A Key to Unlocking a Understanding.
Nothing
Casting Instructions for ‘Laws of Magic’
Magic’s Laws aren’t legislative laws, but, like those of physics or harmony, are actually quite practical observations that have been accumulated over thousands of years. These laws describe the way magic seems to act. The LAW OF KNOWLEDGE This probably encompasses all the others, and is probably the most widely used law. The basis of the law is that control is brought by understanding. The more that is known about a subject, the more easy it is to exercise control. Knowledge is power. The LAW OF SELF-KNOWLEDGE An obvious derivative of the LAW OF KNOWLEDGE, this law carries additional connotations, as a mage who does not have knowledge of himself does not possess knowledge (and therefore control) of his own magic. This law is one of the reasons evil mages are rare–a dedication to sake is due to a lack of awareness and introspection of oneself. It’s tough when you understand fully what that kind of injury would do to you to do harm. Know thyself. The LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT A scientific understanding that is simple–they will be associated with exactly the same results, if precisely the same actions are done under exactly the same conditions. As modern physicists do magicians have as much belief in cause and effect, they just realize that a ritual, like a fantastic bread recipe or a theatrical performance, isnt predictable. In fact, a spell involves many variables, that controlling or even understanding them is hopeless. The trick to magical success is learning which variables are the most significant, and how to keep them steady. Control over the factors is icing on the cake. The LAW OF SYNCHRONICITY Two or more events will likely have more in common than the merely temporal. Very few events happen in isolation. There’s absolutely not any such thing as a mere coincidence. The LAW OF ASSOCIATION If any two pattern have elements in common, the patterns interact through these common elements, and control of one pattern facilitates control of the other(s) depending (among other factors) upon the amount of common elements included. This is a law that is very important, up there with the LAW OF KNOWLEDGE. The LAW OF SIMILARITY Having an accurate physical or mental representation of something facilitates control over it. This one is fairly obvious in its usage–using a model, picture, or other representation of your target (like a voodoo doll) gives you power to influence the goal. Look alikes are alike. The LAW OF beings in contact with each other or CONTAGION Objects continue to interact after separation. Has a magical link with you, unless the contact has been intense and/or prolonged or repeated 28,, though it is probably pretty weak. Power is contagious. Naturally, having a part of someones body (hair, nails, spit, etc.) provides the best contagion link. The LAW OF NAMES Knowing the true and complete name of being, an object, or process gives one complete control over it. This works because a title is a definition (yes, even Harold, Marie, Kunte, and Jasmine were at one time) as well as a contagion link, and an association (if you call something the identical name over and over, that name becomes associated with the thing). This also works, because understanding the true and complete name of someone or something means that you have achieved a complete comprehension of their or its nature. This is the reason, in most pre-industrial cultures, people are given secret titles, as well as public names, and why the sharing of a key name is such an act of trust–since the key name is considered to be very close to, if not identical with, the persons name. The LAW OF WORDS OF POWER There exist certain words which have the ability to alter the internal and external realities of those uttering them, and the power may rest from the sounds of these words as far as their meanings. Many of words are names, although the meanings may have been forgotten or lost. Very many tools require upon them said them over throughout their construction and/or use words to be inscribed. The LAW OF PERSONIFICATION Any phenomenon may be considered to be alive and to have a character–that is, to be an entity or being. Anything could be a person. Most weather mages personify the winds and the clouds, for example, and find focusing their magic on the atmosphere a lot more easy to do. INVOCATION’S LAW It is possible to set up internal communication from inside or outside oneself, said entities appearing to be inside of oneself during the communication procedure. The LAW OF EVOCATION It’s possible to establish external communication with entities from outside or inside oneself, said entities appearing to be outside oneself during the communication procedure. The LAW OF IDENTIFICATION It is possible through maximum association between elements of oneself and those of another being to really become that being, to the point of sharing its expertise and wielding its power. This is the law which controls permanent or protracted possession happenings. The LAW OF PERSONAL UNIVERSES Every sentient being lives in and quite possibly creates a special universe which can never be 100% identical to that lived in by another. Called reality is in fact a matter of consensus opinions. This legislation is nowhere near as obvious as the other laws in its applications, but if you’re able to figure some out, you may use it. The LAW OF INFINITE UNIVERSES The total number of universes into which all possible combination of existing phenomena could be coordinated is infinite. Though some things are more probable than others, anything is possible. You might consider this to refer to the alternate probability worlds of science fiction, but it has a much wider application. The LAW OF PRAGMATISM If a pattern of belief or behavior enables a being to survive and to achieve selected goals, then that belief or behavior is real or true or sensible. Its true if it works. Another obscure legislation, but it does have some applications. The LAW OF TRUE FALSEHOODS it’s possible for a concept or act to violate the truth routines of a given personal universe and still be true, provided that it functions in a specific situation. Its probably true, if its a paradox. This law is essentially useless, except to justify use of the above three laws without screwing things up in your version of the real world. The LAW OF SYNTHESIS The synthesis of two or more opposing patterns of data will produce a new pattern that will be truer than either of those first two were. That is, it’ll be applicable to levels of reality, and this new pattern may not be a compromise, but may be something new indeed. The LAW OF POLARITY Any pattern of data can be split into (at least) two opposing characteristics, and each will include the gist of another within itself. The LAW OF OPPOSITES A sub-law of POLARITY. By providing information on what the pattern is not, the opposite of a pattern contains information relating to this pattern. Therefore, control over a patterns opposite (or close to its opposite) facilitates control over the routine itself. (Notice that this one I alone take the blame for, as it is my own expansion of POLARITY and SIMILARITY) The LAW OF DYNAMIC BALANCE To survive, let alone to become powerful, one has to keep every aspect of ones universe in a state of dynamic balance with every other facet. Extremism is dangerous, since the extreme being becomes associated with the extreme aspect, they lose the capacity to avoid that aspect in any way. This is just another reason evil mages are rare, as constant association with pain or death will make a mage death or pain, ending the mages ability to continue actively with evil. This is why good mages, especially healers, tend to live quite a long time. The LAW OF PERVERSITY Sometimes known as Murphys Law. If anything can go wrong, it will, and in the most annoying manner. Magical associations operate in the opposite of what was wanted, and coincidences are just as likely to be unpleasant as pleasant. So that things will go wrong 21, even if nothing can go wrong, a portion of the world may change. Whether we like it or not, the gods (or fates, or what have you) do have a sense of humor. Emotionally healthy mages have less problems with this law than others do, as the mages own subconscious mind is most likely a significant perpetrator of the law. The LAW OF UNITY Every phenomena in existence is related directly or indirectly to every other one, past, present, or future. Perceived separations between phenomena are based on incomplete sensing and/or understanding.
