First Letter to the Disciples

Dearest Disciples,

I have become keenly aware of the desert within the minds of each of you. For some, the desert is in patches scattered amongst fields of lush greenery which bear such fine fruits, both ordinary and unique. However, I have noticed the vastness of this desert in quite a few of my assigned disciples and hope to bring fertility to the sands. There are oases dotted throughout the barren desert, and it is there where my work shall begin. For the rest of you, consider these initial letters as mere review while I bring your colleagues into the wellspring that it is the ways of the magical.

Firstly, I am certain that all of you have some inkling of an idea what the magical process consists of, though I suspect that this inkling is a leftover of previously achieved conclusions gathered throughout your youth. Some of you imagine the process to be similar to the work of a blacksmith or a carpenter, and you would be correct in a certain sense. The blacksmith, for example, gathers his raw metals, refines them, and forms them into the weapon which he had visualized from the beginning. This method of weapon construction is consistent across all blacksmiths, no matter their mood, childhood experiences, heritage, and so on. No matter the blacksmith, all that is demanded of him is competency in the process. Though the methods may be customized to a certain extent, no blacksmith is so capable that he can make a blade without beating it into shape or cool the metal quickly and efficiently without dunking it into water. The motions and methods only rely on the competency of the user and their refinement of the technique.

Here you may expect me to say, "like the blacksmith, we users of the magical have a consistent process as well that is purely reliant on the user's knowledge and refined technique," but you would be wrong. There is a key difference between us and the blacksmith. Magic demands the attributes of the user in his totality, that is to say, one can not separate a single aspect of themselves when delving into the magical. How great would it be if one could cut off the undesirable aspects of themselves and place all of their focus on the utilization of their knowledge and technique. How easy the magical process would become! But no, it is not so simple. All who attempt to ignore the totality of their being are thrown aside as incompetent, for their efforts are in vain. We deal with matters of the spirit, my disciples, and the spirit is the source of the self, encompassing every aspect of the self. One cannot work with the spirit while at the same time ignore that which they wish so desperately to ignore about themselves.

Allow me to elaborate further on this matter since it is so often subject to confusion. We have learned from natural philosophy that a phenomenon must be isolated from the greater universe, encased within a controlled system and repeated thoroughly in order to examine its properties. Once the properties have been sufficiently researched, the student of natural philosophy reintegrates that phenomenon into the greater universe and sees that, because he was able to separate the phenomenon from the greater phenomenon of the entire universe, he could examine the isolated properties of the tested phenomenon with a much greater understanding of the complicated intricacies. He was able to do this outside of himself. He did not have to search inwards and account for every fiber of his spirit because the results would have been the same either way. Natural philosophy does not require any accounting for the spirit because their gaze is focused outward, separating, dissecting, isolating, chopping everything into discernible bits. There is a good reason why the schools of magic and natural philosophy have been at such odds with each other, for our methods conflict in fundamental ways.

But allow me to diverge from the political and focus on the magical process. We have no luxury of separation. For us, the universe is one, and to chop it up so precisely is to fall into a state of illusion, for the oneness is primary. And so, following this line of reasoning, we ourselves cannot be excluded from this oneness. Everything , from the tiniest details of your childhood to the relationship with your parents to your hopes and dreams for the future, all of this is included in the magical process. All of you will, at some point on the development of your education, will come face to face with the most hidden parts of your spirit so that the totality of your being can be made conscious and brought fully into both your understanding and practice of magic. Some will see this personal requirement and flee in a hurry, horrified by what is needed of them. That is why I am beginning my teachings by writing about this important property of magic, because those who do not understand this property will inevitably be the first to turn and run as quickly as possible.

Do not fall into the temptation of separation! The oneness and your inclusion in the oneness is absolutely fundamental. This is a law. Break the law at your peril and glory.

Regards,

Skyverne