Diagram
A ritual diagram or magic circle (not to be confused with "circle" used as a synonym for coven<ref>This wasn’t just Laird pulling something with people looking in. He was involving them. A coven -a circle-, getting involved. - excerpt from Breach 3.3</ref><ref>“You have a familiar, and a cabal,” Conquest observed.
“I prefer ‘circle’ to ‘cabal’.”
“Your concerns matter little to me. You are a diabolist, few would deny that. The diabolist’s circle is traditionally called a cabal.” - Excerpt from Subordination 6.4</ref>) is a geometric pattern drawn out as part of a magic ritual.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">“Something geometric. There are two schools of thought in binding. There is like binding like, and then there’s binding with the antithesis. The former requires more raw power, but you generally won’t upset them so much. I say generally, but some beings like conflict, and there are any number of other rules.”
It was kind of eerie, to see that the driver had personality. Even to the point of geeking out about something. I said, “I think I saw something about that in the Barber’s entry, in my grandmother’s books.”
“I read that. Yes. Good memory. It’s easier to bind them with something that naturally opposes them. In this case, you’d want something geometric and man-wrought to oppose beings that are more disordered and natural by their intrinsic natures. Which is most things out there. The more powerful they are, the more you’ll want and need in terms of protections.”
[...]
I set to drawing out a border around the edge of the apartment. Turning the apartment into a magic circle, or a magic rectangle, whatever. - Excerpt from Collateral 4.1</ref>
Symbolic Function[edit]
A circular diagram is preferred because it's inherently balanced, rather than "tilting" toward any one part of the diagram and accidentally making that the focus of the ritual.<ref name=":0">“Explain what you’re doing?” Verona asked. She sat on her heels, wincing and bringing her hand to her lower stomach as she did so, looking at the lines. “This is a magic circle?”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve drawn any diagrams,” Matthew said. “It might help to think of this as a stage. If you don’t spread things out evenly, it’s imbalanced, the stage tilts.”
“We were told, uh, one person shouldn’t do all the shopping,” Avery said. She had her hands in the pockets of her track pants. “Or bring all the things. Same idea?”
“Similar idea.”
“What happens if the stage tilts?” Verona asked.
“I… that’s complicated, and might not have a singular answer,” Matthew said, as he drew out a circle. “I could see a situation where the spirits look to one person in your group as the spokesperson or leader. One person ends up holding the cards or having more power, while the others are supporters. In the very worst case, the other two practitioners could be suppliers of energy or power for the primary figure. I wouldn’t worry, we’re well past that and into safe territory.” - Excerpt from Lost for Words 1.2</ref> A circle, even a simple one, can also act as a symbolic border for Binding or shielding something from outside connections; although the simpler and weaker the diagram, the easier it will be to break through.<ref>Subordination 6.4</ref><ref>Void 7.1</ref> Most types of Other have their natural, chaotic natures opposed by geometric shapes, making them useful for binding or repelling them.<ref name=":1" />
Complex Diagrams[edit]
Heraldic Diagrams[edit]
Heraldic diagrams are employed primary in Item Crafting, and employ decorative borders, repeating patterns, and bold colours, sometimes in expensive and permanent materials. Tend to be simple and stable. They require enough power to activate that it's difficult to do accidentally.<ref name=":2">4.10 Bonus: Spell Notes #3</ref><ref name=":5">The lines at the edges were heraldic fortification. Embattled. The symbols and patterns that looked like they belonged on an old shield or flag were Heraldric practice, suggesting enchantment. - excerpt from Playing a Part 15.8</ref>
Examples of heraldic devices include:
- Embattled border - a thick, repeating border like a castle battlement. Much firmer border than usual; the default border in heraldic diagrams.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5" />
- Raguly line - repeated lines projecting at a jagged angle from the primary line. Implies hazard and danger to the spirits. Can be used to designate an area as hostile, or for defences that are dangerous to push against.<ref name=":2" /> This includes Binding of Cursed Items.<ref>“I did learn this,” Verona said. She held up her notebook, then showed Lucy. It was a triangle, with each of the three lines marked out with five thick diagonal lines. It was set within a circle and it looked like the circle was meant to provide a foundation for some support struts, as Lucy liked to think of it. Because triangles were weak.
“What is it?” Matthew asked.
“Heraldric or heraldic design. I meant to wooble search the word. It should be okay for minor cursed items, if the Gilded Lily has some.” - excerpt from Back Away 5.1</ref>
- Palissade line - similar to an embattled border, but pointier. Sacrifices defense in favour of making the diagram better at penetrating, such as imbuing an effect deep into an object or breaking through defences.<ref name=":2" />
Heraldic techniques are employed in the rituals to create an Alcazar<ref>“Standard Alcazar? Regimented square?” [...] The serrated square border was the center of a diagram that got compass points marked out around it; long thin triangles with lines down the center sticking out of each side, smaller, filled-in triangles sticking out of the corners. Then notation, a circle to enclose it, a sun, moon, and star circle each with a ‘comet tail’, like they were shooting outward from the diagram, as celestial expressions for physical space, expanding.
After that, it was ten more minutes of adding small details. - Excerpt from Cutting Class 6.6</ref> and Escape Ropes.<ref name=":3">The circle was four fifths done, and the final fifth had been erased by ongoing remodeling. It also looked like there was a void on the inside, where something was yet to be written. [...]
It was an argumentative diagram, calling out to outside forces. The number 12 was emphasized in roman numerals, the number, and written out at three different points. Then around the border, there were letters, a phrase yet unfinished in what was supposed to be a connecting circle, two blanks. Short one or two letter blank, PETHEH, blank, DMANSR, then the first blank again. There was no sun, moon, or stars, there were no coordinates, nothing to suggest there was a specific outer power, and the contents of the circle were vaguely key shaped, with symbols around the edges.
Key made sense if the plan was to escape. Then the three symbols. One like an open umbrella, but with three lines extending sideways to the blank spot. One with four lines in parallel, one ending in a squiggle, one in a zig-zag, one in a hook. One with an elongated rectangle, the space filled in. There was meant to be something at the side of that rectangle, but it was mostly erased- only two lines stuck out at an angle. [...]
What the hell were you doing?
The lines at the edges were heraldic fortification. Embattled. The symbols and patterns that looked like they belonged on an old shield or flag were Heraldric practice, suggesting enchantment. Was she trying to give herself and Verona an effect? Calling out to a generalized force of twelve to imbue them with something, with this as the set location?
This had to be Path practice stuff, from the Garricks. The argument, the gap, the vagueness.
No. This wasn’t for them.
Verona looked back to the base of the damaged chimney.
Ropes.
She placed them in the blank spot.
This was a ritual to quickly create escape ropes. - excerpt from Playing a Part 15.8</ref>
Argumentative Diagrams[edit]
Diagrams employing large, complex, specific symbols.<ref name=":2" /> Used in calling to outside forces, as in Divine magic or Finder rituals. Often include sun, moon, and stars runes to provide coordinates.<ref name=":3" />
Examples include the diagram to summon Freak and Squeak<ref>Summer Break 13.9</ref>, to create Escape Ropes,<ref name=":3" /> to summon Wrongdoer Ratko,<ref>“Ratko the Wrongdoer who evades sight and Sight. Check,” Verona replied. “You’re prepped?”
“Geared, and I’ve got the notes, summoning details. Circle is drawn. Argumentative practice, binding focused. It helps that they used the same style of binding for a lot of Lost, means we can unlock the binding in the same sort of way.” - excerpt from Playing a Part 15.5</ref> and the "tears" diagram to enter the Ruins.<ref name=":2" />
Celestial Diagrams[edit]
Listed alongside Healdic and Argumentative approaches as a kind of complex diagram.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4" />
Can involve literally celestial elements, such as sun, moon, stars, and zodiac signs.<ref name=":4">“Basic shamanism, elementalism, and simple actions. If you wanted to knock a door down or set someone on fire, this would do. From here, we can branch out…”
He hit the button again. The diagram divided into three. The top one looked like it was built into a diagram of sun, moon, and stars, with zodiac signs littering the area around it. The bottom left one had a circle with a hieroglyph-like bird set within it, and writing in something like latin around the rim. The bottom right one had a wave-like motif, and a symbol in the middle that looked like the decoration on the point of a fancy crown.
“Into other, complex types. You’ll learn these approaches after. We call them the celestial, argumentative, and heraldic approaches, but that won’t be on the test. You can use any you want, but one type is probably best for your purposes, and if you want to do something very specific and very big, then you may find something like the standard diagram is unnecessarily complex, compared to going out and learning another type of diagram.” - excerpt from Leaving a Mark 4.6</ref> Sometimes involves the usage of Sun, Moon, and Stars runes for coordinates, and may require light from the literal astronomical bodies as part of that.<ref>The sun, moon, and stars were often coordinates for diagrams and rituals. That got into celestial practices and the more intricate timings, processes, and programming language type stuff that went into the really advanced magic circles. The coordinates would let a diagram point to a very specific time, place, and effect, for summoning specific, dangerous things, or referencing other realities. [...]
The orrey felt like a diagram in brass, wire, and mirrors. A central fixture absorbed the light from above, that light was refracted down. The goal wasn’t to give coordinates to something predetermined. The goal was to set the coordinates.
To actually take this place that Thea was building and put it on the map. The fact that the orrey could ‘see’ the real noontime sun, nighttime moon and stars mattered. Later, it would let other practices use celestial runes and settings to target the world. Thea could hitch other practices to it or build doors. - excerpt from Playing a Part 15.8</ref>
May simply refer to diagrams which employ the more complex and self-referential Runes - the Sun/Moon/Stars coordinate system, the Imperative and Referential astrological symbols, and possibly Degrees of Emphasis.
Appearances[edit]
- Awakening ritual
- Chronomancy rituals
- Barbatorem's binding
- Blake's binding of Laird & his familiar, Void 7.1
References[edit]
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