On the different types of Ka

This is my attempt to classify the magic fields. The different types of Ka may be categorized into several overarching categories: evolving Ka, elemental Ka, and residual Ka. Each Ka is linked to a particular planet, zodiac sign, and day of the week. [The nomenclature of evolving, elemental, and residual Ka was written by Sisensee. More information on Ka-vision and related subjects may be found at the old mailing list FAQ.]

Evolving Ka

Solar-Ka—aka Sun-Ka—is linked to the Sun, the sign Leo, and dominates Sunday. In Ka-vision it appears as intense glowing spots, more visible than any other field. It naturally concentrates in humans and other mortal animals, forming the soul in both the living and the dead. It is referred to as Evolving Ka because mortals are able to change and adapt over time, both individually and over generations, whereas elementals generally remain static.

Solar-Ka doesn't form elementals like other Ka. The closest analogue are the dead souls manipulated by the selenim's necromancy, but they are always firmly attached to their physical remains and cannot roam freely like elementals do. The subtle planes of Agartha are supposedly inhabited by “chimeras” composed entirely of Solar-Ka, but only the Agarthans would know for sure. [Chimeras are only described in the French version.]

Elemental Ka

The five classical elements of Air-Ka, Earth-Ka, Fire-Ka, Lunar-Ka and Water-Ka form the Elemental Ka. These Ka-elements form the elemental fields that sustain the physical and spiritual reality of the world we know. They are typically grouped together as a single unit, especially when compared to Evolving Ka and Residual Ka.

Air-Ka is linked to the planet Jupiter, the signs Pisces and Sagittarius, and dominates Thursday. In Ka-vision it ranges from a pure white to a rainy-sky grey, or even a pure-sky blue

Earth-Ka is linked to the planet Venus, the signs Libra and Taurus, and dominates Friday. In Ka-vision it looks like shades of brown and green.

Fire-Ka is linked to the planet Mars, the signs Aries and Scorpio, and dominates Tuesday. In Ka-vision it looks mostly red, but also orange, yellow, white, blue.

Lunar-Ka—aka Moon-Ka—is linked to the light side of the Moon, the signs Cancer and Capricorn, and dominates Monday. In Ka-vision it looks silvery, with perhaps a light golden luminosity.

Water-Ka is linked to the planet Mercury, the signs Gemini and Virgo, and dominates Wednesday. In Ka-vision it ranges from blue to green.

The various natural phenomena, magical places, and elemental Realms are all composed of the Elemental Ka. These events and places give rise to and are inhabited by various elementals composed of one or more Ka-elements, ranging from beasts to beings seemingly smarter than human beings. Elementals that naturally appear on Earth are beasts that run on instinct, though they have been known to recognize enemies from past encounters. Elementals are naturally ephemeral, especially in the presence of Orichalc, and must continuously sustain themselves with sources of concentrated Ka.

The Nephilim draw their magic from these fields. In Ka-vision the Nephilim are composed of the Elemental Ka arranged in a Pentacle orbiting the Axle of their simulacrum’s Solar-Ka. Separated from a human personality to provide awareness, identity and will, the Nephilim’s elemental essence is an instinct-driven beast no different from other naturally occurring elemental creatures.

Residual Ka

The so-called “black elements” of Black Lunar-Ka and Saturnian-Ka lack true magic fields of their own, so they not actively generated but linger from past catastrophes. Altho they lack rays to generate plexi (see Nephilim rulebook p126-7, 132-3), they do ricochet off the elemental fields and pool in a way that can concentrate enough to produce pseudo-plexi. The Nephilim call these fields cursed, damned, doomed and other similarly unpleasant adjectives.

Black Lunar-Ka

Black Lunar-Ka—aka Black Moon-Ka—is linked to the dark side of the Moon, the sign Ophiuchus (hidden within Scorpio), and dominates no day of the week. Altho it exists buried deep within the lunar field, the syzygy of the lunar field actually disrupts its activity! It derives less interference as the Moon wanes.

The Black Lunar field is parasitic. It insidiously insinuates itself within the other fields, especially the Solar and Lunar fields that it actively feeds upon to sustain itself. All elementals of this Ka are insensitive to Orichalc (some even destroy it upon contact at no harm to themselves) but must seek out concentrated sources of Lunar-Ka, Black Lunar-Ka or Solar-Ka to sustain themselves similar to other elementals.

Any concentration of residual Solar-Ka attracts stray motes of Black Lunar-Ka like opposite poles of a magnet. So it pools in places where large amounts of blood was ritually spilled, intense violence occurred, corpses were interred, or anywhere else generally associated with death, dying, and decay. This includes battlefields, charnel houses, murder houses, cemeteries, tombs, catacombs, the aftermath of forest fires, etc. 

In mystic vision it and its elementals are typically imperceptible to nephilim, though during some lunar enthronements it appears “blacker than black”.

The Selenim draw their magic from this field. In Ka-vision the Selenim are composed of Black Lunar-Ka concentrated in a Core that eclipses their simulacrum’s Solar-Ka. They are insensitive to Orichalc, and some have studied it to devise ways of destroying it—or manipulating it…

Saturnian-Ka

This hated Ka has many names: Saturnian-Ka, Orichalka (“destroyer of ka” in Enochian), Black Solar-Ka and Black Sun-Ka (see Nephilim rulebook p9), among others. Saturn itself is called the “Black Sun” or “Black Star” in some occult circles. It is linked to the planet Saturn, the signs Aquarius and Capricorn, and dominates Saturdays. It pools within flints and heavier metals, such as iron and lead. This gave rise to myths like cold iron repulsing fair folk, as well as to archaic medical terms like "saturnism" for lead poisoning. In mystic vision it appears as a “hole” in the magic fields, not perceptible directly. 

[In the French versions, Orichalka was the name of the meteor, whereas the field and the metal was called Orichalque (Orichalc in English). For clarity when distinguishing the manifestations of the Saturnian field, then I want to refer to the metal as Orichalc, to its ruling planet as Saturn, and to the meteor as Hercolubus or something to that effect.]

This Ka’s physical manifestation is Orichalc. Any raw Orichalc-impregnated ore will repel and disrupt the Elemental Ka like the same pole of a magnet (see Secret Societies p38-9). If awakened by a sacrifice of Solar-Ka then Orichalc weapons will annihilate Elemental Ka on contact, but must be stored within Litharge sheaths to prevent degradation by the ambient elemental fields (see Nephilim rulebook p191). It has a poorly understood relationship with nuclear radiation, as the US nuclear tests created permanent Orichalc Plexi (see Nephilim rulebook p133, 204).

Elementals of this Ka are extremely rare and highly ephemeral even by the standards of elementals, as the Elemental Ka that dominate the Earth are anathema to them. Some speculate these “demons” could survive by possessing human bodies, although the possibility of a Saturnian Nephilim is too terrifying to contemplate.

There is barely any magic of this field. While most secret societies know how to awaken and refine Orichalc into weapons and amulets, only the Fraternitas Saturni have developed any Saturnian spells. 

The astrological Nephilim, or Ar-Kaïm, incorporate this Ka into their Heart as a key foundation. In Ka-vision their Heart is composed of Solar-Ka and Saturnian-Ka set at opposite ends like poles of a magnet or bulbs of an hourglass. This unique arrangement lets them incorporate any of the other Ka into their Heart, which orbit around the neck. Like Selenim, they aren’t poisoned by Orichalc. As such, the Major Arcana are very interested in studying them.

Other Black Elements?

Some occultists speculate that there may more “black elements” or “anti-elements” beyond these two, such as Bitter Water-Ka, Dead Air-Ka, Green Fire-Ka, and Black Earth-Ka (see Major Arcana p152, Serpent Moon p90, 111). Mercifully, the existence of any such Ka is purely hypothetical.

Outer and Stellar Ka

The Ka of the outer planets—Uranian-Ka, Neptunian-Ka, and Plutonian-Ka—has been observed at least once but is extremely rare on Earth. These aren’t present in sufficient quantities to form their own fields or to sustain elementals. Nonetheless, the Star Arcanum is very interested in studying them further and the Wheel of Fortune Arcanum suspects they have far greater effect than their rarity would suggest (see Major Arcana p84, 88, 128, 131). Since Pluto is not a true planet as of the International Astronomical Union's formal redefinition in 2006, that raises the question of how many other outer bodies may produce their own Ka and what the limitations are.

Stellar-Ka—aka Star-Ka—is an element hypothesized to exist by the Star Arcanum (see Major Arcana p128, 130, 131). It is well known that the stars, in the form of the zodiac, influence the movements of the magic fields. Any other properties of this Ka remain purely conjecture.

If any Immortals possess these Ka-elements, then they will be of great interest to Arcana like the Wheel and the Star.