From: tyagI@houseofkaos.Abyss.coM (tyagi mordred nagasiva)
To: alt.magick
Subject: Adeptship (9408.adptshp.tn)
Date: 49940812
Quoting: |mirth@mcs.com (Gavin S. Patton) 
         |>'Siobhan'
         |>|peter li'ir key

|>|somehow i think if you have to ask you don't qualify.

This makes sense.  If you *have* to ask, then you don't qualify.
If you *choose* to ask, you might.


|> Just a thought: Anyone who loudly proclaims themself to be an Adept
|> likely isn't.

'Loudly' is the key word here.  Barnum (wasn't it) said something to the
effect that getting someone else to blow your horn will have it heard by
many more.


|That "real Adepts don't advertise" attitude is getting a bit old.  Good for 
|staying hidden during the Burning Times, but nowadays, when practitioners of 
|the Arts NEED one another, it's a bit of a pain.

Wait a second.  Instead of just coming down on their ambiguous claims, why
don't you ask them *why* this is the case?  I mean, I can come up with a
good reason right away - real adepts draw people like flies to shit.  Thus
they don't need to advertise.  One might use this explanation to determine
whether or not one is an adept, yet it is also possible that things *other*
than adepts draw people (such as charlatans and carnival barkers).


|Also, once in a while, I get REAL tired of having to "smile knowingly" when 
|people start talking about  how "Guardians never talk about being Guardians", 

You don't have to.  Start asking questions.  Start challenging these people
on what they mean.


|I've done a lot, I've seen things that'd make Crowley's hair curl into 
|dreadlocks -- I'm _tired_ of having to keep it all under my hat, lest I be 
|thought of as a "wannabe" or something, or accused of "bragging".  

Good!  Dispense with your actions-based-on-reaction!  That is the stuff of
progs, not adepts!


|And I'm 
|TIRED of having to "justify" myself as being "qualified" to speak on a subject 
|without sounding like I'm claiming more than would be seemly.

You're going to sound like you're 'claiming more than would be seemly' until
you find out what happens by claiming more than would be seemly and then some.
Practice claiming more than what is seemly and then practice claiming to be
the most ignorant buffoon in the universe.  After a while you'll get used to
the reactions.

Most people are operating on auto-pilot.  Their reactions aren't intended to
manipulate you (though if you are also operating on this setting you will
plug into the emotion-net and be promptly manipulated into submission).  The
adept does not base hir action on reaction, she bases it on something more
subtle (will?  intuition?).


|Bloody hell, I'm annoyed.  PMS is hell.  (That's post-magewar syndrome!)

My sympathies.  Perhaps you could contact some folx in alt.pagan about
menstual rites/potions.

tyagi nagasiva
tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com