Practicing Wizard Oberon Zell-Ravenheart talked about elements of magic and wisdom, as well as real and mythical creatures. In his recent book A Wizard's Bestiary, he catalogues a variety of critters and creatures. The legendary sea monsters known as the Kraken have a modern corollary in the giant squid, he detailed, while the story of the mythical Cyclops (a giant with one eye) might have become embedded in lore after someone misidentified the skull of a mastodon.
Wizardry typically involves helping others, employing both magic and wisdom, as opposed to sorcery which has a more negative, selfish connotation, Zell explained. A number of 20th century figures could be thought of as wizards, including Buckminster Fuller, Jack Parsons and Nikola Tesla, while Hitler and Manuel Noriega could be viewed as sorcerers, he commented.
The wizard's staff, often as tall as the wizard, can be used to direct energy, said Zell, who noted that his techniques include psychokinesis and healing. His Grey School of Wizardry offers extensive online coursework.