This is one of a series of posts intended to show what various mage groups believe, how they think, and why they think the Sleepers ought to prefer their vision of reality. It is not intended as a complete picture of each group, or a 'fair' portrait. It's written as propaganda by each group, but honest propaganda. They won't lie, but they won't list their own flaws in detail either :) Naturally, these posts represent my own idiosyncratic views which I believe to be reasonably compatible with canon, but given my memory is at times rather sieve like, I may forget stuff. If you see a contradiction between this or the appropriate Trad/Conv book, it may or may not be deliberate. If you have suggestions for more questions that should be covered, please let me know. Order of Hermes and a bunch o' other stuff is all copyright of White Wolf, of course. (And whoever owns the rights to Ars Magica now, too) You can find the ones done so far at: http://www.maison-otaku.net/~rhea/WW/index.html Enjoy! Ascension 2000 Campaign Pamphlets: Order of Hermes Now, here's a group of guys I can get into. I've played half the medieval fantasy computer games on the market, and I've played enough D&D to kill a lesser man. So what level of spells can you cast? While there are similarities, I am neither Elminister nor Gandalf. If I was to look in a book of spells, they would not be sorted by level, nor would they have a little line that tells me if I need verbal, somatic, or material components. I do not memorize them every morning or forget them once they are cast, as if I was written by Jack Vance. Nor do I run on 'spell points'. My spells are merely a portion of my art, for my goal is to understand the universe completely, and my art is the science of the occult, the revelation of the unknown through reason and self- transformation. Unlike many of my fellows among the Traditions, I do not believe that Reason is bad, and wallowing in carnality, superstition, blind faith, or chemically induced hallucinations is superior. Unlike the Technocracy, I recognize the limitations of Reason, that it cuts one off from the things that one studies with it, by reducing them to mere material objects. Thus is the Gauntlet heightened, and the unhealthy division of the world reinforced. I seek to combine Reason with Experiential Knowing (through self-transformation) in order to achieve Noesis--the direct apprehension of Truth. My spells, my magick are the fruit of that self-transformation, for in order to change the world, one must first change one's self. As below, so above. At the same time, changing the world also further changes my self. As above, so below. So what's your philosophy of Magick? How does it work? [See the Order of Hermes Traditionbook; a fair amount of this retreads the last chapter, with a few bits of my own material thrown in] The ultimate purpose of Magick is to achive Noesis through self-transformation. The first step is Goetia. At this stage, one learns that one can do magick, performing elaborate rites through drawing pentagrams, inscribing runes, chanting in Enochian, waving signs of Solomon, and the like. The major goal at this point is to learn to perceive the unseen world that cannot be apprehended by reason alone, but must be experienced. Many apprentices, and most Tradition mages never successfully pass this point. The Technocracy, in its own way, is also mired in Goetia, for they think their machines hold power, and not they themselves. The first self-transformation comes when one makes the breakthrough to Theurgia. This is the art of merging with the gods. One begins to deal with the spirits, to force them to give up their secrets, and work to take on the identity of a god who one finds amenable to one's self. By dressing like them, surrounding oneself with the materials, colors, foods, and practices of that god, one learns to wield his or her power. One passes beyond this stage to true magick when one truly realizes and believes that the gods are within as well as without, and that one has the potential to wield their powers oneself, for the gods are part of oneself. One can then command the gods to manifest through oneself. The other major achievement of this stage is to discover one's Word, the word that defines your higher self and goals. My word, for example, is "Teach", which is among the reasons I'm talking to you. Few of the Traditions, except the Celestial Chorus, reach this phase. The Chorus usually remains suspended here, trapped by their inability to realize the One is part of them, rather than them simply being a part of it. They have a tendency to have the same Word: Faith. Oddly enough, Iteration X alone among the Technocracy achieves this stage, for their efforts to turn themselves into machines is clearly equivalent for them to what this phase is for us. True Magick relies on the principle of 'as below, so above'. By bringing archetypal patterns to mind, one can alter the outer world, for changing one world (inner) alters the other (exterior). Effectively, one simply "speaks changes into being", to quote the Apprentice Hornbook. [OoH Traditionbook, p. 57]. We typically use the language known as Enochian for this, for it is the most ancient of languages, preserved by the spirits. By mastering Enochian, one can gain wisdom, for it is a complex and multi-layered language. It also allows one to communicate with the spirits, which is a potent road to power. The tools used in the first two stages remain of use to the True Mage, for they are excellent aids to concentration, but in the end, the most advanced of us tend to discard them, for they are but training wheels and we want to ride like adults. Those tools themselves consist of a vast array of methods, more diverse than any other Tradition, for we have traditionally assimilated rivals instead of destroying them. There are those within the Order, such as the remains of House Criamon within House Ex Miscellanea, who could pass as Cultists of Ecstasy. House Thig follows a technomagical praxis, often able to outhack the Virtual Adept. House Fortunae knows more of luck and chance than the Euthanatos would learn from talking to a million ghosts. All of them contribute their knowledge to our whole, and we are united by the common understanding that true Magick flows from self- transformation and has the pursuit of Noesis as its goal. One day, all the Traditions will come to understand this and fully join us. On that day, we will be invincible, and our dream of creating the City of Pymander will come to fruition. Creating the City of Pymander? What's that? One of our many roots was the band of scholars who created and preserved the Library of Alexandria for centuries. It was there that the foundations of our art were first well systematized, and the scholarship of many lands and traditions studied in order to incorporate it into our world view. We provided the framework in which every kind of scholarship could flourish, in a land of religious and intellectual tolerance. It is our dream to create such a society once more, where guided by a common paradigm, all would be free to argue their ideas peacefully, and different ways of life could be reconciled by bringing them into a unity that preserves their diversity, just as our structure of Houses enables each group to be different, but the Order as a whole to act as one. It is that lack of unity which has hobbled the Traditions in our war against the Technocracy; we are nine horses pulling in nine different directions. In the City of Pymander, we would recognize that every horse is different, but they are all horses, and we would learn to pull in the same direction. Am I getting too metaphorical for you? I sorta get what you mean, but I don't entirely get it. How would you reconcile...I dunno...the Dreamspeakers with you. You'd make them House Dreamspeaker, but how would you reconcile your ways of doing magick? You point magic wands and chant, 'wolB ym seimene ot stib!' and things explode, while they ask the spirits to like, kick ass for them. Enochian does not consist of saying things backwards, whatever Zatanna bani Ex Miscellanea may have told you. But regardless. The important aspect of Hermetic praxis is not waving wands or invoking the Angels of the Four Corners, or circling one's warding circle seven times widdershins while carrying a bronze sword inscribed with the rune for 'four' and the name of Orifel, the leader of the Thrones and Prince of Saturn. The two important things are the goal: Noesis and the core method to achieve it: self-transformation. We possess much lore we could share with the Dreamspeakers and vice versa, for we are the only two Traditions to have made ancient pacts with the spirits. We pay them in services and call upon them to the duties to which they have sworn. There are some spirits who would far more gladly deal with us than them, though there are others who do prefer the Dreamspeakers. They would not have to give up their methods: their sacred hoops, their dances, their incense and peyote, their art and song. Nor would they have to forsake their tribal lifestyle. Hermetics live in many different ways, and as long as it is in accord with one's true nature, that is fine. They would, however, have to learn that we are not meant to serve the spirits and simply do their bidding, as the Dreamspeakers currently do. The gods and spirits are simply external reflections of our inner selves, and as such, they should serve us. Without that understanding, they will never pass through Theurgia to the stage of Magia. We serve, guide, teach, enlighten, and protect mankind; we are not the minions of the deer spirits and whoever else they serve. Each Hermetic house serves some special purpose in the order. My own house, Shaea, are the guardians of the Order's history and of knowledge of languages, especially Enochian. House Thig integrates technology into our paradigm. House Quaestitor acts as our judges and lawyers, and so forth. A theoretical House Dreamspeaker could take over the much needed duty of a house specializing in relations with the spirit world. It would become their duty to maintain our ancient covenants and forge new ones. Much as they do now, but for the good of the Order instead of in the service of the spirits. We are the future of the Traditions, for only we can unite all their diverse praxis into a single paradigm the masses can accept. Without us, victory over the Technocracy would be followed by all out war among the Traditions to see whose paradigm would rule in place of the technocratic one. And that would be a tragedy. So how would you destroy an army of orcs? What about your lung cancer? I can ask any of the Traditions about that. But you guys are the ones who blow things into tiny bits. I wanna see mass destruction. I wanna see you cast Meteor Swarm! 'Cause my characters never got high enough level to do it. It would be rather difficult for me to destroy an army of orcs, since they don't exist. Okay, let's say you wanted to level a fraternity house. Alright, I'll pretend I've gone for a trip in the Umbra and stumbled into a legend realm of the Lord of the Rings. Just call me 'Galadriel bani Noldor' for the duration, I guess. Thanks to you, I'm stuck somewhere in Moria, and the Orcs and the Balrog are closing in. I'd have a variety of options on how to wipe them out. Let's assume I'm about to cross a huge bridge over one of the large chasms in Moria, and the Balrog pops up on the other side, with his army of drum beating orcs. I could use Ars Fati, also called Venom (or Entropy), to cause the bridge to collapse under him, but those shadowy wings of his might actually work. In that case, I would shout 'Perdo Terram', striking the bridge with my staff to direct the entropic effect. I could use Ars Essentiae, also called the Gateway (or Forces), to snuff his fires, or to augment them so he burns himself to death. Calling the image of Ra, master of the sun and fire, to mind, I would utter a short invocation in Pharonic Egyptian, combined with a gesture denoting the snuffing or growth of a flame. If I had the right raw materials, I might light a fire with my cigarette lighter if my goal was to augment the flame, or blow it out if I meant to snuff it. I could call upon Ars Manium (Spirit) and force the Balrog to discorporate, for knowing the lore of Balrogs, I would realize they are actually spirits of fire who took on flesh in the service of Morgoth. Invoking the name of Manwe, I would command it to depart this realm or face the wrath of the Valar, with whom the Order has a pact. If I knew its true name, I could throw that in as well to reinforce the threat. Perhaps with Ars Mentis (Mind), I could extract the Balrog's name by scrying him through a glass marked with the image of Thoth, keeper of hidden lore. I could go on, but we could stay here all day. Given I've never met a Balrog or orcs, and neither have you, there wouldn't be much point. But how would you blow him into itty, bitty bits? Don't you guys specialize in explosions? No, no, no. We are the masters of Forces, for they are the Gateway to power, and the model of how power is exerted, but we rarely blow things up unless we are of House Flambeau. We prefer to create, not destroy, and also importantly, as much fun as tossing balls of Abyssal Flame is for some people, the forces of Paradox tend to kick us in the head if we go around raining down lighting as if we were Thor. Especially when one reaches the higher levels, our magic is just as subtle as anyone else's. Wait, I thought you said you didn't have 'levels'. Not in the sense you think of from your games, but we do have degrees of initiation which reflect how far we have advanced in magical knowledge, and rankings within each of the Nine Spheres (a system of thought we invented and passed to the other Traditions, to help unify the praxes of the many Traditions in the first days of the Council of Nine). I hold the Eighth Degree, Magister Scholar. This degree requires one to achieve Rank five in a single sphere, and rank three (or higher) in at least two others. I hold Rank five, mastery, in the sphere of Mind. I have achieved the fourth rank in Correspondence and Life. Spirit, Prime, and Forces I hold at the Third Rank. I possess the second rank of mastery in Time. I am currently trying to pick up the rudiments of Entropy and Matter. To pass beyond the eighth rank, to that of the Magister Mundi or Archmage, the ninth Degree, I would have to perfect my mastery of Mind to the sixth rank, which is the work of a lifetime. Beyond that lies only the tenth rank of Oracle, but of them, I know little. How many experience points do you need to go up a level? I did not step out of an RPG. I do not earn experience points. But to put it in terms of training: [Time estimates from page 58 of the Tradtionbook] The first three degrees(Neophyte, Zelator, Practicus) form the period of apprenticeship. They last 2-6 years. This period ends when one's avatar awakens and one first gains a glimpse of true Noesis through mastering the first rank of Ars Essentiae. You then spend about a year as an Initiate (the fourth rank). Once you bring your knowledge of one of the spheres to rank two, you progress to the fifth degree, Initiate Exemptus. This achievement involves passing a test set one by one's higher self, a sort of incarnation of one's Word, the Daemon. In another one to three years, one typically manages to achieve the third rank in at least one sphere, and rank one in another. At this point, one passes to the sixth degree, Adept. Many members of the Order of Hermes never surpass this rank, though they may greatly broaden their knowledge of various spheres. Many fail the tests administered by their Daemon at this point. For those who persevere, the achievement of rank four in one sphere, rank two in a second, and rank one in a third qualifies one to gain the degree Adept Major. It usually takes three to ten years for those who are successful, though some take much longer, and many will never attain the seventh rank. The eighth degree, my own, is a high honor, which takes anywhere from thirty to fifty years to attain, though most will never reach this height, and a handful achieve it more swiftly or much more slowly. It requires rank five in one sphere, and rank three in two others. It too requires passage of a test by one's Daemon, which most fail at. To achieve the ninth degree, one must possess wisdom surpassing all but the mightiest of mortals and pass a test by one's Daemon of surpassing difficulty. In addition, one must achieve the sixth rank of a sphere. The handful of magi who possess this level of power are known as the Magister Mundi or Archmages, and truly they possess the power to shake the world. Sadly, the world often shakes back, and they all must struggle with Twilight. The highest, and in truth, only rumored rank, is the tenth, that of the Oracles, mages who have Ascended. To prove one has achieved sufficient skill and enlightenment to pass to a higher degree, one must go before a panel of three magi of at least the rank one hopes to achieve, if not higher: one from House Quaestitor, one from one's own house chosen by that Quaestitor, and a third mage chosen by the applicant if one has already achieved the fourth degree, or one's master if one is still an apprentice. The panel then administers tests appropriate to the rank of mastery and spheres you wish to demonstrate proficiency in. There are standard tests, but testers often deviate from them in order to test one's ability to improvise quickly. To give an example, my test to be awarded the eighth degree was conducted by Magister Scholar Artemus White bani Quaestitor, Magister Scholar Lucina bani Shaea, and Magister Scholar Setsuna Mei'ou bani Ex Miscellanea. I began my demonstration of skills by moving us from my study to the testing grounds using a Hermes Portal. Then I demonstrated my skills in Ars Animae and Mentis by creating two talking cats to Magister Scholar Setsuna's specifications. Within each of them, I created human level intelligences modeled upon those of Magisters Artemus and Lucina (at their request, mind you. One should never mock those testing you). The two cats immediately fell to quarreling, which proved the adeptness of my arts. So what happened to the cats after that? I believe Setsuna gave them to two of her apprentices as familiars. What's this Daemon thing again? The Awakening of the magus to true magick reveals to him a Word that lays bare his own inner, deepest self. It also awakens his higher self, which is the spiritual aspect of his Word, his Daemon. It serves him, enabling his powers, but it also judges him, forcing him to pass a series of tests to reach the higher ranks of power. Certain other Traditions will tell you a variety of incorrect things about their Daemon, which they often refer to as an 'Avatar'. Many of them believe some 'higher being' implanted the Avatar in them, or that Avatars are fragments of some being that shattered or that worst of all, that they do not exist (the view of the Technocracy). They simply do not understand the truth, which is that the soul is, like the universe that reflects it, legion: it contains multitudes. The exact components of the soul remain debated by Hermetics, and this debate will likely continue into the foreseeable future. I myself tend to favor the Egyptian model. Yet, it is clear that a person can war with themselves, and the fact that the soul is the union of linked, but separate, parts is what accounts for this. The Daemon is the part of the soul which transforms the rest, and by transforming the rest of the soul transforms the universe which mirrors it. Sometimes, it denies its faculty of transformation until the rest of the soul becomes worthy to ascend, and in its sphere of authority, it cannot be denied, though it does the bidding of the mind and the will in all other things. It is both judge and servant. So, like how old are you? Toting up those numbers you gave me, you'd have to have spent somewhere between thirty seven to sixty-nine years to become a Magister Scholar. Looks like you're gonna croak before you even reach the ninth degree. Except you don't look much older than about thirty. It took me forty nine years to achieve my current status, which I have held for twenty five years. I was twenty when I began my studies with the Order, so I am ninety four years old. Thanks to my skill with Ars Animae, I could easily live several hundred more, though eventually Twilight has a tendency to claim those who exceed the normal human life span by too much. Twilight? Some Traditions refer to this as Quiet. Its causes remain obscure, but it becomes an increasing danger as one grows in power. A mage who is slipping into Twilight loses the ability to distinguish between reality and fantasy and begins to react to things which do not exist. Given the ability of magi to create something from nothing by the will, you can see how this could be disastrous. Eventually, one sinks completely into a world of one's own delusions, which must be overcome to recover. Those who do recover gain great insights, and some say it is one of the ways in which our Daemon tests us. Unfortunately, many other mages do not recover, and instead increasingly inflict their insanity upon the world in the form of 'hobgoblins', aspects of their delusions which become real. It is generally believed among the Order that there is some connection between Twilight and the Marauders. It seems like a lot of work to learn to do your kind of magick. All the best things in life take work and dedication. One typically achieves the sixth degree, at which point one can work wonders beyond the power of any unawakened mortal, in about six to ten years, which is well within the range of time that the average professional spends in school, if you combine their undergraduate and graduate level education. Of course, it is a very rigorous course of study, and many people lack the patience, dedication, and intellect necessary. While there are foolish Hermetics, there are no stupid ones, for the apprenticeship phase weeds out the idiots. While some might decry this as unfair, it is no less fair than any system of professional training. Anyone has the potential to Awaken in our paradigm, however, many will not, simply because they won't push themselves hard enough or they don't have the intellect. But would you really want an idiot to be able to learn how to fly, or control minds, or create new life? So your world would be ruled by the educated people. Yes. Ideally, everyone would have the opportunity to gain the same education and join the ranks of the Awakened. We would alter the educational system, so that apprenticeship could always begin when students are young and flexible, able to more easily make the leaps between Goetia, Theurgia, and Magia. Languages are also easier for the young. Every town would possess schools capable of beginning the path of the Art. Some might never make it past Goetia, and others past Theurgia, and even those who achieve Magia rarely reach the highest heights, but the opportunity would be there for those with the ability to take it. Education would be free, though it would convey with it various responsibilities expected of the student. I can speculate only loosely on what governmental structures would be like, for our houses govern themselves in different ways. Typically, those of higher rank rule, but the specific ruler is chosen by a vote among the lower ranks. Thus, the wise rule, but they are checked by those below to avoid them becoming tyrannical. That sounds pretty vague. The current system of Hermetic governance is suited to govern only a few thousand people in total, many of them unawakened. I recognize that serious changes would have to be made to govern a world of billions of people. My own imagining would be a form of democracy in which the masses would elect their rulers from among those who had achieved a sufficient degree of education to serve at a given level of government. To take the United States, for example, one might need to have achieved the ninth degree to serve as President, the eighth degree to serve as a Supreme Court judge or Senator (or as Governor of a state), the seventh degree to enter the House of Representatives or a state legislature, the sixth degree to serve on the governing board of a county, and so on. This is, of course, a highly speculative model, and I'm sure a lot of work would need to be done. But what if a person isn't interested in studying their ass off? They wouldn't have any political power. Do you really want people who don't know anything running the government? Is that how you do things now? Would you elect a surf bum as governor? We elected Ronald Reagan president, and he wasn't highly educated. I rest my case. It just seems awfully elitist. Do you want stupid people to rule the world? Well, no. So what's wrong with it? What if a person has skills not measurable in academic terms? Or what if they have a speech impediment so they can't pronounce Enochian correctly? And even if someone is stupid, don't people have the right to govern themselves? Would you hire your car mechanic to teach you calculus? Government requires wisdom and education, for it is a complex and difficult thing. How does learning to throw fireballs outfit you to work on the National Debt? Touche. I am not saying that achieving the Ninth Degree would make you president of the United States. However, to achieve a given degree requires a level of maturity and wisdom that can fit you to many different kinds of tasks. Those who have not achieved that level may not be fit for certain duties. Those who created the United States Constitution recognized this, which is why they put an age limit on how young those who hold such offices as the President could be. Obviously, the voters in an enlightened society would not elect someone like Magister Mundi John Storm bani Flambeau President when his main talents are setting things on fire on a vast scale. One would hope they would choose someone who knows how to run a government and has served in lower offices to gain useful experience. However, your current form of democracy doesn't actually guarantee that the person put in charge knows anything about government whatsoever. Zachary Taylor, who had never held office in his life but was a successful general, was elected president in a time of peace, and never quite figured out what to do with himself as a result. At least our way would guarantee maturity, if not necessarily expertise in governing. The current way doesn't guarantee either. Just look at the pro wrestler running one of your states. Hrm. I'm not quite satisfied with that, but we could argue politics all day, so I'll move on. What about science and technology? Would I have to trade in my TV and phone for a crystal ball in the City of Pymander? Unlike the primitives of the Verbena and Dreamspeakers, the Order of Hermes does not reject technology, for we do not reject Reason. Reason is a useful tool, if it is not made an object of worship and the only means of solving a problem. It is, however, just one tool of many for comprehending the Universe. House Thig has incorporated technology and science into the Hermetic Paradigm. Their computers are powered by bound electrical spirits, their motherboards are laid out according to patterns determined by gematria, and every key on the keyboard denotes one of the runes of Enochian. I expect the Virtual Adepts will one day be folded into House Thig when the time comes for our Traditions to join with each other. I myself keep many of my records on a computer traded to me by a member of House Thig in return for a map showing the location of Irem, City of Pillars. It talks, runs Windows, Macintosh, and Unix programs, and I have yet to get a General Protection Fault. Many other hermetics study chemistry, biology, or physics. You would be able to keep your computer, television, and the like...at least until we replaced them with something better. I expect the pace of specifically scientific research would slow, for the pursuit of Noesis is far more fascinating, but since some find Noesis through science, it would not cease entirely. Well, we're running out of time, so how about if you tell us about how the Order views the other Traditions and your enemies? The Technocracy, we must shamefully admit, emerged in part from our own ranks. House Ex Miscellanea spawned the Craftmasons, and both that house and Verditius gave birth to some of the groups which joined to form the Artificers. Many others within the infant Order of Reason were disgruntled Hermetics who took our belief in Reason with them, but then took it to extremes. They had good reason to be disgruntled, for the Order had sunk into corruption. We reformed ourselves once this became apparent, but by then it was too late. The Technocracy have taken Reason too far. By exalting it as the highest value, they deny the ability of humans to grow spiritually, to transform themselves and not just the universe. They are trapped in scientific Goetia, unable to ascend because they believe the power of their tools is greater than their own power. Humanity will never ascend, never grow under their guidance. And a creature which cannot grow begins to die. As a result, they are our enemies, and our war with them is often fought to the hilt. Still, at heart we hope they will see the errors of their ways and turn aside from the blind worship of Reason. If they did, we would be happy to accept four new Houses for the order (The NWO serves only purposes already covered by the extant houses and administrative structures of the Order). Unfortunately, I suspect they will fight to the death, in which case they will have to be destroyed. The Marauders are simply lunatics. Destroy them before they can savage reality to tiny bits. The Nephandi are much worse. They seek to infiltrate and corrupt us, to turn the Great Work to base lead. If one contacts you, capture him and turn him over to the Order so that we can find his lair and destroy it. They are base elements in the alchemical composition of creation, which must be purged in order for Ascension to take place. I must again regretfully admit that our relationship with the other Traditions has often not been the best that might be hoped. We both feel a sense of affinity with our fellow rationalist mages, the Virtual Adepts and the Sons of Ether, and an inherited distaste for them due to their former connection to the Technocracy. While our philosophies often clash, and they are far too isolationist, hiding in their temples while the world crumbles, we do respect the Akashic Brotherhood, despite past quarrels. They master themselves, and that is an act worthy of respect. The same applies to the Euthanatos: we respect their knowledge and skill, though we often do not the see the value of how they choose to apply it. On the other hand, we lack much respect for the two most childish and immature of the Traditions: the Verbena and the Cult of Ecstasy. Both wallow in pointless carnality and self-indulgence. Teenagers will Ascend from marathon sessions of Hexen before they do. What a waste. Still, the Verbena do have some reason to dislike us, for they remember the pointless massacre of House Deidne. For that, I apologize, though I will point out that one of the Houses responsible has left the Order, betraying humanity to become Vampires: House Tremere. Perhaps if we destroy them, there can be some reconciliation between the Verbena and us. Our bitterest arguments come with the Dreamspeakers and the Celestial Chorus. Both falsely see us as immoral because we do not grovel before the Thrones, Dominions, and Powers of the world, chosing to master them instead. We are tired of their sermons and complaints. Can they not understand that we also seek to improve the world, but simply chose to be its masters instead of some spirit being's slave? Their knowledge of the Umbra and Umbrood is vast, but I often fear we will never possess it. In conclusion, I offer you the vision of the City of Pymander, a city of wisdom built upon the Hermetic paradigm, a system which can encompass many different visions and methods, for there are many ways to forge a soul. We seek to build a world governed by merit earned through education that builds wisdom as well as teaching methods to solve problems. Our way is arduous, but it is the best path to Ascension for all. Will you join us in the Great Work?