A Course of Magical Study, Volume Five
by Lidellia
The beginning magician spends only a day or two on the subject of manya – mainly because most magicians and sages consider the concept to be highly philosophical.
Manya is often defined as the ‘stability’ of the world. While magical learning teaches us that every ‘object’ is only a vibration of mana, manya is the force that holds objects to that vibration.
The concept is criticized because, for most magicians, it swiftly becomes evident that the only thing holding an object in its current state is the magician’s belief that the object is unchangeable. In fact, the first three magical concepts of Maya, Mana, and Numen are designed to break down that belief so that the magician can create otherwise impossible changes. It can thus be confusing when it is suggested that there is, indeed, something that holds object in stasis.
Two reasons are offered for presenting the concept of manya. First, there is powerful evidence that it does exist, especially when considering spells cast by very potent magicians. It is a well-known fact that the magical effects of an archmage are nearly impossible to change for a novice magician. While a normal apple could easily be changed into an orange by a novice magician, an apple that has been transformed by an archmage resists any further magical change. In effect, it becomes a ‘permanent’ orange until an archmage of greater power comes along. It is theorized that the latent ‘will’ of the archmage holds the object in its state. The ‘solid’ feel of an archmage-transformed object is also present in some natural objects – especially in large or dense objects.
According to the first three magical principles, it should be no more difficult to turn an apple into an orange than it would be to turn a mountain into a cherry. So why is the first task easily accomplished, while the second is considered impossible? The answer isn’t easy to come by, but at least the concept of manya gives us a name for the phenomenon.
The second reason that manya is taught is that many magicians find it easier to deal with ‘outside’ concepts rather than confront the reality that all of the world’s solidity lies within their own mind-state.
I spoke to a teacher of magic, whose name and province he asked me not to reveal. He gave this explanation for why manya is taught – an explanation which would offend many beginning students.
"Most magicians will only become minor practitioners – they only go so far as to understand that certain ‘tweaks’ of their mindstate will allow them to affect the outer world. The concept of manya is a boon to these students, for it allows them to see the barrier to spell casting as something external that they can confront. Holding to such an idea will allow them to more swiftly achieve the spell-casting mind-set. It’s for their own good. Of course, the reality of the world is that there is nothing holding it in form but our own perceptions, biases, and ideas – a truth that can make a person go mad. Invariably, highly talented magicians-in-training will see through manya’s veil and dispense with its illusion – manya is a tool for beginning magicians – nothing more."
When I questioned him as to why potent magicians’ changes were so ‘solid’, he simply said that "that’s a mystery", displaying for us just how controversial the concept of manya is.
Whatever the truth of manya is, it is presented to the student mostly in order to keep them educated in the ideas behind magical practice, and perhaps to give them something to debate about when it’s grown too late and the learning-texts have made them weary.
At this point the student of the arcane is ready to begin the practical side of their training – the actual casting of spells.