ANDERS MAGE PAGE 2.0

Theurgy Among the Traditions

What is thaumaturgy and theurgy? Both are types of magick but done for different purposes. Thaumaturgy, practical magick, is the type of magick described in most detail in Mage. It effects changes in the physical or magickal world. These effects are often quite specific, like turning lead into gold, healing somebody or creating a talisman. Thaumaturgic magick is quite independent of tradition. While the means may differ, most mages could do the same things given sufficient knowledge and power.

Theurgic magick, on the other hand, has seldom a clearly specified goal. Its purpose is purely spiritual, to move the mage, his tradition or the whole world towards Ascension. There is seldom an obvious result. While thaumaturgy creates effects in the lower planes, the goal with theurgic magick is to rise above them. In a way it could be called "religious magick". It differs greatly among the traditions, who all have different views on what Ascension is and what theurgy to perform for its celebration.

I think there should have been more mention in the descriptions of the Traditions of how theurgy works for each tradition. It is an extremely important form of magick and many mages may even say it is far more important than thaumaturgy. Magick isn't just how to cast a fireball, it is a vital philosophy for every mage. Theurgy ties the mage more closely to the power of their tradition and its spheres. The extra power a mage receives in the tradition-specific sphere may be closely tied to the theurgy of the tradition. I have written some of my ideas about the theurgy in different traditions.

A special thanks to Malcus Dorroga and Maccabeus for the Hollow One and Sons of Ether theurgies they submitted.

Akashic Brotherhood

"The wise one is not learned; The learned one is not wise."
— Lao-Tse, Tao Te Ching

"I am learning" said Yen Hui.
"How?" asked the Master
"I have forgotten the rules of Righteousness and the levels of Virtuousness." he answered.
"Good, but you can do better." said the Master.
Some days later Yen Hui said: "I am making progress."
"How?" asked the Master.
"I have forgotten the Rituals and Music." was the answer.
"Better, but not perfect." said the Master.
Some time later Yen Hui said to the Master: "Now I will sit down and forget everything."
The Master looked up, surprised. "What do you mean, forget everything?" he quickly asked.
"I forget my body and my senses and I leave all illusion and knowledge behind me." Yen Hui answered. "In the middle of Nothing I enter the source of All."
The Masted bowed: "You have transcended the limitations of Time and Knowledge. You have left me far behind you. You have found the Path."
— Chuang-Tse

The Brotherhood strives towards enlightenment with Do. This may be done in many ways, ranging from monastic seclusion to the perfection of martial arts. The tradition is both highly individualistic, stressing the value and importance of each human, and collective, stressing the importance of harmony and cooperation between everyone. Each human must learn to control his own mind and thus all aspects of himself.

Do is the theurgy of the Brotherhood. By meditating, performing katas or just living along the lines of Do, the brothers try to balance their minds. Everything should be under control, yet free. Exactly how this balancing is done varies between sub-traditions and different brothers. Some spend much time meditating, studying their own thoughts and emotions. Others try to embody Do through daily life. Even opening a door can be a part of Do. More martially inclined brothers perform katas, Tai Chi or try to perfect their combat style in other ways. Some brothers try to solve koan-like riddles. And some brothers try to balance themselves through not trying to balance themselves. The important thing about Do is its pervasiveness. Everything can be a part of the Do, if done correctly.

The purpose of Do is to gain complete control of their minds. Learning to control the body or a martial art will give the brother help to learn how to control his mind. When a brother has mastered one aspect of Do, he must begin mastering another aspect. When a brother masters something, he learns about himself. And when a brother learns to control his mind, he learns to control his body and the world around it. When a mage has balanced himself completely, his full potential is realized. The control must not be forced and ideally it would be completely subconscious.

The Brotherhood seems to avoid much outward ceremonies. The celebrations and rites they perform are a part of Do, but not the individual Do of a brother but of the whole brotherhood. The whole brotherhood must try to achieve a similar perfect balance between its parts. By becoming a living embodiment of Do, a brother may show others the Way. By becoming an embodiment of Do, the Brotherhood may show society the Way.

Celestial Chorus

"And God said to Moses: I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: I AM has sent me unto you."
— Exodus 3:14

"Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?"
— John 10:34

"There is one body and one spirit, even as ye are called in the hope of your calling: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."
— Ephesians 4:4-16

The chorus is mainly interested in theurgy and tend to disdain thaumaturgy. Their main theurgy is quite like the Christian theurgy (which they partially created).

On Saturdays the Masses are held, wherein the choristers and their acolytes solemnly sing together in prayer to the eternal glory of the One. The priest (generally the highest ranking chorist present) leads the choir and preaches the Word. He also lights the pure fire on the altar in front of the congregation under prayer. They receive the Eucharist of Fire, wherein each celebrant goes forth to the great fire on the altar, cups their hands inside and drinks the fire. Miraculously, nobody with the true belief has ever been hurt by the pure fire. This Eucharist will burn out all impurities in the celebrant and fill them with the power of the One.

During week nights, smaller observances are held where smaller groups of choristers and their acolytes meet to pray and sing together and listen to parts of the holy texts. These meetings are not much unlike prayer meetings in countless other religions.

Each chorister is recommended to perform the four daily adorations to the sun in addition to any other prayers (Aleister Crowley tried to profane them by turning them into prayers to Egyptian gods and publishing them in his Liber Resh vel Helios). These adorations are held at dawn, midday, sunset and midnight. The chorist stands before the sun, holding the sun-symbol and fire, intoning in a loud voice:

At dawn

"Hail unto Thee who art The One in Thy rising, even unto thee who art The One in Thy Strength, Who travelest over the heavens on the Eagle of Light at the uprising of the Sun. Mercy standeth in its splendor at Thy right side, and Severity at Thy left side. Hail unto Thee from the abodes of Night!"

At midday

"Hail unto Thee who art The One in Thy triumphing, even unto thee who art The One in Thy beauty, who travelst over the heavens on the Dragon of Power at the mid-course of the Sun. Mercy standeth in its splendour at Thy right side, and Severity at Thy left side. Hail unto Thee from the abodes of Morning!"

At sunset

"Hail unto Thee who art The One in Thy setting, even unto Thee who art the One in Thy Joy. Who travelst over the heavens in the Bark of Compassion at the downgoing of the Sun. Mercy standeth in its splendour at Thy right side, and Severity at Thy left side. Hail unto Thee from the realms of Day!"

At midnight

"Hail unto Thee who art The One in Thy hiding, even unto thee who art The One in Thy Silence. Who travelest the heavens on the Chariot of Destiny at the midnight hour of the Sun. Mercy standeth in its splendour at Thy right side, and Severity at Thy left side. Hail unto Thee from the realms of Evening!"

Cult of Ecstasy

Joy, fair spark of the gods,
Daughter of Elysium,
Drunk with fiery rapture, Goddess,
We approach thy shrine!
— Schiller, Ode to Joy

The cultists spontaneously decide to hold ceremonies when there are enough members around. These ceremonies celebrate the pure joy of existence, by any imaginable means. Cultists and acolytes erupt into spontaneous choirs singing the praise of beauty. Others drink to life and pleasure. Members try to bring each others to the highest ecstasy by sex, drugs and music. Magick is used to prolong and intensify the experience as much as possible.

An onlooker will have a hard time realizing it is a theurgic ritual, since it looks like a wild party. Still, while the participants become lost in their pleasure the original goal persists: to celebrate the Ecstasy of Being, and to try to spread it to everyone else. The western cultists are much more extroverted than the eastern groups and tend to use excess in any form in the theurgy. Many of the cultists in the Orient use subtle, sensual means to celebrate, slowly building the power. They dislike unnecessary excesses and prefer to focus their power. Sometimes they select a few participants and turn them into gods. The participants invoke known gods (Indra and Shakti are most popular among Tantrics) or invoke themselves. The others do everything to please and pleasure the gods, very slowly building the power until it is released in a powerful eruption.

Many cultists perform small ceremonies when they feel for it. It could be anything, ranging from a cool glass of beer and a moment's quit contemplation to a spontaneous outburst of song and music in the subway to cheer up the Sleepers. The important thing is not what the cultist does, it is that it is fun and done with Ascension in mind.

Dreamspeakers

Dreamspeakers revere the spirits of the ancestors, of nature and of the higher realms. They seek to gain more contact with the spirit world and bring it closer. How this is done varies between different cultures and tribes. The most important means are shamanic methods to enter trance states like intoxication, drumming, dancing or dreaming. This is done individually to gain insight into the wisdom of the spirits, who will show the dreamspeaker the true reality. Long travels in the spirit realms is an important part of the life of a Dreamspeaker.

A typical Dreamspeaker ritual may consist of first drawing the symbols of the spirit world in sand around himself and then dancing, drumming and singing until the mage drops of exhaustion. In the following trance the Dreamspeaker will be led by his Totem, an ancestor or other guiding spirit out into the spirit world. The spirits will test him to see if he is worthy and if he passes their tests, they will reveal their secret wisdom.

In many societies shamans have had a practical role besides their mystical role, as healers and protectors of the traditions. They do not only have obligations to the spirits but also to their tribe. An important part of their theurgy has been to intercede between the spiritual and material worlds. But as the old ways are swept aside by the technomancers, the Dreamspeakers have lost an important part of their world. The connection between the spirit world and the mundane world is broken and must be restored. Many dreamspeakers have lost their balance completely due to this imbalance.

Euthanatos

"Be without fear as the great metamorphosis begins.
Fantastic and terrifying visions are illusory, laugh at them and reject them, they cannot touch you now, go beyond.
You will come to the secret of your being, which may seem as a dazzling brilliance, or as an awesome darkness, or as both these things and more.
It is your choice to become one with this source if you so will it. It is your choice to remain separate if you will this instead. Do what thou Wilt.
If you would remain separate, then you must seek a new life. In seeking rebirth, seek the emanations of love, vitality and intelligence; go where there is strength and freedom."
— From Liber Null & Psychonaut by Peter J. Carrol

The most common theurgic rite is the Good Death. How this is done varies quite a bit between individual Euthanatoi. Some prefer to strike quickly and painlessly, without any warning. Others prefer to do it slowly, while they are explaining what is happening and praying for the victim. And some Euthanatoi prepare their victim months in advance and slowly build up towards the moment of the Good Death. They can spend much time just to create the exact setting and feeling, often giving much thought to the precise way the victim dies and how it will feel.

Another important part of the theurgy is to help others to live their lives to the fullest. This may also be done in many ways, with great individual differences. Some "adopt" people, follow them and try to discreetly help them in the right direction. Certain Euthanatoi have followed a family in generations. Others just walk around, helping anybody they feel deserves it. Still others engage in humanitarian projects (Or rather, in what they feel is humanitarian — others may not agree).

In general, the Euthanatos dislike fixed rituals and ceremonies, preferring to use their common sense and intuition. They are almost always concerned with individual people and practical things in their theurgy, unlike the other traditions. The Euthanatos feel that their work is leading mankind forward directly.

Hollow Ones

By Malcus Dorroga

"Nothingness must be given from the heart of Being."
— Jean-Paul Sarte, from his Essays on Existentialism

For the Hollow Ones, discovery is the primal beginning of their theurgy. As the self-Awakened, Hollowers place magick before tradition and each new style of casting, each new effect, is theurgy.

At heart, Hollowers are existentialists, even if they don't take the label. They have seen the world through Awakened eyes, and they know it sucks. There is no meaning behind existence for a Hollow One, so there is no true core beliefs around which to form a traditional theurgy. However, this existential worldview makes the Hollowers very self-centered. Since there is no meaning outside of them, they must find it within.

To that end, magick becomes a grand quest of self-discovery. Each new rote they create, each new Sphere they venture into and each questing they go on becomes a very personal theurgy. As they strive to become one with the meaningless around them, they define themselves and the world around them.

Theurgy is probably a bad word for what the Hollowers do; it implies a solid worldview around which to base it. Hollowers see no worldview beyond the great Nothingness, so they strive less for theurgy and more for self-discovery.

Order of Hermes

"L... the sign of the mourning of Isis."
forms the letter "L" with his arms
"V... the sign of Typhon and Apopis."
Raises the arms over his head in an "V"
"X... the sign of Osiris risen."
Crosses his arms on the chest, right over left. Forms an "X"
"L... V... X... LUX."
Forms the symbols in order, stands with the arms outstretched to the sides.
"Virgo, Isis, mighty Mother. Scorpio, Apopis Destroyer. Sol, Osiris, Slain and Risen..."
"Isis, Apopis, Osiris... IAO"
Gradually rises the arms upwards to the "V" position while raising his head and intoning the Name.
"Let the Divine Light descend!"
— From the Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram

The Order of Hermes has developed an elaborate theurgy over they years. Different sub-traditions have very different variants but in general the goal of the theurgy is wisdom and knowledge. The complex rituals are meant to balance the forces of the universe, to reaffirm the mage's dedication to the Great Work and to gain insight in the secrets of magick.

The ceremonies which are held vary in importance, ranging from small ceremonies on ordinary weekdays to the complex and powerful equinox meetings. The more important the date is, or the conjunctions present, the more complex the ceremony. These rites are meant to attune the mages and their order to the forces of the planets and fixed stars. In many of these rites the mages will try to link the terrestrial forces with the spiritual forces, thus bringing the world closer to the higher planes.

The ceremonies can be elaborate rituals involving dozens of participants, complex incantations and powerful magick. They can also be peaceful group meditations on the subject of the ceremony. Note that this may be very powerful too, in a more subtle way. When a group of mages think about something in about the same way at the same time, reality may begin to change. Many hermetic groups collaborate in their rituals, performing the same rituals at the same time to tie the order closer together and gain more power.

There are many small, daily rituals most members perform. Many mages perform a banishing ritual in the morning and in the evening, or even more often. The Lesser Banishing ritual of the Pentagram is most commonly used, sometimes combined with the Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram. The Middle Pillar Ritual is used to gain more power and connect more deeply with the universe. The four adorations (see the Celestial Chorus) are sometimes used.

Initiations are very important. They not only signify the recognition and ability of the initiate but also his progression towards Ascension. Each initiation embodies a new secret level of existence with which the initiate is confronted. As one hermetic said, "Initiation never ends" and "Every day is an initiation". Much of the theurgy of the Order of Hermes revolves about the initiations (and quite a bit of politics).

The exact initiation rites vary quite a bit. Among the mainstream of the Order, the ritual is filled with heavy symbolism and sometimes hard tests. The candidate must overcome all obstacles to progress towards new heights. A typical initiation at a low level may work as follows in a Rosicrucian-derived group:

The candidate, wearing a black robe over a white robe (signifying the truth hidden beneath the veil of ignorance), is bound with a cord three times and hoodwinked. He is led into the temple, wherein there are several officers of the ritual, signifying the different forces of the universe. The presiding officer, the Hegemon, ceremonially opens the temple. "After sealing the material barriers, let us now evoke the forces of the elements. Are the forces of Fire evoked duly in the South, frater Daudachos?" "Yes, they are duly evoked honored Hegemon." "Are the forces of Water evoked duly in the West, frater Stolistes?" and so on...

After the opening the temple, he states the purpose of the ritual ("This temple has been duly opened to witness the initiation of XXX...") and asks the candidate why he wants to become initiated to the next grade, if he thinks he is knowledgeable enough, if he thinks he is powerful enough, if he thinks he is wise enough, if he thinks he is worthy.

Having got acceptable responses he asks several other philosophical questions ("Why are there four elements?", "What force is stronger than all other forces together?", "What is the secret meaning of the Hexagram?" "What is the first duty of a Zelator?"). Hearing the unacceptable answers, he proclaims "Thou art yet a child of the Darkness. Thou cannot pass through the gates of the East until thou hast been purified!". The candidate is led around the temple to the officers at different stations and is purified and instructed in the secrets of the grade. After passing one or more circuits the binding cord is removed, as he has gained his power and knowledge. A complex prayer explaining deep secrets about the universe is read by the Hegemon and other officers and the candidate repeats after them.

Suddenly the hoodwink of the candidate is removed, and he looks at the secret symbol of the grade on the altar. Suddenly the hidden logic of the new grade dawns on him and his black robe is removed to signify his enlightenment. The Hegemon repeats the questions, which the candidate now answers correctly. The white robed candidate now swears a solemn oath to never reveal these secrets to the unworthy, to use them wisely and to continue the Great Work. The Hegemon greets the initiate with a speech. Finally the temple is closed and the mages depart (often to celebrate the initiation).

The Cabalists' theurgy is quite religious. They spend much of their time studying the Torah and other holy texts, praying and performing devotional rituals celebrating the divine wisdom of the Lord. They have influenced many of the ceremonies of the other groups and often participate.

The Enochians perform complex ceremonies to strengthen their temples to build up the power they think will be needed to bring about the Great Plan of the Highest. Much time is spent conversing with the angels, who will give instructions, power and most important, insight into the Great Plan.

Alchemists' idea of theurgy is quite different. They spend much time in devising complex and time-consuming experiments, where they perform utterly subtle manipulations of matter. These manipulations, they believe, will also change the experimenter and show how nature will evolve. The more complex, the more expensive and the more time-consuming the experiment is, the more power. Some alchemists have kept fires burning for centuries, distilling ordinary fire into something extremely pure. Others have split plants and animals into their essential salts, purified these and allowed them to react, trying to distill the essence of the original life-form. Each experiment will in some sense also influence the alchemist, raising him to higher levels. Their Great Work consists of creating the Red Stone, the Philosopher's Stone (not necessarily a physical substance but most alchemists believe it will be both physical, mental and spiritual).

Sons of Ether

By Adam Simpson, Aug. 2018

The Sons of Ether could be said to have no theurgy. Although some members have religious beliefs the Tradition as a whole espouses no belief in the supernatural. A rational pursuit of scientific knowledge, colored by their unusual philosophy, seems well rooted in a modern, materialistic worldview. This would leave no room for rituals aimed at bringing a Scientist closer to forces above and beyond the things of this world.

However, there is a dimension of the Sons of Ether that cannot be explained rationally. The unjustified hope they hold for the future. The sheer joy that radiates from one of their number when the switch is thrown on a newly completed device. The boundless enthusiasm verging on mania they bring to every project and every discussion. Clearly there is more to this collection of scientists and misfits than a dedication to the Scientific Method. An attitude towards research and discovery coupled with a solid hope in mankind’s future set the Etherites apart from other technomages.

While there are no rituals recognized among the Sons of Ether officially, unofficially every experiment and every research prospectus brings them closer to the joy of discovery and the thrill of creation. This expansive attitude about their place in creating a bright future leads most Etherites to publish under bold pseudonyms. There are few John Hendersons and numerous Dr. Volcanos bringing discoveries to light in the pages of the Paradigma Journal. These pseudonyms are not attempts to hide their identity but part of the process of becoming the larger-than-life figure that a true Scientist must be if he is to guide humanity toward the blazing sun of True Science.

Members of other Traditions try to hide smiles when they visit the laboratories of Etherite scientists and see posters and other tributes to great thinkers of the past. They politely refrain from laughing when their host implores the good will of Galileo or Pythagoras before opening the hatch to start a demonstration of their latest invention. They do not understand that their host is part of a hallowed tradition dating back countless centuries. Bringing hope and wonder to mankind through a dogged dedication to Science lifts each Son of Ether above the level of a Progenitor researcher or mundane technician.

Although members of the Sons of Ether would scoff at any discussion of theurgy, don’t be fooled. They touch the face of the divine each day they spend in their laboratory.

Sons of Ether

By Maccabeus

"Any technology sufficiently advanced will be indistinguishable from magic."
— Arthur C. Clarke

"For a man who's working on way-out ideas like hydrogen fusion to call my interest in the present-day, routine engineering application of solidly useful technology like dowsing 'off-beat' is kind of stretching things, isn't it? Your attitude implies 'All my ancestors and my predecessors in Science were fools and only I am wise.' They said that what you're doing was pseudo-science and fantasy. Their best judgement was, we can now recognize, badly off. Are you intrinsically wiser — better able to judge the still-unknown areas of the Universe than they? How can you be so arrogantly and smugly certain that you're righter than they were? And can you suggest how I can show you something — when you positively refuse to dignify 'such nonsense' by looking at it?"
— John W. Campbell, Scientists in S.F.: A Debate

The theurgy of the Sons of Ether is more difficult to see than that of the other Traditions. The simplest way to uncover a theurgy, I have discovered, is to rephrase the question, the first aspect being, "What transforming power does the Tradition look to?" The Celestial Chorus looks to the One; the Cult of Ecstasy looks to pleasure; the Virtual Adepts look to the Digital Web and the Singularity they hope to create. Etherite theurgy, however, is unique in that it looks to thaumaturgy itself.

To the other Traditions, thaumaturgy is only a secondary part of their philosophy. Should they win the Ascension War, many more people will Awaken but they accept that there may be some who, despite their acceptance of the One's grace, their superb following of Do, or whatever, will want or be able to alter reality no more than the ordinary Sleeper today. But the ultimate aim of Etherite science, or "paradigma experimentation," is to expand the boundaries of the scientific paradigm until even the man or woman on the street can do the things now considered magick. When this happens, the boundary between Awakened and Sleeper will, for all practical purposes, cease to exist. Science fiction is the new myth and its fulfillment the new Mythic Age that the Etherites hope to bring about. To carry out this dream, the Sons of Ether must do three things:

1. Create new theories and methods of altering reality.
2. Integrate these theories and methods into a comprehensive but open-ended theory of reality.
3. Make that theory elegant, simple and available to all.

To the first end, the Sons conduct in their hidden laboratories the bizarre experiments they are known for, whether in macroscopic quantum mechanics, the transfer of brain waves or the animation of dead matter, searching out the ways in which anything and everything can be made possible. To the Sons, this is not merely an expansion of means to an end; experimentation is an end in itself, even, in a sense, an act of worship. Further, this goal makes the Sons, to an extent greater than any of the other Traditions, willing to work even with those who disgust them (such as the Verbena or the Choristers), simply to understand what it is they do and find their own way to do the same. This, too, can be considered as a religious act — specifically, the recovery of the sacred from the profaning followers of another god.

To the second end, the Sons continually engage in vigorous debate and constructive criticism of each other's theories, integrating them into broader and broader concepts. In fact, Etherites often publish and debate right under the very noses of the Technocracy. Virtually all Etherites regularly publish in Paradigma, their journal; such articles are vigorously reviewed and useful ideas, once published, are fair game for others to expand on, though stealing an unpublished idea for one's own is officially frowned upon. Likewise, nearly all the Sons regularly attend conventions at which they present papers and inventions for examination and for the benefit of their colleagues — the Etherite equivalent of communal worship, perhaps even of Communion. Often these are "shadow conventions" of the meetings of Sleeper scientists, just as some Technocrats are known to hold. The Etherite mingle with their unAwakened counterparts by day, keeping in touch with theoretical and practical advancement in the real world (which helps them keep their effects coincidental) and searching for those who are on the verge of Awakening. Then, when the convention closes for the night, the Etherites slip away to the Chantries maintained near popular sites and hold their own convention, mirroring the Sleepers precisely in form, though the content and the decorum (or lack thereof) could hardly be more different.

At the beginning of such conferences, many of the older Sons prefer to invoke the name of Prometheus, who stole fire from heaven for humanity. Over the years, however, Chorister opposition to this practice has caused it to decline in frequency; those who still do so take measures to keep it quiet.

It was the Sons of Ether, as the Technocracy's Electrodyne Engineers, who constructed the first computers, and though the Virtual Adepts have taken over their invention, they can hardly be said to monopolize the Digital Web. For every ten conventions held on Earth, or in a normal Chantry, the Etherites now hold at least one in their own meeting places in the Web. There, fear of Technocratic spying is greatly reduced, with the added benefit that individual Sons need not physically leave their laboratories. When Virtual Adepts stumble across such a meeting, they are welcomed if they choose to stay but most simply leave, as Etherite science can be difficult to duplicate by typical VA methods. Technocrats, of course, are summarily removed (or imprisoned if possible), any interesting theories they might have stolen and their memories of the encounter wiped; the meeting place is then usually shut down in favor of a more secure location.

So far the Etherites have been unable to create a workable means to the third end. Most of the Sons' theories have been eliminated outright by Technocratic propaganda. While some few concepts, such as quantum mechanics, have been successfully introduced, all have been stripped down by the Technocracy until their individual practical impacts on the world are negligible (whether the cumulative impact will be greater remains to be seen). Nonetheless, the Sons continue to fight back. Recently, some have begun to use the Technocracy's own method of pre-emptive media strikes in attempts to prevent theories they consider dangerous from taking hold and to slip their own theories into the public mind before they can be discredited. But the Etherites are generally considered to be on the lunatic fringe of the scientific community, causing most such attempts to backfire (as in the recent cold fusion debacle). The Sons continue to search for a more effective method of "spreading the faith."

Verbena

"All ye assembled at my shrine,
Mother Darksome and Divine;
Mine the Scourge and mine the Kiss
Here I charge you with this sign.

All ye assembled in my sight
Bow before my spirit bright.
Aphrodite, Arionhod,
Lover of the Horned God,
Mighty Queen of Witchery and night,
Morgan, Etoine, Nisene,
Diana, Brigid, Melusine;
So am I named by old of men,
Artemis and Cerridwen,
Hell's Dark Mistress, Heavens Queen.

...

No more shall ye know slavery,
Who give true worship unto me.
Ye who tread my round on Sabbath night,
Come ye naked to the rite
In token that ye be truly free.

I teach ye the mystery of rebirth;
Work ye my mysteries in mirth.
Heart joined to heart and lip to lip,
Five are the points of fellowship
That bring ye ecstasy on earth,
For I am the circle of rebirth."
— From a goddess invocation

Central to Verbena theurgy is the link to Life. Almost all Verbena theurgy seeks to strengthen the link between the mage, coven or mankind with the Great Life Force. This force is sometimes represented as Baphomet, the Sabbath goat with a thousand young, filled with life. Other groups prefer to use the Triune Goddess in her different forms (the Maid, the Mother and the Crone). These beings may be anthropomorphic personifications of Life (and Death) or celestines.

At the Sabbaths the coven meet to reaffirm their duty and to strengthen the link to Life. Exactly how this is done varies a bit with sub-tradition. In many covens the rite is begun by the participants dancing around the World Tree, chanting and raising the cone of power. This is done faster and faster. Sometimes the Priestess and/or Priest allow themselves to be possessed with the Goddess and God. During the rite, sacrifices are made to strengthen the link, energy is channelled into the world tree and oaths are made. In some covens the participants engage in ritual sex to release even more energy and balance the sacrifices.

The mages may perform other rites on other days, to strengthen themselves. These may be almost anything: sacrificing some fruit or meat to nature, tending to a sick lifeform or running wildly scyclad through the forest, feeling the life around them, freeing themselves from the chains of civilization, mind and self-control. The most important thing is the link between the mage and the living world and to avoid getting trapped in the lifeless technomancer reality.

Virtual Adepts

"A mind would require many modifications to operate effectively after being rescued from the limitations of a mortal body. Natural human mentality is tuned for a life span's progression from impressionable plasticity to self-assured rigidity, and is thus an unpromising material for immortality. It would have to be reprogrammed for continual adaptability to be long viable."

"As a computer program, your mind can travel over information channels, for instance encoded as a laser message beamed between planets."
— Hans Moravec, Mind Children

"At the instant of the Omega Point, life will have gained control of all matter and forces not only in a single universe, but in all universes whose existence is logically possible; life will have spread into all spatial regions in all universes which could logically exist, and will have stored an infinite amount of information, including all bits of knowledge which is logically possible to know."

"The totality of life at the Omega Point is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient!"
— John D. Barrow, Frank J. Tipler, The Anthropic Cosmological Principle

Unlike the other traditions, the Virtual Adepts seem to be quite prosaic on the surface. Their goal seems completely materialistic in the beginning. However, they also have their theurgy, albeit much different from the other Traditions. It is quite practical, as should be expected from technomancers. The Virtual Adept idea of Ascension, the Singularity, is transhumanistic. They want to merge with the information and become far more than humans. They will turn cyberspace into something more real than static reality, where mankind can upload itself into the eternal Network and transcend every limitation. This is mostly celebrated through intense, imaginative discussions where ideas and plans flow, discussing how to achieve different sub-goals and what to do in the microsecond before the Singularity.

The Singularity is celebrated by the adepts through the creation of ever more complex and elegant systems. What the systems do is often unimportant, the important thing is the fact that they are "hackish". The virtual chantry realm is a monument to the Singularity. Inside the Adepts do their best to create ever more beautiful creations to bring It about. What the Adepts create does not have to be software, it could be anything as long it emulates a part of the Singularity and shows the way towards It.