Nine Sacred Passions

The Nine Sacred Passions

Taken from The Cult of Ecstasy Tradition Book six, Second Edition, Mage the Ascension, Pg. 20

The expression "Feelings are not good or bad, they just are" fits the Ecstatic viewpoint well. To Cultists, all emotions have their positive and negative aspects. The only really bad passion is the lack of passion. Emotion is the vital link to Divinity; insensitivity is best left for the Technocracy.

Not that all feelings should be worn on one's sleeve. Ecstatics know how much damage unbridled passions can cause. The trick, as always, is self-discipline. There's nothing wrong with what you feel; you should feel. It's what you do with those feelings that makes things right or wrong.

In her book of the same name, Tali Eos defined Nine Sacred Passions that she felt lie at the root of all other emotions. These are: Joy (or Wonder); Love; Empathy (or Sympathy); Lust (or Ambition); Grief (or Sadness); Fear; Jealousy (or Envy); Hate; and Rage. The concept wasn't new, but her book defined their meaning in Ecstatic lore. To Eos, each passion has a constructive and destructive side. Joy can blind you as you stumble over a cliff, while Envy can drive you to achieve something that you might not have bothered with otherwise. Even Hate is necessary--some enemies deserve no quarter.

Eos' list has never been considered infallible; Cultists have debated her concepts since the founding of their Tradition. Still, most mentors pass the idea on to their students. Although the Cult believes in breaking down barriers, it helps to know where those limits are before setting out.