when a mage channels a spirit, the channeler retains access to his own skills, but does he retain the spirits skills? and if so which is used if they both have the skill?

The combined entity retains access to his own skills and when both spirit and conjurer share a skill the highest rating of the two counts (skills are not cumulative and since the channeling vessel can only use one or the other at a time there is no Teamwork either).

If you do anything based off the spirit's powers or skills you use a service.

according to the text of possession the vessel uses the powers and skills of the spirit.
according to the text on channeling, it says that the mage retains fine motor controll and can use his own skills. Nowhere does it say implicitly or explicitly that the vessel no longer can use those skills without a service.

To use your own skills, you must interrupt the spirit's control of your body and the spirit's ability to use its own skills - this interruption ends whatever service it was in the process of performing. You need to use a new service, and not use any of your own skills or abilities in the interim, if you want the spirit to use it's own powers or skills again.

I fail to see why this is so hard to understand. Channeling lets you control your own body, use your own skills, cast spells and use summoning skills...but only at the price of terminating whatever the spirit was doing with your body at the time, if anything. If you want the spirit to perform a service, whether using its skills or powers, you use a service and sit quietly in the backseat until it's done.

The only passive abilities you get while you're in control of your body and not using services are Attribute boosts and Immunity to Normal Weapons. Use of the spirit's skills directly (without using a service and having the spirit perform the skill based activity directly) is not a passive benefit of possession or channeling.

[QUOTE] you must interrupt the spirit's control of your body and the spirit's ability to use its own skills [/QUOTE]
in the description of channeling it doesn't say that you interupt the spirits control of your body, but rather that you and the spirit find a more balanced state.
[/QUOTE]but only at the price of terminating whatever the spirit was doing with your body at the time, if anything.[/QUOTE]
where does it say that? It doesn't say that if you're having the spirit maintain concealment on you for example and then cast a spell that you then have to order teh spirit to conceal you again.
[QUOTE]The only passive abilities you get while you're in control of your body and not using services are Attribute boosts and Immunity to Normal Weapons. Use of the spirit's skills directly (without using a service and having the spirit perform the skill based activity directly) is not a passive benefit of possession or channeling[/QUOTE]
again, the raw doesn't state that you only get the passive boosts. In fact, under the description of possession it says you get the skills and under the description of channeling it says nothing about using services to access anything but the powers.

Fool, I am using secret forces known as "common sense" and "logic." It doesn't say it anywhere. It simply follows once you apply the aformentioned.