From nv91-asa@nada.kth.se Mon Jun 23 07:03:34 1995 Status: RO X-Status: Received: from arwen.otago.ac.nz (arwen.otago.ac.nz [139.80.64.6]) by mail.nada.kth.se (8.6.10/8.6.10) with ESMTP id HAA23843 for ; Fri, 23 Jun 1995 07:03:22 +0200 Received: from [139.80.56.175] (n056175.otago.ac.nz [139.80.56.175]) by arwen.otago.ac.nz (8.6.10/8.6.9) with SMTP id PAA00395 for ; Fri, 23 Jun 1995 15:48:58 +1200 X-Sender: st005910@brandywine.otago.ac.nz Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 17:03:53 +1300 To: Anders Sandberg From: david.hood@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (David Hood) Subject: Blood of the tree Among some sects of verbena the tree is not seen simply as a metaphor for the tradition and centre of the chantry. Within sanctums trees can have a very real link to verbena, based on beliefs about not distinguishing between different types of life. Here are some examples which Verbena may be aware of (but other paradigmed mages may be oblivious to): Tieing the life-weave. The pattern of someone (or something) is linked to a tree in the sanctum so that the tree reflects their state of health. The most basic form of the ritual consists of planting a sapling and watering with blood from the subject. The blood is drawn by carving a sharpened wand from a branch of the parent tree that the sapling sprang from and using that to puncture holes in the skin of the subject. Whereever the subject goes the tree will echo the health of the subject (Life 2+ Life 1+ Correspondence 2). Other variations exist which monitor spiritual health (where the blood is brewed together with other 'workings') and mental health (where the ground for the sapling is prepared using the sacred knife). The tree that the subject is linked to can serve as a symbolic focus for magic directed against the subject, though directly harming the tree will not damage the subject. Holding the branches of fate. A runic staff, carved in a calendar of the year, is prepared. It serves as a support for a sapling which is planted in the sanctum of the coven. All of the members of the coven contribute blood to strengthen the tree to bear the weight of the coven's fate. The tree grows linked to the fate of the sanctum. (Life 2+ Time 2, The tree reflects dramatic events that are about to occur at the sanctum. i.e. suddenly splitting apart shortly before an overwhelming technomancer attack). The mages may not be aware of exactly what is going to happen, but the get an idea of how benificial/ baneful it will be. Tree of knowledge. (A repeat from a few months ago) A Verbena pours knowledge into the tree shaping it's growth. Cutting his/herself with the sacred knife the knowledge pours out in the form of blood. The more knowledge the more blood. Old verbena have been known to create a permanent record of their experience for their comrades (and die in the process). The knowledge shapes the trees growth, and after a week to a season (depending on the amount of knowledge) it can be read by creating a small blood link to the tree and tracing the growth (Mind 3 + Life 2, the duration determines the length of experience that can be written/read). Reading the tree can follow the main 'trunk' of the experience, or folow side branches as the reader sees fit. Virtual Adepts have a similar effect called hypertext. Knowing Home: The mage fashions a wand from a branch of a tree in the sanctum, sealing over the trees wound with their own blood. When the mage is away from the sanctum they need only hold tight to the wand to know what transpires around the parent tree (Life 2 + Correspondence 2). Regards, David H.