Authentic Thaumaturgy

Note: this concerns the 2005 edition of the work.
Written by professional occultist Isaac Bonewits Authentic Thaumaturgy shows players how create "realistic" magical systems for roleplaying games ie magic systems based on how magic is thought to work in the real world.
It is not part of the GURPS system but has many ideas that can be applied to any RPG.
==The "Laws" of Magic==
While the work presents 26 "laws" of magic, "the Laws of Magic are not legislative laws but, like those of physics or of musical harmony, are practical observations that have been accumulating over the course of thousands of years, with remarkable similarity in almost every known human culture. Those of you who prefer to remain skeptical as to the reality of psychic phenomena and the systems of magic developed to control them will at least find these Laws an interesting and detailed guide to what psychologists and anthropologists so patronizingly refer to as “magical thinking.”"
===The Laws Themselves===
Law of 	Essence 	Keywords
Knowledge 	Understanding brings control; the more that is known about a subject, the easier it is to exercise control over it 	“Knowledge is power.”
Self-Knowledge 	The most important kind of magical knowledge is about oneself; familiarity with one’s own strengths and weaknesses is vital to success as a magician 	“Know thyself.”
Cause & Effect 	If exactly the same actions are done under exactly the same conditions, they will usually be associated with exactly the same “results;” similar strings of events produce similar outcomes. 	“Control every variable and you control every change – lotsa luck!”
Synchronicity 	Two or more events happening at the same time are likely to have more associations in common than the merely temporal; very few events ever really happen in isolation from nearby events 	“Coincidence is seldom mere.”
Association 	If any two or more patterns have elements in common, the patterns interact “through” those common elements, and control of one pattern facilitates control over the other(s), depending (among other factors) upon the number, type and duration of common elements involved.	“Commonality controls.”
Similarity 	Effects are liable to have an outward physical or mental “appearance” similar to their causes. 	“Look-alikes are alike.”
Contagion 	Objects or beings in physical or psychic contact with each other continue to interact after separation. 	the magic equivalent of quantum entanglement.
Positive Attraction	Like attracts like; to create a particular reality you must put out energy of a similar sort. 	“That which is sent, returns.”
Negative Attraction	Like attracts unlike; energy and actions often attract their “opposites.” 	“Opposites attract.”
Names 	Knowing the complete and true name of an object, being or process gives one complete control over it. 	“What’s in a name? – Everything!”
Words of Power 	Certain words can change the very fabric of reality. The power of such words can be in their sound as well as their meanings. 	“A word to the wise is sufficient.”
Personification 	Any phenomenon may be considered to be alive and to have a personality, that is, to “be” an entity or being, and may be effectively dealt with thusly. 	“Anything can be a person.”
Invocation 	It is possible to establish internal communication with entities from either inside or outside of oneself, said entities seeming to be inside of oneself during the communication process. 	“Beings within . . .”
Evocation 	It is possible to establish external communication with entities from either inside or outside of oneself, said entities seeming to be outside of oneself during the communication process. 	“. . . Beings without.”
Identification 	It is possible through maximum association between the elements of oneself and those of another being to actually become that being to the point of sharing its knowledge and wielding its power 	“You can become another.”
Infinite Data 	The number of phenomena to be known is infinite; one will never run out of things to learn 	“There’s always something new.”
Finite Senses 	Every sense mechanism of every entity is limited by both range and type of data perceived. 	Every sense of every being is limited.
Personal Universes 	Every sentient being lives in and quite possibly creates a unique universe which can never be 100% identical to that lived in by another. 	“You live in your cosmos and I’ll live in mine.”
Infinite Universes 	The total number of universes into which all possible combinations of existing phenomena could be organized is infinite. 	“All things are possible, though some are more probable than others.”
Pragmatism 	If a pattern of belief or behavior enables a being to survive and to accomplish chosen goals, than that belief or behavior is “true” or “real” or “sensible” on whatever levels of reality are involved 	“If it works, it’s true.”
True Falsehoods 	It’s possible for a concept or act to violate the truth patterns of a given universe (including an individual’s or group’s part of a consensus reality) and yet to still be “true,” provided that it “works” in a specific context 	“If it’s a paradox it’s probably true.”
Synthesis 	The synthesis of two or more “opposing” patterns of data will produce a new pattern that will be “truer” than either of the first ones were, that is, it will be applicable to more realities (or “levels of reality”). 	the total is greater then the sum of its parts.
Polarity 	Any pattern of data can be split into (at least) two patterns with “opposing” characteristics, and each will contain the essence of the other within itself. 	The essence of yin and yang; “Everything contains its opposite.”
Dynamic Balance 	To survive, let alone to become powerful, one must keep every aspect of one’s universe(s) in a state of dynamic balance with every other one; extremism is dangerous on both the personal and the evolutionary levels of reality. 	Maintain yin and yang in equilibrium.
Perversity 	Murphy's Law 	Murphy's Law
Unity 	Every phenomenon in existence is linked directly or indirectly to every other one, past, present or future; perceived separations between phenomena are based on incomplete sensing and/or thinking. 	“All is One.”
*GURPS Thaumatology by contrast uses a mixture of both fantasy and "realistic" magic.
*Just Like Magic (2/18/2000): Ritual Psionics in GURPS
==Note==
There are variants that are related to some of these Laws:
* Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood has The Law of Equivalent Exchange where to create something another something of "equal value" must be used. This roughly equates to The Law of Positive Attraction above.
==Additional Information==
*Thaumatology (The Arcana Wiki)
*Marcus Cordey's Magical Theory and Tradition
*Homebrew laws
Category:Books
Category:Thaumatology
Category:2005
Category:1998