| People who are new to the art and science of | | | | True desire is what separates a person capable of |
| practicing magic are often surprised when they start | | | | becoming a powerful magician from a dilettante. True |
| doing magic rituals and discover that their lives get | | | | desire is also what allows a person access to magical |
| worse, not better, at least temporarily. Tires go flat on | | | | materials. The dilettantes always fall by the wayside, |
| their car, they get into fights with their spouse, or an | | | | sidetracked by inconvenient life events, long before we |
| unexpectedly large expense pops up. Then they | | | | get to the "really good stuff" in class. |
| wonder, "I'm a good person. Is this a warning from the | | | | Is the Inconvenience Factor a Form of Religious |
| universe that I shouldn't practice magic?" Nope, it's not. | | | | Warning or Vengeance? |
| I've seen it happen over and over again, and I have a | | | | This is a question that arises from time to time from |
| name for it: the inconvenience factor. | | | | students who have been raised with a strongly |
| Magic and the Inconvenience Factor | | | | religious background that discourages the practice of |
| Anyone who starts practicing magic will undoubtedly | | | | magic. When these students are confronted by minor |
| run into the inconvenience factor... it's a universal law. In | | | | fender-benders or other inconvenient life events, they |
| fact, it's the universe's way of protecting esoteric | | | | wonder whether these events are warnings from a |
| material, and of testing whether someone's desire to | | | | jealous god to stay away from magical practice. That |
| learn this material is truly genuine or just a momentary | | | | is, of course, one interpretation, and those who feel this |
| wish in passing. | | | | interpretation to be true should stay away from |
| Whenever we start a new Basic Magic course or | | | | magical practice. |
| in-depth teleconference course, we warn students that | | | | However, we have worked with hundreds of students |
| the inconvenience factor is bound to occur. This factor | | | | with this type of background who have successfully |
| tends to keep students from being able to attend class | | | | made it past the inconvenience factor with no further |
| on a regular basis, at least at first. When the class is a | | | | consequences. Life is as you believe it to be, and thus |
| teleconference course, the inconvenience factor turns | | | | if you believe in a jealous god who discourages |
| up in a number of ways. One student may try to call | | | | magical practice, the events of your life will bear out |
| into the teleconference only to get an "all circuits busy" | | | | this belief. On the other hand, if you believe the |
| signal. Another student may plan on using his cell phone | | | | universe is big enough to accommodate both magic |
| only to find that the battery has suddenly died. A third | | | | and religion, then you will find that you can practice |
| student may have printed out his homework materials | | | | magic in harmony with the practice of your religion. |
| in readiness for class, and then discover that he can't | | | | The Rules of the Road: Rules of Magical Practice |
| find them anywhere. | | | | Magic, like all arts and sciences, has its own set of |
| Serious students, having been warned about the | | | | rules. We follow the Rules of the Road, as put forth by |
| inconvenience factor, simply strive until they overcome | | | | Reverend George Dew of the Church of Seven |
| the "all circuits busy signal" or dead cell phone battery. | | | | Arrows. We find, by our experience and observation, |
| They may show up in class flustered and aggravated, | | | | that these rules are true, immutable, and quite freeing. |
| but they do show up through sheer perseverance. | | | | To read them, visit our website, listed in the Resource |
| This is the kind of effort the universe seeks to divide | | | | Box below. See if you agree with them based on your |
| those who truly want to learn magic from those who | | | | own experience with magic. |
| just want to win the lottery tomorrow. | | | | |