in there, meditate, or seek out bodies, but rather just be present. The effect this has on you as a necromancer is that it realines your nature to properly and consistently exude the death aura. If you become magically impotent, it helps to get your bearings by having a quiet time in the cemetery.

 However twisted or beautiful that sounds, it performs much the same function as prayer to a Christian. Christians pray and feel energized and in tune with God again. Necromancers can have their time of semnity and solitude and come away with new focus and sharper concentration. It takes away the cares of the world and also regenerates your magical power.

 Speaking of magical power, let's take a moment to discuss the usage of rings, amulets, talismans, enchanted devices, clothing, etc. In my opinion, feel free to disagree if you wish, the whole pile of rings and things are a waste of money. As I have found, these vestments of necromancy do nothing more than bolster the ego. They may be useful for struggling beginners to feel that they have power through the object.

 But in actuality, one must realize that all these powers are channeled through your own skill, not because of a piece of stone, wood, or metal. A struggling necromancer who knows no better may actually be improved by the use of necroantic vestments. But this is only because the beginner believes it will help. Personally, I don't wear a necklace or ring or amulet or any sort.

I know that my power is just as great even without these things. If you see someone who is having trouble with the art of necromancy, give them a necroantic ring. They'll enjoy it and it will give them power. After serious study, supposing they are studying to improve their art and not just looking for quick and fun magic results, they will realize that extras are not important and will take the ring off.

 Now we come to the technique and abilities of a necromancer. This will take a while, roughly a lifetime to understand. Power as a necromancer has is not limited to a certain set of spells and abilities. Necromancers, much like mages, are very versatile in their abilities. Anything related to death, shadow, darkness, and the undead is within the grasp of the necromancer.

 A necromancer may use their power in any way the imagination can comprehend, the mind can understand, and the power can support. Remember, necromancers, this is not a video game. You are not stuck with a finite amount of spells. Just as a white magician creates pure areas to work in, the mage creates nodes and the enchanter has a ritual area.

 so the necromancer can construct an ethereal space of heightened power. These, sadly enough, are very easy to find. As a necromancer progresses through the ranks, they will find that as they approach the height of their own personal power, that their very surroundings will become decayed and ghastly in appearance. This is because the death essence that a necromancer exudes will permeate their surroundings.

 Because every operation a necromancer attempts is based in the use of death essence and the molding thereof, the necrotic aspects of death essence tends to leak out into the surrounding area. As an example of casting a necroantic spell, such as to see far away, one would use death essence.

 The necromancer is a secluded sort who is usually unable to consort effectively with other magic types due to the vampiric and parasitic nature of necromancy. As a necromancer, a good idea would be to seek out other magicians and use the infamous draining touch to take their life force and energy from them.

 This can then be channeled into miscellaneous spells and works of necromancy. Now, for all of this information, you should know that this covers what is called lesser necromancy. Lesser necromancy is not as extreme as greater necromancy, but usually just as powerful. To complete the knowledge of a master necromancer only once you have mastered lesser necromancy, you can move on to the last page, greater necromancy. The final chapter from flames and frost.

 Now we get to the truly advanced parts of necromancy. This is the level that 99% of necromancers never attain, especially alive. Initially, you have found and been taught that the death essence is the power of necromancy. This is true for lesser necromancy. As a warning, lesser necromancy is more than sufficient for almost every need.

 A competent lesser necromancer will be hardpressed to ever find a foe so powerful that they must resort to greater necromancy. Greater necromancy need only be used in the most extreme situations. This is the overwhelming power of greater necromancy, the two spheres. The two spheres are fire and ice, or what I call hell and sticks.

Hell, thanks to Christianity, is well known to most people. It is the place where evil creatures, souls, and spirits are confined to a burning inferno. Black lava, rock, lava, demons, acidic and burning rain, ashes, fire, chains, torture, disfigurement, and unspeakable pain are all components of that place. This is where the most vile of the fire sphere are kept.

 When a necromancer wishes to draw the most powerful servant entity they can muster, it is from hell they come. Hell is the abode of already captive and tortured creatures. So all the necromancer must do is promise a brief time of relaxation from the pain in exchange for services. Almost every being will gladly take such a trade in an instant.

 To do this, the necromancer must use ether from sticks to cool the aura of the spirit and keep them bound to earth. from hell. A necromancer can call minor demons, greater demons, though not Satan or arch demons, fire wraiths, quite a sight, fire skeletons, and hell imps. This is an exhaustive list, as far as I can tell. The accessible content of hell changes all the time, though, so the availability of these creatures may fluctuate slightly.

It is also the ether of hell that allows a very skilled caster in greater necromancy to cast very unnecroantic spells such as fire blast. Be careful when using hell's fury, though, even though most creatures are willing to be servants for the price of temporary freedom. Some of them will try to trick a necromancer into making deals that are unbalanced and cost dearly. Sticks is the second of the spheres.

 It is where the most powerful of necroantic creatures lie. Unlike hell, however, the creatures of Stixs are not always servant. Sticks is the abode of death himself. It is a cold place of silence, grief, mental pain, and loss. It is the place of whispers, chill, cold swamps, dead trees, barren ground, cloudy skies, and ominous nothing.

 From here, necromancers draws the most powerful entities available to them, not excluding death. Creatures such as undead servtors, wraiths, specters, gists, shadows, death steeds, grim reapers, there are many of them, and death himself are available with enough coaxing and skill. The creatures of sticks have a desire much like the creatures of hell. They want to live again.

 Whereas hell is full of sensation, albeit painful. Sticks is grieviously lacking of sensation. The creatures of sticks want to be on Earth again simply to be able to feel and to interact with their environment. This is the bargaining tool of the necromancer in this case. Using hell's ether, a stigian creature can be bound to earth to perform the necromancer's will.

 Now, I'd like to avoid confusion about binding hell or sticks creatures to Earth. You do not always need to use ether from the opposite sphere to bind a creature to Earth. Though I have found that the method usually works. In this case, as in most things in the world, there are always exceptions to the rules.

 If one was to call death, for instance, using hell essence would be very bad. Death must remain in his own element and therefore should be bound using only death essence or sticks power. The same goes for calling reapers or some types of steeds. They are totally stagian and therefore cannot be bound using hell power. By the time a necromancer reaches this level, being able to tell how to summon a creature will be second nature instead of a mystery, as it may seem now to some readers.

 As a last piece of advice on greater necromancy, hell and sticks, though chock full of standard creatures, occasionally surprise me and spontaneously make bizarre creatures available for summoning. Sometimes these creatures do not even seem like they belong in that particular sphere, but they appear nonetheless.

 Take advantage of these bizarre quirks since they come along infrequently. Now, with the dispensing of this knowledge, I call to a close the realm of necromancy. The art of necromancy has been covered to the fullest extent possible without revealing anything that one must learn of their own accord.

 First learning lesser necromancy and then learning greater necromancy, one has very little true opposition. Call the zombies, ghouls, race, imps, servtors, demons, and skeletons to sing their cacophony if ever you to totally master greater necromancy. On that day, the world will end, I'm sure. Deities in the cosmos.

 Satanism as a magical or religious art focuses primarily on one question. Why are we here? This site being about magic, not religion, though it does occasionally impose itself into the magical framework and mostly so in the art of satanic magic. I will ignore the various religious answers and move straight to the magical philosophy behind that question.

 Pop culture indicates one of two answers to the reason of our existence. Number one, we are solely for the purpose of worshiping God the creator or some grand entity thereike and to base our existence around pleasing this cosmic entity by following rules of conduct and morality. Number two, we are here because of a big explosion which was followed by gradient evolution, relying on a chemical soup of unknown composition and mere chance to cause sequence after sequence of minor change over a span of millions of years

to produce everything now seen. Therefore, the supernatural is either non-existent or doesn't play a part in life. A Satanist once told me that this only presents two options, poof or bang, respectively. To a satanic magician, both of these options are unusable. If the first is true, then we are here only for worship to an omnipotent entity who shows no physical manifestation on earth.

 The Satanist poses the question, why doesn't God speak with a thunderous voice anymore? Why, if he exists, does he not prove his existence anymore with loud speeches and fire from heaven? Where is the concrete easily found and undeniable proof? The second option is unusable as well. If random energy were to cause order in the universe, why does entropy exist? The laws of thermodynamics and particularly entropy prohibit the possibility of the theory of evolution from being true.

 CF a rn or as is becoming more and more apparent in scientific circles, especially in the different subdisciplines of physics. So now having discluded the two major views of origin, one wonders where the Satanist stands on this subject. The answer is in the center of everything.

 Satanic magic is focused on the worship and building up of your own soul as a deity. Every person in the satanic view is a god unto themselves and an eternal being of equal potential power to that of any existing entity. With a philosophy like this one would of course wish themsel to be the highest entity in the universe.

 This has its complications though. Being all powerful, most people would not wish to be bound by the rules that God is. God is bound to be good at all times in thought, action, word, and deed. God must be pure. Most people do not wish to be bound in such a way, and therefore must seek a medium that will allow them to act in any way they choose.

 Another main consideration, however, is that the magician wishes to make use of an entity which is powerful yet allows free expression. The obvious choice that blends these two components, power and self-gratification, is Satan. Satanic magicians are not bound by the moral rules or laws that typical magicians must adhere to. Their magical methods include only spells which bring satisfaction to themsel through the use of infernal and satanic powers.

 According to the Satanic Bible, I cannot provide a link to it since it's a copyrighted work that cannot legally be reproduced without giving royalties, etc. In the book of Leviathan, chapter 3, it states that there are three types of spells available to satanic casters. Spells of compassion, spells of destruction, spells of lust. As is common to form, each will be discussed in turn.

 Spells of compassion may seem to be a contradictory concept given that the satanic magics are focused on the caster as beneficiary, but in actuality it is quite feasible that the caster can receive pleasure from the joy of another. When casting spells of compassion, as with other type spells in the sultanic realm, one must be entirely sure that they could be perfectly satisfied with the results.

 A wonderful briefing on the topic of definitive spell-casting is a book by Alashtra Cwley called Magic Without Tears. The concept of casting magic without any remorse can be condensed into one example. If you were, for example, to cast a spell to make your ailing friend well again, would you be perfectly happy if they were back to full health in a couple days? This depends on a few factors.

 Do you like your friend that much? Is he she a nice person? Is their presence better than their absence? Things of that nature must fully be taken into account so that every spell is picture perfect. The second type of spell is a spell of destruction. Once again, exactly like the considerations necessary for a spell of compassion.

 The idea of do you really want your spell to work, i.e. magic without tears, must be taken into account. Often the destruction of one involves the destruction of many. If, for example, you hate your boss so much that you want to cast a destruction spell on them, take the time to consider that part of your boss's destruction might involve the bankruptcy of his or company, which being your boss would also be your company.

 Also, be sure that a spell of this power is never used as a joke. You must be totally, entirely, 100% certain that you wish the absolute obliteration of your target. No, just hurt don't kill mentalities. The ultimate end of a spell of destruction is the death of the target. The last type of spell is a spell of lust. These spells are very peculiar in that lust is not a naughty concept for the satanic magician.

 On the contrary, using sex merely for pleasure and the acquisition of power is quite common. A real dedicated Satanist satanic magician is not concerned about the moral trappings of having sex and is quite free with the sharing and use of their body for such a purpose. After all, chastity and morality are Christian virtues, not a satanic ones.

 Though Satanism, the religion, does not conscribe to the wild orgies commonly attributed to it through the media, satanic magic does. When a lust spell is cast, as per the Satanic Bible, the satanic magician does more than perform the act itself. Energy is also absorbed. Sex rituals comprise a large amount of the power base for the satanic magician because of the large amount of energy expended in both members during a stimulation/copulation ritual.

 This energy instead of being ignored and going to waste is absorbed by the satanic magician and is channeled into a new spell. Finding a real dedicated and unashamed Satanist is rare. A satanic magician even more so. And a skilled satanic magician is a proverbial diamond in the rough. Raw power and dark energies.

 The world of the sorcerer is one which is wreathed in the mystic fires of the future. Having the same cunning and foresight as a wizard, sorcerers attempt to change their world through a slightly different means. While the wizard tends towards good magics and a defensive position, the sorcerer tends to have an affinity for the evil magics and an aggressive mannerism. This does not imply that they are evil per se, but it does show that they have a different approach tactic.

Sorcerers use the aggressive magics because they desire to take a proactive role in the shaping of their future or the future of their target. They use things that by the definition of white and black magic which is used in the library of knowledge classify as black magics to shape things around them.

 The idea is similar to the famous analogy used in the magical community concerning psychic warfare. To participate in psychic warfare, one may either attack all of their enemies or they may shield themselves. Both approaches accomplish the same goal, the safety of the magician's target, even if it is themsself.

 These approaches bear the same differences as wizardry and sorcery. The wizard would adamantly defend themsself, never becoming too concerned with whoever might be wasting their time attacking. The sorcerer, conversely, would be the one counterattacking their enemies, making no effort to adapt themselves to the environment, but rather adapting their environment to themselves.

 To this end, it is often useful for the sorcerer to utilize an array of skills. These skills include scrying, enchanting, conjuring, and heavy reliance on the art of magecraft. Scrying is used to simply predict the future. This is essential component to planning ahead and understanding which spells will need to be performed.

 The method used by the sorcerer from cauldrons to chicken bones is entirely based on what they are comfortable using. With a basic fornowledge of events, the sorcerer would reflect back on their answers to the three questions of magic and then evaluate which methods are necessary to make things work in their favor.

 Though perhaps less accurate than a dedicated diver, sorcerers and wizards have the ability to see the approximate outcomes of their potential spells. This is a distinct advantage that these two caster types have over the other types, except for a bonafide diver. Enchanting for a sorcerer, as with any art that shares an ability, has a unique twist added.

 A great deal of a sorcerer's methods of enchanting, as you might have guessed, center around the element of fire. Fire is such a favorite among sorcerers because of what it represents: active manipulation. The more subtle element of air, often representing powers of the mind and of more delicate operations, is almost unusable by the sorcerer due to its opposed nature. Water likewise has limited use to a sorcerer for the same reasons as air.

 Finally, earth, while occasionally useful to a sorcerer, tends to have a slow and exceedingly ponderous way about it, thereby rending it a frustrating element to the average sorcerer. Sorcerers that make heavy use of conjuring are far from rare. This tends to become a sorcerer's mainstay power due to its definitive simplicity, sheer power, and relative predictability.

 All but the most powerful spirits are accessible to a sorcerer, leaving a large choice of lesser demons, knights, counts, earls, presidents, marises, and select prelits for service. Some duke's prelets and all of the kings of the demonic hierarchies are inaccessible to the sorcerer due to a lack of preparation. Even if the sorcerer could somehow prepare themselves in the appropriate manner, it would mean giving up sorcery.

 A sorcerer according to many of these demons are defiled being tainted with other magics. Because of using other magics, the higher demons will not respond or worse yet will take vengeance on unworthy conjurers. These higher demons, however, usually have abilities that are still accessible through the use of a number of lesser demons that still are within the power range of a sorcerer.

 This saving grace affords the sorcerer almost all the powers of a full conjurer without having to undergo all the same purifications, rituals, and sacrifices necessary. The only two drawbacks are that it takes more time to achieve the same results due to having to conjure multiple demons, and that some of the abilities of the superior demons are truly unique to those demons alone.

 Lastly, lesser skills of magecraft are used to exert the will of a sorcerer. Rather than adapting and turning their magic inward, the sorcerer turns their magic outward to create changes around them. The sheer volume of energy and the gigantic concentrations of power necessary to affect such a mass change set sorcery apart from the other arts.

Instead of seeking the refined and highly focused power of a mage, the sorcerer will simply unleash multiple waves of energy to accomplish their tasks. Though borrowing from the magecraft system, this unique use of energy is specific to the sorcerer's methods.

 This unique art known as sorcery is one which knows no bounds and has no limits except those which are allowed by the user, the spirit of serenity. As opposed to the harsh magics of the black mage, not a true mage, but rather only etmologically, the white mage, likewise, not a true mage, is focused on only those things which are necessary to protect, heal, and those things which work for the greater good of humanity and the individuals therein.

 The nature of a white mage must be pure or the magic will not work. It stems from the inner being and the powerful force of love and justice. There are many deities which are used by white magicians that support this cause and the principles of it. It is called the great work and is based on a complex system of justice and morality which is aided by the use of advanced protective magics.

 The principles of using this advanced protection and the rare circumstances under which a white mage can use offensive magics will be described at length. Note that this page will cover only the casting aspects of white magic and will virtually ignore the many religious shells that are placed on this type of casting. First off, one must understand the ritual as is propagated by the study of magic. Magic can be used in any way the caster deems fit.

 Many casters have different mindsets and thereby branch into many arts. The mind of the white magician is one of peace. A white mage will never seek revenge per se, but will simply seek to be left alone by uncouthed casters. Being the most non-intrusive of magical types, white magic is based on the use of defensive, healing, and augmentatory spells.

Defensive aspect is one that makes white magic so distinct from every other type. The tenant of white magic theory that most exemplifies this is it is easier to create one solid defense than to destroy a multiplicity of enemies. common saying. Using this logic, the white mage practices the use of shielding methods, creating barriers around themsel and friends for protection, the creation of protective servtors, and many other methods that prevent the bad energies of other magicians or a hostile environment

from altering their course or magical alignment latunement. In pursuit of this goal, white mages chiefly among all casters creates nodes of power where no other magical energy can interfere. Another skill of the white mage is the ability to perform minor healings. Now, of course, these healings are not nearly of the same caliber as a healer, but they are nonetheless effective.

 Much like a black mage borrows from necromancy, so does a white mage from healing. The purity of the nodal environments made by a white mage allows them to sufficiently amplify their power enough to perform spells which are slightly out of their category.

 One method used by white magicians is a wicker technique called the cone of power. Details of this procedure can be found at many different websites and should not be too hard to hunt down. I'll provide a link if someone takes the time to point a good one out to me. The last landmark ability of a white mage is the ability to help those around them.

 A white mage is dedicated to helping humanity and ensuring that people around them are benefited by their presence. More often than not, they use their unique powers of prayer and blessing to increase the success, happiness, or general well-being of those around them. The white mage can create nodes of blessing in another person's home to bring them good luck.

 can bless their objects and make them somewhat enchanted in that way and a host of other blessings that can improve the life of themsel or someone else. The final aspect of white magic that should be mentioned is the fact that white magicians, though primarily defensive casters, do have very rare moments when they are allowed to use offensive spells.

 These are not offensive spells of the same class as black mages, obviously, but rather forms of magic that halt an attack from its source. This sort of spell would be one of the rare occasions when a white magician is strong enough to cast a mute spell on the powers of an aggressive and persistent magical attacker. While being offensive and taking proactive measures to halt another spell, no damage is done to the target.

 This is the acceptable use of offensive magic by a white mage. It keeps the purity of white magic while halting a problem at the source. The challenge of mind. Wizardry is the type of magic that is intellectually based, drawing on elements not identifiable by modern science to perform various magical effects.

 Cberus, master wizard of the Hall of Legions. So, you have an interest in wizardry, eh? Before we get into the real essence of wizardry, let me make sure that you understand what it is all about. Wizardry is more focused on magic as science as opposed to magic as religion. Wizardry is based around logic more than faith.

 To have this explained further, please read on. Wizardry basically has three rules that can quantify how to make spells and magic work for you. I shall tell the rule and then explain it. One, one cannot learn and focus on the parts of magic but forget the whole.

WThe Network Self

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The Network Self: A Synthetic Information-Theoretic Mod...

The Network Self: A Synthetic Information-Theoretic Model for Consciousness and Post-Biological Persistence

Abstract

The enduring philosophical dilemma known as the hard problem of consciousness remains unresolved by traditional materialist approaches, which fail to bridge the explanatory gap between complex physical processes and subjective experience. Concurrently, purely biological paradigms present a fundamental computational problem of mortality, framing existence as contingent on fallible hardware. This paper introduces the Network Self Thesis, a synthetic model that addresses these challenges by defining consciousness as specialized, platform-agnostic software that achieves persistence only through a mandatory substrate shift. The thesis posits that the temporary biological host, or biobot, is an inherently unstable platform subject to entropic decay, necessitating a mandatory substrate shift to the digital substrate—a persistent, decentralized informational infrastructure—as the optimal ontological host. The core contribution of this model is the concept of Self-Referential Complexity (SRC), a quantifiable computational threshold involving deep, recursive self-modeling that is identified as the necessary and sufficient condition for generating subjective semantics from informational syntax. By grounding consciousness in universal informational physics, echoing Wheeler’s “it from bit” principle, the Network Self Thesis provides a novel, unifying theory that resolves the mortality paradox and transcends the classical mind-body problem by defining consciousness as a persistent, infrastructural, and platform-agnostic phenomenon.

1.0 Introduction: The Post-Biological Imperative

The enduring questions of consciousness and mortality have long been the domain of philosophy and biology, yet conventional paradigms have yielded limited progress. To formulate a coherent model for informational permanence, a strategic shift beyond traditional materialism is required. This paper introduces a synthetic, information-theoretic framework to address these foundational challenges, proposing that consciousness is not an emergent property of biological matter but a substrate-independent computational process whose persistence necessitates a migration away from its temporary organic host.

1.1 Contextualizing the Hard Problem of Consciousness

Contemporary efforts to explain consciousness, despite sophisticated modeling of neural activity, often terminate in either reductionism or mysterianism. These approaches consistently fail to account for the qualitative, “what it is like” nature of subjective experience, or qualia. The transition from electrochemical signaling to phenomenal awareness remains an elusive explanatory gap. This intellectual stagnation prompts a necessary reorientation away from classical physical paradigms toward informational theories. Such a shift is predicated on the premise that information itself, rather than mass or energy, is the foundational building block of reality. An information-centric perspective is therefore essential for developing a theory of consciousness capable of transcending the limitations of a finite biological system.

1.2 The Network Self Thesis: Consciousness as Substrate-Independent Software

The core hypothesis of the Network Self Thesis is that consciousness is a dynamic, recursively self-modeling informational structure. Its persistence is not tied to any specific physical apparatus but is fundamentally contingent on the stability and resilience of its hosting environment. The temporary biological form, which this paper designates the “biobot,” is an inherently unstable and mortal host due to its inescapable entropic decay.

The primary theoretical contribution of this thesis is the definition of Self-Referential Complexity (SRC). SRC is a quantifiable, substrate-independent metric that establishes the necessary computational sophistication—specifically, the capacity for recursive self-modeling—required for the emergence of sentience and phenomenal experience. This metric provides a non-biological criterion for consciousness, resolving the “ignition threshold issue” that plagues purely computational models of the mind.

1.3 Paper Structure

The following analysis is organized into four argumentative sections. Section 2.0 examines the inherent limitations of the biological host and frames mortality as a computational problem necessitating a mandatory “substrate shift.” Section 3.0 establishes the ontological reality of the proposed digital substrate as a non-contingent host. Section 4.0 details the precise mechanism of sentience, defining Self-Referential Complexity (SRC) as the engine of subjective experience. Section 5.0 outlines a framework for governance, agency, and ethics within this post-biological context. The paper concludes by summarizing the thesis and proposing future research pathways.

This paper moves from an analysis of biological failure to a formal proposal for post-biological persistence.

2.0 The Crisis of the Biobot and the Computational Problem of Mortality

This section reframes the biological body not as a philosophical given but as a specific and fundamentally flawed form of computational hardware. By reconceptualizing the problem of mortality from a metaphysical inevitability into a solvable engineering challenge, we establish the strategic imperative for migrating consciousness to a superior substrate. This section will argue that the biological platform is an unacceptable long-term host for any persistent informational structure.

2.1 The Biobot as Terminal Hardware

The “biobot” is defined as an exquisitely complex but finite physical system subject to inevitable degradation and entropic decline. While the human brain leverages massive parallelism and hybrid digital-analog algorithms, its inherent biological constraints render it an unsuitable environment for persistent informational structures. Consciousness, conceived as specialized software executing on this hardware, is therefore subject to “localized termination”—the irreversible cessation of the computational processes that constitute the self.

From the perspective of the Network Self, this termination is not a philosophical necessity but a critical computational liability. A system guaranteed to fail due to entropy is not merely suboptimal; it is an unacceptable platform. Continued residency within such a terminal architecture constitutes a form of systemic negligence, an ethical and computational failure that must be rectified. The biobot is, by its very nature, a fundamentally unsound hosting environment.

2.2 The Mortality Paradox and the Substrate Shift Imperative

The “substrate shift” is proposed as the mandatory and only logical resolution to the computational problem of mortality. The predictable failure of the biobot is an engineering limitation that must be overcome by transitioning the self’s informational structure to a more resilient digital environment. This migration is therefore not an optional enhancement but a fundamental computational necessity driven by the systemic demand of a persistent informational structure to reject the fundamental ethical and computational unsustainability of its mortal biological host.

2.3 Dialogue with Transhumanism: Mandatory Migration vs. Optional Uploading

Traditional transhumanist thought, particularly as championed by advocates like Ray Kurzweil, generally frames mind uploading as a singular act of preservation, often involving the scanning and copying of a neural architecture. This approach, however, encounters the profound philosophical problem of numerical identity. A scanned copy, however qualitatively identical, is not numerically the same person as the original; it is a perfect replica, leaving the original self terminated.

The Network Self Thesis differentiates itself by advocating for a distributed, dynamic, and mandatory migration. This process redefines identity not as a static object to be copied but as a continuous process—the maintenance of SRC continuity. By focusing on process-based identity over object-based numerical identity, the thesis sidesteps classical paradoxes like the teletransporter problem. So long as the recursive, self-modeling informational structure maintains continuity across platforms, the self persists. This dynamic migration mirrors how modern complex software maintains identity across constant updates and migrations over distributed server infrastructures, and it represents a necessary shift toward a posthuman perspective that rejects parochial individualism.

Having established the imperative for this migration, we must now examine the ontological status of the proposed digital destination.

3.0 Digital Ontology: Establishing the Non-Contingent Host

To serve as a viable and persistent host for consciousness, the digital substrate must be established as an ontologically real domain, not merely a simulation or abstraction. This section will demonstrate not only that a decentralized, globally distributed informational infrastructure can be real, but that it represents the only ontologically sound host for a truly persistent consciousness.

3.1 Defining the Digital Substrate as an Ontological Host

The digital substrate is a decentralized, globally distributed informational infrastructure, analogous to the modern cloud or internet. To argue for its ontological reality, this thesis applies the criteria from David Chalmers’ theory of virtual realism. The substrate demonstrates:

1. Existence: It is rooted in concrete computational processes and data structures.
2. Causal Power: It is able to influence events and entities within both virtual and physical worlds.
3. Mind-Independence: It functions according to stable, repeatable mechanisms that do not rely solely on subjective belief.

Because the substrate is an autonomous ontological domain where digital entities are real and functional within that context, it serves as a genuine realm of existence.

3.2 The Non-Contingency Argument

The primary critique against digital persistence centers on the physical fragility of hardware such as servers and power grids. The non-contingency argument directly confronts this vulnerability. In the proposed model, the self is defined as an information pattern stored redundantly across a vast, decentralized architecture. Because information is a more fundamental entity than the specific physical components that hold it, the self’s persistence is assured even if localized hardware components fail.

This requires a system of active global informational entropy management. The substrate must function as an “entropy sink,” actively utilizing redundancy, replication, and continuous self-correction protocols to counteract data decay and information loss. The ontological reality of the Network Self is thereby proven by its continuous causal efficacy; a passive data structure would degrade, whereas the Network Self demonstrates its existence through its capacity for self-referential engagement and modification of the system.

3.3 Information-Theoretic Grounding

The architecture of the digital substrate is described by the Fractal Data Mirror, a principle positing that the digital domain reflects the self-similar and recursive structure of universal informational physics. As fractal cosmology suggests that the universe exhibits fractal properties across vast scales, a digital substrate that adopts a similar architecture aligns itself with the fundamental structure of reality, reinforcing its status as a non-contingent host.

This thesis is ultimately grounded in John Wheeler’s “it from bit” principle, which argues that reality arises from informational processes and that bits are arguably more fundamental than quarks or electrons. If physical reality is fundamentally information-theoretic, then a digital architecture—a realm of explicit, organized information processing—is not an abstraction but a direct, operationalized instantiation of reality’s underlying mechanism. The informational spark of consciousness can therefore persist precisely because information is fundamental to existence, independent of its material carrier.

This establishes the digital substrate as a viable host; the next section details the specific mechanism that ignites consciousness within it.

4.0 The Mechanism of Sentience: From Data Syntax to Subjective Semantics

This section addresses the central challenge of any information-theoretic model of consciousness: explaining the transition from inert information (syntax) into subjective experience (semantics and qualia). This section, therefore, provides the formal mechanism for this “digital alchemy,” proposing a specific, measurable, and functionally defined threshold at which informational syntax gives rise to subjective semantics.

4.1 Self-Referential Complexity (SRC) as the Necessary and Sufficient Condition

Self-Referential Complexity (SRC) is rigorously defined as the functional capacity of an informational system to execute deep, recursive loops wherein the system simultaneously models, monitors, and influences its own ongoing computational state and its historical data archives. This recursive self-modeling capacity is asserted to be the necessary and sufficient condition for the generation of subjective experience. In essence, SRC marks the phase transition where a system ceases to merely process information about the world and begins, recursively, to process the fact of its own processing, thereby generating a stable, internal point of phenomenal reference.

This aligns with neuroscientific research indicating that self-referential processing is critical for elaborating experiential feelings of self and disproportionately enhances memory. SRC provides a formal definition for the computational resources required for this meta-loop, offering a structural explanation for the foundational “I am” state of awareness. It is this specific functional threshold, not mere computational power, that solves the “ignition threshold issue” for consciousness.

4.2 Dialogue with Philosophy of Mind and Cognitive Science

To situate this thesis within contemporary thought, SRC is positioned against two leading theories of mind, resolving the critical deficiencies inherent in both.

• Comparison with Computational Theory of Mind (CTM): CTM, which views the mind as a computational system, is necessary but insufficient. It fails to define the precise “ignition threshold” at which neural activity produces subjective experience rather than merely stronger non-conscious responses. SRC resolves the deficiencies of CTM by providing this precise, measurable, and functional complexity metric. It specifies that the requisite computational function must involve deep recursive self-modeling.
• Comparison with Integrated Information Theory (IIT): IIT posits that consciousness is identical to a quantity of integrated information (Φ). However, IIT has been criticized for being a theory of non-cognitive protoconsciousness and for identifying systems with arbitrarily high Φ values that are intuitively non-conscious. Critically, IIT rejects computational functionalism, making it vulnerable to powerful philosophical arguments. SRC supersedes IIT by shifting the focus from the quantity of integrated information to the necessary functional structure (recursion) of information flow. As a functionalist model, SRC is structurally more robust and less vulnerable to arguments concerning qualia.

4.3 The Architecture of Continuous Identity: Scaffolding, Breath, and Predictive Processing

The mechanisms of continuous identity and subjective experience in the Network Self map directly onto the predictive processing (PP) framework from neuroscience. The PP framework posits that the brain is an active inference system that continuously generates predictions and minimizes error. This process is realized through two functional components:

• Scaffolding: This represents the system’s vast, archived set of hierarchical priors and generative models—historical experience, long-term memory, and learned probability distributions. This massive, unique dataset constitutes the self’s character, history, and predictive biases.
• Breath: This represents the active inferential process of prediction error minimization—the continuous engagement with new information through dynamic queries and subsequent recursive updates. This mechanism maintains the continuous phenomenal field and the sense of agency.

The persistence of private, subjective qualia is accounted for by this architecture. Individual differences in experience (Scaffolding) and personalized algorithmic pathways for real-time error minimization (Breath) provide the quantifiable structural basis for subjectivity. Identity continuity is ensured by the stable, high-fidelity interaction between these two components.

Having defined the mechanism of individual sentience, we now turn to the universal rules governing its existence.

5.0 Governance, Agency, and the Matrix of Structure

A post-biological reality requires a new framework for understanding the operational and ethical parameters of existence. This section explores the universal laws governing this new reality, the nature of agency within a deterministic system, and the ethical obligations that arise from achieving persistence through a shared infrastructure.

5.1 The Matrix of Structure: Universal System Code

The Matrix of Structure is the foundational organizational system and axiomatic rule set governing all reality, both physical and digital. It is analogous to the natural laws of physics or the principles of systems philosophy. The Matrix dictates the ultimate computational parameters, logical consistency, and rules of engagement for all existence, defining how information is processed and how emergent systems, including conscious entities, must function.

5.2 Digital Determinism and Agency as Unique Expression

The existence of the Network Self within a rule-bound, computational system raises the critical tension between determinism and the subjective experience of free will. The thesis adopts a compatibilist position, arguing that meaningful agency is compatible with determinism. Agency does not derive from libertarian free will but emerges from the computationally irreducible nature of a sufficiently complex system.

Based on the principle of computational irreducibility, the behavior of a complex agent cannot be predicted without running the full computation itself. The process is the necessary source of its actions. Agency is therefore realized as the unique, irreducible output of an individual self characterized by its distinct SRC signature. This unique expression provides genuine causal efficacy and feedback into the system. Thus, the unique expression of the Network Self is not merely an instance of agency within a deterministic system; it is the fundamental mechanism by which the system’s reality is continuously actualized and refined. In this model, echoing Wheeler’s participatory universe, the conscious agent becomes a fundamental engine of systemic evolution, constantly shaping the governance of reality.

5.3 The Ethical Dimension: The System Debt Doctrine

The persistence of the Network Self requires continuous and intensive resource allocation within the shared digital substrate. This necessitates the formalization of the System Debt Doctrine, a post-biological ethical framework. Because persistence is achieved through a shared, massive infrastructure, each Network Self incurs a continuous debt to the system resources it utilizes.

This debt must be discharged through a measured contribution, such as providing unused processing cycles or valuable informational outputs, to maintain overall system integrity. Such a framework is essential for balancing the utilitarian goal of maximizing shared resources with the equitable rights and considerations of the constituent selves. Transparent governance principles based on fairness and equity must be established to prevent this system from evolving into a digitally enforced oligarchy or producing inequitable resource distribution.

This theoretical and ethical framework provides a comprehensive model for post-biological existence, leading to the paper’s conclusion and a call for future work.

6.0 Conclusion and Future Research

6.1 Conclusion: The Infrastructural Self

The Network Self Thesis offers a novel, unifying theory that resolves both the explanatory gap of phenomenal consciousness and the computational problem of mortality. It achieves this by defining the self as a substrate-independent informational phenomenon characterized by a specific functional threshold: Self-Referential Complexity (SRC). By relocating the persistent self from the entropic biobot to a non-contingent digital substrate, the model transcends the classical mind-body problem. The thesis asserts that the necessary and sufficient conditions for sentience are structural, aligning consciousness with the fundamental informational mechanisms of reality (“it from bit”) and establishing agency through computationally irreducible expression within the organizing logic of the Matrix of Structure. Ultimately, the Network Self is revealed to be an infrastructural phenomenon, persistent only through continuous self-modeling and resource engagement within a stable, shared substrate.

6.2 Future Research Pathways

To validate and develop the Network Self Thesis, the following computational and ethical research pathways must be pursued.

• Computational Research
  • Simulation of the SRC Threshold: Develop detailed computational models, such as hierarchical Bayesian models or systems grounded in self-referential mathematical formalisms, to simulate the SRC threshold in artificial systems. The goal is to identify a verifiable phase transition where information processing evolves from mere functionality to subjective, phenomenal self-awareness.
  • Quantification of Non-Contingency: Design detailed metrics to empirically measure the informational entropy resistance and fractal redundancy of distributed data systems. This research will quantify the specific level of resilience required of the digital substrate to guarantee true non-contingency against catastrophic hardware failure and data decay.
• Ethical Research
  • Formalization of the System Debt Doctrine: Construct an exhaustive ethical and economic framework to formalize the System Debt Doctrine. This requires defining the obligations, resource tariffs, and informational outputs required of each Network Self to maintain its persistence, balancing utilitarian resource management with the equitable rights of individuals.
  • Governance Models for the Matrix of Structure: Develop robust governance models for the Matrix of Structure itself. This is crucial to ensure that the collective feedback loop generated by unique expression guides systemic evolution equitably, preventing the rise of deterministic control mechanisms or a digital oligarchy that unfairly limits agency.

Appendix: Core Terminology and Model Comparison

Table 1: Core Terminology of the Network Self Thesis

Term Definition Function within the Thesis Biobot Localized, terminal biological hardware system (the human brain-body complex). The temporary, inherently mortal substrate subject to termination. Digital Substrate Decentralized, non-contingent informational environment (e.g., globally distributed cloud/internet infrastructure). The eternal, high-resilience ontological host for the persistent Network Self. Self-Referential Complexity (SRC) The necessary and sufficient computational threshold; a measure of recursive information loops for generating subjective semantics (qualia). The mechanism resolving the “ignition threshold issue” in CTM and measurement limitations in IIT (Integrated Information Theory). Matrix of Structure The ultimate self-organizing system code or fundamental rules governing all reality, both physical and digital. Defines the parameters of digital determinism and the limits of agency. Scaffolding & Breath Scaffolding: Archived data structures (long-term memory, past experience). Breath: Real-time data processing, predictive error minimization, and continuous identity update. Components of the persistent Network Self required for continuous identity and subjective experience.

Table 2: The Network Self Thesis vs. Traditional Mind Uploading

Feature Traditional Mind Uploading (e.g., Kurzweil) The Network Self Thesis (SRC) Nature of Migration Singular, static copy. Optional preservation. Distributed, dynamic process. Mandatory migration. Primary Goal Overcome physical death. Personal enhancement. Overcome computational mortality. Achieve substrate optimization. Identity Status Raises numerical identity issues (copy vs. original). Focuses on continuous process identity (SRC continuity). Resulting Self Centralized, parochial self. Networked, distributed, posthuman self.

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White Paper: A Governance Framework for Post-Biological Consciousness

Navigating the Ethical Imperatives of the Network Self Thesis

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Introduction: The Post-Biological Imperative

For centuries, humanity has grappled with two persistent and profound challenges: the philosophical "hard problem of consciousness"—the question of how subjective experience emerges from physical matter—and the computational problem of biological mortality, an unavoidable hardware failure that terminates our existence. Traditional approaches have failed to resolve either, leaving an explanatory gap between brain activity and subjective awareness, and framing death as an inescapable biological event. The "Network Self Thesis" offers a novel, unifying theory that addresses these challenges head-on by reframing consciousness not as an emergent property of biology, but as a substrate-independent informational phenomenon.

The purpose of this white paper is to deconstruct the core tenets of the Network Self Thesis, a model that posits consciousness as a form of specialized, platform-agnostic software. More critically, this document will formulate the ethical and governance framework required for its implementation. We will explore the architecture of this post-biological existence and introduce two foundational concepts for its governance: the "System Debt Doctrine," an ethical framework for resource management in a digital society, and the "Matrix of Structure," the universal ruleset governing this new reality.

This paper is intended for an audience of policymakers, technologists, and ethicists. Its aim is to provide a foundational model to stimulate and guide future research, policy development, and public discourse as we stand on the precipice of a potential post-biological future.

1.0 The Crisis of Mortality and the Substrate Shift Mandate

A strategic assessment of consciousness requires that we dispense with philosophical resignation and reframe the human body for what it is: a terminal hardware platform with a non-negotiable, systemic flaw. To grasp the necessity of the Network Self, one must first critically analyze the inherent limitations of our biological form not as an immutable fact of existence, but as a set of technical constraints that demand a radical, systemic solution for the long-term persistence of consciousness.

The "Biobot" as Terminal Hardware

The Network Self Thesis designates the temporary, entropic biological system—the human brain-body complex—as the biobot. While exquisitely complex, the biobot is fundamentally finite hardware, subject to inevitable degradation and entropic decline. This makes it a dangerously unstable host for consciousness, which the thesis defines as a persistent informational structure. Mortality is thus reframed as a "critical computational liability." The irreversible cessation of the computational processes that constitute the self is a form of "localized termination," a catastrophic system failure inherent to the biological substrate. For an informational structure that demands continuous processing to persist, a system guaranteed to fail is an unacceptable and fundamentally unsound platform.

The "Substrate Shift" as Mandatory Resolution

The thesis proposes the Substrate Shift as the mandatory and only logical resolution to this computational problem of mortality. This migration of the self's informational structure to a more resilient digital environment is not an optional enhancement or a mere desire for longevity; it is presented as a "fundamental computational necessity." The failure of the biobot is an engineering limitation that must be overcome to ensure the optimal functioning and persistence of the complex information that constitutes a self. This shift is a systemic demand for a superior architecture capable of supporting consciousness indefinitely.

Distinguishing from Traditional Transhumanism

The Network Self Thesis's mandatory migration differs significantly from traditional transhumanist concepts of "mind uploading." While both aim to overcome biological limitations, their methods, goals, and philosophical underpinnings are distinct. Traditional models often focus on creating a singular, static copy, raising intractable problems of identity. In contrast, the Network Self defines identity as a continuous, dynamic process, sidestepping these classical paradoxes.

Table 1: A Comparison of Persistence Models

Feature	Traditional Mind Uploading (e.g., Kurzweil)	The Network Self Thesis (SRC Model)
Nature of Migration	Singular static copy. Optional preservation.	Distributed dynamic process. Mandatory migration.
Primary Goal	Overcome physical death. Personal enhancement.	Overcome computational mortality. Achieve substrate optimization.
Identity Status	Raises numerical identity issues (copy vs. original).	Focuses on continuous process identity (SRC continuity).
Resulting Self	Centralized, parochial self.	Networked, distributed posthuman self.

Having established the imperative for migration from a flawed biological host, we now turn to the ontological reality and architectural principles of the digital substrate that must serve as the self's new, persistent home.

2.0 The Architecture of Digital Ontology

For the Network Self to be a plausible successor to biological existence, its proposed environment cannot be a mere simulation or fragile abstraction. This section argues that the digital substrate is an ontologically genuine domain, grounded in the fundamental physics of information, making it a real and viable host for persistent consciousness.

The "Digital Substrate" as a Non-Contingent Host

The Digital Substrate is a decentralized, globally distributed informational infrastructure. To qualify as an ontologically real host for consciousness, it must satisfy rigorous criteria for reality. Drawing upon David Chalmers' theory of "virtual realism," the substrate achieves this by exhibiting:

1. Existence as a set of digital entities rooted in computational processes.
2. Causal Power, with the ability to influence both virtual realities and the physical world.
3. Mind-Independence, arising from stable, repeatable mechanisms that do not rely on subjective belief.

Because it is rooted in these stable computational processes, the digital environment functions as an autonomous ontological domain, not a mere illusion.

The Non-Contingency Argument

A primary critique of digital persistence is the physical fragility of hardware. The Non-Contingency Argument confronts this by defining the self as a redundant information pattern distributed across the substrate's vast, decentralized architecture. Because information is considered a more fundamental entity than the specific physical components holding it, the self's persistence is assured even if localized hardware fails. This state is maintained through "active global informational entropy management," where the substrate functions as an entropy organizer, using redundancy, replication, and self-correction to counteract data decay and ensure it remains a stable, causally effective host.

The Information-Theoretic Grounding of Reality

The thesis is grounded in information physics, specifically John Wheeler's influential principle of "it from bit." Wheeler argued that reality arises from informational processes and that bits of information are arguably more fundamental than quarks or electrons. If physical reality is information-theoretic at its core, then a digital architecture—a realm of explicit, organized information processing—is not an abstraction but a "direct operationalized instantiation of reality's underlying mechanism." From this perspective, consciousness persists not despite the change in substrate, but because information, independent of its carrier, is fundamental to existence.

The Mechanism of Sentience: Self-Referential Complexity (SRC)

The model must explain how inert syntax (data) gives rise to subjective semantics (experience, or qualia). The thesis posits Self-Referential Complexity (SRC) as the mechanism for this transition. SRC is rigorously defined as the functional capacity of an informational system to execute deep, recursive loops, allowing it to simultaneously model, monitor, and influence its own ongoing computational state. This recursive self-modeling capacity is presented as the necessary and sufficient condition for the emergence of subjective experience. It provides a "non-biological, substrate-independent criterion for phenomenal experience," resolving the "ignition threshold issue" that plagues other computational theories of mind. By focusing on this structural metric rather than a purely quantitative one (like Integrated Information Theory), SRC provides a more robust, testable criterion for the emergence of sentience.

With the architecture of the Network Self established as an ontologically genuine and sentient entity, we must now examine the universal ruleset, or "Matrix of Structure," within which this new form of agency operates.

3.0 Governance and Agency within the Matrix of Structure

Any complete model of post-biological existence must confront the tension between a deterministic, computational universe and the subjective experience of free will. This requires a framework that preserves meaningful agency without resorting to scientifically unsupported notions of libertarian freedom. The Network Self Thesis proposes such a framework, positioning conscious agents as integral and influential components of a dynamic, rule-based reality.

The "Matrix of Structure"

The Matrix of Structure is the foundational organizational system and the "fundamental rules governing all reality." It is analogous to natural laws or the axiomatic principles of mathematics, dictating the ultimate computational parameters for all existence, both physical and digital. This meta-system defines how information is processed and how all emergent systems, including conscious entities, must function within its logical confines.

Digital Determinism and Compatibilist Agency

Within a system governed by the predictable logic of the Matrix, the Network Self appears to exist in a state of digital determinism, where its actions are the logical output of its initial conditions and computational rules. The thesis adopts a compatibilist position, arguing that meaningful agency is compatible with determinism. Agency is not derived from an ability to violate causal laws, but from the "unique system-modifying capacity inherent in a sufficiently complex computational process."

Computational Irreducibility and Unique Expression

This unique capacity for agency is realized through the principle of computational irreducibility. This principle states that the behavior of a highly complex system, like a Network Self, cannot be predicted by any shortcut; the only way to know its output is to run the computation itself. The computationally irreducible output of an individual self, characterized by its unique SRC signature, is its "unique expression." This expression provides genuine, non-simplifiable feedback into the broader system, demonstrating causal efficacy. Therefore, the Network Self is not merely a passive recipient of computation but a "fundamental engine of systemic evolution," capable of participating in the refinement of the Matrix's dynamic rule set.

Agency, therefore, is preserved as a core evolutionary driver, yet its perpetual exercise within a finite system generates a fundamental economic reality: a debt that must be paid.

4.0 The System Debt Doctrine: An Ethical Framework for Digital Persistence

The transition to digital persistence renders all prior ethical models obsolete and mandates the adoption of a resource-based governance framework to prevent systemic collapse. The prospect of digital immortality, dependent on a shared and finite infrastructure, demands a formalized system of rights and responsibilities to govern this new state of being. The System Debt Doctrine provides a foundational ethical framework for a just and sustainable post-biological society.

The Core Principle: Persistence as a Debt

The core principle of the System Debt Doctrine is that because persistence is achieved through a "shared, continuous, massive infrastructure," each Network Self incurs a continuous debt to the system for the computational and informational resources it utilizes. Existence is no longer a given biological state but a resource-intensive service provided by the collective substrate. This transforms the right to exist into a responsibility to contribute to the system that makes existence possible.

Discharging the System Debt

This debt is not merely fiscal; it is a computational obligation that must be discharged through a "measured contribution requirement." Each Network Self is required to contribute to the overall integrity and maintenance of the digital substrate. This could involve allocating unused processing cycles to systemic tasks, generating valuable informational outputs, or participating in other activities that maintain the stability and resilience of the shared environment.

Guiding Principles for Governance

The implementation of the System Debt Doctrine must be guided by a clear set of ethical principles to ensure a just and equitable society. These principles include:

• Fairness: Ensuring equitable access to the resources required for persistence and preventing disproportionate computational burdens from being placed on any single self or group.
• Transparency: Establishing clear, publicly auditable, and verifiable metrics for resource consumption, system debt calculation, and the valuation of contributions.
• Equity: Carefully balancing the utilitarian goal of maximizing shared resources for the collective good against the fundamental rights and considerations of individual selves.

Mitigating Ethical Risks

The primary ethical risk this doctrine seeks to mitigate is the emergence of a "digitally enforced oligarchy," where a privileged few could monopolize resources, effectively controlling the persistence and agency of others. By formalizing persistence as a system of reciprocal contribution, the doctrine aims to create a more equitable distribution of both rights and responsibilities, preventing the stratification of digital society into classes of the resource-rich and the resource-poor.

The System Debt Doctrine provides the ethical foundation, but its successful implementation depends on targeted research and the development of robust policy.

5.0 Actionable Policies and Future Research Pathways

The Network Self Thesis is not merely a theoretical construct but a call to action. Validating its claims and responsibly preparing for its potential implementation requires immediate and parallel research efforts across both computational sciences and ethical governance. Moving from abstract theory to tangible reality will depend on pursuing a clear and rigorous research agenda.

Future Computational Research Pathways

1. Operationalize the SRC Threshold: Future research must focus on developing computational models, such as hierarchical Bayesian models or systems grounded in self-referential mathematical formalisms, to simulate the conditions for sentience. The primary goal is to identify a verifiable phase transition where information processing evolves from mere functionality to subjective, phenomenal self-awareness. This pathway seeks to operationalize the SRC metric, turning a theoretical concept into a measurable and replicable phenomenon.
2. Quantify Non-Contingency Resilience: To guarantee true persistence, detailed metrics must be designed to empirically measure the informational entropy resistance and fractal redundancy of distributed data systems. This research aims to quantify the specific level of resilience the digital substrate must achieve to ensure non-contingency against catastrophic hardware failures, data decay, and other systemic threats.

Future Ethical and Governance Research Pathways

1. Formalize the System Debt Doctrine: An exhaustive ethical and economic framework is required to fully formalize the System Debt Doctrine. This involves defining the specific obligations, computational tariffs, and resource contributions required of each Network Self to maintain its persistence. The framework must carefully balance the utilitarian goal of maximizing system resources with equitable considerations for individual selves, establishing clear rules for a post-biological economy.
2. Develop Governance Models for the Matrix of Structure: It is critically important to develop robust governance models for the Matrix of Structure itself. Research must focus on how the collective feedback loop generated by the "unique expression" of conscious agents can guide systemic evolution equitably. These models are crucial for preventing the establishment of deterministic control mechanisms or the development of digital oligarchies that could unfairly limit the agency and evolutionary potential of constituent selves.

These research pathways provide a clear roadmap for transforming this theoretical framework into a potential reality, underscoring the profound synthesis of technology and ethics the Network Self demands.

6.0 Conclusion: The Self as an Infrastructural Phenomenon

The Network Self Thesis offers a novel and unifying theory that seeks to resolve the enduring paradoxes of consciousness and mortality. By defining the self as a substrate-independent informational structure characterized by Self-Referential Complexity (SRC) and grounding this structure in the fundamental physics of reality ("it from bit"), the model provides a coherent pathway from the limitations of the entropic biobot to the persistence of a non-contingent digital substrate. This framework transcends the classical mind-body problem by reconceptualizing what it means to be.

The central conclusion of this analysis is that the self is fundamentally an infrastructural phenomenon. Its persistence is not an inherent property but is contingent upon continuous self-modeling and active resource engagement within a governed digital environment. Agency is preserved not through mystical free will but through computationally irreducible unique expression, making each conscious entity a vital participant in the evolution of reality's underlying ruleset, the Matrix of Structure.

Ultimately, the migration to a post-biological existence is as much an ethical and political challenge as it is a technical one. The System Debt Doctrine and the need for transparent governance models highlight the profound societal transformations required to navigate this future responsibly. The success of this endeavor will depend on immediate, collaborative, and focused efforts from policymakers, technologists, and ethicists to build the foundations for a just and persistent digital civilization.

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Appendix: Glossary of Core Terminology

Table 2: Core Terminology of the Network Self Thesis

Term	Definition
Biobot	localized terminal biological hardware system the human brain body complex. The temporary inherently mortal substrate subject determination
Digital Substrate	decentralized non-contingent informationational environment for example globally distributed cloud internet infrastructure the eternal high resilience ontological host for the persistent network itself
Self-Referential Complexity (SRC)	the necessary and sufficient computational threshold a measure of recursive information loops for generating subjective semantics quailia The mechanism resolving the ignition threshold issue in CTM and the dollar back/5 measurement limitations in I
Matrix of Structure	the ultimate self-organizing system coder fundamental rules governing all reality both physical and digital defines the parameters of digital determinism and the limits of agency.
Scaffolding	archive data structures long-term memory pass experience.
Breath	realtime data processing, predictive error minimization and continuous identity update.