A Primer on Magic: The Passive Arts – Ritualization

This is the 2nd part of a 3 part series that aims to describe and expand on the magic of enchanting, rituals, and inscriptions (scroll-making).

Part 1: A Primer on Magic: The Passive Arts – Enchanting

[An excerpt from a textbook that introduces novice mages to the fundamentals of magic found in the College of Winterhold]

####II. The Passive Arts

When most aspiring mages envision the word “magic”, they think of a battlemage slinging great fireballs to dispatch their foes. However, that is not all that magic is and has to offer, and the power of the passive arts is just as considerable. While not quite as direct and flashy as destruction magic, the arts of enchanting, ritualization, and inscription are equally valuable when used in conjunction with spells.

#####Ritualization

A Ritual is used to enact magical processes using a metaphoric physical representation, usually involving a ritual circle, symbolic ritual items known as offerings, and incantations. While the words ritual and offering often carry religious or Daedric connotations, a ritual in magic does not necessarily involve the gods.

The first step of any ritual is to designate a ritual area. For nearly all rituals, the ritual area should ideally be a flat surface. However, some rituals require specific surfaces for the ritual area to be demarcated on, like soil or stone or marble.

The size of a ritual area affects the magnitude of the ritual and the time it needs to be completed. Therefore, the larger a ritual area, the better. However, a balance of practicality and potency needs to be struck. A ritual area that spans the entire width of the College is theoretically possible and would produce spectacular results, but is impractical because the labor, resources, and time required to prepare such a ritual is simply unrealistic. Not to mention the challenge of finding a piece of land that is flat enough and large enough.

The second step is to demarcate a ritual circle within a ritual area. It can be demarcated manually or magically, if one follows the specifications of a ritual or has committed them to their memory. There are also scrolls that demarcate a circle for one, but they are usually pricey and are only capable of demarcating a relatively small area.

Each ritual circle begins with a basic circle that encompasses all other parts of the ritual circle and any accompanying inscriptions. Within a basic circle, a primary demarcation generally determines the function of a ritual and is usually one of three shapes: circular, triangular, or square.

A circular primary demarcation indicates that the ritual is one of summoning, whether it be spirits or Daedra. A triangular one indicates a ritual of alteration, in which one or more objects are transformed or destroyed. A square one indicates a ritual of containment or protection, where something is either trapped or shielded.

Depending on the ritual, a ritual circle is marked on a surface using chalk or charcoal, etched into a soft surface like soil or sand, engraved into stone, or dripped onto a surface using a liquid. The color of the demarcations also has different implications and properties specific to a ritual.

Besides the ritual area and circle, a third factor that needs to be considered is offerings. Again, what offerings are involved in a ritual depends heavily on the specifications of it. However, offerings are usually substitutions and symbols in rituals of summoning, inputs and outputs in rituals of alteration, or power sources and holy artifacts in rituals of containment and protection.

For example, in a ritual of summoning with the goal of summoning a spirit from their grave to aid an investigation, offerings that are of note to the spirit in life can be used to compel them to emerge from their slumber, such as a few of their favorite possessions. The opposite approach can be taken as well, where one presents their most hated and or feared objects to instill fright into the spirit, although, as can be expected, they will likely be much less co-operative.

An example of a ritual of alteration is, in fact, the enchanting process, albeit a rather complex one. Enchanting involves an item and knowledge of an enchantment as inputs with a soul gem as a power source. The enchantment altar is in fact a small pre-made ritual area and circle. The result of the ritual is a combination of the item and enchantment.

And in an example of a ritual of containment where the objective is to imprison a Daedroth, one or more enchanted items known as binding stones are used to enhance the strength of the ward. The heart of a Daedra can also be used for symbolic power and psychological deterrent. Holy artifacts serve the purpose better, but are usually not used as they are generally valuable and rare.

The fourth step in performing a ritual is usually to recite an incantation. The wording of an incantation is different for every ritual, but usually follows the general structure and rhythm of song and poetry to be easily memorized. Although some of it is in fact just theatrics and to set the timbre of the ritual, the main purpose of an incantation is to initialize and confirm that the user is ready and willing to perform a ritual, and secondly, links the ritual circle, the offerings, and the words of the incantation together.

Once an incantation is recited, the ritual begins to be performed. At this point, any other actions that are performed while the ritual is underway should be specified by the ritual, and it is not unusual for the ritual circle to be illuminated by the coursing of magicka. A faint smell reminiscent of rainfall can sometimes be noted.

Myriad other factors determine a ritual’s purpose, such as the cardinal directions, the time of day, the time of year, the location it is performed, and too many others to transcribe in a single volume, each specific to a different ritual. Mages past who had the foresight and dedication to even standardize some of the procedures should receive commendation and gratitude.

Edit: Grammar and spelling.