He was naked. In perfect posture, back straight, his muscles taunt but not trembling, he looked amazing in the morning sunlight. The clarity and power he put into the words invoked admiration. I knew those words. This was the Star Ruby ritual. An exercise magicians practice, a form of meditation designed to increase concentration and open the spirit. Besides a few Youtube videos, I had never seen magick performed by another. Despite years of solitary practice, I never found the need to seek out others. The majesty of it floored me. Pangs of jealousy crept up, as I believed my own stumbling rituals could never inspire such awe. He seemed perfectly in the moment of it, in ecstasy.