Few books of magick will
tell you that the most important work a magus does is finding, creating, and
maintaining a circle of fellow magi. We call this the magus’ Emergent Tribe, or
just their tribe, and it is one of the cornerstones of Emergent Magick.
The benefits of having an
Emergent Tribe are numerous and pervasive. Even a well-practiced magus that has
a detailed and well developed paradigm benefits greatly from having the
perspective of others. Without it they have no way to know if their own magical
work has any connection to a greater consciousness.
A magus can build their
own tribe or find one that fits their needs. The choice depends mainly on an
individual magus’ skill in organizing and the availability of like-minded
individuals in their vicinity. Most magi end up traveling far and often to
gather with those of similar skills and goals. Even if you create your own
tribe, unless you are in a large metropolitan area, travel will probably be
necessary. If magick is a priority in your life you will find a way to get
there.
In fact, a magus should
have relative stability in their life and basic income. In traditional
Kabbalah, a practitioner had to be married, in their forties, and have their
own property before they could begin learning. There’s some wisdom to this, as
a magus with a means to support themselves have the resources, time, and
experience needed to be a contributing member of their tribe. No one’s saying
you need to be rich. In fact, some magi excel at living at the fringes. No
matter if you have a mansion in the city or a cabin in the woods, access to a
car and the ability to pay for a few tanks of gas every once in a while goes a
long way. A magus should at least be good enough at Operative Magick to pull
that off.
Emotional and social
stability must be achieved in advance as well. Bringing your own drama to a
tribe only distracts from doing the work of magick. Nothing breaks a tribe
quicker than those who always bring their problems with them. While your tribe
should be a means of physical and emotional support when necessary, it’s up to
the individual magus to give more than they receive.
The internet has made
finding a tribe easier than ever. Note, this does not mean you can join a
Facebook group or an internet forum and call it a tribe. The internet can only
help you find and facilitate the necessary face-to-face meetings. A good place to
start would be to look for a local neo-pagan or magick themed gathering near
you. Favor those that are communal and have participatory rituals over those
that just offer seminars and participants have individual accommodations. Many
festivals offer camping which should be taken advantage of. You want to get to
know perspective tribe members as well as possible before committing. Spending
a weekend in the elements and rough accommodations makes for the perfect test
of a person’s ability to live harmoniously with others.
The Order of Emergent Magi
participate in the Babalon Rising Festival (www.babalonrising.com) every June.
It serves as an excellent venue to find others interested in developing a
magick based tribe. The Starwood
Festival (www.starwoodfestival.com) near Athens, Ohio also provides a good
environment.