Magic Circle

**Magic Circle** (魔法陣, *Mahō-jin*) is a general term used to refer to designs or arrangements, typically in a circular form, constructed to facilitate the use of magic.

## Summary

Magic circles have been created since the early days of sorcery as a means to aid magic practitioners, often sorcerers and shamans, in their usage of magic.

First recorded usage of magic circles dates back since the ancient Sumerians, who called the practice Zisurrû and created circles made of flour-paste to delineate, purify, and protect their houses from monsters and evil spirits.

While most popular in western occultism, many scholars argue that eastern esoterism is where the art of magic circles truly flourished, particularly thanks to the efforts of the Daoists from ancient China and the Onmyoji from Japan.

Because of eastern influence, the primeval magic circles evolved from simple circles made of common materials such as ashes or powdered cereals to intricately-designed contrusts, drawn with special materials and with special markings and symbols in mind to maximize their full potential.

However, due to the innate magical nature of the natural inhabitants of the supernatural world, for the most part, magic circles are only pivotal to magic practitioners of human origins. For the most part, magic circles of non-humans serve the function of signature, differentiate one magic practitioner from one another, with those of noble origins such as the pureblood devils and purebreed monsters having similar magic circles with their house's members, often as a way to honor their ancient lineage, albeit with small differences to make it personal such as the sizes of the symbols or the colors of the symbols.

Even for humans, magic circles differentiate from one group to another. For sorcerers and magicians, magic circles are important parts within their craft and their designs are crucial in the success and effects of their spells, with sorcerers' also acting as direct connections toward their patrons' divine blessings. For wizards, however, due to their innate ability to wield magic and their affinity toward wands than other magical foci, magic circles are mainly used for ancient rituals or faction-based magic systems.

## Characteristics

There are various elements that can be used within a magic circle and various forms which they can take, the simplest and original form being that of a lone circle. As the amount of information and designs used in constructing a magic circle has a direct relation with its power, magical symbols like the pentagram, the hexagram, the Star of David, and the Seal of Solomon are often drawn within the circle for additional effects. Other symbols and magic words are written along the circumference of the circle to draw power from what they present through Ceremonial Magic.

However, as a result, the more complicated a magic circle is, the more difficult it is to control. If there's a difference between what the caster intended and what is interpreted incorrectly on the magic circle, the spell will go out of control and, in most cases, the caster will suffer from serious repercussions as "magic always comes with a price".

Magic circles can be created through various means, from drawing designs and arranging certain objects, to using the positions of the stars themselves. Although they are often constructed on two-dimensional surfaces, most experienced magic practitioners can also construct them in three-dimensional space on a near-automatic rate by using life-force.

## Trivia

* Common symbols used in magic circles included: Circle, triangle, square, pentagram, hexagram, sigils, and lines/intersections.
* Many symbols used in magic circles often come from religious and/or mythological backgrounds, and can be further empowered if the magic practitioner is a follower of said religion.