Advice on Machaka appreciated

[tinkthank]

Thanks much!!
One more question:
I think part of my failures is that I do not understand the magic paths very well -- nature and fire and death combos I mean...
What spells do you like to research when-ish?
What schools are generally good bets (besides construction and evocation)?
I am a big thaumaturgy fan, but since Machaka has NO astral, I don't really know what to do.
How do you guys dispel? How do you get those neato ++path boosting items (rings of sorc, staffs of elemental mastery) without air or astral? I like the idea of a Virtue for air, but cant see me getting an Air and Astral pretender (which one??)....

Uh, sorry, main question here: Magic. Which spells, which paths?
Thanks much!