Disclaimer: The following document fragment is presented from an in-character perspective, it should not be taken as the truth of the setting.
Context: This week we indulge in some self reflection from the mages of the setting, considerations about the place and nature of mage-kind. In this first expert, the author muses about the way mages interact with the mundane world, due to the self-obfuscating nature of magic.
The road to magedom is an arduous path. Today, even more than in past eras, magic is pursued in a fashion most similar to mundane science, requiring the same kind of discipline and scrutiny as any non-metaphysical field. In these times, we see the most significant differences between the vulgar magus and the savant magus. At the same time, we find it necessary to incorporate help from outside our insular group, and thus a demi-magus or a norma also find a place within our society.
It is no secret and should be no surprise to anyone that power and meticulously accumulated knowledge go hand in hand within our ranks. Thus, the savant magi hold the highest positions of power and have the most political sway. Especially true in the case of the old lineages, some of which trace back to the founding of the Secretum. Even the initiates among this group hold considerable power through their mentors, inherited wealth, or contracts passed down from master to student.
On the other hand, the vulgar magi are not as numerous today as they used to be. With proper access to education, the knowledge needed to advance and develop one’s abilities is accessible for anyone. With such abundant access to metaphysical literature, the ranks of the vulgar magi dwindled, most choosing to integrate with the savant magi society as upstart members, perhaps even seeking to start their own lineage. What remains are mages either too problematic or too misguided to join the ranks of the Secretum (or, sporadically, one of the other global magi societies). Seekers and practitioners of forbidden and dangerous arts, conspiracy theorists, and the mentally unstable fill their ranks. They are people who openly refuse the help and support offered by the Secretum and, in some cases, exist as direct enemies to our grand machinations.
The modern era also brought a change in how we see the demi-magi. In times past, they were considered failures among us magi and ostracised by the norma for what they could see. Today they find shelter among us and solace in understanding why they see the world differently, even if they cannot affect it in the same way we do. We have found a place for them as well, operating on the boundary between our world and the world of the norma, acting in areas and positions ill-suited for savant magi, who need to dedicate their time to research. They can interact with us and our great works without fear of terminal cognitive dissonance striking them, understand our work and our place in the world.
This is unlike the norma that live among us — not just outside of our societies but within them, serving us, providing much-needed work in fields that do not require any magical aptitude. We do not need to hide them; their very nature protects them from grasping the truth of our existence. All we must do is to protect them from our innermost sanctums and libraries, as they would surely spell their doom.
Thus we live surrounded by others. Both those that are like us and those who sight is occluded. We must always remember that our allies and enemies number on both sides.
Esoteric Musings... 