Astral Plane

The Astral Plane (also called Astral World, Astral Realm, or simply "the Astral") is a collective term for all dimensions other than the physical world. It is made almost entirely of thoughtforms, and therefore it is much more malleable than the physical world. Humans can do magic on the Astral plane. The Astral can be visited in dreams or meditation, but demi-angels can access it in their physical bodies under very specific circumstances, through use of a portal. Astral Projection is consciously stepping outside one's body to travel the Astral in spirit form.

## Lower Astral Planes

### Underworld Planes

Planes of very low vibration where energy is processed and released. The energy in these planes is "heavy," and they are often associated with darkness and underground caverns. Most demons live on these planes, but it is also home to benevolent or neutral deities and other "higher" spirits that do important work in the lower planes.

### The Wandering Plane

Also called the Dark Place, the Umbral, or the Plane of Lost Souls, this is the closes thing to "hell" or "purgatory" that exists. It is a plane where human souls are left to work through karmic debt, guilt, and other negative energies until they can ascend to the higher planes. The souls are brought to this plane by Azrael or another psychopomp. Seth theorizes that in antiquity, most souls came here before ascending, but since then, more souls ascend directly.

### The Veil

The "between space" that connects all Astral planes to each other. Some low-energy spirits live in this plane, and sometimes, human souls get stuck here. Those entities are usually called ghosts, and must escape this plane to move on to afterlife planes.

## Otherworld Plane

The Otherworld Plane crosses the upper and lower realms, thus making it only a little higher and a little lower than Earth. It is where dreamers go, and where most people go during meditation. This is the only plane that can be directly accessed and traversed by incarnate beings (with the exception of some Underworld planes). Magic is particularly easy on this plane. Many kinds of spirits live on this plane, from entities as high as animal spirits to ones as low as fairies. The Otherworld acts as a conversion point for all the other planes and the spirits that live on them, including the earthly one. Ascended beings can travel down to this plane to communicate with incarnate ones. Caelum Academy of the Arcane is right on the border between Earth and the Otherworld, which enables demi-angels to live comfortably in their bodies, and also enables angels to interact with them more easily.

## Higher Astral Planes

### Afterlife Plane

Often called "heaven" and associated with the sky, this is where Ascended souls go after death to rest and await reincarnation. They live in various Astral cities and Astral communities, which are much like life on earth, but calmer, peaceful, and happy. Incarnated beings may view it, but cannot enter it whilst they are attached to a body.

### Celestial Plane

The highest possible plane, home to the universal consciousness ("Spirit"), most angels, and other Transcended beings. It is almost impossible for a soul to reach this plane, because a spirit on this plane is very unlikely to ever incarnate.