Astral rituals

Table of Contents

Introduction to astral rituals

Written by Louis Nayer at the Dark Lord's request.

So you want to participate in your first astral ritual and don't know what to expect?
Here is a handy checklist so that you don't embarrass yourself and cause a runaway ritual that will kill everyone in a 10 km radius!

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Pick up a date and ritual type

The movement of the stars influences the flow of magic on the planet, making it surge or wane, stir or calm. Practicing a ritual during an astral event is an excellent way to make use of these effects as well as of the associated symbolism, and this will result in a ritual that is more powerful, precise, or long-lasting. But to do so, you have to correctly pick which astral movements you are going to combine with which ritual. Here are the most common associations:

Transition

Solstices, equinoxes, new year, sunrise & sunset... Mostly astral events centered around the sun & our relationship to it.
Uses
Rituals requiring symbolic transition, e.g. weddings, good luck, fertility of the land or body, calling for rain or other seasonal changes...

Alignments

All combinations of astral alignments between the 3 moons, the sun & the planets.
Uses

Rare alignments fix magic in the long-term.

The great power surge can power intensive rituals.

Alignment-specific symbolisms, e.g. eclipses & hiding.

Lunar cycles

Full moons, new moons, or other specific moon phases of any of the 3 moons—bonus point if the 3 of them are synchronised.
Uses
Strengthening & weakening rituals, e.g. rising your magical reserve before a duel, strengthening physical abilities, weakening a disease, cursing a rival...

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Preparation

Adequate preparation is not optional if you want a chance at your ritual being successful!

Food
Don't for 24 hours

Drink
Don't for 2 hours

Magic
Minimise for 24 hours

Read
The instructions in advance

Purify
From foreign magic

Clothes
Special ritual fabric

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During the ritual

And finally, the so-awaited moment arrives! Your very first ritual! But don't let the excitation get to your head or you will cause a disaster—and if the messed up ritual doesn't kill you, your ritual leader certainly will!
Here are the most basic instructions to follow at all costs:

Don't disturb the ingredient or runic diagram tracing—Disturb the flow of the magic will make it run out of control.
Don't even move from your post on the ground—This will mess up your alignment with the magic.
Don't speak out of turn—This is going to distract your ritual leader and get you all killed.
Don't be greedy and refuse to contribute your magic—don't let others do all the work!
Follow exactly the instruction of the leader of the ritual—remember that improvisation kills!
Enjoy the surge of magic going through you—Ritual magic is incomparable to any other sensation.
Have a found thought for all the Light mages hating this "evil magic"—Spite always makes everything nicer.
Reap the benefits.

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