Signos

First of all, I’ve to say that my english isn’t very good. Almost pure self-taughting I guess… So by sure I’ll commit a lot of mistakes. Sorry about that.

Well, you’ll see, in terms of experience I’m pretty new in the roleplaying. I’d started with LOTR, and played only a few games more after that. And yes, I loved it from the first time.
Somedays after my first game, a guy, the one who had introduced me to this, provided me a CD with a lot of material about LOTR, and I found between all that a digitalized copy of something that I didn’t know what was exactly in that time…

Maybe was the conjuction of my state of mind on that time, the cenit of my adolescence and my ignorance. Maybe was just the need I had for believe on something, seek "other truths", I don’t know… You can call me a fool, but there was some point when I was reading that book when I truly think than that could be real. Was amazing…, I never felt so intrigued and thrilled in that way…
Even music that I discovered in that time has keeped on my mind totally ligated to that sensations, so had certain things that I’d writed down.

With time, even unknowing all the complexities of the storytelling art, I decided to direct a game, and even to create a chronicle.
It was a total failure…, the both of them, and I think that was that what marked the decadence of my interest.

Even thought that our capacity to be atonished and discover new things, [i]new worlds[/i] if you wish it, is one of those things that give sense to our lives, even thought, I never was totally resigned to loose all the feelings that came with those wonderful times.

…

I’m turning aside of what I wanted to say. Forgive me for this.

The thing is that I want to recover some of that inspiration. I have a chance to play for first time to Mage, and if there is something that I expect and want for this game is to view it with those eyes I had the first time.

Reading Tolkein’s books is what got me into fantasy as well…probably read them thru the first time when I was about 9 or so…

Mage is a beautiful game, and if you choose to immerse yourself in whatever concept you’re going for, you should have little problem getting quite a bit out of the experience.  However, I should warn you not to expect much of anything.  Expectations are dangerous things

For Mage in general, the most pertinent inspiration would be actual magical traditions…Chaos Magicians, Wiccans, Crowleyites, Houdini-style escape artists, illusionists, Hermeticists, Gnostic Spiritualists, all kinds of stuff.  Mage reflects the real world in some rather startling ways.

For the Traditions, go sit down and talk to someone who you consider a little away from the normal and simply ask them how they see things.  The world, life, the universe, etc.  What’s the point of it all?  Why do they exist, and what gives them life/purpose/cohesion?

For the Technocracy, go check out some good ol’ fashioned conspiracy theory websites, like maybed www.infowars.com or www.rense.com 
Also, they have their own website (not really, it’s a serious, but eerily similar non-profit group) www.technocracy.org

But I find my ultimate sources of inspiration in both every-day mundane things we take for granted, and more lofty expansions and stretchings of my own consciousness.  No need to rely on the four D’s (Dancing, Drumming, Drugs, Dreaming) if that’s not your style, why not try reading up on something you consider heretical, something arguing passionately for something you strongly disagree with.  Or pretend you’re a man in black for a day, keeping tabs on any reality deviants you might see, and completing a report for your superiors at the end of the day.  Try casting your own magic spell, IN REAL LIFE, using things that make sense to you.  Probe people with bizarre but thoughtful questions.  Go read a book on Crystallography!  Pretend you know Tai Chi and stand in relaxed but artful positions, moving fluidly from one random stance to another, feeling just totally awesome about yourself.

Inspiration = weirdness