Growth Of A Star

The Growth Of A Star is a coming-of-age ritual that young followers of Starism partake in when they reach the age of sixteen. It's celebrated by the families of those who are ready for the ritual, generally three weeks after the birthday of the celebrated. The celebrated, known henceforth as a 'Star' amongst the sect they belong to, will be completely ready to learn the more esoteric parts of Starism, including the vast expanse of magical knowledge that the religion can teach.

History

The ritual, originally named the 'Starist Transcendence Ritual', began shortly after Starism formed due to a desire by the believers in Starism to feel more connected to the beings of Blackstar. As such, thanks to several of the leading practitioners of Starism and their efforts in looking through various ancient Artifacts, they devised the ritual as a spiritual means of connecting themselves to the Holy Stars and the Final Star.

Execution

Before the ritual can begin, the one whom the celebration is for; known as the celebrated, has to prepare. They are to craft a design that contains a black star; of which will be placed on their back and merged onto their skin. It acts as a symbol of their beliefs and their worship of Starism; one that they will carry until their body gives out. Alongside this, they are to be given ritual garbs to wear during the ritual.

by Joshua Edwards

Upon one week remaining, the celebrated is to meditate for a week; only stopping to eat or drink water. This brings them into a clear state of mind for the ritual. Once the day comes, the celebrated and their family will go to the church that they will hold the ritual at. Once they arrive, the celebrated is to provide an offering of their choosing; depending on which of the seven Holy Stars they worship. Once the offering is made, the leaders of the church they attend shall give the celebrated a certain amount of Mana, enough that their bodies can take so that they don't suffer from Mana Overexposure Disorder.
Finally, once that is done, the celebrated will have the design that they crafted magically form onto their back, it's form similar to that of a full-back tattoo. Once they are marked, they are officially seen as a 'Star' amongst their people, and will be able to begin training to learn the various types of magic that their church can offer. For the rest of the day, meanwhile, the family and those who are attending at the church will be allowed to celebrate however they wish.