ANDERS MAGE PAGE 2.0

By Sandor Sallai, Doctor of the Art, Convivo Holmiensis, Order of Hermes. Translated from Latin by Acolyte Konrad Sallai

In the year of our Lord 1995

There has been much discussion regarding the nature of the Avatar but seldom is the manifestation of the Avatar in the magus, the Essence, discussed among magi. Few have been willing to complete the paramount task of researching and comtemplating the words written by the Enlightened Masters in ancient times. I have completed this task under the guidance of the Angels of Patience and True Understanding, and the matter is now clear to me. It is often difficult to guess the Essence of a magus at first glance, since the Avatar influences the magus in subtle and symbolic ways (even misguiding ways), but always in a fashion that allows the magus to achieve Enlightenment, the prized Ascension. But the tradition of the magus influences the way the Avatar enlightens the magus, therefore I will discuss the ways the different Essences manifest in the different Traditions. The learned reader will notice that I have left out the Essence called Infinite, since (as noted by Doctor Hieronymus of Ingolstadt, Doctor Damianus of Cordoba and Master Claudius of Heidelberg) this Essence is only the unenlightened's misconception of the nature of the truly Enlightened Master's soul. The other Essences Ascend into this Essence and it is not possessed by the still seeking magus.

Akashic Brotherhood

Unfortunately, my experiences of these Oriental magi are rather scarce so I am here relying on the words of Father Rickard Krok, Master of Prime of the Celestial Chorus. The Brothers of the Primordial Essence often share the characteristic of being introverted, forsaking the material illusions of this world, seeking the true "reality" of Nirvana. Primordial Brothers are most often found in monasteries in isolated places, practicing meditation. They seldom take interest in the illusion created by the desires of others. They often create new meditation techniques and forms of martial arts, since new forms of concentration for the mind can more easily open up new ways to defeat the illusion and enable the mind to see through old misconceptions. They Ascend by creating new ways to expose their material desires and then eliminate them one by one.

The Brothers of the Pattern Essence are quite the opposite. They are often found among the people, trying to spread the message of leaving the material world behind and showing the populace by example how Nirvana can be achieved. By forsaking all their desires in order to benefit others, they Ascend.

The Brothers of the Dynamic Essence choose early a form of Do they try to master to excellence, closing out all other things than Do. When complete immersion in their form of Do has been achieved they face their hardest task, to dispense of even Do — to "kill the Buddha" as one of them phrased it.

The Brothers of the Questing Essence are wanderers, traveling from place to place in the material world and even the Umbra as those worlds are just other aspects of the material world. They practice different forms of Do as fervently as the Dynamic Brothers practice one. Eventually they understand that every place they visit and everything they do in this world is utterly pointless, and Ascend to a greater state of "not-being". It is obvious that the Brotherhood belongs to the Dianoia Mentem family of Avatars since they use the mind to close out everything but the Truth of Ascension.

Celestial Chorus

The Choristers are members of the Dianoia Moralis family of Avatars since they use a moral code in order to join the One. The Primordial Choristers seek to understand the inner nature of the One, why He has created the world in this way and His intentions for His fragments. Primordial Choristers are often found as hermits or in convents, trying to understand all aspects of the One and in the process they create new sets of belief or even new faiths in order to make their discoveries more apprehendable to others. By understanding all the varying aspects of the One and their higher purpose, they Ascend.

The Pattern Choristers are involved in changing the whole of human society towards a society that understands that everything is a fragment of the One. This is done in many ways: through politics, through missionary work in all parts of the world and sometimes even through war. By mending the imperfect whole of the One in society in general, they also mend the imperfect parts and thus they Ascend.

Dynamic Choristers work on a much lower scale than the Pattern Choristers. They try to convert individuals, not entire societies. They often stay in a community in order to improve it, or concentrate on one aspect of the Chorister call such as praying, preaching, teaching or performing healing. By mending a part, they mend the whole and thus Ascend.

Questing Choristers are similar to the other Essences in practice. They also preach in a community, but just for a while. They too try to influence society as a whole, but just for a while, and they also delve into the mysteries of the One, but just for a while. In this searching they understand that all the other activities are parts of the One and that everything, on all planes, is but a part of the One and this understanding enables them to Ascend.

Cult of Ecstasy

These wild magi of the Dianoia Aestaetica family of Avatars seek Ascension through sensual pleasure. The Primordial Cultist tries to create new experiences, new forms of pleasure, in order to discover the ultimate experience and thus Ascend.

The Pattern Cultist is more active in society. He tries to create a more daring, more ecstatic world. As one of them put it "to make every day a party for everyone". By creating a world filled with pleasures and experiences he Ascends.

The Dynamic Cultist concentrates on one single kind of pleasure or experience and tries to perfect it (the total inebriation, the perfect coitus).

The Questing Cultist tries many experiences throughout his life, discovering that all experiences, all pleasures of life, are alike and can be achieved through any activity. This enables him to see the joy in all of creation and Ascend.

Dreamspeakers

The only contact between Convivo Holmiensis and this ancient shamanistic tradition took place in 1746 AD. The following is my interpretation of the discussion between Nikodemus von Geerling, Master of Forces of the Order of Hermes, and the Lapp shaman of the White Reindeer on the top of the Kebenkajse mountain, as recorded by Acolyte Frederik Ulv. The conclusions are certainly valid for the Lapp branch of this primitive tradition, but may be invalid for other branches. The Primordial Dreamspeaker tries to merge with the Great Spirit, the manifestation of everything in the world. These shamans are often hermits, living outside the community of the tribe, seeking the complete understanding of nature through dreamquests to all realms in existence.

The Pattern shaman is often found in his traditional role as the counsellor of the tribe. As such, they see to the tribe's needs and act as mediators between the tribe and the spirits influencing each aspect of the tribe's life. If the shaman succeeds, the tribe lives in perfect harmony with the forces of nature and Ascends with the shaman.

The Dynamic Dreamspeaker fills the role of the "witch-doctor", dealing with the practical problems of his tribe such as healing the diseased from evil spirits, performing the burial rites for the dead and pleasing the spirits before the migration of the reindeer. The Dynamic Dreamspeaker enables the parts of the tribe's life to merge with the wishes of the Great Spirit and thus Ascend.

The Questing shaman is usually a wanderer. He often shares a bond with a totem, a spirit whose virtues the shaman tries to emulate. Guided by the totem, the Questing shaman brings messages from the spirits and acts as an example to many tribes. In his vast work he is ultimately able to understand the wishes of the Great Spirit and Ascends.

There has been much debate upon the nature of the Dreamspeakers' Avatars. They have been refered to as members of the Dianoia Mentem family. This is a serious misconception, as they clearly belong to the Dianoia Moralis family since they use moral codes and traditions in order to merge with the Great Spirit.

Euthanatos

This bizarre death cult is member of the Dianoia Moralis family of Avatars, as they think of themselves as the cleansers of the world. The Euthanatos of the Primordial Essence are very strange. They seek to envision new possibilities, contemplating every occurrence or object in the world and how it is affected by entropy. They often practice yoga and other arduous bodily exercises in order to contemplate the fate of reality. When they reach the complete understanding of entropy and its meaning, they Ascend.

Pattern Euthanatos are frightening indeed! As the Choristers of the same Essence, they try to affect the world in general. They destroy ideas, concepts, nations, entire categories of people that have lost their possibilities. By weeding out those things that do not deserve to exist in this world, everything else is able to Ascend.

The Dynamic magi of this tradition work on a personal scale. They kill people who do not deserve to live. In the process of murdering their victims the magus tries to give the ill-fated a lesson to remember to his next life. A Euthanatos of Dynamic Essence in Vienna commented on his role in the Realm as "I am just a gardener, removing the human weed so that the human flowers may blossom". The result of the grisly work of the Dynamic Euthanatoi is humans learn not to squander their lives and thus Ascend with the Euthanatos.

The Questing Euthanatos is relying on his luck, pure coincidences, randomness and happenstance in order to Ascend. Following the tides of Fate, these Euthanatos may seem aimless, but their object is to understand randomness and Fate on an intuitional level. This growing intuitional understanding ultimately leads to an intuitional understanding of Ascension. Esteemed reader, I am fully aware that my description of the Ascension of the Questing Euthanatos may seem incomplete, but keep in mind that Euthanatos are indeed a very strange tradition. Particularly the Questing ones are impossible for us of the Order of Hermes to comprehend, since their "intuitional understanding" of reality is completly alien to our way of thinking.

Order of Hermes

Our Order is, of course, a member of the Dianoia Mentem family of Avatars, for obvious reasons. The Primordial magus is a researcher, but his research is not based on empiricism but on deduction following the steps made by the ancient Masters. Since everything is already discovered and recorded, the Primordial magus can only rediscover facts, rituals, formulae and so on (even though these facts may have only been known to the most Illuminated Master previously). Through the process of rediscovery of the Hidden Knowledge the magus himself becomes an Illuminated Master.

The Pattern magus is the Keeper of the Hidden Truth that is the creation. This means that he administers society and nature in order for it to conform with the meaning it has been given. The Pattern magus tries to, in secret, uphold Order in society. By protecting Order, the Keeper gradually understands the Hidden Truth of The Structure and thus becomes one of the Illuminated Masters.

The Dynamic Hermetic sets a goal for himself, for instance that he should master a Sphere, a Ritual or command all the Elements. This concentrated search allows him to delve into the Hidden Truth, because in order to really master something you must know everything about it. Dynamic magi are quite often loners, preferring not to be distracted from their research.

The Questing Hermetic asks questions. He walks many Paths in life, and even though he may walk on the same Path for quite a while, he will ultimately change his route. The Questing magus tries to see through the traps that the Enlightened Masters have prepared for the usIlluminated magus to fall into. By constantly revealing those traps, the magus reaches understanding of the Enlightened Masters' teachings.

Sons of Ether

These technomancers are members of the Res Creatio family of Avatars since they create new forms for reality. It is this dynamic quality that the Technocracy cannot tolerate. The Primordial Son of Ether tries to expand the world. With his will he creates new natural laws, new theories and new concepts that no one, other than he, had thought of earlier. By expanding the universe with concepts of his creation, he changes it into his image and thus reaches Ascension.

The Pattern Son tries to unite different parts of reality into forming new concepts. He does not envision entirely new things, as the Primordial Son, but he uses the available threads to weave something new. By uniting all different aspects of reality, the Son Ascends.

The Dynamic Etherite concentrates on one form of science and tries to create the ultimate theory that explains the subject completely and in so doing the Etherite discovers that the ultimate theory can be applied to other subjects as well.

The Questing Etheric magus questions the works of others. He finds the faults in others' theories and tries to improve them, often with the same fervor as the Dynamic Son of Ether works on his subject. By constantly questioning and improving reality, the Questing Etheric magus ultimately perfects it and Ascends.

Verbena

Tradition of Witches and Warlocks, the Verbena are part of the Res Mutatio family of Avatars, since their magick works with the dynamic forces of nature. The Primordial Verbena tries to sympathize herself with the Great Mother, Nature. She tries to feel the reason of the Great Mother's changes and empathically feel Her cycles. By reaching a complete emotional bond with the Great Mother the Primordial Verbena Ascends.

The Pattern Verbena weaves new forms of existence within the Mother. Their activity may be compared with that of the woman who creates a new life inside her body. It is something that Nature could have achieved but the Verbena makes possible. Pattern Verbena Ascend by fully feeling the process of Nature's renewal. Do mind that this carnal phrasing is only a metaphor for a process that could be emotional, societal or symbolic.

The Dynamic Verbena is commonly found in a community as a leader or in the role of the "wise old crone", the interpreter of prior experiences to the community. Through giving a community understanding of the Great Mother's ways the community can empathically link with Nature and Ascend.

The Questing Verbena is the young maiden who is experiencing the various facets of life. When reviewing her feelings on what she has experienced, she feels the connection between her and the experiences shared by all women through history and feels her part in it.

Virtual Adepts

These technomancers are also members of the Res Creatio family. The Adepts are unique among the Traditions in that they do not wish to Ascend the Realm, but a digital world of their creation. It is a Tradition of rebels, created out of disappointment with the stagnant, static magick embraced by the Technocracy. The Adepts are escapists, with a wish for truth. They create their own truth. Unfortunately, in my opinion, this is just an alternate truth, not the Truth that the world needs. The digital world may well Ascend, but the world the Adepts leave behind will also need to Ascend, and without all parts Ascending the whole cannot Ascend.

The Primordial Adept's fascination is to create visions of new digital worlds and running models of them in order to determine what world has the greatest probability to Ascend. The Primordial Adept lacks interest in the "real" world, trying instead to create a better one.

The Pattern Adept is more interested in the world outside the computer, but only in order to make our world more receptive for a transition to a digital society. When all humans have accepted life in the computer realm, they will Ascend.

The Dynamic Adepts concentrate on one aspect concerning their computer magick, for instance programming, hardware design, or information gathering. They try to reach a so-called omega point in their work, when it cannot be further improved and thus reach Ascension.

The Questing Adepts are the ultimate rebels, they may even rebel at times aginst their own Tradition's way. This rebellion only serves to crush the Adepts' faith in all worldly things so they return to creating their own reality. In their own reality they will not be disappointed, since they have complete control over it and thus Ascend.

Orphans, Marauders & Nephandi

These filthy beasts do not possess Avatars. They are just fools possessed by demons or other spirits. This allows them to perform lesser magic in order to fulfill the spirits' needs.

Thus endeth my tractate on the Essences as they manifest in the various Traditions. I am currently researching the ways the Avatar manifests itself to the various members of the Technocracy (they are not all Pattern magi), and to the members of the mystic tradition of the Ahl-i-Batin. I sincerely hope that I have been able to give the young magi of Convivo Holmiensis a better understanding of how their Avatars guide them.

Servant of the Highest Mystery
Doctor Sandor Sallai, OOH

Note on the Hollow Ones

My father's opinion on Hollow Ones is that of many older magi. But I personally think that a description of the Essences of the magi is not complete without a description of the lost children, since they are beginning to swell the ranks of those opposing the Technocracy. In 1992 AD, I discussed the matter of Essence with a young girl of the Hollow Ones in London. She did not wish to acknowledge the fact that an Essence influences the magus' life, but I still got the impression that Hollow Ones actually are directed by their Avatars. The Hollow Ones are composed of members of all families of Avatars, but colored by their nihilistic and narcissistic view of the world. Thus Hollow Ones of the same Essence can vary a great deal in how they seek Ascension. It is tragic that the Avatars in these dark times must manifest in forms of magi without guidance from the Higher Truths. It is my conviction that the Traditions must help these unfortunate young magi to truly express their Essences.

In the Light of the Enlightened Masters
Acolyte Konrad Sallai