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Ars Magica Amazighum

Berber Magic and the Way of the Spirits

The Berber people, known among themselves as the Amazigh, break down the world into two parts: the seen and the unseen.  The world of the seen is the domain of commerce, war and agriculture - but all things in the visible world have their counterparts in the world of the unseen.  These invisible essences are known as tapreght, a powerful magical force that can be invoked and controlled, generally through verbal invocations.

Traditionally, women are the ones who practice these magics and are known as kahuna.  Among the Kindred, such gender distinctions are much less meaningful.  However, only one who is herself pure can control and invoke the pure essence of things.  For this reason, much of Assamite magic focuses on self-control and self-mastery.  Only through true understanding of the self can one hope to understand the true nature of other things.

The Berber concept of magic, therefore, is both animistic and ascetic, and each poses a challenge to the Amazigh mage.  First, the mage must attain sufficient self-control to invoke the tapreght.  Second, the mage must convince these spirits to obey his will, often through elaborate symbology, demonstrations of self-mastery and courage, or long verbal invocations (which may be conducted only in Berber).

Curiously, and uniquely among known magics, the Amazigh magic is practiced by both mortal and Kindred mages in almost identical forms. Other types of Thaumaturgy are based in mortal magic systems, but immortal Amazigh magic informs mortal magic as well as borrowing from it. There are two main differences between the magic of the immortals and that of the mortals. The first is that any properly trained Amazigh Kindred may learn magic, while only a select few mortals can learn magic. The second is that mortal mages are generally slower to learn high level powers, but may learn a broader selection of powers. It is speculated that the Kindred's greater power in the supernatural realm is balanced by their static nature. One interesting practical effect of this close connection is that Kindred may learn from and teach mortal mages directly. This partially explains the close connections the Amazigh Kindred have with their kine.

The Nature of Spirits

The tapreght is not precisely equivalent to spirits as they are understood by other traditions.  For example, a stream does not have an individual spirit, nor would a rock or a tree.  Instead, the tapreght is often called "the wind of power."  It is an ecstatic force that is closely tied to nature and that imbues and permeates all things.  Only by cutting through the surface - the physical world - can one make oneself a vessel for these primal forces.

The Amazigh are notoriously religiously broad-minded, counting members from at least twelve different tribal religions as well as from many larger ones in their number.  For this reason, there is no one accepted way of referring to these primal forces.  Some tribes see each force as having its own personality or even a family relationship - for example, Grandfather Wind or Grandmother Rain.  Others understand the tapreght as a mystery that can only be channeled by those who are chosen by it, while still others see the tapreght as servants of whatever gods they serve.  All, however, do see the tapreght as an animate force that must be entreated rather than controlled.

No matter what the practitioner's understanding of the tapreght, this spirit force does affect the world in certain consistent ways.  The mage may use it to perceive into the hidden world, providing the mage with guidance through dreams, visions, mental focus and inspiration.  A mage may also use it to affect the world physically, by manipulating the equivalents in the world of the unseen of objects that exist in the world of the seen.  Finally, the mage may unleash the forces of tapreght in a primal way, allowing these powerful forces to rush through the physical world as they do in the world of the spirits, though with far less direct control.

However, while the things the spirits may do are very powerful, there are a number of limitations on what they are capable of.  The tapreght is a powerful force, but it is primal and in many ways simple.  This works to the mage's benefit, as it means the spirits can be bribed with gifts and cowed with shows of control.  However, it also means that for all their power, the spirits cannot affect the minds of sentient beings, supernatural or otherwise.  Only when the being has already crossed halfway into the realm of the unseen - whether by falling asleep or through other means - can these non-rational forces hold any sway.  Amazigh magic can therefore never be used to change the mind or emotions of another waking, alert, rational being, though perception of the inner nature of another does fall within its purview.

Harnessing Tapreght

The Paths

When a mage wishes to do something quickly he or she must use a Path, a rote task the mage has taught their spirit to accomplish. Some of the most useful of these Paths allow a mage to consciously meld the purposes of his body with the purposes of his spirit. This is how many effects from the Paths of Blood, Focused Mind, and Oneiromancy operate. Further, the mage may send his or her spirit out of the body to directly effect changes on the world. By such methods mages can conjour storms or directly move objects using Weather Control or Movement of the Mind. The more outwardly focused powers of the other Paths work this way as well.

Ways of Spiritt

The five groups of Kindred Amazigh magic each allow access to a different type of magic.

Weather Control allows a mage to speak with nature spirits and gain their aid in their area of expertise. Such spirits govern storms, streams, rivers, forests, and all things outside the creation of man.

Movement of the Mind allows a mage to coax physical service out of spirits. Such services may include guarding a location or speeding a journey. A guarding ritual under this path might cause a forest spirit to directly attack a target while a guarding ritual under the path of Weather Control might cause a tree spirit to animate an elm to attack the target.

The Path of Blood allows a mage to effect his own body and the bodies of others. The limitations of effecting the spirits of free willed beings remains, but gross, and often violent, changes can still be effected.

Oneiromancy allows a mage to effect the unconscious mind of himself or his target. Messages may be sent in dreams, the mind may be defended against menevolant dreams, and the unconscious mind may be made more alert, even in torpor.

Focused Mind allows a mage to effect the conscious mind of himself or his target. Memories, thoughts or emotions may not be altered of course. However, direct attacks can be made this way, as can mind reading or telepathic communication.

The Rituals

More complex and varied tasks may be accomplished by persuading spirits to work for the mage. These Rituals can be long and involved processes as the mage tempts a spirit with mystic words and mundane gifts. Such gifts are frequently destroyed ritually and these sacrifices are beneficial to the spirit in some way. The spirit is under no obligation to aid the mage and a mage who has angered the spirits for some reason may find it harder to use Ritual magic for a time.

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