Three Laws of Wizardry, Revisited

1. A Wizard takes responsibility and credit for their actions.
2. Reputation is power.
3. With great responsibility comes great power, and with great power comes great responsibility.

To become a master wizard, the candidate starts at the first stage – “They don’t know that they don’t know.” Then the apprentice wizard continues on to “They know they don’t know.” At the next stage, the journeyman “knows what they know.” Finally at the mastery stage, the wizard “just does it.” Abrielle Jones in “The Time Workshops,” categorized the stages as “unconsciously incompetent,” “consciously incompetent,” “consciously competent,” and finally “unconsciously competent.” In moving through the stages, the wizard learns to take responsibility and credit for what they do. Their reputation grows with their power and maturity.

Jones continues, “to deny that we are creating our own future is not to take responsibility for our own energy.” The wizard creates their future in the present, for they are not a passenger but a sailor on the seas of fate. Taylor Ellison, noted magician, says that of of the most magical acts that a person can do is knowing who they are. By being proactive, the wizard changes as the magic changes their future.

In “Mystical Words of Power,” Damon Brand emphasizes “you are a part of the fluidity of your life, with the choice to shape your fate rather than have it happen to you, and no matter how magick helps, your freedom to interact with life means your responses affect your reality.” He continues, “every time something happens, you react, respond, feel something or do something, and you cause change.” The wizard brings change to a situation simply by using magic, When they undertake a magical working the prudent wizard notes the waves of synchronicity. As their reputation grows, so does their power.

The Spiritualist Michelle Leath in “Psychic Integrity,” examines how to determine a reputable reader (medium). Their reputation is built on how well the reader understands the complexity of the spiritual ecosystem. Does the reader maintain their own power, or do they take more from others? Also, do they continue to learn and study? Since a reader mediates between the living and spirits, are they well-versed in the art of diplomacy?

The process of understanding magic entails having a good foundation of how it works. The point of magic is to manifest a particular possibility. The magician’s altar and tools are a means to do that. To have consistent magical practice means daily work at the altar. While there, the wizard notes how the space of the altar is being used, and how time flows through it. The model of magic that the wizard follows – psychological, spiritual, or resonance – will determine how and what tools they will employ in their magic.

Magician Taylor Ellison in “Walking with the Elemental Spirits,” says that “magic only evolves if we take risks and make change to what is known to discover the unknown.” As the wizard puts more of themselves into their work, they change in positive ways. Since the Cosmos is an ecosystem of interconnectedness, their relations move beyond the physical to the metaphysical. By being a diplomat, the wizard’s power increases as their responsibility grows.

Magic entails knowing who you are. One aspect for me is understanding which model of magic that I use. Since I am spiritual in nature, my altar and tools reflect that. Through daily practice, I use tact in the presence of the Gods and Others.

As I move through the stages of wizardry, I become more “unconsciously competent.” What I learned as a wizard is that magic changes you. If you understand the waves of synchronicity, you can make effective changes in your life. I cease to be a by-stander, and become instead an active participant. In being active, I build my reputation from being responsible and receiving entrusted power.

Works Used:
Brand, Damon, “Magickal Protection.” Columbia (SC): The Gallery of Magick. 2015.
—-, “Mystical Works of Power.” Columbia (SC): The Gallery of Magick. 2019.

Ellwood, Taylor, “The Process of Magic.” Willamette (Oregon): Magical Experiments Publication. 2018.
—, “Walking with Elemental Spirits.” Willamette (Oregon): Magical Experiments Publication. 2022.

Jones, Abrielle, “The Time Workshops.” U.K.: Timeslip Books. 2007.

Leath, Melissa, “Psychic Integrity.” Bloomington (IN): Hay House. 2011.

Zell-Ravenheart, Oberon, “Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard.” New Page Books: Franklin Lakes (NJ). 2004.

The Three Stages of Wizardry (Part 1 of 2)

Most people think in terms of “three stages” in mastering esoteric knowledge. This comes from the Medieval Guild system of Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master. Various traditions such as Wicca may not call these stages by the same name but they divide their membership into three levels. In Ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins had three divisions – the girls learning how to be Vestal Virgins, the Vestal Virgins maintaining the protocols of the Goddess, and the senior Vestals who taught the girls. That for me summarizes the three stages of Wizardry – learning, maintaining, and teaching.

Dennis Hauck in “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Alchemy,” says that Alchemy is arranged into three levels of Mastery. He breaks down them down as: The Philosophicum – knowing what is really there, The Theoreticum – knowing how it works, and The Practicum – knowing how to do it. I apply these stages to my learning in Wizardry.

I believe that a fourth stage should be included – the Candidate. Before anyone can begin to study Wizardry, they need to know why they want to. Entering the mysteries of Wizardry (or any esoteric tradition) requires hearing the “call.” In “Elemental Witchcraft,” Heron Michelle calls the process of deciding – the “Path of Return.” She defines this as “the desire to form a proper relationship with the Goddess (in her tradition of the Pentacle Path of Modern Witchcraft) and the Cosmos. Meanwhile in Alchemy, Dennis Hauck describes the “why” as wanting to “transmute from being a dead stone to become the living Philosopher’s Stone.” Freemasonry calls it “hearing the Voice to enter the Mystery.” Understanding the “why” the person wants to be a wizard is important.

Therefore, becoming an Apprentice is learning the “How.” Each tradition has basic knowledge which needs to be learned. There has to be an understanding of how things work before “doing the work.” Since being a wizard entails manipulating Cosmic energies, the basics have to be honed first. As the website of Spiritual Dragon Wizardry states, “Wisdom are the bricks in a wall, if the higher bricks are placed on ‘poor’ bricks underneath then ultimately the wall will tumble down.”

This leads to the question of how to learn as an Apprentice. In her book, Michelle details the “spirit-lead” instruction of the Pentacle Path. She wrote “Elemental Witchcraft” to present an alternative to the oathbound initiations of the various lineages in Wicca. Meanwhile, Natalia Clarke in “Pagan Portals – Baba Yaga Slavic Earth Goddess” describes “Apprenticeship by Baba Yaga.” In this Goddess directed process, Clarke received a vision informing her, that she was not ready for the next step. In fact, she was directed to reframe what her path was.

In contrast, Ben Stimpson writes in “Ancestral Whispers” about the potential hazards of working with the Dead. His opinion is that the spiritual world can be a dangerous place. Therefore, Stimpson advises seeking out a mentor. He explains that this person has formed relations with the Spirits. Therefore, they can demonstrate a commitment to and the responsibility of maintaining those relationships.

My personal preference is to have a mentor or school for learning esoteric knowledge. For me, gleaning knowledge from books and being “spirit-led” leaves gaps in my knowledge. Moreover, I can fool myself into thinking I have achieved self-mastery.

In Freemasonry to enter the mysteries of the Universe, the Candidate works to be truly prepared. Then as the Entered Apprentice, they master the physical aspects of life (i.e. the concrete). To become a Fellow Craft, the Entered Apprentice learn self-mastery of their body in health and wellness.

I think that being an Apprentice in Wizardry is learning the map of the Cosmos. Then the Apprentice can draw the map already constructed by other Wizards. At the end of their apprenticeship, the Apprentice is prepared to enter the mysteries of the Journeyman. As an Apprentice, I feel ready as I ponder my final project to become a Journeyman Wizard.

Models of Magic(k)

In magic, there are three major models – psychological, resonance, and spiritual. These are the methods that people use in doing their spellwork. Most people that I know use the psychological model. They employ sigils and other magical symbols to project their intent. In doing spells, they place intense focus on what they want to occur.

I have a problem with the psychological model. Many people would send me healing energy assuming that I needed it. Unfortunately, their spells would mess up my brain with excess energy. These people’s will and intent overcame their good sense.

For a long time, the Resonance model confused me. I was baffled by spells that required certain phases of the moon and planets to succeed. Moreover, correspondences of herbs and crystals was beyond my understanding. After Headmaster Kingsley of the Grey School of Wizardry explained it as baking a cake, I could understand it better. A cook needs certain tools and ingredients to have a tasty cake. Since I do have problems baking a cake, the resonance model was not for me.

The model that I am most familiar with is the spiritual model. As a Roman Polytheist, I learned the proper offerings to do in the proper manner for each God. When doing a Roman ritual, if a mistake is made, the ritual is started is stopped and started from the beginning. Asking the Gods for healing or strength is something that I regularly do. Therefore, asking the Spirits for help is the magical model that I use. I never thought of it as magic until I learned about the models of magical workers.

Works Used:

Frater U.’D.’, “Models of Magic.” Spiral Nature Magazine, 14, December, 2002. https://www.spiralnature.com/magick/models/.

Jones, Abrielle, “The Time Workshops.” Timeslip Books: U.K. 2007.

Kingsley, Nicholas, “The Models of Magick.” Grey School of Wizardry Class Materials. Kingsley, Nicholas, “Wizardry 100: Becoming An Apprentice.”

—, “Unraveling Magic: An In-Depth Examination of the Psychological, Spiritual, and Resonance Models.” Grey School of Wizardry Academic Papers.

‘Sarah’, “Models of Magick and Learning to Embrace the Mystery.” Obscure Clouds, 11 March, 2019. https://www.spiralnature.com/magick/models/.