#Magic theory

[elminx]

Numerology, Part 3: Elminx's 3x3 Spell Creation Format

Note: This is by no means solely my own creation and many people have done 3x3 spell formats before me. What I am going to talk about here is why I use this spell format and some specifics on how I use this spell format.

So you want to cast a spell but you're not sure what or how to do it - this spell format works extremely well for me as a basis for the design of the spell. It can be used for spell bags and spell jars of all kinds as well as any other type of container magic, or simply as an adjunct to a candle spell.

The Numerology

The idea behind this is based on numerology and the meaning of the numbers 3 and 9.

The number 3 is associated both with Jupiter in astrology and the Empress card in the tarot - as you think about these associations, you may begin to understand why the number 3 is considered so powerful magically. In essence - it is the number of manifestations - or, at least, quick manifestations. This can be seen in the magic of human creation - it takes two people to make a third. Three is the number of birth of all kinds, not just gestational.

Likewise, the number 9 is the last of the core numbers in numerology - it represents the completion of a cycle. It is also the result of multiplying our power number of 3 by itself. So by combining the quick power of manifestations from the number 3 thrice over, we reach the total manifestation power of the number 9.

How To Put It Together to Make A Spell

This is where the fun and creativity (number 3 also rules creativity!) of this process come in. Once you have chosen your idea for the spell, you now need to separate that main concept into three parts. This can be done in a lot of ways: it could be past/present/future in a spell that really needs to move forward, three aspects of your final manifestation that you want to come to pass, or really anything that comes to mind.

For a general money spell, it might be money drawing (1), protection for your finances (2), and luck in money (3).

For a spell to protect you from the effects of Mercury's upcoming retrograde, you could base it on the three planets of yours that are going to be most impacted by the retrograde. Alternatively, you could do Keep My Thoughts Collected (1), I Can Write With Ease (2), and My Internet Signal is Strong (3) for a project that needs to be worked on during the retrograde.

The options here are endless just keep in mind that your three objectives should be interrelated in some way. And they should all feed the main objective of your spell.

Now that you have chosen three micro-objectives that support your main objective, you want to come up with three correspondences that feed your micro-objective. These can be as varied as you can imagine: sigils, herbs, rocks, feathers, individual petitions - the sky is really the limit here. You just want each set of three to be unique to one another.

To use the money spell example above: perhaps you might use a loadstone, catnip, and alfalfa for money drawing; bank dirt, a canceled check, and nettles for money protection; and basil, cinnamon, and tiger's eyes for luck in money.

In this way, we could see that we are casting three spells within one or three micro enchantments to support our larger goal. Depending on the complexity of the spell and the energies required, each micro enchantment can be cast on a separate occasion (say on the day of the week that supports each) but in close succession or cast all at once time.

The Details

This may seem like a lot, especially if you are a beginning caster. Remember here that although you are using 9 different ingredients for this spell, they do not need to be expensive nor do you need to use a lot of each item. When I craft a spell bag or spell jar in this type of fashion, I am often using a pinch of any particular herb.

There are a lot of ways to individualize this spell format.

If you use candle magic, I would suggest utilizing a main larger candle for the spell as a whole with three additional supporting candles (chimes work well here) to support the individual elements of this work. You can also choose to burn the candle in increments of three - for three hours at a time or for three or nine days. You can use color correspondences to support each individual goal or the whole.

Rather than being correspondences, you can create individualized goals for yourself - three physical actions that you need to take in the real world to enhance the magic of your working.

Looked at from a different perspective, each set of parts of the whole could be entirely different from one another. The first could be cleansing to rid yourself of the negativity associated with this work, the second could be creating a talisman of some sort to enhance that work, and the third could be the empowerment of this talisman.

The goal here isn't to create a rigid format with which you are forced to follow but to give you ideas about how to incorporate the power of 3x3 and its manifestation potential into your spellwork. The details, as always, are up to you.

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This is part of an ongoing series about Numerology:

Part One: Combining Numerology and Astrology Part Two: Numerology Applications in Spellwork

Do you like my work? You can support me by tipping me on here or on Kofi, or commissioning me to write an astrology natal birth chart or transit chart just for you.

[fandom-go-round]

Hi, bebe! I would love a thing on how each of the magic-using bg3 party members feel when they're channeling their different kinds of magic through their bodies to cast it, both physically and emotionally--i.e. druidic magic and channeling nature for Halsin, Shadowheart and her divine casting, Wyll and the power he draws from his Patron, Gale and what it's like for him to manipulate the Weave. One thing I'd love to see with Shadowheart in particular is the ways in which it feels different for her to channel divinity from different goddesses as her relationship to the divine changes. Thank you so much!

Warnings: Act 2 Spoilers, Act 3 Spoilers, Shadowheart Quest Spoilers, Gale Quest Spoilers, Halsin Quest Spoilers, Wyll Quest Spoilers, Magic Talk, Implied Self Image Issues, Relationship Issues (Gale)

Halsin:

His magic feels like a warm breeze, grass between your toes, laying in a sun patch. Casting druid magic always feels like the earth is responding, reaching out to the call. It’s one of the reasons Halsin loves being a druid so much. Nothing makes you feel connected to life than the world responding to your pull. It’s more complicated than that of course and the type of spell also means a lot. Healing magic is like warm water, rolling across wounds. It can cause people to jump in surprise if they’re used to divine healing magic which is more of a ‘sinking into the skin’ sensation.

Being in the shadow cursed lands makes everything hard. Summoning the power of the land is nearly impossible so it pulls more from the caster. Halsin focuses mostly on changing shape than complicated spells; it feels like spell slots go twice as fast. He has to admire the other druids who make it look easy. Part of his issue is that he’s distracted by Thaniel; with so much to focus on, magic is hard to come by.

Baldur’s Gate is easier and harder at the same time. It’s easy to find life in the city but only humanoid life. There are patches of plant life here and then but it’s a weak cry to the forests he’s been living in the last hundred years. Halsin finds it jarring to be around as so many people and longs for more open spaces. He takes small pleasures in warm bathes and interesting food but it can feel hollow. He’ll never say it but he enjoys breaking the cobblestones with his spells when he has to fight, letting nature push its way through. He’s not going to tear the city down but he knows that he can’t stay permanently. The sooner her can feel grass between his toes, the better.

Shadowheart:

Shar’s magic feels like a crisp breeze; it can feel jarring but also makes her feel more alert. Little the first nipping of winter on her cheeks. A pinch on the cheek from a teasing relative. The cold keeps her alert on a normal day. The magic makes her numb eventually; after a long day Shadowheart feels like she’ll never get warm again. She does find it comforting and to feel close to her Lady is something that she wants every day.

After she renounces Lady Shar, magic feels empty. It’s almost worse than the cold sinking into her bones. The feeling of going to call for a spell and simply feeling void; it would be funny if it wasn’t so cruel. There is a god that answers (she can still cast magic) but she tries not to think about it too much; she’s not ready to commit herself to another god yet. It makes it hard to be a cleric and she’s in pain on two fronts; losing her god and also her purpose.

Where Shar’s magic was cool, Selune’s is warm. The first time she feels the connection Shadowheart doesn’t finish the spell, the surge of warmth making her panic. To feel safe and warm makes her want to cry but she pushes through, healing Karlach so fast most don’t even notice her hesitation. Warm hands cupping her cheeks, a hand on her shoulder. She’s in awe that worshipping can feel this good and has to sit with that. Devoting herself feels easy when it’s like standing in the sun.

Wyll:

Wyll’s magic always has a heat to it. Even if it’s an ice spell, his fingers tingle like being held too close to the fire. It makes sense, he figures, since his powers do come from a devil. He was never someone who thought he would wield magic but the longer he has the powers, the more he enjoys it. They give him the power to protect people and what he loves. How can you not appreciate them, even when he’s on the edge of falling in deeper?

The issue is that the magic changes, over time. The first few years it’s a warm tingle and now, after seven, the flames are licking up his arms. Wyll feels tired after he casts a spell, even as he’s able to cast more spells. It feels like the magic is an inferno and could swallow him whole. It’s a blessing when he first gets the tadpole, it blocks some of the heat and makes it easier to think. It’s during this period he realizes the truth; the magic is wearing on him. Physically and mentally.

Wyll has to decide if he’s going to keep the magic or try to get out of his deal. His Infernal powers are addicting in the best and worst ways, like stretching a muscle and feeling the burn. He wants the power to save people and he does a damn good job at it. If he loses his magic, then what? Wyll knows he’ll still be a hero but if he can save more people… it’s not something that he’ll decide just yet but it weighs on his mind the entire journey.

Gale:

The Weave is something that Gale can’t live without. It’s one of the constants in his life and tapping into it is almost as easy as breathing. Sometimes it’s easier. When he was with Mystra it felt like every time he cast a spell he could smell her, feel her all around him. A comforting embrace that shielded him from the outside world. If he felt lonely with her, it was worth it to feel wonderful doing magic. To push himself deeper and deeper into study so that he could feel good again. Was it healthy? Maybe not. And that’s a hard pill to swallow, even years later. But in the moment, it felt like everything he ever wanted.

After her has the orb, magic feels like a vice. The comforting hand turns into a clenched fist and Gale has to stumble through learning to cast even minor spells. It’s like wading through mud in the dark; he’s lost and the Weave threatens to consume him entirely. The first few times he pleads with his goddess to set him free, to help ease the burden but she doesn’t reply. Eventually, he learns how to navigate these new feelings. The sensation of being swallowed turns more into water lapping at his ankles, cold and icy.

The Weave will never feel the same way again and Gale accepts that. After the crown, after the tadpole, he’s happy to be able to touch magic and not feel pain. It’s not longer a lover’s embrace anymore and he needs that, to heal. It’s still warm, still comforting but more like a pair of gloves than entangled bodies. He has a lot of feelings about Mystra but he does still respect her and he’s glad that she respects him. The Weave makes him feel whole and it’s not something he’s going to take advantage of again.

[signamagicae]

Sigil Magic & The User Interface Theory Of Perception

The user interface theory of perception posits that what we perceive is not an accurate representation of reality but rather a constructed experience designed to promote survival and reproductive fitness. This theory can intersect with the theories of sigil magic in several compelling ways:

1. Constructed Reality and Sigils as Tools for Modification:

- If perception is a constructed interface rather than a direct experience of reality, then sigils could be seen as tools that help alter that interface. By creating and activating a sigil, practitioners might be effectively "reprogramming" their constructed experience to align more closely with their intentions or desires. This altered perception can then guide their behavior and decision-making in ways that increase the likelihood of achieving those goals.

2. Predictive Hallucinations and Sigil Magic:

- In the user interface theory, perception involves predictive coding, where the brain generates predictions about sensory input and then adjusts based on the actual input received. Sigils could be considered a way to introduce new predictions into this system. When a sigil is charged with intention, it embeds a new prediction or expectation into the subconscious. The brain then works to align perception and behavior with this new prediction, effectively making the desired outcome more likely to occur.

3. Behavioral Guidance towards Fitness Goals:

- Sigils might function by shaping the predictive models that guide behavior. If perception is tuned towards fitness ends, a sigil can be seen as a way to bias this tuning process towards specific goals. For instance, a sigil representing success in a career might subtly influence a person's behavior, confidence, and decisions, increasing their chances of achieving success in ways that ultimately support their survival and well-being.

4. Reprogramming the Interface:

- Since the user interface theory suggests our perceptions are not veridical but rather useful constructs, sigil magic can be interpreted as a method of intentionally reprogramming these constructs. By changing the symbols and meanings within one's perception through the use of sigils, practitioners can reshape their experiential reality in ways that are advantageous to them, aligning with their desires and goals.

5. Influencing Predictive Models:

- The theory that perception is based on predictive models aligns well with the psychological theory of sigil magic. The creation and activation of a sigil can be seen as a way of implanting a new predictive model in the subconscious mind. This new model influences the brain's predictions and therefore the individual's perceptions and actions, steering them towards outcomes that align with the intention behind the sigil.

In summary, the user interface theory of perception and sigil magic both emphasize the constructed nature of our experiential reality. Sigils, within this framework, could be understood as tools for intentionally modifying these constructs. By introducing new predictions or altering existing ones, sigils help align perceptions and behaviors with desired outcomes, thereby guiding individuals towards their goals in a manner that enhances their overall fitness.

by ᐯ丨��丨ㄥㄩ乂 - ©️ 2024

[evadne01]

Magic circle

[witchcraftingboop]

Hi! May I ask which are some good super starter or basic grimoires? I tried Agrippa and just...it didn't go in...i have the Picatrix but I honestly think I'll just get the same result, it's way above my head. Is there anything simple i might "get" or should I honestly just accept it's not for me and move on? Thank you!

Hey, so I have this post right here that goes over why no grimoire that's worth learning from with the intent to practice it through is going to be classified as beginner/starter/etc. So I'm not going to rehash that part.

As for "getting" Agrippa, I think it's important to remember that it's an encyclopedia. As such, when you're beginning to explore grimoires, it's best to use it as a reference book. Can you use Agrippa as the foundation of your own practice? Yes, but unless you're already familiar with occult concepts and topics, it might require far more than one or two surface readings to fully digest what it's talking about.

So since it sounds like you're newer to grimtrad circles, I have a few books that I think might help build that foundation without all the dense walls of text and jargon to read through (though please bear in mind that I struggle to remember what is/not common knowledge even in mundane matters, so if some of these are a bit trickier to navigate, feel free to blame it on my incompetence):

A Deed Without A Name by Lee Morgan (staple)

Conjuring Spirits by Miller (Miller's work is v good)

The Black Arts by Richard Cavendish (read critically, don't accept everything blindly)

The Hermetic & Alchemical Writings of Paracelsus - Waite & Paracelsus (denser)

Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in Greek and Roman Worlds

Elucidation of Necromancy

Celestial Intelligences by Kaminsky (denser)

Wortkunning

Some books that I worked with or through that seem easy enough to bring to real life application, with the right dedication and mindset:

The 6th & 7th Books of Moses

The Sworn Book of Honorius

The Book of Oberon

Seven Spheres & Gateways: Through Stone and Circle (1 book) & Through Light and Shadow (different book) - best combo, anyone can practice these really

Keys of Solomon & Grimorium Verum & Secrets of Solomon - solid combo

The Goetia of Dr. Rudd (a particular fave)

The Complete Mystical Records of Dr. John Dee (learn a bit of Latin first or have a solid translator on deck)

Greek Magical Papyri (PGM) & Greek and Egyptian Magical Formularies & Techniques of Greco-Egyptian Magic - best combo, imo

Orphic Hymns Grimoire & The Hekatæon & Tartaros - another good combo

The 32 Keys

Azoëtia & The Black Dragon series

Book of St. Cyprian

I think it's worth mentioning that reading more is a great way to broaden your awareness of occult concepts and topics. If you look at how things are considered across different dedicated areas of study, then you're more likely to understand the foundations of said thing. One perspective is very limiting. It's better to seek out multiple. By reading from the first list, which should give a pretty solid introductory to broad concepts, and then sifting through the grimoires mentioned, you should be able - through applying yourself properly to the task - gain an understanding of how these things may function/interact in a living tradition, and then through applying them yourself gain the practical knowledge of how they actually are.

And as a closing note: I would personally recommend leaving behind the idea that you're supposed to "get" occult books. You study from them, you learn what you can from them, and through implementing what they speak of and experimenting with what interests you, you acquire that knowledge plus your own discovered knowledge and heightened awareness. In this way, you'll come to realize why I refer to my engagement with the occult as a study and practice.

Of course, if none of this was helpful, you can feel free to disregard my input here as the ramblings of a twenty-something nobody. Have a good one!

[nerdycozycaffeinated]

I would like to theorize that there are some things in witchcraft that have a universal purpose or meaning but there are other materials that are assigned their purpose or meaning by each individual witch.

For example, lavender is known to work as a calming agent, that seems to be a meaning and purpose that it has inherently.

But maybe amethyst can fulfill whatever purpose or meaning a witch assigns to it. For some it might call for easy sleep, and for others it might encourage lust or sexual feelings. Maybe some material purposes are fixed and some are able to be personalized.

Is this a thing? Are there other witches who have thought of this or is it just me?

[askthesorcerersupreme]

AI chat doesnt work with spells. *hair completely white*

Why are you trying to apply an experimental science on the mystic arts, anyway?

@doctorstrangeaskblog

[nervouswreckhere]

I did promise that I will be an annoyance so here I come:

Stone Monsters Headcanons

In general, the magic system in Knighton is a soft one (I say after I watch one too many world-building tik toks). What that means is that it doesn't have hard outlines as to how it works.

Let's change that, hmm?

Monstrox is a necromancer, Wanda has weather powers and Merlock is a technomancer. (I haven't read anything other than the wiki. Just watched the show, got obsessed and here I am..) Merlock's nexo magic is iconic - very useful and always appears when you need it to. Almost as if it's a plot device. Its ability to enchant weapons and armor is extremely helpful when faced with Monstrox's... everything.

Now, Monstrox is interesting. As a necromancer we would assume what he does is bad and evil as they love to repeat in the show. And he is - insane and ambitious to boot. While I have no idea what made the Wizards' Council / Merlock spare him, his knowledge and power were locked into the Book of Monsters. That knowledge was what allowed him to - from what I can comprehend - summon, create, manifest the monsters. They weren't strong monsters, after all, Monstrox was stuck in leather, between pages. He had limited power - that's what evoked the whole let's search for all the evil books scattered around the realm.

And even their collection failed to resurrect him, seeing as everything blew up in the end. But the ritual still worked partially - it was a ritual to grant him a new form; magic, energy can't just go away, disappear! - so it gave him a form that was more well-suited for his magic. Hence the cloud.

And that's when we arrive at what I call my favorite brain rot. Monstrox's resurrection spell. The one that breathes life into stone. I do think Monstrox's spell is a combination of a few different necromantic spells, but that's for later. The stone monsters are sworn to his allegiance in a way I doubt the lava monsters were. Some of them exhibit some intelligence but none have discernable personalities other than a select few. Why?

Seeing as that spell, erased Clay's entire moral system while keeping his tenacity and determination, his desire to serve a cause, I doubt it's just personality erasure. But a spell can't just turn someone evil.

That's stupid! Evil is such a subjective thing and it's so nuanced that a simple wave of a hand or I guess zap with lightning doesn't just- just- evilize someone! So I made a chart!

There are three types of monsters in my book. (I'm not talking about how they look or their functions. I'm not talking about bouldrons, gargoyles, harpies, etc. I'm classifying them into categories!)

Type 1: The statues, given life. The bouldrons, the gravellers, etc. The one that get zapped and start destroying everything in sight. The ones that we see zooming around in the background in most episodes.

Type 2: The magically imbued statues. The statues put there with a reason - like the gargoyles. Haven't you wondered why there are so many gargoyles? Only a few of them appear smart so those are the few that I put in this type. Harpies are here too. Why? Because I think they were demons or something similar summoned to do Monstrox's bidding before they got petrified by the wizards' council. (I have their whole backstory written somewhere, I will share it later.)

Basically, type 1 is just making a statue move with densely charged, magical energy that imbues them with malicious intent. Type 2 has to work with what little magic the statue has locked within itself. That takes more power out of the initial blast, which is why type 2 monsters don't have to be constantly on the move - more of the magic has to work to diverge the energy channels within the vessel.

I love magical theory, guys

Now, type 3 is my favorite so far. That's the statue that was once human. Have you looked at how one brain works - it's all chemistry. Little electrical pulses send to and from different parts of it. In type 3 monsters, 3/4 of Monstrox's magic blast / ressurection spell go towards the mind. It has to change the being's priorities, to change the person's alleigence strictly to Monstrox. The other 1/4 goes towards making their body function in the way it has before - or as close as a living rock can get.

Ruina is a great example why this clarification works, Krakenskull, too. They were separate people, warlords in their own right before they got hit by Monstrox's magic, and then suddenly they readily follow his orders? And he doesn't worry about them betraying him? Sure, one can argue with Ruina ever being a warlord on her own but Krakenskull? He had his own army and then he was okay with someone else using it? Yeah right.

*takes a deep breath* I got a bit sidetracked. ...a lot sidetracked. But basically yeah. I have a lot of feelings about the magic in Nexo Knights and I am so sharing them with you. Just you wait!

[mould-corner]

honestly, in terms of harry potter games, i desperately want one that’s just… going around the school and learning magic, yknow?

like, the only one ive played a bit is hogwarts mystery (on mobile) but ive looked at the other options and they all focused on more on the story than the classes. which like, makes sense, if youre making a game you want it to be a game, but also i just want to do magic school and learn how everything works.

i am such a sucker for magic theory and every day life as a wizard in general, i know there’s stuff like hogwartsishere online that has versions of lessons but that’s not a game. its better than nothing but i am still dying of want to just guide a lil guy around a magic castle learning magic and holing up in a library.

i dont want plot i want school

[gear-project]

What are your thoughts on the theory that Frederick could still have access to Dragon Install because of his connection with the Flame of Corruption? Since it's been a part of his Gear core for centuries and his cells are technically byproducts of the Divine Seed, some believe that he is still linked to it, even with it removed from his body. Do you think that this theory has any credibility?

It's difficult to say for certain…

As far as can be determined, Frederick's entire body was reconstructed in the "aftermath" of his initial "death".

Yes, technically Frederick died from getting shot in the neck.

But, he woke up in a pool of his OWN BLOOD not long after.

The bullet that entered his neck contained a cocktail not only of the Flame of Corruption "divine seed", but also a genetic "remapping code" that basically converted his entire BODY in to GEAR CELLS.

So even if the Flame seed was removed from his neck… his body is still 100% that of a GEAR.

On the outside he definitely LOOKS human, and his hair even got shorter to normal length (though that could also have been a temporary side effect… Ky, Sin, and Dizzy still have issues where their hair regrows at fast rates).

What makes the Flame of Corruption Seed what it is seems to be related to the key functions of the Backyard itself.

As per the analogy, the Flame is "Adam" and the Scales is "Eve"… bodies of information that somehow governed the Backyard's data on a large scale.

Just as the Absolute World is an "overlap" of the physical world and the data that comprises the Backyard… you could argue that such an "overlap" existed within Sol's body.

Just as demons and ghosts exist outside of human Logic, Sol's existence was a supernatural one on a basic level.

If left unchecked, the Dragon Install would have encroached Sol's body… distorting his body's data and creating something far beyond his body's ability to contain (even for Gear Cells, which were designed to contain that power in the first place).

Perhaps, right now, none of that absurd amounts of illogical information exists within Frederick's body at the moment… but it is true that it shaped and influenced that body on a physical level… if not a metaphysical level.

Hypothetically, if Frederick were to try to re-enter the Backyard in his current state… or even get influenced by an Information Flare… something "could" happen to him… but it's hard to predict what could happen.

To clarify though, just as Information Flares are an excess amount of Magic Information in real space… the Dragon Install is just like other complex "spells" that exist in the world… above all else, it tapped in to the energy of the Gear Cell Core and Divine Seed itself.

Just as other everyday spells can influence the physical body (like healing spells or elemental spells), so too can enhancement spells like Dragon Install exist.

Perhaps not on the same level as before, but Frederick's body can still tap in to the energy potential of the Gear Cells that currently comprise it.

Even if the Magic Energy isn't as big as a Galaxy Cluster (like the case of Justice)… it is still Magic Energy, and is capable of a great many things.

[ethics-wizard]

It has been noted that many effects of alcohol are social in nature even non participating members at party might start acting "Drunk" So in this essay I shall set out to detail this effect in regards to drunken sword fighting.

[clairpilferage]

The critique of magic oftentimes involves questions like:

Why don't practitioners just predict the winning lottery numbers?

Why don't practitioners just cure their physical/mental ailments?

and similar, of course. Typically, the line of questioning comes down to "proving power" in a substantially public and physically apparent way.

From working with a variety of spirits - demons, angels, plants, planets, and deities namely- my answer has become rather simple and can be boiled down to just 3 words: understanding of needs.

Angels and demons exist on a similar wavelength, with their understanding of needs being primarily influenced by their own understanding and perception. Angels take the path that ends where they want it to; demons take the path of least resistance/effort. Plants and planets tend to take the expressed needs of a person very literally and influence the physical in a more obtuse way; oftentimes I find the impact less so in a concentrated area of my life than a broad application of shifting energies and happenstance. Deities are where I find the most concrete changes immediately apparent, but they are similarly influenced by the overarching theme or picture They have in mind. Of note: I have no background with the Good Neighbors, so I cannot speak on the Doctors who work under their tutelage.

Regardless, winning the lottery and curing whatever is impeding or impacting your way of life is often not seen as the "cure" or a viable option. Often I find that the spirits I call on are more inclined to alter the situation and circumstances surrounding the source rather than that which is presented as the problem. For example, an insurance hiccup or occupational hindrance may be addressed rather than the physical origin point of pain/discomfort. This trajectory alteration is not due to a shortcoming in magic or "power," but a differing of opinion when it comes down to the needs of the situation. Seldom do you actually need to win the lottery, and in fact it could be argued that winning the lottery would create more problems than ease them. What spirits are most likely to address is the circumstance surrounding certain issues or points of conflict in one's life.

To my mind, this is not a shortcoming of magic but rather a positive. It not only serves as a means of proving that Spirit has its own inclinations and ways of observing and categorizing the world, but also as a means of shifting one's own perspective, should they be so inclined. When approaching magic and Other, it then becomes less of an "what can I get out of this" or "what can you show/do for me," and transitions to what it ought to be - "what can I learn from this."

[signamagicae]

“Thoughts of the Brain are experienced by us as arrangements and rearrangements -- change -- in a physical universe; but in fact it is really information and information-processing which we substantialize. We do not merely see its thoughts as objects, but rather as the movement, or, more precisely, the placement of objects: how they become linked to one another. But we cannot read the patterns of arrangement; we cannot extract the information in it -- i.e. it as information, which is what it is. The linking and relinking of objects by the Brain is actually a language, but not a language like ours (since it is addressing itself and not someone or something outside itself).

We should be able to hear this information, or rather narrative, as a neutral voice inside us. But something has gone wrong. All creation is a language and nothing but a language, which for some inexplicable reason we can't read outside and can't hear inside. So I say, we have become idiots. Something has happened to our intelligence. My reasoning is this: arrangement of parts of the Brain is language. We are parts of the Brain; therefore we are language. Why, then, do we not know this? We do not even know what we are, let alone what the outer reality is of which we are parts. The origin of the word 'idiot' is the word 'private.' Each of us has become private, and no longer shares the common thought of the Brain, except at a subliminal level. Thus our real life and purpose are conducted below our threshold of consciousness. ” - Philip K Dick, from his Exegesis

[juvenalesque]

Neil Neil Neil... he wants us to ask questions. He's testing us. He will be so proud if, as a collective, we figure out a lot of what he gave us. And he would be tragically disappointed if we didn't try. The constant references to other media are clues as much as easter eggs, whether it's Archer's tactileneck, James Bond, Jane Austin, Doctor Who, The bible, or Magicians... In the beginning, we are told about the card trick/shells (show v book) when the babies are being switched. Look at ineffable beginnings theory. Clues within clues. He set it all up so that it is SO SIMPLE and IN PLAIN SIGHT, but we are still going to be amazed at the prestigitation. We will be guessing and seeing it all, but we won't understand until he decides it's time for us to understand. Just like the original prophecies. If we study all the clues, we will be applauding how he made it all come together. Not the destination, not the answer, but the journey, the investigation, that's the fun and absolutely gorgeous brilliance.It is my desire to know all of the fan theories inside out, and find every possible clue on my own or with others, so that when the final story comes out, I'll be able to SQUEE with joy when I see which predictions get close or if any are actually right.

I know in my heart that he fully intends us to figure the plot out *in general* so that we are correct, but * there's more to it* --it's the *HOW* he does it that will be impressive, not the *what* if that makes sense.

Hear me out - he is giving us, in a way, Nutter's prophecies-- we are seeing them right there, all the answers in the "book"(show) & they are nice and accurate. BUT most of them don't make perfect sense until you see how they play out. He said he needed to give us s2 to get us to s3, remember? Just like agnes prophecies were needed for s1 to unfold.

He gave us enough that he wants us to be emotionally prepared. He intentionally made this season a game to keep us busy looking at Clues. He is so clever. Giving us the hundreds of years that Nutter's descendants had symbolically, he wrote s2 in such a way that it includes s3 completely weaved inside. We just need to find it. Just like Gabriel was in plain sight as the fly all along, handed to us in the beginning.

What makes him so amazingly impressive is that he managed to put everything there for us to find. When we are finally allowed to see the TRUE "ineffable" plan, we are going to be more impressed with how he already managed to tell the story before it happened, than with the story itself. Of course there will be surprises and details we couldn't have seen, but it's going to fit together so beautifully.

He will be proud if we are like Anathema, know all the prophecies, and know what will happen, but still be amazed when we see how it was done. That's why you need to read this and this. Both of these theories/clues are talked about on this tumblr post. Add it all together with this post from justthereforthemeta. We are getting one heck of an investigation!

Romantic expectations and the story we didn't see: A magic trick hiding in plain sight

Here's a hopeful meta for all my fellow celestial brainrot sufferers out there. Cheers! :)

This idea started as a dead end, trying to track the movements of Crowley’s sideburns/tattoo because I thought time travel shenanigans were afoot. I had to abandon that theory when it was pointed out that David was simultaneously filming as the sideburns-having Fourteenth Doctor, and in-universe Crowley can do whatever he wants with his facial hair whenever he feels like it. But hey - null findings are still findings!

On the bright side, pausing the show to make notations in a spreadsheet forced me to slow down and notice other changes I'd overlooked the first time around: acting choices, costuming choices, references to book lore. And possibly a few surreptitious flicks of the wrist, in places where we’re meant to be focused on the magician’s other hand.

@amuseoffyre and @ineffablefood had a great exchange recently about romance and “the significance of misdirection and three-in-one (magic) tricks” throughout the show. I suspect Neil has done something brilliant with the audience’s long-standing expectations (since the 1990s, really) for the love story between Crowley and Aziraphale to develop. And while it is a wonderful story indeed, playing to this expectation lets Neil distract his audience from the blink-and-you'll-miss-them seeds he's planting for the final chapter.

Continued below the cut...

Let’s start at the beginning of Episode 2. First, context: In the previous installment, Crowley stormed out of the bookshop, was whisked away to Hell by Beelzebub where he learns about the Book of Life threat to Aziraphale’s existence, then returned to the bookshop to dance a little apology dance and hide Gabriel with an unintentionally massive joint miracle. In S2E2, we and Shax catch up with Crowley as he's snoozing in the Bentley.

Shax: “You’re in trouble”

A. J. Crowley, cool as a cucumber: “Obviously. Former demon, hated by Heaven, loathed by Hell. How will our hero cope?”

Interesting! Sarcastic? Yes, absolutely; but that’s also a good 4500 years and an averted apocalypse away from “I’m a demon. I lie,” wouldn’t you say? Someone is sounding a whole lot less depressed and aimless and navel-gazey (do snakes have navels?), and a whole lot more like he’s got a project to focus on, since his "what's the point?" ruminations on the park bench in E1.

And of course we all noticed the costume change right away. Hello, black turtleneck. Feeling cute today, thought I’d cover up my graceful long neck? That sounds unlikely. Let’s put a pin in this one.

There’s also an interesting acting choice going on here. Crowley speaks to Shax in a funny, drawling, too-cool-for-you voice that we haven’t heard in a while. Specifically, not since 1967. If you go back and give the S1E3 scene in the Dirty Donkey a listen, you’ll hear it (and if you know of another instance of it that I've missed, please let me know!). In S2E2, he keeps up this odd voice (if anybody knows what kind of affect this is supposed to be, please do tell!) throughout this dialogue with Shax, except for the brief moment when she first surprises him about the joint miracle having been detected.

1967 was a fun year. Crowley masterminded a heist! And seemed like he was having a ball doing it, right up until his little caper was called off after Aziraphale brought him the thermos of holy water. Crowley spoke to his co-conspirators in that same funny, very 60’s-caper-film voice. He wore a hip 60’s turtleneck. He bought petrol for the only time ever, so he could get those sweet James Bond bullet hole decals for his car (per the book, seen on the Bentley in the show).

Those James Bond bullet hole decals would of course have been part of a promotion for this 1967 release, which you just know our film-enjoying demon went to see in the theater:

Starring this suave, be-turtlenecked guy:

And now - begging your forgiveness - a brief rant.

There are a number of posts out there that refer to Crowley’s S2E2 turtleneck as a flirtatious sartorial choice - actually, ‘slutty’ seems to be the favored accusation. There are even a few posts floating around commenting on how sweet it is that Crowley swaps out his slutty, kinky, throw-me-over-your-desk-and-take-me turtleneck for a more dressy and appropriate collared shirt specifically to attend Aziraphale’s Jane Austen ball. 

Now this is all in good fun, and Crowley does indeed look fantastic here, and I do love a good fangirling sesh as much as the next person. However, fandom’s collective tendency to interpret what we are seeing on the screen through the lens of romantic expectation can, at times, give rise to a kind of blinkered enthusiasm that obscures the original text in a haze that is part Mandela Effect, part unrestrained horniness, and part in-group code talking and identity reinforcement.

Respectfully, Crowley’s black turtleneck does not appear at all in S2E5: The Ball. In fact, it never appears again after the end of S2E2.

For Someone’s sake, let’s collectively pull our heads out of the romantic fog/gutter for a moment and focus on what we are actually seeing in the book and on the screen. For Crowley, this is an uncharacteristic within-period costume change. There is a surreptitious flick of the wrist happening here, out in broad daylight, and we are all missing it.

So here’s a thing. Aziraphale appears to have settled comfortably into life on Earth, his neighborhood, his books, using Crowley as an outlet for sharing his good deeds that he would once have reported to Heaven. Meanwhile, at first glance, Crowley appears stuck in a rut. There he slouches on a park bench with Shax in S2E1: a guy who lives in his car, stagnantly clinging to old familiar habits, mulling over the pointlessness of it all.

Setting aside the bit about living in the Bentley (I’m going to attribute this to well-documented issues between him and Aziraphale, discussed in many other excellent metas, and move on), Crowley has at least two very good, proactive reasons for maintaining his contact with Hell through Shax. First and foremost, it’s a source of information he can use to keep ahead of potential threats to Aziraphale and himself.

But also, I would posit…he kinda likes it.

Recall that book GO was first conceived as a parody, with Aziraphale and Crowley as spy-against-spy (but not really) field operatives in an ages-old cold war between Heaven and Hell. Their entire book dynamic is rooted in the trope of two opposing agents who have been in the field for so long that they now have more in common with each other than with their respective head offices. Their St. James’s Park meetings among other spies and ministers trading secrets are a sendup of what was once a well-known Cold War-era cliché. 

Our contemporary Crowley still likes slick outfits and hellaciously expensive watches and high-performing vintage cars and pens that write underwater while looking like they could break the speed limit. He coaches Shax on how to blend in as a demon on Earth, and he helpfully redirects the wayward contact looking for the Azerbaijani sector chief. He loves improvising and getting away with shenanigans under the institutional radar. And boy golly was he impressed with Jane Austen: master spy, brandy smuggler, and mastermind of the 1810 Clerkenwell Diamond Robbery. 

And if you look at it a certain way, for as long as Crowley has considered himself to be on “[his] own side” - going at least as far back as Job - he could almost think of himself as a sort of double agent. It’s actually a very romantic sort of notion, befitting our hopeless romantic of a (professedly former) demon; but it’s romantic in a very different way than we, the audience, have been primed to watch for.

In other words, in a very “on my own side” kind of way, Crowley really gets a kick out of being a spy. Or at least, dressing up and accessorizing as one, and moonlighting as a good-doing double agent when he can get away with it. And also being a plotting criminal mastermind. Two sides of a coin, really. Just look at Jane Austen.

My point is: No, Crowley did not wait around for Shax to come find him in a turtleneck so that he could go flirt with Aziraphale later. He’ll flirt with Aziraphale no matter what. No, this:

is actually this:

Much like the one he wears to the Dirty Donkey in 1967: 

whilst holy water heist-plotting. Here's a clearer shot with gratuitous Bentley, because I love them:

…and which he'll wear again, with appropriate camouflage, while infiltrating Heaven in S2E6:

That is the 1967 planning a HEIST turtleneck for committing ESPIONAGE and STEALING THINGS in. Because turtlenecks are what modern human master spies wear to get their hands dirty - after all, he saw it in a movie once. 

Crowley dons his tactical turtleneck sometime during the first major break in the action (which doesn't happen until after the joint miracle to hide Gabriel) after he learns about the threat the Book of Life poses to Aziraphale. Loverboy started mentally preparing himself to go after that book immediately upon learning that it was in play as a genuine threat. 

Now let’s pick up at the S2E2 Dirty Donkey scene, reading the story from this angle. Of course, Crowley enables Aziraphale’s delusions about Heaven by hiding information from him, and does not disclose the Book of Life threat when they meet again. They go into the pub, Aziraphale shamelessly paws Crowley’s chest like the seductive Bond Girl he is, and Crowley gets to act all smooth and suave and intimidating as he chases off the interloping Mr. Brown (or Mr. Collins for the Pride & Prejudice fans, take your pick).

Ergo, theory: beginning in S2E2, Crowley is already thinking of himself as a Jane Austen/James Bond action hero (“How will our hero cope?”), psyching himself up to rescue Aziraphale by getting his spy game on and stealing the Book of Life.

Now, watch closely...This is where Aziraphale and Crowley brainstorm their plans to solve the problem they both know about: getting Maggie and Nina to fall in love and thereby get Heaven off their backs. Crowley’s vavoom plan is drawn from yet another movie (“Get humans wet and staring into each other’s eyes - vavoom, sorted. I saw it in a Richard Curtis film.”). But Crowley also implicitly shares his solution to the problem he hasn’t told Aziraphale about. And true to form, Crowley’s Jane Austen solution isn’t the same as Aziraphale’s Jane Austen solution. 

Two solutions that fail by the end of Season 2, and a secret third one that might still work...and there's our magic trick of three.

‘“I’m lost. Am I doing a rainstorm?” Yes, babe. And a heist, too - just not until season three. Can I get a wahoo!? 

I won’t spend time on A Companion to Owls during this meta, except to note that in all three minisodes, we get to watch stories that involve Crowley acting as a double agent on “his/their own side” - successfully making Hell and Heaven think he’s fulfilling their will while saving Job’s goats and children; failing to fool Hell when he does a good deed in Edinburgh; and of course, collaborating with Aziraphale whilst evading detection as an infernal turncoat during the Blitz.

(Because this is getting long, I'll also skip over Crowley's interrogation of Jim in this episode - I'll probably come back to that in another meta. But interrogating is a rather spy-ish thing to do.)

When we catch up with Crowley again later, he’s already slipped out of the bookshop, having left Aziraphale to his biblical reverie about Job. He saunters snakily down Whickber Street as usual, but with a very pointed and swift glance over his shoulder (see pic above). This demon is up to something - possibly something we didn’t get to see, something that may have happened offscreen while he stepped out. In any case, knowing there’ve been unfriendly angels in the neighborhood that morning, he’s rightly concerned about being spied on.

From this point until the beginning of episode six, there isn’t a whole lot of opportunity for Crowley to make any next moves. He babysits the bookshop, during which time he manages to wring some crucial information out of Jim; he follows his Crowley’s Angel around like a puppy, and downs a bottle of red like a good old fashioned lovesick boy once that’s been pointed out to him. If any plotting or scheming is underway, this occult being is keeping stumm for now.

This has been a long one, so I’ll wrap up with Crowley’s infiltration of Heaven with Muriel. The turtleneck disguise works (Archer fans, be vindicated!) long enough to gather some information that will be crucial not just to the denouement of S2, but also to Crowley’s journey in S3 (previous post on Crowley's Fall, Saraqael, and memory wiping). And Aziraphale gets to enjoy that view exactly zero times. The point isn’t oh, a turtleneck! How flirty! So cunty! So cute! Y’all. Everything matters. The costume change was a deliberate choice. In-universe, Crowley’s decision to wear his special spy turtleneck for spying in is a signal that he is out doing spy things, even as we watch.

In sum: Beginning in S2E2 and continuing through the end of the season, Aziraphale and Crowley are actively living out the scripts of two parallel, concurrent, and completely different Jane Austen stories. But you and I, dear fellow audience member, we came here for a comedy with a hefty jigger of romance, and that’s what Neil gave us to focus on. And right up until the Final 15, that was the only story we saw.

Meanwhile, Special Agent A. J. Crowley doesn’t have time to mope around at the end of S2E6. He’s kicked down, but he’s not out. He's got a Book of Life to steal, a very serious bone to pick with a certain memory-wiping angel, and his Angel and the world to save. 

“‘Heigh ho,’ said [romantic, optimist, former demon, hero, master spy] Anthony Crowley, and just drove anyway.”

[witchcraftingboop]

Currently (finally) reading Holy Heretics, and this quote in particular, as well as quite a few statements before this point, have really highlighted for me the pursuit of Chumbley & Co. and led me towards finally organizing my thoughts on certain aspects of their final products that I've mostly kept to myself hitherto.

I've read quite a few books by the Cultus Sabbati group now, as well as plenty of others such as Paracelsus and Alm, and while I'm reading Acher's work, I find myself reflecting, even without intentionally doing so, on the chthonic Greek initiation rites I had put together. Perhaps due to the non-dualistic perspective on cosmology I have, after their first draft, I started unraveling those rites and leaving almost "placeholder slots" in them where I had previously affixed Greek-specific rivers, deities, and mythological references. Now, when I'm reading this book in particular, it becomes even more obvious 1) why I was so intent on unraveling my own views on those rites and my cosmology in general (and in turn, how useful that ended up being), and 2) how Chumbley's works, and a few of his peers, appeared to crumble in their pursuit of a homogenous, one-size-fits-all-or-does-it concept.

"But now, to the best of our ability, we use symbols appropriate to the things Divine, and from these again we elevate ourselves." This sentence in particular feels like a perfect summary of where/why the Cultus' books fell short for so many I've seen attempt "decoding" them.

In the pursuit of transcending and "encoding" their work, a lot of the symbols, names, and concepts they latched onto and blended lost their ability to be used effectively in their presented form. Often, my peers would relate back to me that DBoE rites, if worked through to the letter, took many more hours than anticipated and that time seemed to just fall away and be absorbed into the working, and then when they inevitably restructured and reworded them to their needs/desires, they had an increased impact, reliable results, and took a significantly less amount of time. Truthfully, Chumbley & Co.'s works are the outer emanations of an inner, closed group, so it can, and really imo should, be argued that those extra bits and bobs and the declared so-called "ciphered" way of writing is done intentionally and that these results may in fact be what they'd intended all along. There can be a multitude of reasonings attached, but my ending note is the same:

The symbols used, in any system, must be adequate to the practitioner's understanding and relation to the divine in order to be usable in the pursuit of transcendence and unity with that which is beyond.

Cultus works just so happen to be the first that come to mind for me, especially given how quickly I have seen folks discard them entirely. A mish-mosh, rushed undertaking of DBoE will likely leave you in a room surrounded by just thoughtforms and archetypes rather than with a powerful eminence of divinity. And while this was more than likely the intended affect, it is still worth reflecting on for those like me who seek out experience with multiple different paths and systems.

It is something I have seldom verbalized, but that I carry with me when developing or seeking the understanding and knowledge necessary to undertake new ways of thinking and organizing the world around me. And, quite honestly, I think it is better put in this way than in the multitude of articles and entries I have seen that cryptically and obliquely describe Chumbley's works as "ineffectual" or "overhyped."

It is a matter of perspective, at the end of the day. Perspective and perhaps willingness to embrace the essence, rather than the presented, Crooked Path around you.

[askthesorcerersupreme]

"not everything has to be sparky" RIGHT STEPHEN???!!

Doesn’t help the fact our magic is naturally… sparkly.