Splitting of the Self

CW: Self-Harm

The Splitting of the Self is a ritual practiced by the Two-Faced Cult of Janus, with the intention of balancing the self to either help one transition into their true self that they had been neglecting, or to balance the other half of oneself which had been hidden.

The Transition of the Ego

The Splitting of the Self requires only two major ingredients. First, one must have the Split Dagger of Janus, two blades joined together at the center by one hilt. This tool is required for ease of the ritual and for the task that one must undergo for it to be completed.
Few truly are able to obtain the specific dagger that was blessed by Janus himself for this, so instead they make false versions, though if one truly waits, Janus or a Priest of Janus may appear and bring the dagger to those who desire and require it.
The only other thing one needs to perform the ritual is themselves.

Janus by Jarhed

With these ingredients, the ritual may be completed. If one has a desire to undergo any form of transition or self-acceptance, or even simply to increase ones faith in Janus or show ones devout belief in the God, then they will take the following steps.

The Ritual

The ritual must happen in the range of a door, for Janus is both God of Transitions and Doors. This door is said to be "The Door of Opportunity" to represent hope for the future for when, not if, the ritual goes well.
One then takes the dagger, cutting themselves down the center of their body into two halves with a thin dividing line. The first blade of the Split Dagger makes the initial incision, the second finishes the cut down the rest of the body.
Then, one fills the cut with holy oils and prays to Janus in front of the door. They may only open the door when they feel their life fading.
Waiting on the other side will be themselves. This is, of course, metaphorical, as the self does not appear in the doorway, but in the body of the one who does the ritual. They may only do so once the door is opened.
This version of the self that appears is one that has been neglected. Be it a part of oneself that they have not wanted to acknowledge, something they are afraid of about themselves, or a part of themselves that they have been forced to hide by society or the people around them.

Entropy by genuinetrickster

This other part of them speaks to the dominant part, eventually even taking limited control until the person can learn that this, as well as who they were before, is who they truly are, and then finding either balance between the two or fully embracing this other half. Then, they have transitioned into a full being. A full follower of Janus.

Gender Transitions

As God of Transitions, Janus blesses those who identify as transgender, with his most famous Head Priest being Entropy, a Devil who used this ritual to transition into a man.
The way it works is simple. Once one has reconciled with the way they once identified, and has fully accepted themselves and how they wish to be, after the ritual is completed, Janus will grant that person his blessing, helping their body to change into the way that makes them most comfortable, whether that be a man, a woman, or any other gender identity that suits them.
Of course, while the process is magical, it is not painless. To achieve the life one wants, it is true that one must inevitably suffer small pains. Scars are left over, not always from the ritual itself, but often showing where Janus's magic took effects. The parts of the body that underwent transition.
For it is said that in these cases that those scars are the sign of the part of the person that was left behind. In a transition, something does not just change from one to another, and one does not leave behind the years they had lived. It is a reminder of the acceptance of themselves that the ritual required.
An acceptance of who they are now and a rejection, though also an understanding, of who they once were.