"Magical Path to the Divine - The Mystic, Mediator between Magic and Titans" - Report by the Meridian magical researcher Ramon d'Ora, 5th century EC, "Origins of the "small and time-honoured" art called mysticism", quarto, index number VII-XXII of the Great Library of Merid
ON THE NATURE OF MYSTICISM
From the Book of the Wise Maharil, Merid State Archives, manuscript from the 3rd century EC:
"It is not only the priest who is granted the privilege of communicating with the so reviled higher beings. For first and foremost it is the path of magic that those very beings, whether Titan, Draco or Daimon, have progressed furthest. And since the child of man, if he is called by the forces of destiny to become a magus, is also allowed to follow this path of his own free will, he can, under the premise of a pure and virtuous life, work powers which are far removed from this new-fangled academic magic and which are reminiscent of the magical secrets truly concealed by the gods, the proto-magic of all. This new as they call it "scientific" magic with its spectacular effects cannot be compared with our path of mysticism, it cannot be emphasised often enough. The path of mysticism begins with small changes, first in the magus himself and then in his environment. With further progress on the path, however, the magus can, after intensive study, accomplish things that can actually show resultati profundi."
A travelling mystic
Mystics have no fixed hierarchies or strict religious communities. The only conclaves are a few monasteries and hermitages where there is often little contact between the inhabitants because the life of a hermit on the path of wisdom is a lonely one. The elderly often do not leave their cells in their barren caves or huts for years. The only people they have contact with during this time are young people who are looking for advice and meaning or are even blessed with the gift themselves and want to follow the path of the mystic. They usually go to a hermit for instruction for three years. There they are prepared for the actual task that lies ahead of them. After these three years, the mystic must throw himself into the forge of reality for one year and mould his divine core. In a further, precisely planned three-year ritual, the mystic gains the knowledge of his divine core that allows him to work magic. Not all students succeed at the first attempt, which of course means that they have to repeat the entire three years, and some never succeed. But those who succeed are denied a civil life from this point on. How can one feel the divine within oneself? So one of the secrets of the mystic's path is already hidden in the number of years of apprenticeship. For the number is seven and seven is the magus' key to weaving the threads.
The assumption that every mystic follows his own individual path, which is open only to him, is both wrong and right. But over the centuries, and one can confidently assume that mysticism is one of the oldest magical schools, as its core is divine, various philosophies have developed. The Meridian tradition of Philosophos, for example, goes back directly to mysticism. A whole canon of magical, theological and philosophical treatises has survived to this day, often initially passed on orally for a long time. The writings of the wise Maharil are regarded by historians, both secular and magical and even religious, as one of the main sources for this ancient philosophia magica.
There are certainly competing "ideas" within mysticism, as the mystic calls it (another parallel to the Philosophos). Three traditions can be observed here, which can also be found in all other forms of magical art. On the one hand, there are those who harmonise their inner god with the powers beyond man. These are called "white". They are often more of a medium to other forces because their will often seems to be subordinate to that of the higher powers. In contrast, those who place their own will above that of the higher beings and act autocratically and even want to impose their orders on Titans are called black. Strangely enough, the life expectancy of this secession is quite low. The others call them the "Black Brotherhood" and whoever joins them will forever be a slave to their desires, as Maharil writes.
The largest group, however, is the one that others call "grey". They bring themselves into harmony. And they know that in order to achieve harmony, struggle may also be necessary. They see themselves neither as masters nor as gods. The well-known stories, such as a mystic on a mountain who is involved in fierce discussions even with Titans, are more grey than black. For the true, the grey mystic knows his relationship with the divine beings. He is an equal among equals, while the black brotherhood among the mystics wants to rise above the order. The Grey may not be as powerful and vocal as the Titan or Draco, but he is blessed with a voice that gives him the right to be heard. And the higher beings often find it very interesting to talk to the grey ones. And that is meant literally. So today we assume that the founder of the modern Al Bah JiRa, Tanjidamani, was a mystic of the grey school whose good relationship with at least two Titans is attested.
