- magical tradition Merit as a Yantra that can be used if properly implemented.
- Magical Components (Chronicler's Guide page 45) with different components and Yantras
- Magical Styles from Mage Chronicler's Guide pag115
- Yantras for Paths Corespondent table - Chronicler's page 152
- Coorespondence table at the beginning of Tome of the Watchtowers
This discussion made me realize now what I think that Magical Traditions book tried to convey, but could not in the end - That by it's own definition Tradition = "Historical" Style + Supernal Secrets - that Awakened Kabbalah or Cago Cults have their own distinctive Magical Style ( and by it's Symbols and Yantras ) but also their Supernal Secrets that made appearance in unusual Rotes or some "magic hacks" the Tradition sum up - you know, SECRET Knowledge. In gnostic game that Mage is.
As pointing above, Yantra system gives us half of equation and Legacies cannot work for all the character that could studies Tradition - like mine Voodoo example points out. Or that Awakened Kabbalists could be easily Obrimos, Mastigos or even Moros, each with different take on Supernal Secrets subject.
In the end, I want Magical Traditions to be Style and Mysteries ( on Supernal Secrets in them ) to dwell into. Yantras give me half of answer. I think that "Supernal Secrets" Merits for Tradition practitioners could be way for the second half of them in 2ED with tandem on specific Obsessions for Tradition members.
I'll respond to this first though.
Making Yantra necessary is absolutely something I've done. Along with making path Yantra tertiary. Which is to say, they are used to enhance a Mage's Legacy Yantra, but do not stand alone. (ex. A Moros Celestial Master cannot use a lead coin as a Yantra, but would get extra dice if he made his sextants from lead and used a telescope belonging to a long dead astrologer). That covers a solid 75% of style. For the other 25% I've been juggling the concept of Symbolic Laws, rules that certain styles follow that both enhance and weaken spells (ex. Going back to the fae pactmaker, he gains additional Reach for duration by binding his magic with oaths, but, like runes, if the oath is broken the spell shatters).
Once could probably parlay that into something similar to what wyrdhamster is after. Merit which modify Yantra and provide and edge to casting when the Mage fully embraces the intricacies of the sleeper tradition
Other tactics: Regardless of requirements for yantras, some other modifications would reinforce the underlying themes.
All Yantra must fit the spell; any present that do not fit apply a penalty: This would cut down on combinations that clash and so make no sense to any real mystic, yet permit an eclectic approach.
To gain a Yantra bonus, (or penalty) you must believe that symbol is intrinsic/important to the spell: This makes knowledge important but less than belief. That weighs the scales towards traditions, even though it permits both. This wouldn't need to be Ascension's paradigm trappings, either. The Yantras themselves could simply grow more pure and generally applicable as you grow in Arcana knowledge. The result being not that you need to gain Gnosis to discard these tools, since a mage can always do so, but rather a higher gnosis magus can use more details about the world to build their spells strong, and the set that they use would keep growing more potent.
(Now, add a requirement to use Yantras to this, and you get much closer to Ascension, but as the symbolism grows more general, the mage can start to need fewer and fewer tools to get the full benefits of Yantras. (so it's quite different, all the same) Following that logic, though, you could have each arcanum level have a "Key Rune" that can be invoked in one of a few ways to get each of the practices. At Mastery, a single rune could be invoked to get the effects of any practice below, making the requirement much easier to fulfill.)
Yantras only apply if you have a detailed understanding of why they should: This means a deep knowledge, and some could even be on the list of Order secrets. Traditions tend to explain why they believe things are so, so this would emphasize that process, even while not requiring such a tradition. The adjustment to this would be the required depth of understanding. Paths and Arcana (and even Gnosis) should aid in figuring this sort of stuff out.
Yantras only apply if they are supernally correct: This option means that some symbols cannot work, no matter how good a fit the symbolism has to the desired effect. This woiuld mean that traditions frequently teach yantras that only work conditionally or not at all. A mage who uses occult symbolism from DnD or anime might well find no benefit, or could find one or two that actually work well. One ancient tradition could be chock full of symbols, or be completely wrong. Therein lies the danger: be careful what you deem useless.
Merit: Magical Tradition (••)
Prerequisite: Occult 2, plus other Prerequisites based on the specific Tradition (described below).
Effects (Mortals): A mortal initiated into the secrets of a Magical Tradition gains a number of benefits, as denoted below:
Resonance: Places where mortals have performed the rites of their magical tradition can actually alter the Resonance of those places. Individuals who participate in these rituals, items used in the rituals and the places where they are held more readily reveal themselves to fellow practitioners of that magical tradition. Divinations, aura perception and similar effects simply work more effectively when performed on such targets by someone who also practices that tradition: Instant checks gain a +2 bonus to the roll, while the Target Number on Extended checks is reduced by 2. Mortals with the appropriate Magical Tradition Merit using Thaumaturge Merits may reduce any penalties to their ritual roll by 2 as well.
Sleepwalking: Mortals who possess the Magical Tradition Merit are considered Sleepwalkers for the purpose of witnessing the casting of Tradition Rotes by Awakened magicians. Mortals with this Merit may also purchase the full Sleepwalker Merit by paying 14 XP (rather than the normal 20 XP).
Unseen Sense: Mortals who possess the Magical Tradition Merit are considered to have the Unseen Sense Merit, but only for the purpose of being aware of magics of their tradition. Mortals with this Merit may also purchase the full Unseen Sense Merit for Magic by paying 6 XP (rather than the normal 12 XP).
Effects (Awakened): A mage initiated into the secrets of a Magical Tradition gains access to a number of benefits, as denoted below:
Tradition Rotes: Some rotes are designated as Tradition rotes, steeped in the magical symbolism of a mortal magical tradition. Such rotes may be cast in one of two fashions: as a normal Awakened rote, or as a Tradition rote. Any magician may use the rote as a normal rote. Casting a rote as a Tradition rote requires that the caster adhere to certain limitations, requiring the use of certain foci, casting it in a given environment or at a certain time, or while speaking a given language. Failure to cast the rote with these limitations in place does not prevent the magician from using the spell - it simply functions as a normal rote, with none of the benefits listed below.
"Tradition Skills:" Tradition Rotes are always encoded in one of the Tradition Skills of the Magical Tradition he follows.
"Sleeper Acceptance:" When the Storyteller is checking for a Paradox for a vulgar spellcasting, he does not add the +2 dice bonus for Sleeper witnesses.
"Conditional Duration:" Tradition rotes benefit from the Fate 2 "Conditional Duration" modifier (see Mage: the Awakening, p.150), whether or not the mage knows Fate 2.
"Spell Tolerance Mitigation:" The first Traditional spell cast on an individual does not count towards that target's Spell Tolerance.
Resonance: The Tradition magics of an Awakened practitioner can alter the Resonance of a target, as described above.
Ritual Leader: An Awakened mage with this Merit may gain a benefit from having mortals with the Traditional Adept Merit (see below) aid him in the ritual casting of Traditional Rotes.
[edit]Merit: Traditional Adept (• — •••••)
Prerequisite: Mortal, Magical Tradition Merit, Occult rating equal to Merit rating
Effects: A mortal initiated into the secrets of Magical Traditions can also learn the Tradition Rotes of that Tradition. Such an initiate may spend the normal XP to purchase a Tradition Rote, just as a Mage can (though no Arcanum in the rote may be rated higher than his rating in this Merit). Though he cannot touch the Supernal Realms at all, he can aid the Awakened who can, helping them to anchor that power that is drawn down. When the Awakened magician casts a Tradition Rote as an Extended spellcasting, he may allow a mortal character with this Merit to assist him. The mortal must spend a point of Willpower to assist in such a fashion. His successes are added as dice to the ritual leader's spell, as with a normal Teamwork effort.
Many such occultists believe that their own performances of those rotes have some kind of power. Anytime the mortal performs that rote ritually, taking at least one hour to do so, he regains a point of Willpower. If he scores an Exceptional Success, he regains two Willpower.
[edit]Advanced Magical Tradition Merits
The basics of practicing a magical tradition are expressed through the Magical Tradition Merit itself. The following Merits reflect an increased immersion in the magical tradition, learning to find the deep Supernal understanding reflected in the secrets of those traditions, and to perform feats of magic that less-enlightened magicians cannot. Each of these Merits is rated at least three dots; to purchase them, however, the mage's player need only spend 6 XP, effectively increasing the rating of the base Magical Tradition Merit, rather than purchasing a whole new Merit. These Merits increase in a similar fashion to the Fighting Style Merits, requiring the purchase of lower levels before higher ones may be gained.
Appalachian Granny Magic: A back-woods style of hedge magic found mostly in the rural eastern and southern United States, Appalachian granny magic seems to be a syncretic outgrowth of the folk magics that came with the Pennsylvania Dutch, the Scottish who settled the Appalachian Mountains and Native American beliefs.
British Cunningfolk: X
Hermetic Magics: Inheritors of the high ritual magic of Hermes Trismegistus, hermetic magic is one leg of the tripod upon which the Western Occult Tradition is built. Hermetic adepts focus on planetary magics, alchemy and the summoning of spirits - elemental, demonic, angelic and planetary - in order to perform the Great Work.
Hoodoo: X
Kabbalah: The second leg of the Western Occult Tradition, Kabbalism originated in Jewish rabbinical mysticism, practiced by only the most learned of Jewish scholars. Over time, however, the philosophies of Kabbalism found their way into general western occultism, albeit in a different form from that practiced by Jewish mystics.
Spiritualism: Popular during the Victorian Era, and drawing on a number of esoteric traditions, the core premise of spiritualism was that the spirits of the beloved dead hovered near those who remembered them fondest, and those with the proper sensitivities and open mind could perhaps commune with them, either listening for their speech, acting as a channel for them or even imploring them to manifest openly.
Taoist Sorcery: An ancient system of occult practice, Taoist sorcery rose through the sublimation of folk magics with the principles and philosophies of taoism. These syncretic secrets, which incorporate high ritual, interaction with a bureaucracy of spirits, the practice of martial arts and the channeling of elemental qi, mixed to form a tradition of magic well-revered for the miracles it produced.
Templar Mysteries: At one point, they were given unlimited power by the Church in return for their discoveries and sacrifices in the Holy Land. Within a few generations, they were declared anathema by the Holy See, but their great treasure was never found. Many occult societies have claimed to carry on their legacy: the Masons, the Rosicrucians and more. Delving into the ethos of sacrifice at the heart of Christian theurgy, adherents of Templar magics are well-versed in battling the most wicked things: both in the world at large, and in their midst.
Witchcraft: A primal, Mystery-based tradition of magic, witchcraft looks to the natural world's cycles - the spinning of the earth around the sun, of the moon around the earth - for its most potent symbols. Witchcraft's central ethods - that divinity is immanent, to be found within Earth, Men and Women, rather than in some distant Heaven - taps into an ethos of personal power over the elements of the world.
[edit]Partially Complete
Brujeria: Mexican and South American witchcraft. Though it includes aspects of healing, it is also concerned with cursing, love magic and dealing with wicked spirits. Brujeria long ago rebelliously embraced demonic and Satanic symbolism, more as a spit in the eye of the Catholic Church than any genuine belief in the devil.
Curanderia: Mexican and South American spiritual healing and protection against evil magics and spirits. Highly syncretized with Catholic ritual and symbolism.
Druidry: Modern practice inspired by and reconstructed from what is known of old Celtic druidic practices, based in the understanding of the natural world and its philosophies, as well as the role of the mystic as a keeper of cultural lore, law and identity.
Entheogen Cults: Often referred to as "shamanic practices," these are the primal belief systems which depend on the use of entheogenic plants: hallucinogens which tend to grant visions of a prophetic or spiritual nature. Untamed and often very frightening, these practices teach their adherents to find the other layers of reality both within and beyond themselves.
Umthakathi: A South African tradition of potion-mixing and dealing with familiar spirits, practitioners (called tagati) are renowned for their skill in creating medicines for their clients. Most of all, though, it is known that when their most powerful magics come into play, they are brought in by animals who represent the spirits at work.
Voudoun: The reverence of the lwa, patron spirits of African slaves brought to the Caribbeans, voudoun is an ecstatic practice that managed to hide itself within trappings of Roman Catholicism while retaining its essential practices over generations. Voudoun is practiced in Haiti, Jamaica, and other Caribbean areas, as well as in the South - particularly where Creole culture predominates, such as in New Orleans.
[edit]Incomplete
Feng Shui: Chinese geomancy, focused on assisting in the channeling of negative chi away from a given locale, and the drawing of positive chi towards it.
Santeria: A primal practice involving the veneration of the orishas of West Africa, merged with Roman Catholicism, Santeria developed as an amalgamation of these two cultures, in the crucible of slavery in Cuba. Today, its priests and priestesses practice potent magics. It is most common in the Caribbean, Mexico and the southern United States, particularly Florida.
Theosophy: The teachings of Madame Blavatsky, theosophy embraces the search for the Great Truth, seeking the kernels of wisdom that lie scattered throughout the world's transcendent traditions. A mixture of Victorian British dabbling in occultism, eugenics and philosophy, with a touch of exotic India and Tibet to lend it perceived occult legitimacy.
The format for the Traditions is as follows:
Name of the Tradition
Prerequisites: This lists the full prerequisites, in addition to Occult 2, necessary for the purchase of the Magical Tradition Merit for this tradition.
Tradition Skills: This list of five Skills denotes the Skills that all Tradition rotes are encoded in.
Origins: A quick paragraph or two relating to the origins of the magical tradition.
Praxis: The tradition's internal understanding of how its magic works.
Correspondences: A listing of the sorts of foci, symbols, environments and times relevant to the practice of the tradition's magic, and often found encoded in its Tradition Rotes.
Higher Mysteries: The additional secrets that come with deeper immersion into this magical tradition, gained by purchasing higher levels of the Magical Tradition.
This discussion made me realize now what I think that Magical Traditions book tried to convey, but could not in the end - That by it's own definition Tradition = "Historical" Style + Supernal Secrets - that Awakened Kabbalah or Cago Cults have their own distinctive Magical Style ( and by it's Symbols and Yantras ) but also their Supernal Secrets that made appearance in unusual Rotes or some "magic hacks" the Tradition sum up - you know, SECRET Knowledge. In gnostic game that Mage is.
As pointing above, Yantra system gives us half of equation and Legacies cannot work for all the character that could studies Tradition - like mine Voodoo example points out. Or that Awakened Kabbalists could be easily Obrimos, Mastigos or even Moros, each with different take on Supernal Secrets subject.
In the end, I want Magical Traditions to be Style and Mysteries ( on Supernal Secrets in them ) to dwell into. Yantras give me half of answer. I think that "Supernal Secrets" Merits for Tradition practitioners could be way for the second half of them in 2ED with tandem on specific Obsessions for Tradition members.
I'll respond to this first though.
Making Yantra necessary is absolutely something I've done. Along with making path Yantra tertiary. Which is to say, they are used to enhance a Mage's Legacy Yantra, but do not stand alone. (ex. A Moros Celestial Master cannot use a lead coin as a Yantra, but would get extra dice if he made his sextants from lead and used a telescope belonging to a long dead astrologer). That covers a solid 75% of style. For the other 25% I've been juggling the concept of Symbolic Laws, rules that certain styles follow that both enhance and weaken spells (ex. Going back to the fae pactmaker, he gains additional Reach for duration by binding his magic with oaths, but, like runes, if the oath is broken the spell shatters).
Once could probably parlay that into something similar to what wyrdhamster is after. Merit which modify Yantra and provide and edge to casting when the Mage fully embraces the intricacies of the sleeper tradition
Other tactics: Regardless of requirements for yantras, some other modifications would reinforce the underlying themes.
All Yantra must fit the spell; any present that do not fit apply a penalty: This would cut down on combinations that clash and so make no sense to any real mystic, yet permit an eclectic approach.
To gain a Yantra bonus, (or penalty) you must believe that symbol is intrinsic/important to the spell: This makes knowledge important but less than belief. That weighs the scales towards traditions, even though it permits both. This wouldn't need to be Ascension's paradigm trappings, either. The Yantras themselves could simply grow more pure and generally applicable as you grow in Arcana knowledge. The result being not that you need to gain Gnosis to discard these tools, since a mage can always do so, but rather a higher gnosis magus can use more details about the world to build their spells strong, and the set that they use would keep growing more potent.
(Now, add a requirement to use Yantras to this, and you get much closer to Ascension, but as the symbolism grows more general, the mage can start to need fewer and fewer tools to get the full benefits of Yantras. (so it's quite different, all the same) Following that logic, though, you could have each arcanum level have a "Key Rune" that can be invoked in one of a few ways to get each of the practices. At Mastery, a single rune could be invoked to get the effects of any practice below, making the requirement much easier to fulfill.)
Yantras only apply if you have a detailed understanding of why they should: This means a deep knowledge, and some could even be on the list of Order secrets. Traditions tend to explain why they believe things are so, so this would emphasize that process, even while not requiring such a tradition. The adjustment to this would be the required depth of understanding. Paths and Arcana (and even Gnosis) should aid in figuring this sort of stuff out.
Yantras only apply if they are supernally correct: This option means that some symbols cannot work, no matter how good a fit the symbolism has to the desired effect. This woiuld mean that traditions frequently teach yantras that only work conditionally or not at all. A mage who uses occult symbolism from DnD or anime might well find no benefit, or could find one or two that actually work well. One ancient tradition could be chock full of symbols, or be completely wrong. Therein lies the danger: be careful what you deem useless.
Merit: Magical Tradition (••)
Prerequisite: Occult 2, plus other Prerequisites based on the specific Tradition (described below).
Effects (Mortals): A mortal initiated into the secrets of a Magical Tradition gains a number of benefits, as denoted below:
Resonance: Places where mortals have performed the rites of their magical tradition can actually alter the Resonance of those places. Individuals who participate in these rituals, items used in the rituals and the places where they are held more readily reveal themselves to fellow practitioners of that magical tradition. Divinations, aura perception and similar effects simply work more effectively when performed on such targets by someone who also practices that tradition: Instant checks gain a +2 bonus to the roll, while the Target Number on Extended checks is reduced by 2. Mortals with the appropriate Magical Tradition Merit using Thaumaturge Merits may reduce any penalties to their ritual roll by 2 as well.
Sleepwalking: Mortals who possess the Magical Tradition Merit are considered Sleepwalkers for the purpose of witnessing the casting of Tradition Rotes by Awakened magicians. Mortals with this Merit may also purchase the full Sleepwalker Merit by paying 14 XP (rather than the normal 20 XP).
Unseen Sense: Mortals who possess the Magical Tradition Merit are considered to have the Unseen Sense Merit, but only for the purpose of being aware of magics of their tradition. Mortals with this Merit may also purchase the full Unseen Sense Merit for Magic by paying 6 XP (rather than the normal 12 XP).
Effects (Awakened): A mage initiated into the secrets of a Magical Tradition gains access to a number of benefits, as denoted below:
Tradition Rotes: Some rotes are designated as Tradition rotes, steeped in the magical symbolism of a mortal magical tradition. Such rotes may be cast in one of two fashions: as a normal Awakened rote, or as a Tradition rote. Any magician may use the rote as a normal rote. Casting a rote as a Tradition rote requires that the caster adhere to certain limitations, requiring the use of certain foci, casting it in a given environment or at a certain time, or while speaking a given language. Failure to cast the rote with these limitations in place does not prevent the magician from using the spell - it simply functions as a normal rote, with none of the benefits listed below.
"Tradition Skills:" Tradition Rotes are always encoded in one of the Tradition Skills of the Magical Tradition he follows.
"Sleeper Acceptance:" When the Storyteller is checking for a Paradox for a vulgar spellcasting, he does not add the +2 dice bonus for Sleeper witnesses.
"Conditional Duration:" Tradition rotes benefit from the Fate 2 "Conditional Duration" modifier (see Mage: the Awakening, p.150), whether or not the mage knows Fate 2.
"Spell Tolerance Mitigation:" The first Traditional spell cast on an individual does not count towards that target's Spell Tolerance.
Resonance: The Tradition magics of an Awakened practitioner can alter the Resonance of a target, as described above.
Ritual Leader: An Awakened mage with this Merit may gain a benefit from having mortals with the Traditional Adept Merit (see below) aid him in the ritual casting of Traditional Rotes.
[edit]Merit: Traditional Adept (• — •••••)
Prerequisite: Mortal, Magical Tradition Merit, Occult rating equal to Merit rating
Effects: A mortal initiated into the secrets of Magical Traditions can also learn the Tradition Rotes of that Tradition. Such an initiate may spend the normal XP to purchase a Tradition Rote, just as a Mage can (though no Arcanum in the rote may be rated higher than his rating in this Merit). Though he cannot touch the Supernal Realms at all, he can aid the Awakened who can, helping them to anchor that power that is drawn down. When the Awakened magician casts a Tradition Rote as an Extended spellcasting, he may allow a mortal character with this Merit to assist him. The mortal must spend a point of Willpower to assist in such a fashion. His successes are added as dice to the ritual leader's spell, as with a normal Teamwork effort.
Many such occultists believe that their own performances of those rotes have some kind of power. Anytime the mortal performs that rote ritually, taking at least one hour to do so, he regains a point of Willpower. If he scores an Exceptional Success, he regains two Willpower.
[edit]Advanced Magical Tradition Merits
The basics of practicing a magical tradition are expressed through the Magical Tradition Merit itself. The following Merits reflect an increased immersion in the magical tradition, learning to find the deep Supernal understanding reflected in the secrets of those traditions, and to perform feats of magic that less-enlightened magicians cannot. Each of these Merits is rated at least three dots; to purchase them, however, the mage's player need only spend 6 XP, effectively increasing the rating of the base Magical Tradition Merit, rather than purchasing a whole new Merit. These Merits increase in a similar fashion to the Fighting Style Merits, requiring the purchase of lower levels before higher ones may be gained.
Appalachian Granny Magic: A back-woods style of hedge magic found mostly in the rural eastern and southern United States, Appalachian granny magic seems to be a syncretic outgrowth of the folk magics that came with the Pennsylvania Dutch, the Scottish who settled the Appalachian Mountains and Native American beliefs.
British Cunningfolk: X
Hermetic Magics: Inheritors of the high ritual magic of Hermes Trismegistus, hermetic magic is one leg of the tripod upon which the Western Occult Tradition is built. Hermetic adepts focus on planetary magics, alchemy and the summoning of spirits - elemental, demonic, angelic and planetary - in order to perform the Great Work.
Hoodoo: X
Kabbalah: The second leg of the Western Occult Tradition, Kabbalism originated in Jewish rabbinical mysticism, practiced by only the most learned of Jewish scholars. Over time, however, the philosophies of Kabbalism found their way into general western occultism, albeit in a different form from that practiced by Jewish mystics.
Spiritualism: Popular during the Victorian Era, and drawing on a number of esoteric traditions, the core premise of spiritualism was that the spirits of the beloved dead hovered near those who remembered them fondest, and those with the proper sensitivities and open mind could perhaps commune with them, either listening for their speech, acting as a channel for them or even imploring them to manifest openly.
Taoist Sorcery: An ancient system of occult practice, Taoist sorcery rose through the sublimation of folk magics with the principles and philosophies of taoism. These syncretic secrets, which incorporate high ritual, interaction with a bureaucracy of spirits, the practice of martial arts and the channeling of elemental qi, mixed to form a tradition of magic well-revered for the miracles it produced.
Templar Mysteries: At one point, they were given unlimited power by the Church in return for their discoveries and sacrifices in the Holy Land. Within a few generations, they were declared anathema by the Holy See, but their great treasure was never found. Many occult societies have claimed to carry on their legacy: the Masons, the Rosicrucians and more. Delving into the ethos of sacrifice at the heart of Christian theurgy, adherents of Templar magics are well-versed in battling the most wicked things: both in the world at large, and in their midst.
Witchcraft: A primal, Mystery-based tradition of magic, witchcraft looks to the natural world's cycles - the spinning of the earth around the sun, of the moon around the earth - for its most potent symbols. Witchcraft's central ethods - that divinity is immanent, to be found within Earth, Men and Women, rather than in some distant Heaven - taps into an ethos of personal power over the elements of the world.
[edit]Partially Complete
Brujeria: Mexican and South American witchcraft. Though it includes aspects of healing, it is also concerned with cursing, love magic and dealing with wicked spirits. Brujeria long ago rebelliously embraced demonic and Satanic symbolism, more as a spit in the eye of the Catholic Church than any genuine belief in the devil.
Curanderia: Mexican and South American spiritual healing and protection against evil magics and spirits. Highly syncretized with Catholic ritual and symbolism.
Druidry: Modern practice inspired by and reconstructed from what is known of old Celtic druidic practices, based in the understanding of the natural world and its philosophies, as well as the role of the mystic as a keeper of cultural lore, law and identity.
Entheogen Cults: Often referred to as "shamanic practices," these are the primal belief systems which depend on the use of entheogenic plants: hallucinogens which tend to grant visions of a prophetic or spiritual nature. Untamed and often very frightening, these practices teach their adherents to find the other layers of reality both within and beyond themselves.
Umthakathi: A South African tradition of potion-mixing and dealing with familiar spirits, practitioners (called tagati) are renowned for their skill in creating medicines for their clients. Most of all, though, it is known that when their most powerful magics come into play, they are brought in by animals who represent the spirits at work.
Voudoun: The reverence of the lwa, patron spirits of African slaves brought to the Caribbeans, voudoun is an ecstatic practice that managed to hide itself within trappings of Roman Catholicism while retaining its essential practices over generations. Voudoun is practiced in Haiti, Jamaica, and other Caribbean areas, as well as in the South - particularly where Creole culture predominates, such as in New Orleans.
[edit]Incomplete
Feng Shui: Chinese geomancy, focused on assisting in the channeling of negative chi away from a given locale, and the drawing of positive chi towards it.
Santeria: A primal practice involving the veneration of the orishas of West Africa, merged with Roman Catholicism, Santeria developed as an amalgamation of these two cultures, in the crucible of slavery in Cuba. Today, its priests and priestesses practice potent magics. It is most common in the Caribbean, Mexico and the southern United States, particularly Florida.
Theosophy: The teachings of Madame Blavatsky, theosophy embraces the search for the Great Truth, seeking the kernels of wisdom that lie scattered throughout the world's transcendent traditions. A mixture of Victorian British dabbling in occultism, eugenics and philosophy, with a touch of exotic India and Tibet to lend it perceived occult legitimacy.
The format for the Traditions is as follows:
Name of the Tradition
Prerequisites: This lists the full prerequisites, in addition to Occult 2, necessary for the purchase of the Magical Tradition Merit for this tradition.
Tradition Skills: This list of five Skills denotes the Skills that all Tradition rotes are encoded in.
Origins: A quick paragraph or two relating to the origins of the magical tradition.
Praxis: The tradition's internal understanding of how its magic works.
Correspondences: A listing of the sorts of foci, symbols, environments and times relevant to the practice of the tradition's magic, and often found encoded in its Tradition Rotes.
Higher Mysteries: The additional secrets that come with deeper immersion into this magical tradition, gained by purchasing higher levels of the Magical Tradition.
No comments:
Post a Comment