Introduction
Extract taken from “Introduction to thaumaturgy theory and practice (2nd ed.)” by Dr Jon Strange (Dunwich College Publications, 1998)

“It is often said that mathematics is the language scientists use to describe the Universe. How is it that mathematics can change the Universe? Can words that describe an object, make that very same object change or move? No matter how much one can describe a car with words, those words won’t make that car move faster, or change into a rock.

But what about poetry? The words of poems can move the hearts of men and women into action. By using the correct words, you can persuade people to do almost anything: see a friend as an enemy, buy clearly defective goods at ridiculously high prices or attract the adoration of thousands. Artists, writers, poets and musicians have all known for years that through sounds, words, gesture and music, a person’s mind can be changed, influenced and actions brought about.

Mathematics phrased correctly will let you persuade the Universe to do almost anything and render effects that seem magical to the general public (and even a good number of scientists). But then, so do appropriately wired circuits, arcane rituals and cabalistic symbols. How do these work?

It is the fact that these effects take place only when in the presence of a human observer, that is the key to magical effects taking place. Circuits that produce spell like effects when left to run without the presence of a human observer do not work. Our understanding of quantum mechanics helps to explain this “observer effect”. A spell only works when mediated through a human observer – in effect, the observer's mind helps to select the probability wave function associated with the outcome. By thinking in a certain manner and with the appropriate apparatus magical effects can be readily obtained on demand.

Unfortunately once a mind has been attuned to be able to produce these magical effects, it is very easy for someone to accidentally produce undesirable and potentially catastrophic effects. That is why in general it is Departmental policy to confine spell casting to strictly limited effects through the use of “Black Box” devices (e.g. Special Department issue Palm PDAs with programs loaded to produce limited spell effects).”


How does spell casting work?
Extract taken from “Introduction to thaumaturgy theory and practice (2nd ed.)” by Dr Jon Strange (Dunwich College Publications, 1998)

“Put simply, casting a spell is like completing a circuit.

Many of the effects produced by spells simply break the Laws of Thermodynamics by apparently conjuring energy out of thin air. In fact this energy does not derive from our local environment, but is in fact drawn from another Universe. This alternate Universe (or universes, we’re not exactly sure at this time whether all magic draws its energy from the same Universe or different ones for each individual caster) is our battery or power source in our circuit.

The other parts of the circuit are the spell components, such as the correct mental state of the caster, the summoning apparatus and the physical alignment of the apparatus, caster and the target with respect to the local environment.

The most important of these components is the caster. It is the caster that acts as the switch that channels this energy from the other universe into our reality. Without the caster to act as an observer to direct the energy, nothing would happen.”


Hazards encountered in spell casting.
Extract taken from “Thaumaturgy and conjuration: a handbook (4th ed.)” by Gil Norrell (Invisible College Press, 1995)

“It is in fact possible to channel huge amounts of energy, such as to generate a blast of coherent light energy (or laser beam) sufficient to kill an adult human as produced by a Hand of Glory unconventional weapon system. To destroy houses and to level cities however requires the intervention of beings that inhabit these alternate Universes.

Unfortunately it is all too easy for spell casters to attract the attention of these beings, especially the larger and more dangerous ones. They will either attempt to coerce or persuade the caster into allowing it to enter our reality. It will attempt persuasion if it can establish communication and is insufficiently powerful to force its way through, or if it is just powerful enough it will break through into our reality by usually subverting the caster through possession, or by creating minions or servitor creatures.

Our crytozoologists are still trying to catalogue the myriad forms encountered from these other realms. However it is thought the most dangerous of these entities that have almost god like powers (see notes on codenames: AZATHOTH, CTHULHU, HASTUR, NYARLARTHOHOTEP, SHUB-NIGGURATH, YOG-SOTHOTH, et al) are sentient universe-forms. Many of their servitor creatures are made by the intersection our Universe and themselves. It is through their servitor creatures that these god scale entities interact with our Universe to enact their will - usually the assimilation of our universe into theirs.

The most well understood family of entities that have been studied and are used regularly to enforce geases and to enforce discipline in the Department are the Daemons. These are often conjured up and directed to produce spell effects which casters are unable to produce themselves in exchange for a small sacrifice of bio-matter (blood, hair, mice, etc). Dealing with such entities are fraught with difficulties and should be referred to the Legal Section first before being undertaken by inexperienced casters due to the alien mindset of these creatures.”