Any Good Magician Could…

August 5, 2011 at 9:35 am 1 comment

Read between the lines.
Notice trends, patterns and currents.
Recognize important similarities and disparities.
Use a good analogy.
Create something worthwhile.
Understand the power of names.
Work a mystery.
Employ associative thought.
Personify inanimate objects.
Make interesting small talk.
Appear eccentric. Or completely normal.
Become effectively invisible.
Put on glamours.
Shapeshift conveniently and convincingly.
Perform minor miracles.
Multitask.
Entertain hirself in the most bland environments.
Produce a clever parable.
Speak with passion and conviction.
Magic for the sake of magic.
Cultivate personal mythology.
Put morals aside when necessary.
Be quite contrary.
Layer meanings.
Act as healer, oracle, confessor.
Hex with a blessing, bless with a curse.
Transmute lesser elements into alchemical gold.
Feel a deep philios for hir fellow humans.
Act with compassion and mercy.
Lead without false authority.
Guide without vanity.
Incite a riot.

Source

I did not write this- I stumbled upon it in the ‘source’ blog noted above. It certainly resonates with my own practice and philosophy, and I hope that the OP does not mind my spreading this wonderful list around. It is worthy reading.

I really like this list on several levels. As a practicing Magician myself (TechMage), everything written here resonates with me and reflects my own insights and practice. The understatedness truly appeals to me- and could be a great guideline for any Denim Adept today. “Lead without false authority” and “Guide without vanity” are especially true in this day and age of bathrobe clad camera-muggers and kinderGardernarians who proclaim themselves High Poobah of Everything and Everyone, and end up making fools of themselves. I don’t have any videos, and I am still debating whether or not a podcast is a good thing or not.

I use the phrase ‘Denim Adept’ to qualify my own approach to Magical life. Yes, I have a lot of years under my belt, but I prefer to hide in plain sight and be the Teacher Who Appears- then Disappears. Instead of fancy robes or RenFaire garb, I prefer the clothes of the modern 21st Century Mage: blue jeans and either a polo or a T-shirt, preferably one with something geeky and amusing adorning it. No cloaks, robes tall hats, wands, staffs or any of that- unless we’re talking cosplay or something.

Another appealing aspect of this list is that it is gender neutral. Popular culture tends to portray Magicians as nearly always male- but there are more than a few female Mages around, too. We aren’t the sort to congregate in covens or go to Pagan gatherings- but we know each other when we see each other. Some of us are techies, others musicians, writers, and artists, still others teachers and leaders. We’re not terribly common, but we’re well seeded in the culture.

This is a great list. Kudos to the original author- thank you for articulating this so well.