Any thoughts on 5 starting spells, 1 from each category?

Lightning Bolt, Mind Probe, Heal, Improved Invisibility, and Levitate.

Heh, 1st 3 matched what I thought.
I thought for 4 was TRID PHANTASM, 5th Magic Fingers.
Your response has given me something to compare and contrast.
Thank you

I second this. No mage/shaman should leave home without Improved invisibility and Heal, at least. They help you survive the run for learning more spells

A lot of this depends on the table and the game world they're playing in. Stealthier groups are going to prefer different spells than a splashier, more violent group.

Heal is a must. Levitate is a near-must.

Many players prefer an AoE damage spell because they're harder to dodge, but of course they have higher drain and introduce the risk of friendly fire.

Petrify, as written, is very powerful and one of the best way to one-shot a target non-lethally.

If you have a strong face, Physical Mask can be gold for impersonation and social insertions, or hiding in plain sight. Similarly, Trid Phantasm is another way to avoid situations before they even begin, or concealing a group with a single spell.

Detect Enemies can keep you out of a lot of trouble, including ambushes and maneuvering around enemies before they are even in sight.

I like Magic Fingers because I think it's sneaky and promotes clever gameplay. I don't select Mind Probe (on Control Thoughts/Actions) because it draws a very strong social and legal backlash in my games.

Area debuffs, like Opium Den, can also be very powerful for crowd control. With a handful of net hits you can remove a lot of lower-Willpower combatants from a fight all at once.

Picking five is tough, but if I had to:
1) Ball Lightning
2) Heal
3) Levitate
4) Trid Phantasm
5) Detect Enemies, Extended

Depending on where your group draws the line between "clever" and "cheese", Physical Barrier can also have nearly limitless applications