Ceremony

A **ceremony** is performed when a Clan cat changes its rank, typically to evolve into a higher status. There are multiple types of ceremonies, although the most common types are apprentice ceremonies and warrior ceremonies.

## Apprentice Ceremony

Apprentice ceremonies are performed when a kit turns six moons old and is ready to become an apprentice. The Clan leader calls a Clan meeting, and the following words are used by tradition.

***Leader:*** *[Name of kit], you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as [new name, ending with the suffix -paw]. Your mentor will be [name of warrior or medicine cat]. I hope [name of warrior or medicine cat] will pass on all he/she knows on to you.*

***Leader**: [Name of warrior or medicine cat], you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from [name of warrior or medicine cat's former mentor], and you have shown yourself to be [virtue] and [virtue]. You will be the mentor of [name of new apprentice], and I expect you to pass on all you know to [name of new apprentice].*

The mentor then touches noses with the apprentice, and the Clan greets the apprentice by calling out their new name. Afterwards, the apprentice will typically greet their family or go see their mentor.

## Medicine Cat Apprentice Ceremony

The half-moon after a kit is made the medicine cat apprentice, the medicine cat goes with their new apprentice to the Rain Cave to present them to their warrior ancestors. The following words are used by tradition:

***Medicine Cat:*** *[Name of apprentice], is it your wish to enter the mysterious of StarClan as a medicine cat?*

***Apprentice:*** *It is.*

***Medicine Cat:*** *Then come forward.* *Warriors of StarClan, I present you with this apprentice. They have chosen the path of a medicine cat. Grant them your wisdom and insight so that they may understand your ways and heal their Clan in accordance to your will.*

In the Rain Cave, six distinctly colored lights representing the colors of the six Clans form multicolored circles around a common center. The medicine cat apprentice sits down on the circle of their Clan; for example, a medicine cat apprentice from BlueClan would sit down on the circle of blue light. Afterwards, both the medicine cat and their apprentice share a dream with StarClan.

## Warrior Ceremony

Warrior ceremonies are performed when a mentor is satisfied with their apprentice's progress and skills after they have passed an assessment, although in rare cases, the Clan leader may decide that assessments are not necessary if the apprentice has made an important contribution to the Clan. If both the mentor and Clan leader are satisfied, the latter calls a Clan meeting, calls the apprentice forward, and uses the following words as tradition:

***Leader**: I, [name of themself], leader of [name of Clan], call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn. [Name of apprentice], do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?*

***Apprentice:*** *I do.*

***Leader:*** *Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. [Apprentice], from this moment on you will be known as [new warrior name]. StarClan honors your [virtues], and we welcome you as a full warrior of [name of Clan].*

Occasionally, extra words are added at the beginning of the ceremony:

***Leader:*** *[Name of mentor], has your apprentice, [name of apprentice], learned the skills of a warrior? Do they understand the importance of the warrior code?*

***Mentor:*** *They have.*

After the warrior ceremony, the leader rests their muzzle on the new warrior's head, and the new warrior licks the Clan leader's shoulder. The rest of the Clan then greets the new warrior by repeatedly calling out their name. Afterwards, the warrior will sit a silent vigil guarding the camp that night, unless that is not possible or if the cat is injured.

## Medicine Cat Ceremony

Medicine cat ceremonies are performed when a medicine cat is satisfied with their apprentice's knowledge of all available herbs and remedies and the treatment of diseases and injuries. Afterwards, both the medicine cat and their apprentice will travel to the Rain Cave. This is the only ceremony not performed by the Clan leader, and the following words are used by tradition:

***Medicine Cat:** I, [name of medicine cat], medicine cat of [name of Clan], call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon my apprentice. [He/She/Etc] has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help [he/she/etc] will serve [his/her/etc] Clan for many moons. [Name of apprentice], do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart form rivalry between Clan and Clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?*

***Apprentice:*** *I do.*

***Medicine Cat:*** *Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your true name as a medicine cat. [Name of apprentice], from this moment you will be known as [apprentice's new name]. StarClan honors your [virtues], and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of [name of new medicine cat's Clan].*

The medicine cat rests their muzzle on the apprentice's head, and the apprentice licks their mentor's shoulder. The medicine cats of the other Clans greet them by repeatedly calling out their new name.

## Deputy Ceremony

Deputy ceremonies are performed when the Clan leader appoints a new deputy, due to the previous deputy dying, retiring, being exiled, for being promoted to a leader position. According to the warrior code, a new deputy must have mentored at least one apprentice, and must be appointed before moonhigh that day. The Clan leader calls a Clan meeting, and uses these words by tradition:

***Leader:*** *I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirit of our warrior ancestors [or name of former deputy] may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of [name of Clan] is [name of warrior].*

## Elder Ceremony

Elder ceremonies are performed when a warrior, queen, deputy, or medicine cat feels as though they can no longer serve their Clan efficiently anymore, whether it's through aging, illness, injury, or other mental or physical factors that affect the way they hunt and fight. They report this to the Clan leader, who calls a Clan meeting and uses the following words by tradition.

***Leader:*** *[Name of cat], is it your wish to give up the name of a warrior and go to join the elders?*

***Clan Cat:*** *It is.*

***Leader:*** *Your Clan honors you and all the service you have given to us. I call upon StarClan to give you many moons of rest.*

The Clan will call out the retired warrior's name, and afterwards, the new elder will go to the elder's den. Occasionally, the new elder will receive a completely different name reflecting their physical or mental attributes, although this is rare.

## Leadership Ceremony

Leader ceremonies are performed when a deputy receives their nine lives and new name ending with -star from StarClan. The process begins by the new leader, typically accompanied by their medicine cat, does to the Rain Cave. After falling asleep on their circle of colored light, the new leader cannot move for a short period of time, as their old life is being ripped away to be replaced by nine new ones.

After awakening, nine cats of StarClan, typically ones who played significant roles in the new leader's life, come down from StarClan to give the new leader their nine lives. It is noted that, before a life is given, the StarClan cat touches their nose to the top of the new leader's head, and afterwards, a physical wave of emotion that represents the purest form of the virtue that goes along with the life strikes the leader. This often causes pain, but in rare cases, it may result in a different feeling. As each life is given, the following words are used by tradition: *"With this life, I give you [name of virtue that the leader lacks or may need more of]. Use it well to/for/in/etc [situations where the virtue may be useful]."*

Occasionally, the new leader may receive more than one virtue from a StarClan cat, although this is rare. When all the lives have been given, a StarClan cat, typically the previous leader, says these words: *"I hail you by your new name, [original prefix]star. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of [name of Clan that the new leader will lead]. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity."*

Just as Clan cats would call out a new warrior by their new name, the StarClan cats call out the new leader's name. Afterwards, the new leader is forbidden to tell any cat what happened during the ceremony, with the exception of the medicine cat. Note that receiving nine lives does not necessarily mean that the leader lives longer, but that they can survive certain injuries that would normally claim the life of a cat with one life. There is an exception to this, however, as major injuries will use up all nine lives of a leader, although this situation is rare.

If a leader no longer wishes to be leader, they travel to the Rain Cave to return all but one life, so that their deputy can receive all nine lives. However, if this process does not occur, the number of lives the former leader had will be deducted from the nine lives that the new leader receives.