I did not know Ratzinger was so progressive. But yes, that is exactly what I believe. I believe that there is a creator God, but the exact method of his creativity is undefined. Im my elief, the Big Bang is evidence of God in that it indicates a start point to the universe, which combines with Aquinian philosophy quite nicely.
This is another example. People misinterpret the phohibitions against magic to claim that even dicussions about magic are somehow evil. The thing is, there is no such thing as magic. It is non-existant. Harry Potter and Ars Magica are only make-believe. The sinfulness associated with magic is actually the sins of greed and deception. Charlitans, fortune tellers, con-artists, etceteras. I know how the whole fortune telling scam works, I can do cold readings with cards and freak people out with the stuff I am just making up based off of peoples expressions and body language.
In Mythic Europe, though, there's both real magic and a Biblical prohibition against magic. Given the real and obvious presence of magic in the world, it's very difficult to interpret the prohibition against magic in Mythic Europe (as opposed to our world) as being a prohibition against deception. That poses a serious problem for holy magi like Ameline.
BTW, is anyone going to comment on the rook? Should I just add him to Astrid's character sheet as-is?
Scott
That's why, for fictional purposes, there is a distintction between allowed and disallowed magic. I think that if magic were real, the bible would have a whole different set of rules. But let us just worry abbout what RoP-Divine points out. Sins are forgiven, and the wors sin in general regular Hermetic magic is the reliance on the semi-blasphemous words and gestures. Holy Magic places a hard limitation on Ameline because of that.
I am unsure what a rook is. At first I thought you ment a pet rock. I am waiting on hearing other people's comments. Otherwise I think it is cute.
It's a kind of bird, in the corvid (crow) family--unlike ravens, rooks usually flock, but like ravens, they're associated with predicting death. They're also reputed to be able to predict the weather, and they're known as acrobatic flyers.
Scott
Oh! Okay, makes much more sense then. Octavius has a bunch of birds in his tower that he called ravens. Perhaps they are rooks instead. Being orn and raised in a magic aura for generations, one of them is eventually born with magic might. Perhaps that is where this bird came from?
She brought it with her from Gothia in the Crimea. Maybe it's made friends with the local ravens, though 
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Scott
Not as harsh as it could be but yeah, -5 to all spell casting rolls for any spell not mastered as still (including all spont spells). No ability to use exaggerated voice/gestures for my casting either. (Could have been -15 but my spells are quiet x2). Of the 18 years past apprenticeship of Ameline, a lot of seasons were spent in reinventing spells.
Holy magic is almost as much miracles as much as it is magic. It is why my writings are incomprehensible, my lab total is half when studying from Hermetic Arts book (quality 10 book is quality 5 for me) or learning spells from lab texts (so if I have a 40 CrCo lab total generally, it is only a 20 for learning hermetic spells). My spells can't be used to sin and any time the ST feels like it is good for story, my holy magic can totally vanish for a time to see if my faith remains constant as a test of faith.
As for the magical rook, I liked it and it seemed reasonable that unless Marko had a problem, it should just be added.
Ravens have no friends 
Looks cool
Actually, yes, if the birds in the tower form a flock, it's more likely they'd be rooks (or some other corvid species) than ravens.
Scott
Actually, they were a murder of crows but I don't mind changing it or that the rook would have just asserted its dominance over the others since if I'm not mistaken, Rooks are bigger than crows.
The murder of crows could have just welcomed the rook into their number (dominance or not) since food is plentiful and they are close enough to communicate with each other.
I said nothing, as I lack the time to check it thoroughly.
I have too big of a pounding headache right now to put much thought into anything right now.
I'll go ahead and upload Astrid's changed character sheet. I did make one change, giving the rook Unaffected by the Gift (which seems standard among similar magic animals) in place of Second Sight as a Virtue, and Second Sight as a Magic Quality in place of a second step of Improved Defense.
I'm working on Constantine the butterfly familiar right now, but before I finalize him I want to see what if anything we do with Mark's idea of changed familiars rules.
Hope you head feels better, Octavian. 
Scott
No need for any changes. The Familiar can learn from the magus, and if already immortal it will not die when the magus does. We are good to go 
Well, if you decide to go with the Qualities thing you proposed, I could make use of that. It would be a much easier way of giving the familiar speech, for example. In theory, the Familiar could learn new Magic Qualities, but with a Might of 27 that's gonna be difficult....
Scott
You realize that it requires an experimentation roll, wich could possibly destroy the familiar 
If you want to play with the idea, I am cool with that. If it works, I will make a submission out of it. But I would want a third person to serve as a neutral observer. Another player well familiar with the game.
I could do it, but you'll have to explain to me what he wanna do exactly. Freakin' Headache again, I have a hard time understanding things
I will send you the rough notes I sent Scott. It was an idea for a Sub Rosa submission that I never got around to finishing. I mean, it is complete and it has been revised once. ut I have not looked at it in a while and it has not yet been tested.