Three Aspects of the Being

Posted June 9, 2022

A complete Being is made up of three aspects: Body, Mind, and Soul. This is also the order of aspects that a mage must typically interact with to cast a spell. Most things in the universe are complete Beings. Energies and forces are not in themselves Beings, but may emanate from Beings.

— Body —

The Body is the material, physical aspect of a Being. Examples include the minerals of a rock, the roots of a plant, or the cloth of a shirt. Any Being can interact with a Body, and most Beings can only interact with Bodies. The Body is the mediator between the mage and the Mind she interacts with. A Body can be interacted with by any physical means available to another Being. However, because mages are subject to supernatural laws rather than natural ones, their interactions are different from those of non-mages. The primary methods of physical interaction are speaking incantations and drawing sigils. These are conducted by the Body to the Mind of the Being.

— Mind —

The Mind is the aspect consisting of the mental states experienced by a Being. Examples include the desire to get good grades, the pain of a slaughtered animal, or grief due to the death of a loved one. Although it is unclear where Minds come from, it is known that they are not actually limited to the animal kingdom. Plants, minerals, fungi, and other "inanimate" things are typically Beings with Minds, which may also include "human" characteristics such as an unconscious and complex desires. However, it takes more effort to interact with them, as they are physically incapable of communicating in ways comprehensible to non-magical humans. Research into this field is mainly conducted by the School of Acquisition.

— Soul —

The Soul is the aspect that is the purpose and final destiny of the Being, perhaps called its telos in our Aristotelian terms. Examples include the ripening of fruit on a tree for eating, a piece of flint intended to become an arrowhead, or the infernal fate of a human who bargains with a Devil to learn the magical arts. A Soul is neither physical nor conscious/sentient; it consists of both the intrinsic end of a Being as well as the instrumental ends that will get it there. With the permission of the Being's Mind, a mage influences (but cannot isolate) the Soul to perform magic with it.