Nozgoth

LOWER MAGICK I Sorcery and Sortilege ~Hostivar the Hedgewizard~ 1657 Symbolism; THE LANGUAGE OF MAGICK Symbolism is used in every practice as a vector for the channeling of magick. A symbol is simply an icon that conceals a deeper meaning behind it. A meaning beyond its own image. Some symbols are very complex, like the cross - a symbol for God. Other symbols are much simpler, like a single character in an alphabet. A symbol can be used in different ways depending on its level of interpretation. A canonist cross may be interpreted in countless ways depending on who is perceiving it. A single letter - less so. When a letter is placed next to other letters, suddenly a word is ushered forth into being. This word may have one meaning, or it may have many. Something interesting happens when words are combined - now you have a sentence - now you have a spell. As symbols, words and sentences have slightly differing meanings depending on who is perceiving or creating them. The more open-to-interpretation a symbol is, the less reliable it is. There is a great degree of chaos involved in the language of magick, making it a very complex system. Collective understanding of a symbol strengthens its meaning. Some other examples of symbols include alchemical signs, runes, daemonic summoning circles, magical languages, and more. Some combinations of words, when uttered, become spells. Prayers, mantras, chants, and other things of that sort can be considered spells. Language is used in almost every magical practice as a way to invoke spells, deities, and other powers that be. Magic is carried in both written and spoken words. It should come as no surprise then, that magic is to be found in names. Symbolism; TRUE NAMES Since collective understanding of a symbol strengthens its meaning, it would stand to reason that a symbol with only one true meaning would carry an immense amount of power. A true name may have only one true meaning. A true name is a symbol that describes an entity in its entirety. To interpret a true name is to vye for power over the individual to whom it belongs. For the meaning of a symbol is dictated by he who perceives it. A good magician can defend himself by outcompeting the will of his perceiver. He must solidify the meaning of his own name before the attacker can interpret its meaning and thus change it. A true name will become diluted and lose power over an individual if many people know it. It is said that a true name may be gleaned from an entity by someone who understands its truest nature. Paradoxically, the nature of that entity is then determined by the holder of its true name. Every man/being possesses a true name - most are unconscious and independent of it. The true name exists in a space outside the material plane, and must be ushered forth into reality. It is rare for one to find the true name of another, without first knowing their own true name. It is not uncommon for malicious entities to disguise themselves in deceit and trickery to glean the name of unassuming victims. On rare occasions, a given name, or a name made for oneself, can become synonymous with a true name. This is especially dangerous, and occurs foremostly in famous entities/individuals. It can be speculated that the names by which most deities are known are derivatives of their true names. The power of these deities, along with the dilution of their names (due to widespread knowledge), means that they are relatively immune to symbolic attacks from magicians. In some dangerous accounts, uttering the true name of a lesser entity may usher it forth into being (called invocation). This poses a significant threat to the beginner magician. The greater an entity, the more complex its true name. Some names are unpronounceable by mortal tongues. Some are so long that they could not be uttered in one-thousand lifetimes. Some cannot be written - lest the paper on which they were marked be set ablaze. It is said that all the letters in the holy scrolls could not come close to describing the name for God. Some names are not names at all, rather they are abstract concepts - like the clashing of metal upon a battlefield, or the sound of wind howling between mountain peaks. Symbolism; INITIATION An aspiring magician must always be initiated. Like life is passed down through blood, and soul is transferred through spirit, magick is passed down through symbolism. When a new magician is initiated, he is ceremonially bound to the laws and will of his teacher. The complexity of the initiation ritual will determine the strength of the bond. As a magician becomes more seasoned, he may find himself more susceptible to the sway of magick. This is because the subconscious awareness of magickal mechanisms grows into a confirmation of their effects, be they positive or negative. The ritual of initiation is meant to act as a shield for the apprentice, so that any attacks may be absorbed by the master. Some more powerful initiation rituals involve the invocation of other entities, who act as mediators or holders of the spiritual contract. All magicians should be wary of those who employ these tactics. It is not always apparent. To those who have read this and found themselves intrigued, I will leave here a guide for the initiation into a form of magick that has been passed down for generations, and said to have begun in the ancestral lands of Abrath. Discard this paper now if what follows is of no interest to you. Initiation; Your First Name A rudimentary initiation must provoke you enough to symbolize a point of no-return. There are various ways to go about this. Forgo your material possessions. Leave the safety of your home. Wander the woods. Feel the primal hunger gnawing away at your body until you have no choice but to forage. In this moment, you will feel closer to life than you ever have. More real than you ever have. Remember that feeling of presence. Now, you will create a sigil for your name. Write it and then burn it. Your true name will become apparent soon.

A final rainfall washed away the cloud that hung over the ruins of Millstone. Birds and small animals now found their homes there, in the cobbled houses by the brook.

An old alchemist approves this message.

quavinir magic