Erisian Magic 101 - Part I
Erisian magic is an animistic, humanocentric, immanent, pantheistic religion with shamanistic, ritualistic, mythic, eclectic, ancestral, relational, ecstatic, and ecclesiastical magical practices.
Each word in this definition has a very definite meaning, as follows:
Animistic: (of the spirit) This means that Erisian magic is spirit-oriented. In the World of Darkness, this means that the realm of Spirit is the chief realm of Erisian Magic. Erisian magic can be explained in spirit-terms, using Spirit terms as defined in Mage and Werewolf: the Umbra (particularly the middle, or Life Umbra), Incarna, and spirit servitors. So, Erisian magic is a form of spirit magic.
Humanocentric: Erisian magic is chiefly about and for human beings. It is a religion that focuses on Ancestors, and the Ahsiro are themselves ancient Ancestors of a kind. This has repercussions for non-human people in the World of Darkness, as shall be explained later.
Immanent: (Power within, not outside) Erisian magic focuses on the internal, the personal, the individual perspective. Erisian magic comes from within the human soul, ultimately, although it is a result of a magical relationship. Each individual has a different view on Erisian magic, and how they practice Erisian magic.
Pantheistic: (Many deities) Erisian religion is about many deities, in this case, the Ahsiro. The Ahsiro is a catch-all term for all powerful spirits who have allied themselves with the Erisian religion. However, there are seven Ahsiro (the Seven Powers of Light) who form a pantheon of deities which serve the central focus of Erisian magic and Erisian religion.
Shamanistic: Erisian magic is about a single individual, who is not educated out of books or otherwise taught by a tutor, but derives his magical power from personal experience and relationships with the unseen. Thus, Erisian magic is shamanistic.
Ritualistic: On the other hand, Erisian magic is full of ritual. These are personal traditions, recipes for charms and whatnot, that have been handed on from person to person, which may or may not still retain their original meaning. Also, the power of Erisian magic comes from ritualistic observances of the relationships between human and Ahsiro. Mythic: This means that Erisian magic resonates with the human condition. It responds and is sensitive to archetypical roles and the flow of the Story of Life.
Moralistic: This means that Erisian magic responds to a sense of right and wrong. Ultimately, Erisian magic punishes the guilty and absolves the innocent. What you do, comes back to you, both good and bad.
Eclectic: Erisian magic has many styles and there are many different opinions on how people should interpret things. Therefore, Erisian magic in the World of Darkness is labeled as "Eclectic" as there is no globally-recognized body of tradition nor are there any Church Elders to define such a tradition. Each person makes his own way on his own Erisian path.
Ancestral: Much of Erisian magic is about calling on the power of your ancestor spirits, and presumably, one day you will be an ancestor as well. To a certain extent, even the Ahsiro are ancestors.
Relational: Erisian magic is a metaphysic of relationships. The Erisian magical practitioner must have excellent relationships between himself and the Ahsiro, between herself and the Ancestors, between herself and others who practice Erisian magic. These relationships become the conduit through which power is funneled. Also, magical power is obtained through ritualistic practices derived from these relationships.
Ecclesiastical: Because the relationship between Spirit and Human is more of a God and Priestess relationship than anything else, Erisian magic can be considered a magical practice which involves priests and priestesses. Although it's true that some "lay people" can still interact with the tradition of Erisian magic, the primary magic workers are initiated clergy. They pray to, revere, and make offerings to their Ahsiro.
If that is too complex a definition for you, try this one:
Erisian magic is a spiritual religion, and the magical practices associated with it are about the relationships between a mortal human and powerful spirits called the Ahsiro.
There is a difference between the magical practices associated with Erisian magic and the religion of Eris. People tend to confuse the two. They think of a Erisian shaman performing a sacrifice to do Erisian magic, but they miss out on the spiritual / theological activity taking place in the realm of the invisible..
The Nagnouh and the Erisian Magician
It is not necessary to be initiated in the Erisian religion in order to use Erisian magic, although practitioners who are initiated (called the Nagnouhs) have a lot of benefits in magical practice. The Ahsiro like to be worshipped, but they have long since abandoned the practice of only interacting with their annointed priests and priestesses. These days, the Ahsiro enjoy moving among the regular populace, interacting and reacting to them. Certain people will attract the Ahsiro's attention even if they never once had a magical thought in their lives. Some non-Initiated are clever enough to pick up on this attention and use it to form a relationship. This relationship can then be used to perform Erisian magic. Those who accomplish this without initiation are called the Erisian Magicians, or "Wise Ones."
