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From:	NIGHTFOX <DJWA@******.UCC.NAU.EDU>
Subject:	Chaos
Date:	Wed, 2 Aug 1995 15:59:36 -0700

Message no. 1 >>Chaotic Mages
>>
>>"Magic is the channeling of mana through a concerted force of will, trying to
>>fool yourself does not work"
>>
>>So - then what is a chaos mage -
>>
>>A person who magic uses - there is no force of will there.
>>
>>A person who wants things really bad and magic happens - this sounds mostly like
>>a little child - they want the magic to happen - they think about the effect -
>>and possibly a week effect happens. Over time the person 1 becomes a Hermetic
>>2 becomes a shaman 3 becomes somehting in between. Either way the person has
>>though about what they are trying to do - atleast partially.
>>
>
>Mmm. Not right, at least in terms of Chaos magick as I know it
>currently. Nor is it appropriate for Chaos to be interpreted as a
>"toxic" form of hermeticism. Allow me to extrapolate a little bit (not
>much)...

see - the problem is that we are confusing todays views on magic with the world
of ShadowRun. Its not incorrect to use todays views on magic since they will
have been used to form the basis for the Magic in Shadowrun.

>Chaos magick is a set of principles upon which magic(k) is worked: it
>involves a very direct intercourse with probability and circumstance,
>it follows bizarre and often circuitous routes to and from its
>arguments. Its arguments take more of a intuitive style than
>deductive; its precepts focus on randomness and the manipulation of
>"coincidence." This only treats a small portion of the field, to be
>certain.
>
>While Chaos magick *is* based on a solid hermetic (Enochian?
>Kabbalistic? Call it what you will.) foundation, it departs from this
>in order to both experience and exploit the complexities and
>perversities of everyday interrelationships. Anyone ever read Robert
>Anton Wilson? Big influence on Chaos Magick; might even be said to
>practice it.

remember

Hermetic magicians follow something that is more like an art form, and not a
science. While they recognize the basic rules that govern how things work, they
must leave room in their formulas for manipulation of variables of when they
actually cast the spell. They have a begining formula - what they know - then
it turns into an art of manipulating things from there.

>Insofar as it involves a "paradigm shift," the Chaos magician is

hmmm - do you play Mage: the Ascension?

Nightfox

From:	NIGHTFOX <DJWA@******.UCC.NAU.EDU>
Subject:	Chaos
Date:	Fri, 4 Aug 1995 12:54:48 -0700

Message no. 2 >1. It avoids dogmatism at all costs, even to the point of offering

>2. It relies on personal experience almost exclusively. As a doctor of

>3. Chaos magic relies heavily on technical excellence. This stands as
>4. The avoidance of dogmatism neatly plays into a program of
>deconditioning. Not only does the philosophy and approach of chaos

>5. Chaos magic, while recommending a solid foundation in an
>established tradition, does not mandate a tradition. Nor does it

>6. Chaos magic additionally employs and recommends the use of gnosis.
>This is any technique which allows the state of consciousness to be
>altered at will. These techniques and states of consciousness can be

All in all - I really don't see why they call it chaos magic.

All it is finding a form of magic that works for you. Its not chaotic
- its personalized.

It emphasizes

1. The focusing of willpower through set (by you) forms (much like you
focus your power in a martial arts form

2. Self knowledge and realization

3. Use what feels comfortable for you

>When taken as a whole, it is easy to see that this bears little
>resemblance to hermeticism or any of the other SR2 magic systems. If

Actually it might resemble slightly the path magic from TNO

Nightfox

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