Inventing New Spells and the first Mage

[momothefiddler]

According to Magic p.15, inventing new spells requires a (highly expensive) magical laboratory with enchanted equipment. I can see how enchanted equipment would make this process easier, but I don't see how it makes sense for it to be required. Enchant requires 10 prerequisites, meaning this process was completed at least eleven times before it was even possible to obtain enchanted equipment. I suppose maybe the first enchanted tools were made by the Ancient Gods or something, but that seems a stretch. More specific to my current character, this means that:

A mage cannot learn magic without the assistance of another mage.

This can happen in a number of ways - the veteran can teach the beginner, write a book that the beginner reads several centuries later, or enchant tools that the beginner can use to invent spells, but he is required in some fashion.

I'm attempting to build a character that was born with Magery and has since been able to work out the basics of the science (as he approaches it) on his own. The costs are immense, but that seems a reasonable limitation. The fact that it's impossible without outside help, however, is jarring. Is there something I'm missing? What other possibilities are there to handle this sort of character?