I have the majority of my system done for my game, but the magic system has been giving me a lot of issues because I have some very specific things that I want it to be capable of. The question / idea I'm struggling with it that of Thaumaturgical Rituals. In my system there is two "forms" of magic; Sorcery and Thaumaturgy (there is also Theurgy, but it is extremely static in relation to the divine being called on). Sorcery is fast and off the cuff magics with well defined effects, its close to the idea of Psionics in D20, but with a more 7th Sea vibe. Energy and effort are pumped in to get better results, but it can only increase along set parameters of the type of Sorcery.

Thaumaturgy on other hand is more open and based on the 5 laws of magic (list to follow) and the play of resonance. Resonance is the stumbling block. The idea is that Resonance changes the energy provided by a mage into the appropriate type of effect. The Mage's skill and success could in theory do all the shaping, but the use of material components with the proper relation ship to an idea ease this burden...

My initial idea was to create list of materials and give them a Resonance Type (the types of effects that it would be able to help with) and a Magnitude (the number of Successes that it would provide / hinder for opposing Resonances). The problem with this is the sheer length of materials that could be used and the fact that many materials would mean different things to different types of mages or even just carry multiple symbolic interpretations. The next thought is one of free-form development. This method would put a lot of work on the G.M. and I envision many of my early games of Mage: the Ascension the ended in debates of paradigm and acceptable sources of Paradox. What guidelines should be used to determine the Resonance of an material?

Here is the list of guidelines I was looking at:
Substance: Does the materials involved related to the idea of the rituals effect?
Form: Is the substance in a shape to relates to the rituals effect?
Essence: Is the Material invested with magical energies and how much?

It still seems that i will need to make at least short list of materials to discuss Substances and how they align with Magical effects. I think that most people can grasp the Form aspect out right, I mean you wouldn't try to make a Voodoo Doll that was shaped like a dog to affect a person.

Follow up...

Limits of Magic
Life is Finite; The Lifeforce cannot be created nor destroyed, only altered (i.e. you cannot heal someone without taking the effect on himself, you can not give life to the inanimate or dead, it must be transferred from one source to another)
Essential Nature (changes to anything {physical form, emotions, thoughts, or even perceptions} will revert back to its original state once the empowering energy is exhausted)
Affect Time / Causality
Create two polar effects at once
Creation - Nothing can be created without the will to maintain it, and nothing permanent can be created without Essence to solidify it's pattern.

Metaphysics is an overview of the laws and guidelines that define the limits and applications through which magic can be explained. Ahtalisian magic is divided into several distinct branches, referred to collectively as the Gnostic Fundaments. Each Fundaments provides its practitioners an affinity to different effects, but still follow the same core understanding of the arcane mechanics involved. The following are the tenets by which magic must abide by:

Law of Arcane Being - The first Law is the basis from which all magical laws are derived. The Arcane Being is a trinity of Mystic Intellect, Primal Desire, and Awakened Will. Each component is needed to truly understand and work magic. Those poor souls that possess only one or two of the aspects of the Arcane Being are often pitiful people traumatized by their hyper awareness. The first aspect of the Arcane Being is that of the Mystic Intellect and is represented by the practitioner’s knowledge of occult matters; in particular this includes Cantrips, rituals and metaphysical lore. Most importantly, Mystic Intellect is the belief that magic is real. The second piece of the Arcane Being is the Primal Desire. In its raw state, Primal Desire is the most powerful of the three aspects and the most damaging. If ones Primal Desire is strong enough, it is possible for that person's unconscious thoughts to manifest in some way. The final aspect of the Arcane Being is the Awakened Will. This is a practitioners ability to direct his passions and desire through the lens of his intellect, thus his magic is made manifest.

Law of Patterns/Effigy - The astral plane contains within it the Patterns of Creation. These patterns are the fundamental nature of everything that we think we know. The Pattern is the truest form of a person, place, thing or even a concept. It is from the Patterns that the Physical World is able to emulate things around us. While we may have many things, places, people, and concepts that define our world, they are all pale reflection of the completeness of the Patterns they emulate. Those with the Mystical Intellect know that those things, places, people, and concepts that emulate the same Pattern are similar and hold a bond of association through that Pattern. The bond between the Pattern and the physical representation allows Essence to Resonate with the Patterns uniqueness and completeness. The Law of Patterns is one that allows understanding of the Physical World’s emulation of the Patterns and shows that a connection between all the Physical representations of a Pattern exists. In simplest fashion, the Law Pattern allows those with Mystic Intellect to affect a Physical thing by affecting its Astral Pattern.

Law of Resonance - The driving force of Creation is Essence; it permeates everything and is the building blocks of Creation itself.  This ‘energy’ fluctuates and flows through all living things, only becoming locked into objects or places with strong emotional / conceptual definition. Once locked into an object or place the Essence begins a refining process that brings it closer to those emotions and concepts, often called tainted or Resonate Essence. Resonate Essence can act like a connection to a Pattern much like an object that emulates that Pattern. In the use of magic, Resonate Essence creates temporary lines for mystical energy to travel known as Arcane Correspondence. In addition to the creation of the connection between the practitioner and target, Resonate Essence that is strongly attuned to the desired effect will allow for easier mystical manipulations. The number, types, and uses of the Resonate Essences could fill every library in existence and still need more room. The idea behind the Resonance resides on a very personal level to the practitioner; so where one practitioner may see the connection between a skull and knowledge, and another will only see the skull as a symbol of death. Luckily, many of the Resonate Essence correspond to socially instilled ideas and concepts. Other Resonate Essences are throwbacks to much older periods of Creation and seem resistant to change.

Law of Words/Thoughts/Ren - Called by many names this Law is derived directly from the Law of Patterns. Through the Law of Patterns the practitioner sees the connections between the Physical Thing and the Astral Pattern it emulates. It is through the Law of Ren (True Names) the practitioner learns that words also emulate Patterns on a conceptual level. Most common words and names have little power on the connection between the Pattern and the Physical Thing as they have been used over and over again, weakened to near non-existence. It is through the use of True Names or Ren that the connection may be found, as the pattern itself has its True Name within it. The True Names of the Patterns are long and precise definitions of the Completeness and Uniqueness that the Pattern is. The True Name of a physical object, simple animal or even a spirit is often static, the basic nature of these things rarely change and are still called the same thing throughout its existence. The True Name of a person on the other hand changes as the Person grows and develops, so finding the true name of a Person, even yourself, could take years of study. When used in rituals or Cantrips the Ren has the ability to cause ambient Essence to resonate with the Pattern it is connected to. By virtue of the Ren being a closer emulation to their Patterns, the practitioner enjoys a more powerful and malleable conduit for his magical energies. This law is the foundation of all Conjuring, Summoning and Rune Magic. Conjuring forces Essence into a reflection of the Pattern. Summoning draws the actual object or being into the reflection of his or her own pattern by Resonate Essence. Rune Magic differs from the previous two in that is often thought to be the physical written version of the Ren.

Law of Contagion - Things that were pieces of a whole often maintain the same association to their Pattern as the whole does. This is true of spiritual energies such as an Aura or of Physical Things. Sometimes referred to as the Law of Links or Arcane Correspondence, this Law states that contact to a Pattern is maintained even after separation and that even after physical separation objects are tied through ‘wire / strands’ of association to each piece that made up the whole. Some connections are stronger then others. The strength of these connections is influenced by how much its concept changes from whole to piece. Such as a grape is a discrete thing, but it was a piece of a grape vine. The concept of a grape still being a part of the grape vine is lost, where as a toe nail of a person is still ‘of’ that person. As a perverse aside, this Law is also warning of purity of intent. As physical things maintain associations, so are emotional and arcane energies tied to the effect of magic. This is the basis of reading astral signatures and the reason magic will often take on qualities that resemble the emotional state of the caster as well as those it must travel through.

Law of Exchange - To understand the severity of this Law, it must be understood that all aspects of Creation are finite, whether it is energy, life, matter, spirit, or even time itself. The Law of Exchange demands that all things come at a price, but often that which is sacrificed is perceived to far exceed that which is gained. This skewed value of exchange is a result of the multifaceted nature of Creation. A sacrifice must incorporate the correct aspects in precise values to be equivalent in its exchange. If these values are not correctly proportioned, another aspect’s value will be increased to compensate for the exchange. Animists have based their art of chiminage on the concepts of this Law.

Thaumaturgical Practices explained
Thaumaturgy is the “science” of the mystical arts. It is closely tied to the Metaphysical Laws and any of the Fundaments are able to use the practices listed below:
Alchemy – While normally a simple application of natural philosophy, Alchemy can be paired with Thaumaturgical insight to produce many wondrous effects. Brewed from seven components (one for each of the five mundane senses, one for the mystical awareness, and one final component to act as the binding agent between the others) an alchemical potion can be made into a pill, ointments, powders or even the more traditional draught. Each of the seven components must correlate to the desired effect of the potion to be effective and be infused with Elemental Essence that resonates with the desired result. Potions are often the easiest expression of mystical teachings, though they are the hardest to master with any true potency.
Effigies – Crafted from materials that hold special significance to the cultural heritage of the practitioner, often specially prepared clays or rare hard woods, an Effigy is a symbolic representation of a person or thing. While it is a long and difficult process, requiring intense focus and clear concentration, the crafting of an Effigy forges an arcane correspondence. Additional materials that hold resonate essence of the intended target make the process of crafting far easier, but require an extremely close interaction to acquire.
Artifice and Enchantments – The mystical history of creation has long held the existence of items of power, the procedures of crafting an Enchantment is similar to that of crafting an Effigy, save that additional rituals are needed to imbue an item with a specific mystical effect. Unlike an Effigy, such Enchantments and Artifice require large amounts of Essence to be placed within them to power their effects. Unlike normal freestanding enchantments, artifice does not unravel once it has used or lost all of its Essence. They simply need to have their essence reserves replenished. As such, they do not return to normal objects. This allows a practitioner to safeguard a freestanding enchantment from being dispelled by embedding it within specially prepared vessels.
Familiars – Any intelligent creature may act as a focus for another’s mystical energies, though the role of familiar is almost universally relegated to animals. This is not the only option though. Familiars not only focus mystical energies, but are also used to store extra Ley Energy outside the caster. Additionally, a familiar acts as a sympathetic link to its location. The link allows the practitioner to pull from Ley Lines near the familiar or cast through the familiar. The force of this link is so strong that either may enter the other’s thoughts and know its general location and wellbeing. Sadly, the more intelligent the creature the more Ley Energy it can hold, but the more such channeling of Ley Energy hurts and confound the creature.
Wands and Foci (Spellthrowers) – Often crafted in the shape of a rod or staff, the term is reaching a more general theme of any item used to focus mystical energies and direct them away from the caster. Some practitioners of the art require the use of specialized tools to control the amount of energy that will be filtered into a spell. With too little energy, only the intent is imprinted on loose strands of magical energy with no visible effect (this ‘fizzle’ is bound to bring trouble, often in the form of ‘hobgoblins’). Too much energy and the caster’s likely to be found in the morning as a smear on the ground as the energy backlashes.
Amulets and Charms (Spell Catchers) – Empowered through will and blood, these magical tools hold the entirety of the spell mechanisms needed to generate the effect. They are in essence a filter through which mystical energies take the form of the practitioner’s intent. Most are re-usable and have a lasting effect on its wearer. Some Amulets have been created that do not require the presence of physical bloodletting to activate; either having stored enough life energy for several activations or draw on the user’s life-force in the form of several moments of aging. Amulets have also been fashioned into other wearable items, such as rings, bracelets, and other articles of clothing.
Runestone – A mystical construct of purified Essence bound into a stone-like structure with an engraved marking that corresponds to the essence’s True Name. This construct allows its holder to invoke the True Name by holding it. It is not uncommon to find several Runestone fixed within a wand or other foci to capitalize on this property.
Threshold – A mystical barrier that prevents or substantially weakens all forms of supernatural effects from taking place.
Running Water – All magical effects are weakened by passing through (within proximity of) running water.
Household– Each home is surrounded by a mystical barrier that prevents beings tainted with the Other-Realm to cross or at the very least, forces the being in question to relinquish the majority of his supernatural prowess. This barrier can be lifted on a per person basis by a cognitive member of the household inviting the being in.
Consecrated Ground – Ground blessed by some divine entity. Similar to the threshold surrounding a home, the divine being that imbued the land with his touch also provides succor to those that seek respite from hostile supernatural beings.
Sunlight – The rays of light that fall from the sky act as a natural threshold for the majority of beings not of this world. Its touch can reduce some ash, turn others to stone, or simply banish their form back to its natural realm. Additionally, sunlight dampens the power of invocations and enchantments considerably.
Incantations (Spells) – A series of words or phrase that is used to shape a mystical effect. Often these words and phrases are recited in languages that are long removed from the common vernacular. This is done in an effort to obscure the spells intentions as well as to act as an insulator to the raw magical energies released. Note: Rhyming Incantations are designed as a memory aid and are not a prerequisite to making a functional incantation.
Words of Power (True Names) – Since the dawn of Creation certain words have held the power to warp reality and bring its definition into being, often these words of power are the Names given to an objects essence by the Creator to bring them into existence.
Vows Thrice Spoken (Fae Promises) – Believed to stem from the Law of Exchange and incorporated in the Laws of Arcane Being and Ren, any promise uttered three times forges a Vow. While a Vow must be freely given, mundane coercion can be used to force the choice. Once a Vow is broken, the oath breaker is scarred mystically and anyone able to view such things can see his transgression plainly. The true danger is that the oath breaker is under the constant effect of a threshold until the oath has been atoned for.
Dispelling – The ability to remove an enchantment is extremely powerful and the art of dispelling can be  accomplished by anyone that knows correct occult principles. Through the use of common herbs and specially prepare sea salts, water can be transformed into a mystically charged cleansing agent. Dispelling can be used against any enchantment that has not been properly anchored to its target.

This was my very first attempt at tackling Resonance
Thaumaturgical Resonance of Materials
Wood – As a general rule, wood of all kinds absorb mystical energy, though certain types of wood are better able to store magical energy. Amulets that hold a particular spell effect are often made entirely or at least centered on a wooden core that is related to the type of resonate essence being used.
Ceramic & Glass – Unless specially prepared, mystical energies are unable to pass through these substances without leaving residual effects or trails when moving along them. This property of mystical exclusion often makes them ideal as reusable tools and containers in potion making. It also makes them useful for sealing mystical charms and Runestone for later use.
Metals – Most metals are attuned to special mystical properties and cannot be used in any other fashion. Each metal must therefore be used in accordance to its essential nature. These resonances, paired with useful shapes metals can take, make them ideal tools in the Thaumaturgical craft.
Body parts (necrotized items and blood) – Like metals, the remains of the once living hold very important significance based on their actual function and their perceived symbolism. The most important of course is the blood. The old adage “the blood is the life” holds true especially in magic. Blood calls to the old ways, the dark and powerful magics before Creation, and a force not all practitioners are comfortable with. It is through the drawing and release of blood that internalized mystical energies can be brought to bare, both from the willing and unwilling. 
Nexus Nodes – When two or more Ley Lines converge into a single point, a nexus node is created. These nodes are weak spots in the fabric of space-time and can act as gateways to the Other-Realms. Additionally, these sites release vast amounts of raw essence as two or more realms crash into each other and begin to annihilate the other’s aspects of space and time in that region.
Techno-Mystic Dichotomy – Magic often causes technological devices to fail. The more complex, the more dramatic the failure will often be. The exact reason is unclear, but may be due to the reality warping nature of essence. It is theorized that in the presence of large quantities of essence, some of the basic laws of physics begin to break down and act erratically.

I have a suggestion. Go back through what you've written, especially the practices, and rewrite them from passive voice into active voice. Furthermore, refer to the players (including the GM) as the active agents, not the characters.

For instance, take this:

weaverchilde wrote:
Alchemy - While normally a simple application of natural philosophy, Alchemy can be paired with Thaumaturgical insight to produce many wondrous effects. Brewed from seven components (one for each of the five mundane senses, one for the mystical awareness, and one final component to act as the binding agent between the others) an alchemical potion can be made into a pill, ointments, powders or even the more traditional draught. Each of the seven components must correlate to the desired effect of the potion to be effective and be infused with Elemental Essence that resonates with the desired result. Potions are often the easiest expression of mystical teachings, though they are the hardest to master with any true potency.

I love the Resonance idea.  I'm playing with similar concepts in my own game, but regarding place and time (of day, of month, of year, etc.) rather than objects (to which I assume Substance, Form, and Essence are being applied).  I hope you follow up on Vincent's suggestion; I'll be much better able to offer input if you do.

If every mage's magic worked the same way, I would sugest making a detailed list of components and the benefits they give, of the sort provided in GURPS Cabal.  Otherwise, you are just going to have to specify broad guidelines, I think.

Greg 1 - Unfortunately, I have several fundaments of magical practice: Arcanists, Animism, Elementalists, Nethermancers, and Theurgists. They all use different Sorcery paths, but the ritual magics of Thaumaturgy, Alchemy, and Runes are static.

lumpley - I am in the procces of the rewrite to a more active tone. Though to be very honest, active voice is my greatest failing as a writer... I always seem to slip into a more passive tone. Though I will work on it some more once final projects are done.

David Berg  - I have a similar time/day resonance idea as well. Times like SamhainNight will have powerful effect on Ley Lines as will holy ground and stone henge or the Pryamids.
BTW, I read your posts on [Core Engine: The World Behind] A Second Thread about my Magic system and yes it seems we have some similar ideas on magic. I would love to read more on what you have going

I really dig the depth and "authenticity" of your guidelines here. I don't personally believe in magic, but I can certainly appreciate the logical laws it would follow if it were real, and find them intriguing.

I recently picked up several tarot decks, with the intention of teaching myself to do readings (and also play games). I'll be curious to see how you approach cartomancy, if/when you get to that part.

So while in the process of the rewrite I began to wonder... this is what I got so far. I am wondering if I really need to worry about the idea of resonance for ritual components as i believe the Principles will cover it... anyway opinions welcome/wanted

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Peripheries of the Arcanum – These are the boundaries to which magic adheres. The Peripheries are defined by the limitations that they impose upon a Magus in his ability to reshape Creation. Many of these limits are viewed as flaws within the current metaphysic paradigm and could be overcome with the proper insight to the Laws.

Limit of Animus – The essence of Life is finite. The animating spirit of life can not be created nor truly destroyed, only altered. By this periphery, the limits of Death and Dying are defined. True Resurrection into life is beyond the means of magic. So is the ability to heal wounds directly beyond magical means. Since the life essence can only be altered, it is possible to shift the animus from one source to another, it is within this Periphery that the existence of the Undead become possible. Also, the arts of many healers are revealed as methods of accelerating the natural healing process or the wounds themselves are exchanged by the healer.

Limit of Wyrd – Magic can not turn aside the whims of Fate, nor even the Gods stay her hand. The Wyrd, or the Great Tapestry, is an interconnecting web of events and possibilities that surround all things, places, and people. The Wyrd exists within the Periphery of magic and is immutable to it effects. This limits Magus by denying him the ability to alter someones fate directly, there is no way to make someone lucky or ill fated if it is against their Wyrd. Nor is the Magus able to change or avert one's ultimate destiny. This limit does not affect a Soothsayers ability to see the strands of fate or ability to predict the outcome of the possibilities, it does not even limit one's ability to take the reigns of his own fate and guide them to his own desired outcomes. Magic is simply not able to change fate. Instead, most Magus implore their magics to create changes the can exist within the strictures of Fate (luckily, most small events do not show themselves within the Great Tapestry). Most curses are created through binding a small spirit (Banes) to a victim and letting them do as they will. So too are blessing that grant luck the workings of helpful spirits and wisps of magic bound to a person to prevent unnecessary harm or provide for them in a way that most would attribute to luck.

Limit of Causality – No magical force may disrupt the flow of time to allow passage or communication to a prior period that results in a Paradox (negating the possibility of an events  reason for happening). While many a Magus has sent them selves or loved ones missives in the past, the results are problematic at best. If the result of the magical influence would create a Paradox, the magic fails utterly (and often with a climatic flair of pyrotechnics). With this limitation in mind, Magi have unlocked the ability to warp Time to pass more quickly or slowly (some even say to halt its passage altogether), but most have conceded that they may not undo a past event. It is also important to understand that magic creates direct changes to reality that Creation must then compensate for. This is most prevalent when dealing with magics that affect a direct pattern of Creation, say a person or object. When magic is used to repair a broken object, it does not undo the fact that it was broken, it merely mends it (regardless if the object reassembles itself in the reverse pattern of its breaking. That is merely the magi showing off). If magic is used to kill a person, but the Magus did not give a reason and therefore create the cause of death, Creation will set in motion conditions in which the desired effect could resolve itself.

Limit of Essential Nature – The truth of all things is bound into Creation itself (as personified by the Law of Patterns) and changes wrought by magic are not made permanent by Will alone. The effects of magic are for the most part temporary, though the changes caused as a result of magically induced alterations remain essential to the nature of effected patterns. This Limitation illustrates the need of a Magi to use Mana to solidify changes or render sustainable effects permanent. Therefore magics that would change a man into a pig would in all likelihood be a temporary change, though while in the shape of a pig he would physically be a pig and denied access to all of his normal Aspect traits. That said, it may be prudent to acknowledge that if someone creates a magical sickness that atrophies the muscles of its victims those same muscles will not return to normal with the passing of the magic's duration. If the malady would result in permanent damage to the tissue, then it will remain permanent. Though the sickness will have no traces left of it within the body once it has faded away (which may take as much as three days). In contrast if the magic involved simply atrophied the muscles of its victim directly, the damage done would heal at its normal rate. Additionally, it is important to note that a thing created by magic acts as its normal counterpart, though magical constructs that emulate a thing do not. I.e. Fire created by magic has light and burns, though magical fire may have both or simply one of those qualities.

Limit of Hubris – All acts of magic are a violation against the mandates of Creation. The very nature of magic twists reality  (and some say arrogantly so) from its normal and stable form to that of the Magi's limited understanding of Creation. With each act of magic the Magus risks Creation backlashing upon itself (and the Magus) to correct such instabilities. It is by understanding this limitation that a Magus may avoid serious complications and repercussions of his magic. The same way that a pebble creates waves when dropped into a pond, so too does the act of magic. The greater the pebble (or Magical effect) the greater the waves (or backlash) created. It is also important to understand that these backlashes occur in subtle ways that warp the intent of magic involved when created and it is by this that the rule of threefold was set as a warning to magi. Additionally, even when a ritual is enacted properly there is the chance of a backlash or the compounding of future backlashes. In its core, this limit derives its name from when a Magus attempts to dabble in the Peripheries, which guarantees a backlash of dire consequences.

Laws – The fundamentals rules of the Metaphysical world. All magic will

1.Law of Resonance – To react and be influenced by the being of another.
2.Law of Exchange – There is no gain without some sacrifice
3.Law of Ren – To name something is to limit and control it's reality
4.Law of Patterns – As above, so below. To affect one is to affect the other.
5.Law of Unity – All is one, One is All. Things that were together stay together

All things are connected in a delicate balance of existence and a change to one aspect causes other aspects to compensate and adapt.

Principles – The methods used to channel one's will into Magic. By utilizing these Principles a magus is able to garner greater control over the Laws; even to the point of pushing the Limits of the Peripheries. (Correspondent Laws)

1)Principle of Attunement (All) – To bring oneself into alignment with the nature of the situation or to use elements that correspond to the nature of the magic.
2)Principle of Contagion (5) – The very essence of magic spreads throughout all things, gaining from its contact additional intent and momentum.
3)Principle of Discipline (all) – No other thoughts may enter the mind of the Magus, lest he bring ruin to all his works.
4)Principle of Effigy (1, 4) – The creation of a image or likeness that focuses the mind and intent of the Magus.
5)Principle of Formula (3) – The is no substitute for the tried and true. If the magus is able to work from a successful ritual, he is more likely to succeed.
6)Principle of Nomenclature (3) – By intoning the words of Power the magus is able to gain a measure of control of the mercurial energies of magic.
7)Principle of Sacrifice – (2) Through loss there is gain. this principle a Magus is able to gain
8)Principle of Supplication (2) – Gifts and services to the whims of Spiritual beings
9)Principle of Sympathy (1, 4) – Pieces of a greater whole, remain connected by strands of odyllic force.

Correspondent Principles – Each Principle is related to at least one of the Laws. When using a Principle that is related to a Law, the Mage gains an additional Erg to use in his ritual.  Principles are also related to Gnostic Fundamants, when used by practitioner of that Fundament, the Principle tends to work better (provide an additional Erg) then when used by another Fundament.

Animism – P7, P8
Arcanist – P5, P6, P9
Elementalism – P1, P3
Nethermancy – P3, P7

Seriously, active voice, with the player being the active agent. Not the characters, the players. Me, Emily, Mitch, sitting around the table.

This isn't for stylistic reasons. You can go on to write your final text in whatever style you like. No, it's conceptual. You need to design your game's magic for its players, not for its fictional characters or its setting. So far, as far as I can tell, you aren't thinking about the players at all.

-Vincent

More like this??

Limit of Animus – Players face a finite amount of Life energy in the world. So when a player wishes to heal someone (or even them selves) they must take that Life from one source and transfer it to another to heal wounds (1:1 ratio). The use of Animus , animate an object (including a corpes) with each wound level stolen equating to an hour of activity. Aternatively, the life energy may be bolstered through the expenditure of Essence. Each point of Essence spent will increase the number of wounds healed by 1, though this happen at the normal interval of healing due to medical care.

The "Limits" strike me as power-balance issues.  I've used stuff like this in hopes of keeping my mage PCs "more or less normal people" (as opposed to, like, demigods), and keeping play "down to earth".  Are those goals of yours?

I continue to like the Laws, and I hope to see good use of these in play.

The Principles strike me as beginning the process of breaking up these 5 laws into a larger number of fun-to-play methods/effects.

My guess is that yet another step is needed, where Principles come together in a larger-still variety of Things a Mage Can Do.

Looking at your specific Principles, I think this would lend itself well to ritual play, where the PCs do elaborate prep for some casting.  Y'know, attune yourself, create an effigy, make a sacrifice, and then go for it.  If the prep and casting processes are themselves fun to play through (challenging, colorful and unpredictable, deepening characters, etc.), I think this would be neat (though it can clash with an "adventure" style of play).

Another option is to ditch playing through long castings, and instead use magic as an adventuring tool, with all your laws and principles basically relating to resources.  So, like, effigies and quality sacrifices are hard to come by, and man, do you want to use the few you've got on this spell here, or save 'em for later?

And of course there are plenty of other options.

If you can provide an illustration of what the players do that reflects your take on all this stuff, that would be great!  Right now I could see many different ways for players to potentially interface with the coolness you've got going on here, but I don't know which one(s) you're aiming for.

Ps,
-David

P.S. Just saw your example.  I think it's a good start, but I want to know what the player needs to do in order to yank life from one place and put it elsewhere!  Just say, "I do it?"  Roll a die?  Spend resources (money, points, etc.)?  Do the other players at the table (including the GM if there is one) have any role in this?

P.P.S. Please proofread before posting!  You have a bunch of sentences in your last few posts that are cut off!  "The use of Animus , animate an object"???  I want to know what you meant to say there!

Weaverchilde, well ... more like that, yes, but. You've still got substantial passive voice in there - "life energy may be bolstered through the expenditure of Essence," you say, and I'm like, bolstered by whom? - and you've confused player with character - you say "when a player wishes to heal someone (or even them selves)," but I presume you don't mean that Mitch can really heal himself by playing your game.

Would it help if I made a stab at it? If it wouldn't, ignore this:

"When a player wishes to have her character heal someone (even himself), she must have him wound another character in order to perform the healing magic. For each wound point her character manages to inflict upon his victim, she can have him restore a wound point to another character of his choice (including himself). She can also have him use Animus to animate an object (including a corpse), with each wound point he inflicted allowing him to give the object an hour's activity. Alternately, instead of having her character wound someone, she can have her character cripple his own vitality. In that case, for each point of her character's Essence she spends, she can have her character heal one wound point or give an object an hour's animation."

The stronger a distinction you can draw in your own mind between what the players say and do and what happens in the game's fiction, the better your game design will be.

-Vincent