McGreagor on Spirit

It amazes me how many of us neglect the power of the sphere of spirit.  In many ways if the user is clever he can bypass the restraint of paradox by utilizing and bargaining with spirits and asking them to utilize their unique talents which do not garner such backlash from consensual reality.  Not only that but a utilization of spirit might also allow shortcuts or alternate routes to solve problems with time and effort many other spheres may be mimicked with this one if the right bargains are struck  sometimes these bargains are expensive but if you want to avoid realities backhand there is usually some sort of bypass.

A large number of our people see the world as it is, or they see time or some other alternate way of seeing this world. But they neglect to look at the other worlds such as the Umbra where spirits reside.  The Umbra is comprised of several layers, at differing layers there are different types of spirits. One of the ways to show spirits respect is to visit them in their world and bring an appropriate offering.  These offerings vary from spirit to spirit One might want a bulls heart cut out, another might desire a small piece of willpower or a prayer said in its name..  It is important to note when dealing with spirits to treat them with dignity and respect.  A harshly treated spirit is most likely not to help you again, or to actually attempt to hinder your efforts.

It is important to note we are not the only ones that deal with Spirits. The drinkers of life, and the Werewolves also bargain and deal with them, the the appropriate terminology is Garou for the latter. While the vampires seek to manipulate for their own political gain.  The Garou usually have the best interests at heart for the spirits honoring ancient pacts they made ages ago, they are in touch with the spirit world and can come there as easily as stepping through a doorway.  I have seen this ability first hand and it is very impressive.  Not all Garou, are cooperative some can be down right hostile, if you find one that is hostile my recommendation is to run away.  If they seem apprehensive always be respectful and considerate towards them.  If they tell you to leave and they don't know you, you should apologize for intruding and WALK away.  Vampires should be avoided they are untrustworthy, dangerous, lying and conniving monsters, that will try to use you in their little political games for their own advantage.

A glance into the cosmic force that is Time

"Time, is never time at all" -The Smashing Pumkins

Regretably, my greatest wisdom concerning Time is that you must forget everything you know about the human invention of measuring and cataloging it. The measuring of days, hours, minutes, seconds, is a crutch to our simple perceptions that i would liken to using your fingers and toes EVERY time one were to do arithmatic.

It is not something that needs to be measured, at least not if you intend to work with it in any meaningful way. Certainly the tick of the clock will work for those who are waiting to punch out at the end of the day. However for us we will need to realize something much more meaningful.

As we go forward understand that this sphere maybe one of the most difficult to learn. For indeed time touches everything. It is a great cosmological constant that arguably envelops and touches every other sphere. To my knowledge there is no place in the known universe that Time has not interacted with in its own way.

To that end, it is a great acomplishment for an initiate to even realize that they are constantly consumed by this universal force. To even be able seperate your visions from your current moment in time and view another, let alone affect that seperate moment in any meaningful way, is a monumental task that is both dangerous, and potentially maddening.

My advice would be to put your mind at ease. Time is there with or without us. At your most relaxed moment, concentrate on nothing but Time. If you can FEEL it, you are on the right track.

Alex on Correspondence

Dude.

"What is space made out of anyway?"

"Dude..."

In antiquity, the practice of Correspondence relied on the idea of a correspondence point, a one singular "all space" that could be traveled too and from to get shit done.

While this approach has some merit (and clearly has been successful in the past), it ultimately begs the question by assuming that the way to organize and understand space is to postulate a single, transcendent space. But then how then are we to understand and organize that transcendent space?

Virtual Adepts prefer to avoid conceptualizing space as having substance or extension in the world. Rather, we view all the world as encoded, multi-dimensional data arrayed in sundry ways. Space, then, is less of a physical reality and more of a data storage platform for the universe. As such, "teleportation" is little more than "ctrl+X, ctrl+V." Collapsing space and such is simply finding alternative ways compress the universe's data. Some VAs refer to the array used to store data as the Universal Matrix.

Councilor Phaedra on Correspondence

Many people are stumped by this sphere. How does one reach across the fabric of space to see people and places at a distance? Or even pass through to reach that distant locale? In order to master this field of study, one has to let go of mundane views on space. Instead, think of the vastness of reality as a great sheet of fabric. 

If that sheet is spread across a flat surface, then of course one must drive straight from Point A to Point B to span the distance. But what if one could simply grab the two points and pull them together? Then, the unnecessary expenditure of gas, time, and other resources could be avoided altogether. Imagine a world where we never required the use of vehicles again. We simply stepped from where we are to where we need to be!

Councilor Phaedra on Forces

This Sphere of magic is as tricky and unpredictable as a cat on catnip. It is as likely to burn the user as the enemy. Some subtle manipulations are possible, making gravity seem slightly heavier and thus a set of stairs leading to the 10th story of a building extremely hard to climb. However, more commonly the energy is used for some very vulgar effects. I was once asked if I could shoot lightning out of my ass, like William Wallace. 

With Forces, this is literally possible, but only if one understands the pattern. The universe is an intricate, woven pattern of energy. Whether it is gravity, heat, electricity, this energy travels around us every day. It is created and destroyed by every action or lack of action we take. The weave of energy is impossibly complex, but a subtle twang along the lines of thread that make up that tapestry can send shock waves to the horizon. The harder one pulls, the bigger the shock.

Councilor Phaedra on Prime

The world is made of quintessence or vis as it is called in older texts. Every person, place, or thing contains at least a miniscule dram of vis. While the pattern of reality fights the will worker's desire to bend it to her needs, vis empowers her. It is in a way a great cosmic joke. 

Reality both gives us the tools we need to empower ourselves in vis and the means to destroy ourselves in paradox. Paradox occurs when a will worker pulls the threads of reality too far out of sync, in which case they snap back into place so hard her hands are scarred (sometimes literally, more often metaphorically). The sphere of prime allows the will worker to see, move, and manipulate the raw magical energy of reality. All awakened should learn at minimum apprentice themselves to this field of study.