Reprinted Western Studies: [Part 2] Nine Important Conditions for a Magician
San Fu Feng Yun Yong Zhu: In China, a magician can be regarded as a mage, representing a practitioner who has mastered certain rules or methods. Although Western and Eastern civilizations differ greatly, many commonalities can be seen behind the culture of mysticism. Some theories are very ancient in origin, or are summaries from later generations. The way of thinking and clear classification within them constitute a very beneficial research perspective.
This time, we will discuss the nine important conditions for becoming a Western magician.
1) English
Unfortunately, the primary condition for studying magic is that you must be able to read magical materials written in English. In our Chinese world, there is too little understanding of Western magic. Most of our materials focus on Tarot, astrology, and other occult knowledge collectively referred to as "New Age." In recent years, more people have become interested in Wicca and neo-paganism, leading to more people knowing who Gerald Gardner and Emma Restall Orr are. If you want to study more specialized magic such as Goetia, Hermetic Magic, or Necromancy, you will definitely need to read English materials.
2) Imagination
Many magical techniques require the magician's imagination to execute. Why? Because the core of every magic is the magician using their own will to bring about the completion of a matter, and willpower needs a direction to "project." The best direction is the image of your future success. Moreover, how can a person without imagination learn the unconstrained magic?
3) Confidence
Confidence is not an innate personality trait; rather, it is a capability. My friend Phil Hine gave a very apt definition: "Confidence is the ability to relax in the here-and-now." One of the most common reasons for the failure of magic is that the magician lacks confidence in what they are doing, causing the energy that should be released to remain stuck in their cognition and emotions (especially worry). For anything to succeed, whether it is playing games, job hunting, negotiating business with clients, or pursuing a romantic partner, you must believe that you can succeed perfectly for your magic to take effect. This principle applies to anyone and anything.
4) Honor
The source of a magician's confidence and power often comes from themselves. One way to build confidence is to establish your own code of honor, letting others know that you are a person of integrity. Magicians know a simple truth that many overlook: the more reliable you are, the more people have confidence in you, and correspondingly, the stronger your abilities become, and the greater the effect of the magic you perform.
Phil Hine shared a very simple code of honor in his book "Condensed Chaos: an Introduction to Chaos Magic." He wrote it very plainly, so I believe everyone should have no difficulty understanding it:
If I say so, I will try
If I say I shall, I will do
If I say “I promise”, I am bound
5) Observation
Ninety-eight percent of people in this world live in an environment disconnected from the real world. They either have their minds filled with their own fantasies and expectations, or they simply do not look carefully at the things around them. Calming down, clearly seeing the people and events around you, and observing them in their original form is an essential ability for every magician. There are many training methods to cultivate this ability, but due to space constraints, if you are interested, you can directly ask me for guidance.
6) Organization
Novice and experienced magicians face the same problem: finding useful information amidst a vast amount of data. The Western magical community is a circle full of nonsense. How to find, filter, and combine information is something every magician must do. Certain magical systems, such as Kabbalah, Enochian Magic, and Persian Empire witchcraft, require magicians to spend a large amount of time learning and integrating information. Excellent organizational skills are indispensable.
7) Thirst for Knowledge
Magic is a system of thought combining philosophy, religion, history, science, etc., along with visualized tools. Behind every magic lies that nation's ideas about the world, the universe, and surrounding things. Therefore, to understand every spell, you must understand the meaning behind the tools, rituals, and patterns they use. Only then can you perform their magic using their way of thinking and through their eyes.
8) Self-discipline
No need to say more. Magic requires investment of time, spirit, and even money. Especially when you have the opportunity to learn knowledge that many people in the world consider "useless" or a "waste of time" (who would think ancient Egyptian witchcraft is "useful"??), you need to put in more effort and time than ordinary people to understand it. Learning magic is an incredibly long process; the initial time may yield no returns. Therefore, novice magicians must clarify one question: Why do you want to learn magic? This reason is the driving force that supports you.
9) Sense of Humor
Psychological research shows that a sense of humor has a strong positive effect in resisting stress and facing major changes. Since magic directly challenges your understanding of the world and yourself, an appropriate sense of humor is an important ability to protect yourself. And an optimistic person is more likely to have the opportunity to succeed in anything, including magic.
If you are still interested in learning magic after reading the two large sections above, here comes the main topic. The third part will outline nine Western magical systems. I hope to post it here next week.