Thaumaturgy

Thaumaturgy is the process of creating magical links between objects or people. Magic flows through one object and is attached to the other.

Description
Harry Dresden says: "As above, so below. Make something happen on a small scale and feed it enough energy to happen on a large scale." Most thaumaturgy requires something to connect the object being used to the greater object, such as blood, hair or nail clippings, etc.

Thaumaturgy is employed in various ways. The most well-known example is the voodoo doll, which is a doll magically connected to a person.

It has been used to: keep a loup-garou from biting or slashing ; trace items to other items ('finder spell'); and even track enemies (Little Chicago ).

Thaumaturgy originated on the earth, doesn't cross into the Nevernever very effectively.

Tracking Spells

 * TRACKING SPELLS: are like any kind of targeted thaumaturgy: create a link, channel to target, pour energy into that channel. With a tracking spell, you are setting up a continuous trickle of energy and then following it to the target.


 * TO BLOCK A TRACKING SPELL: is to prevent that channel from ever being formed. The way to do that is to shield the target from whatever focus you are using to create the link. — Like if the focus is hair, then you'd shave the head of the target. Also, a good Circle of Power would do the job with enough time and money to give it juice. Theoretically, you could also go into the Nevernever.


 * POSSIBLE FAILURES:
 * If using blood from a relative, there maybe something more than simple blood relation involved, maybe there needs to a bond, a sense of family
 * Maybe there's some kind of magic that jams or conceals
 * Maybe it's distance. Some wizards have tracked as far as a couple of thousand miles but that's not so common or easy.
 * There is no blood, hair, or nail clipping available

Storm Front
In Storm Front, the primary antagonist Victor Sells aka the Shadowman uses a thaumaturgic ritual to kill his victims.

Harry uses a tracking spell to find the hair that Gimpy stole off his head, it leads him to Marcone at the Varsity. Harry uses a few strands of his hair plus the blood and skin from their fight in a circle, then says sergui votro testatum.

Proven Guilty
In Proven Guilty, Dresden built a thaumaturgical model of Chicago, named Little Chicago. Later, he uses it to track where the Fetches took Molly Carpenter through into the Nevernever. The first attempt didn't work because Molly's baby hair was too old. The second try they used Charity's blood and it worked.

White Night
In White Night, he uses Little Chicago to track Grey Cloak who eventually leads him to Cowl who does something to cause part of Harry's model to melt.

Ghost Story
In Ghost Story, Harry revises his trusty tracking spell to adjust to his new ghostly state by powering it with memories to locate Molly Carpenter.

Cold Days
In Cold Days, Harry was attacked, beaten and nailed by Ace, Captain Hook and Redcap. Harry, Butters, and Thomas are worried about what his enemies could do with his blood that was left behind.

Notable users

 * Harry Dresden
 * Ms. Gard
 * Elaine Mallory

External References

 * Thaumaturgy - Wikipedia