History Main / RitualMagic

* In ''Literature/TheMagiciansNephew'' Jardis says of Uncle Andrew "You are a little, peddling magician who works by rules and books" as opposed to someone like herself who has magic in her blood.[[/folder]]

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* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'': Compared to ordinary magic, Rituals are rare and powerful spells that require esoteric EyeOfNewt components, substantially more time, and often more participants to cast. It's suggested that learning and performing a Ritual be a story arc in itself.

* Damien Thorne, a charismatic demonologist from the ''Roleplay/GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'' who claims to be the son of [[{{Satan}} the Devil]] himself, uses nothing but ritual magic. He's not quite {{hermetic|Magic}} about it (he likes mixing it up, and HermeticMagic is too time-consuming for actual fighting), but he comes close.

* Film/TheUncanny'': In the "Quebec province 1975" segment, Lucy casts her spells via ritual magic.

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* In ''The Devil to Pay'', Creator/DorothyLSayers' take on the Myth/{{Faust}} legend, Mephistopheles is conjured by rituals that Sayers found in actual Renaissance grimoires.
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* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' has a well-developed set of rules to distinguish between Rituals and Spells, and the supplement ''GURPS Thaumatology'' offers a whole range of optional rules to allow settings to feature ritual magic systems. In the ''TabletopGame/GURPSalchemicalBaroque'' setting book, ritual magic is the local magic system, along with and closely linked to local forms of UsefulNotes/Alchemy.

* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' has a well-developed set of rules to distinguish between Rituals and Spells.

** ''TabletopGame/D20Modern'' and the 3.5 version of ''Unearthed Arcana'' have Incantations, a magic variant that can be used by anyone, and that involves complex and sometimes dangerous rituals.

* ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'' includes Ritual Magic as a more powerful method, able to bend or break some of the Hermetic system's spell limitations.

** Some -- but not all -- spellcasting classes in 5E have the ritual casting ability. This allows them to cast spells with the ritual tag as rituals, which takes 10 minutes longer (ensuring no in-combat use) and can't use a higher spell slot, but also doesn't consume a spell slot.

** A number of Sorcery and Necromancy operate this way. For example, summoning a demon requires a sorcerer to cast from sundown to midnight, and higher levels of demons have addition time constraints, with the most powerful demons only summonable during the five days of the new year.

* [[AlchemyIsMagic Alchemy]] in ''Manga/FullMetalAlchemist'' is the discipline of transmuting any matter into another matter, as long as the mass remains the same. It normally requires inscribing a ritual circle which bounds that specific alchemical transmutation to it. Those who use alchemy in combat usually inscribe the relevant circles on items they carry around. Those who have seen the Gate, or are hold a [[AmplifierArtifact Philosopher's Stone]], can skip the ritual as they're basically doing it in their own heads. Its application is so old by now that most people just consider it an advanced type of science and alchemists as combined scientists, researchers, spec-ops and military officers.

* ''Manga/FullMetalAlchemist'' has alchemy, which is the discipline of transmuting any matter into another matter, as long as the mass remains the same. Its application is so old by now that most people just consider it an advanced type of science and alchemists as combined scientists, researchers, spec-ops and military officers. Many regular users of alchemy use items with ritual circles written on it which bounds that specific alchemical transmutation to it.

* Demon summoning in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTensei'' games generally require some sort of ritual. The rituals themselves aren't seen very often, because an ordinary computer or smartphone with the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Demon Summoning Program]] can emulate the rituals.

One of the oldest conceptions of magic is Ritual Magic, a method of casting spells based on the performance of [[MagicalIncantation specific words]], [[MagicalGesture gestures, actions]] and [[EyeOfNewt offerings]] at [[MagicPrerequisite specific places and times]]. Magic isn't a question of [[TeachingTheGiftOfMagic talent]], [[EnlightenmentSuperpowers spiritual enlightenment]], or [[MagicAndPowers a power]] you're [[WitchSpecies born with]]. It's something that anyone can learn, even (perhaps dangerously) a {{Muggle}}. This puts Ritual Magic closer to technology than other forms of FunctionalMagic; it works because of knowledge that has been collected about the natural world and used in a certain way, and witches and wizards are essentially "engineers" of magic. This concept of magic is OlderThanDirt, going back to the earliest prehistoric forms of religion.

One of the oldest conceptions of magic is Ritual Magic, a method of casting spells based on the performance of [[MagicalIncantation specific words]], [[MagicalGesture gestures, actions]] and [[EyeOfNewt offerings]] at [[MagicPrerequisite specific places and times]]. Magic isn't a question of [[TheGift talent]], [[EnlightenmentSuperpowers spiritual enlightenment]], or [[MagicAndPowers a power]] you're [[WitchSpecies born with]]. It's something that anyone can learn, even (perhaps dangerously) a {{Muggle}}. This puts Ritual Magic closer to technology than other forms of FunctionalMagic; it works because of knowledge that has been collected about the natural world and used in a certain way, and witches and wizards are essentially "engineers" of magic. This concept of magic is OlderThanDirt, going back to the earliest prehistoric forms of religion.

* In ''The Devil to Pay'', Creator/DorothyLSayers' take on the {{Faust}} legend, Mephistopheles is conjured by rituals that Sayers found in actual Renaissance grimoires.

* ''TabletopGame/InvisibleSun'' has the Order of Vance, vislae (magic-uses) who rely on tried and true spells to accomplish what they need; so revered are the spells that some Vance believe the spells themselves to have sentience. In addition, any vislae can use on incantations for certain guaranteed effects, regardless of which Order they chose to follow.