THE SPHERES
(much of this section is taken from WhiteWolf's Mage: The Ascension)
"I have only come here seeking knowledge,
things they would not teach me of in college."
- The Police, "Wrapped around your finger"
The sum of all magickal knowledge known to the Tradition is organised
into nine Spheres. The following descriptions of the None Spheres are
intended to provide you with a broad explanation of each Sphere. Keep
in mind that there are often many ways to accomplish the same effect.
the sphere of CORRESPONDANCE
The sphere of Correspondence involves an understanding of
three-dimensional reality. Mages who have gained understanding of
Correspondence have come to the (almost) unanimous conclusion that
space, as the human race knows it, is ultimately an illusion. In
truth, all patterns are "stacked" upon each other in one "place",
refered to by most as the Correspondence Point or All-Space.
In order to interpret and interact with the world around them, the
unenlightened need to perceive the Correspondence Point as
three-dimensional space instead of seeing that objects are in truth
"stacked" on top of each other at a single point.
the sphere of ENTROPY
The sphere of Entropy covers the aspects of reality commonly called
decay, chaos, randomness and destruction. The theorems used to explain
Entropy are concoluted, seem to lack any fundamental principles, and
often seem to have no relation to one another. The study of Entropy
can be as chaotic an affair as the mertial the sphere explains.
Entropy is based on the overriding principle that all incarnations of
reality eventually die or disintegrate. Lifeforms die, rocks erode,
electricity scatters into random charges, organisations and empires all
eventualy collapse. While this tends to cause the sphere to be viewed
in a negative light, many mages see entropic destruction as necessary in
order to achieve Ascension. They point to a concept referred to as the
Reincarnation Manifesto, which the [Oracles] seem to espouse. The
Reincarnation Manifesto holds that Entropy is responsible for breaking all
things back down in to a basic state of raw Quintessence, which can then
be recyucled into reality to become some other incarnation of the physical
universe. Without this continuous reincarnation, new structures could not
be created within reality. Without a continuous infusion of new and
better fabricated reality, growth toward Ascension would come to a
grinding halt.
the sphere of FORCES
All things, even the great forces of nature, are controllable by mind
and will. It is not an easy task; the Patterns of energy ripple through
infinite variations at speeds that stagger the mind. How to command the
lightning bolt as it blazes across the sky, before it flashes out of
existence? But such as been the determinatino of mages throughout the
ages to master these energies that techniques of trimming their Patterns
are now known to us.
the sphere of LIFE
Life is arguably the most complex of the Pattern Spheres. The
Patterns of Life are far more intricately woven than the Patterns of
inanimate Matter or elemental Forces, and while the Patterns of Life do
not fluctuate as quickly as those of energy, these complex Patterns
comprise countless simultaneous permutations. Mastery of the sphere of
Life requiers extraordinary mental agility and memory.
The sphere of Life can also be used to wreak havoc upon living
creatures. It has been used to end lives in innumerable grotesque ways.
The Patterns of life shift and flow as the form of life grows or dies,
and most importantly, Quintessence flows through the Patterns of life
like water through a sieve.
the sphere of MATTER
The sphere of Matter concerns itself with the Patterns of all things
that are not alive. While its domain is often called the inorganic,
this is a misnomer - even compounds of carbon are included in the
domain of Matter as long as they are not part of a living form. Fore
example, the flesh of a man is influenced by the Sphere of Life until
he dies, but from that moment on (when is Pattern shifts from life to
unlife, and Quintessence no longer trickles into it) his corpse is
controllable through the sphere of Matter.
The Patterns of Matter differ from those of Life or Forces in that
they are much more rigid and enduring. They do not fluctuate nearly as
much, and therefore they are not as easy to alter. However, they are
much simpler to weave, and a mage with enough knowledge in Prime to be
able to channel Quintessence can easily create new items of matter.
the sphere of MIND
Mages have long delved into their own minds in search of power. The
scope of knowledge dervied from countless years of enlightened
investiagtion has led to the development of the sphere of Mind. The
sphere covers the manifold powers attributed to the human mind itself.
Masters of Mind have opened their mental faculaties far beyond the
scope imagined bny the unenlightened. Perception, communcication, even
control of throught processes are their domain. Their control extends
from the glimmers of sentience exhibited by animals to the higher
faculties of the human mind.
the sphere of PRIME
Prime is the study of Quintessence, the fabric of reality.
Quintessence is oftern referred to as the Prime, because it is
envisioned as an indivisible unity, of which all reality is but a part.
Pursuing the sphere of Primse is aconvoluted study of ill-understood
metaphysics. More than for any other sphere, the Masters of
Quintessence struggle to find answers that completely define their
field. As much as they hate to admit it, even the knowledge of the
Masters is more concerned with techniques for manipulating Quintessence
than with true comprehension of its underlying principles.
the sphere of SPIRIT
The sphere of Spirit is one of the most definitive and comprehensive of the
Spheres. The theories, models and concepts used by the sphere can be used to
explain any of the other spheres. The sphere of Spirit is, by far, the most
powerful sphere of knowledge because of this ability. This sphere also contains
paradigms for tying and untying the Quintessence link that is used by mages.
The secrets of Spirit are closely guarded by its masters, and with good reason.
the sphere of TIME
You must understand that Chronos is not really as he is appearing in the minds of
humanity. They are following Chronos down the straight path that he is desiring.
They are not experiencing the then, only the now. They are not seeing the will,
only the has. We are outside that narrow path; we are enlightened.
Key Project Main Page