The Gates of Time
Some doors in the Arcanum open only on certain nights or days — the full moon, the new moon, the eight festivals, and the two deepest "Deep Doors." Here's when each opens, how to walk it, and what happens if you miss it.
Some doors in the Arcanum aren't always there — they open and close with the sky's rhythm. Open, and you walk in; closed, the Arcanum home tells you "N days to go." Gates never spend your daily reading quota, and every one runs a safety check first (if a matter of real risk surfaces, you get support resources, not a blessing).
Full Moon Gate · Release
- When it opens: the nights around the full moon (moon phase "full" — a window of roughly 3–4 days).
- How to walk it: write down one thing you want to let go of (a single line is enough); Akasha returns a "Release Blessing" that closes on a bolded sealing line.
- Frequency: once per day within the full-moon window; miss this one and the next full moon opens again. +10 Exploration.
New Moon Gate · Three Seed Runes
- When it opens: the nights around the new moon (phase "new").
- How to walk it: optionally state an intention, then draw three seed runes in the positions "To Plant · To Guard · To Harvest," and Akasha writes a seed guidance. The runes you draw also count toward your Codex affinity.
- Frequency: once per day. +10 Exploration.
Wheel of the Year · Eight Gates
Eight seasonal gates, each opening once on its own solar term or festival. Collect all eight = the Wheel sigil.
| Gate | Theme | When it opens |
|---|---|---|
| 🕯 Samhain | remembering the dead & former selves | Oct 31 / Nov 1 |
| ❄ Yule | the longest night, turning inward | winter solstice |
| 🌱 Imbolc | the first spark | Feb 1 / 2 |
| ⚖ Spring Equinox | day and night in balance | spring equinox |
| 🔥 Beltane | vitality and fire | Apr 30 / May 1 |
| ☀ Summer Solstice | the fullest light | summer solstice |
| 🌾 Lughnasadh | thanks and harvest | Aug 1 |
| 🍂 Autumn Equinox | one thing kept, one released | autumn equinox |
- How to walk it: each gate has its own prompt — the Autumn Equinox asks for a "balance entry" (one thing to gather, one to release); Samhain, a letter to a departed one or a former self; Lughnasadh, three things you're grateful for… write it, and Akasha returns a "Festival Blessing."
- Frequency: once per gate per year; miss it, wait a year. +10 Exploration each.
The Deep Doors · The Two Deepest
A Deep Door needs both a rank and a condition (how ranks rise: see Initiation). You can tap a locked door too — you'll see a riddle telling you what's still missing.
- The Guardian's Second Dialogue: requires the Adept rank · a full-moon night · and a prior "Guardian Spirits" reading. Bring a question and return to the guardian you once met, for a deeper exchange (it never swaps deities). You may return on the nights of the full moon.
- The Second Life Chapter: requires the Oathbound rank · and a prior "Past Lives" reading. Turn to the next page of your past life — once in a lifetime.
Where to enter these doors
Open the Arcanum home: tonight's gate (full / new moon) is a tappable entry when open, or shows "N days to go" when closed; the Wheel row shows the nearest seasonal gate and your eight-sigil progress; the Deep Doors sit in their own panel, present whether open or locked — a locked one shows its riddle.