magic link (again... sorry, but i still dont get it...)

[zach]

so its been about a year since the 1st CM MLA class and so about a year of active participation in CM for me...  id like to share a result that is both embarrassing and hilarious if its actually a result... in october of 2005 i had a case of bugs in my apartment. i ended up using it as a reason to move out and motivate myself to organize my finances by paying more rent. anyway looking through my enchantment diary i saw that in april i made a sigil that used the intent "i want bugs", not sure what the hell i was thinking by doing a sigil for bugs but it made me keenly aware of the simple warning "be careful what you wish for."

anyway, im still confused by the "magic link" theory, so here are some hypothetical enchantment statements of intent and i would like it if some more experienced (or anyone really) magicians would fill in what they think the magic link would be...

1) i will to obtain a copy of song of solomon...
2) it is my will to meet a girl with armpit hair
3) i am surrounded by rare stones

any help would be greatly appreciated...
thanks
dak

[jamadara]

I tend to think of magical link as a focus for gnosis. I can sit in my asana breathing deeply all day long and work up some great "energy", but what do I do w/ it w/o a link? The link bridges my gnosis (subject) w/ the object of my desire[1] by way of (un)self-conscious attention, establishing a channel of information-energy to my subconscious which then resolves the code however it does, and bringing into play interference from conscious awareness and/or subconscious resistance. I suppose the trick to a good link is the same as for a good sigil: it should communicate the proper info to the subby whilst concealing the desired from self-consciousness. The strength of the link corresponds to its qty of information in relation to your particular processor.

That is all a bunch of pseudo-mathematical/scientific theory, however. I have used many kinds of links and have not much analysed which were more successful than others--it seems a pretty subjective measure. In the case of group rituals, we often work w/ someone else's link which may or not mean much to any other individual, but the group tends to amplify gnosis, theoretically improving the chance of the link's success even for those it does not resonate so powerfully w/, and almost certainly improving it for the one who brought the link.

In your three examples, I do not immediately recognise any advantage to evocation or invocation, so I would probably just sigilise them all and let the sigil be my link. In the third case, eg, I might strongly visualise myself surrounded by a circle of rare stones or as a sort of magnet for such things[3] and then distill from that some symbol or colour or sound or combination thereof, which I would then use as my link--my focus--for gnosis in a ritual setting.

[1: Consider also gnosis as object and desired as subject.]

[2: Although I suppose you could breathe life into a precious-stone-hunting servitor or invoke the spirit of someone who attracts such things. Btw, here in the States you can find the Song of Solomon in just about any motel/hotel room, in the drawer of a bed-side table.]

[3: I suspect this process of being a sort of link. There exists a lot of lit about the power of creative visualisation, often simply combining relaxation (gnosis?) w/ active imagination (link?).]

[zach]

very good jamadara thanks... so your saying that strong visualization could act as a magic link... i think thats what i thought (haha)... i made some sigils last night and intuitively decided that while i was crossing the extra letters out and forming the glyph i would visualize the desire manifesting, but it seems that this isnt absolutely necessary... a sigil itself could act as the link...

more hypotheticals if its not too redundant: (evocation, invocation and divination)

1) im writing a paper on a possible revolution in america. i do a ritual invocation to THOTH. Where is the magic link?

2) im traveling to europe soon and want to create a servitor for good luck and a safe return. is the sigil and or material base the link?

3) i think im being stolen from and need to know for sure before i go accusing people. is the method of sortilage i use the link? if not what does a link in divination consist of?

i know that im being pretty objective like there is a right way to think about this subject... but that might instigate some critique of my thinking that i never thought of... so again any comment (even telling me to quit being so absolutist) will greatly help...

thanks

[jamadara]

Thinking out loud...

<snip>1) im writing a paper on a possible revolution in america. i do a ritual invocation to THOTH. Where is the magic link?</snip>

What do you use to invoke Thoth, that is not gnosis or noise?

<snip>2) im traveling to europe soon and want to create a servitor for good luck and a safe return. is the sigil and or material base the link?</snip>

I would say yes, in general, but maybe someone else has a more specific answer.

<snip>3) i think im being stolen from and need to know for sure before i go accusing people. is the method of sortilage i use the link? if not what does a link in divination consist of?</snip>

In divination, I would consider the divining tool or method the link, yes, which may explain why some go through all kinds of business to clean their Tarot cards and not let others touch or see them and such, eg.

Basically, I consider link to be everything contributing to the magic factor, that is not gnosis or noise (conscious awareness, subconscious resistance, or other which actuall detract from), and I think lines between them can blur a little. A vessel for a servitor may not count the same way magic circles and triangles do. And in the case of the so-called empty-handed gesture, eg, the link might be absolute 0 and gnosis absolute 1, but I suppose you could say the link and gnosis are the same at that point: what is desired is, without any middle man.

I will think more on this. Thank you for bringing it up.

[jamadara]

One more thing: often we use evocation or invocation to achieve a result. Eg, your writing about American revolution: the writing is the result, the invocation--letting good ol' Thoth take a spin on your wheels and maybe leave you w/ something for the favour--is part of getting that result. In that case, you might think of the invocation itself as the link for the result (actually in this case, I would probably consider the invocation a form of gnosis, or maybe a gnosis-link combo), and you can consider whatever you employ to get invoked the link for the invocation--itself being an act of magic requiring gnosis, link, etc. How about recursive or nested links?

Sorry if that did nothing to resolve your confusion, and double that if I made it worse. :-)

[zach]

thank you, that both helps and clears things up (a bit), however can you explain nested or recursive links? would a magicians power or state of subjective synthesis be a recursive or nested link?

good shit,
dak

[8 Wasps]

Aaaargh guys!
I try to keep my magical ideas as simple as possible and you two come out speaking about recursive or nested links?!?!?!
You dazers! 

Here are my digressions...

First of all, I would avoid applying equations of magic to complex operations like invocation/evocation.
I think to the formulas like a way to give your own magical microcosm a mathematical base.
Physician have always found difficult to give to "objective world" (that is reality) a mathematical base,
but if you go into the  "subjective world", the task proves faaaar more elusive.
Peter Carroll gives us some formulas about enchantment/divination (and IMHO they are useful but questionable),
but I dont' think we'll go much further in this direction, mostly due to the fact you cannot give numbers to
the formula's variables but I must limit to a qualitative speculation.

This said, I suppose you can give two interpretations of "magical link":
1) A proper "magical" link, that is something you have affinities with. (following the axiom of the "law of similarity")
Hence the cerimonial usage of icons and symbols of what they are working with.

2) a link that is "physical" rather than magical. This interpretation follows from General Metadynamics, in wich
the link is provided by some kind of weird exchange of particles. In my opinion this would be a
risky interpretation, for enchantment would have a quite limited scope.

A more chaotic and less mathematical approach suggests you to switch interpretation as you prefer.
In both case I like to think that the magical link refers to your "area of influence".
The area of influence may be "magical" (a druid in nature) or "physical" (reality you come in
contact with, some way or another).

So, I try to answer your questions

1) i will to obtain a copy of song of solomon...
2) it is my will to meet a girl with armpit hair
3) i am surrounded by rare stones
4) im writing a paper on a possible revolution in america. i do a ritual invocation to THOTH. Where is the magic link?
5) im traveling to europe soon and want to create a servitor for good luck and a safe return. is the sigil and or material base the link?
6) i think im being stolen from and need to know for sure before i go accusing people. is the method of sortilage i use the link? if not what does a link in divination consist of?

1) The more you are "near" to a copy of solomon, the best. If you do some magician acquaintances your chances will grow (through interaction with them), hence the need to do everything possible to make the enchantment happen.

2) Same as above. If you go around and meet womens of various kind, probably one of them (or their female friends) will have armpit hair.

3) Very general enchantment. If you live in a city you are ALREADY surrounded by rare stones, according some interpretation of "rare".

4) If you accept that invocated entities are "inside your mind" I'd say you are your magicall link, so L = 1.

5) You are talking about an evocation (a series of enchantments), not a single enchantment: a modelization becomes far more difficult.

6) I think the link is provided by the stolen thing. It would be quit high, for you and the stealer have touched it in a small timeframe.

With such "free" interpretation of the magical link you can also account for an explanation of WHEN enchantment happen: whenever you are making it increase enough.
But in mathematical terms this means making the magical link a "time dependent" entity: mathematical troubles!

I hope I made myself understood.

More on the subject:  http://iota.goetia.net/Articles/links.html

I also suggest Pope Pete (if he's reading) writing a chapter on the subject in his forthcoming book, for the matter has proven quite insidious many times.

[zach]

well understood 8wasps and thanks, i feel the same way about the equations of magic, which is probably why i want to understand them so much (i love disproving theories to myself and using them anyway)... oh, and im glad you liked my contributions to chaos international, those comics came from a time when i was being forced, through humiliation, to be humble and more childlike... and the mushroom one obviously came from trippin...

[jamadara]

zach: Re "recursive links", all I meant was what I illustrated in the example of the Thoth invocation: you can think of the invocation as some degree of link to the desire you an invoking for, and there may be some link you use to get invoked. Make sense?

8 Wasps: Re the mathematical model, as far as I am concerned, it is simply useful as an illustration of how components of a magical ritual (might) interact. I have done mathematical rigour, and I don't think anyone in this thread is in any danger of it thus far.

Pax,
Joshua

[8 Wasps]

I have done mathematical rigour,

Yeah, that's the point: if you apply equations to the subjective field of magic you cannot treat Rigour as an ally, but like a sort of "backstabber" friend. That's the fun of it anyway!

and I don't think anyone in this thread is in any danger of it thus far.

Well.... ME is in danger!   
The sheer idea of considering L as a function of time makes my analitical mind  tremble. 
Conversely, the first equation does not contain the TIME factor, so it does not try to explain about the timing of a successeful enchantment. Maybe it would be interesting to introduce it just in this way...

[8 Wasps]

those comics came from a time when i was being forced, through humiliation, to be humble and more childlike...

Well, I currently live under an oppressive familiar regime, that's why think I understand the pain of "doing magic in the closet": like if my ego and my magical self are both living in the same cage!
But better times will come: keyword is... Transmogrification!!!     !     !     ?     !

[jamadara]

<snip>Conversely, the first equation does not contain the TIME factor [...]</snip>

Speaking of time, I was thinking just yesterday about how a small force applied over a long time may have a similar effect as a large force applied over a short time, and wondered if any magical effects--say, eg, a feat of physical strength--might result from applying a small force over another dimension of time such that the effect noticed in two dimensions appears as a large force applied in a short time. Does that make any sense? I still tend to think of magic more in astral terms than in those of General Metadynamics, but yesterday's idea reminded me of the latter.

[8 Wasps]

Speaking of time, I was thinking just yesterday about how a small force applied over a long time may have a similar effect as a large force applied over a short time, and wondered if any magical effects--say, eg, a feat of physical strength--might result from applying a small force over another dimension of time such that the effect noticed in two dimensions appears as a large force applied in a short time. Does that make any sense? I still tend to think of magic more in astral terms than in those of General Metadynamics, but yesterday's idea reminded me of the latter.

Yes, it makes sense to me.
But if I would apply the idea I wouldn't know what to enchant for: I have no clue about what "happens" in three dimensional
time, so I dont' even have the words to express concepts pertaining 3d time.
Maybe an intensive study of that theory would provide a conceptualization (eg visualization) of what happens. Maybe.

See you at Antero All's course jama.   

[jamadara]

<snip>See you at Antero All's course jama.</snip>

I'm there, baby!

[Isis]

Link = affinity,  physical contact, sharing something and so  on.
you have nothing to to do for them.

Magical link: artificial link:
establish by MESS = Mental emotional somatic and spiritual resonance,link with something, somebody or self.
Meaning a magical link is trying to establish the highest resonance (a real thing if you think frequency) contact  possible by intention.


1) Seal of salomon.
2) All women have armpit hair. 
3) Using images of rare stones to sourround you with and call stonespirit to walk your way.
    Make sure to ask for the money to afford his visit.
    Never regard a stone as possession and you will be fine.