Human spirituality is a confusing concept even before you try to give it stats. However, White Wolf has attempted to do just that, by creating various game mechanics to describe the various states of the human soul. However, in typical WW fashion, they have failed to create a "one world" ruling on the exact state of the human spirituality. The references, the data, the powers, and stats are spread out over several different books and crosses several game boundaries. There failure to create detailed rulings on true faith, astral projection, and other powers leaves us confused at to the correct state of higher planes of existence, under WW rules. Perhaps this was intentional, perhaps not.
I would say that this mess was not intentional because of the actual attempts as making a comprehensive system are there, they just never follow through. If one pieces together the various entries and implications, one finds that under all the mess, there is indeed a system. The two most devoted to the topic are Wraith and Mummy.
While it may seem that these two systems are totally separate, they in fact have many similar concepts. Wraith has a Shadow, while there is an obscure reference to the negative spiritual side of a person in mummy. Wraith has the Eidolon, the part that looks out for your best interests, Mummy has the Ka. Mage has the Avatar, mummy has the Ba. Which brings up the question, just what does this all mean?
NEW: As a side note, I have updated the files with new information from both Mummy and Wraith second edition. It seems that some of my previous guesses were wrong and now I will correct them.

What are the major parts of human spirituality?

Not an easy question, but one we will try to answer later, after we explain just what various parts exist.

Eidolon Vs Avatar: Are they the same?

An interesting question that was brought up to me was: is the Avatar and the Eidolon the same? A good question, and there is no easy answer. On the surface, it would seem that yes, they are indeed the same, just in different stages of the life cycle. However, when one looks at the definition of the two, the Avatar is a sentient fragment of a pure one, it is unchanging, and can survive a great deal more punishment then most spirits. It is a personification of the inherent part of a person to be able to influence his environment through belief. This is what sets us above the animals. Humans shape reality. An Avatar is reincarnated when ever someone with an Avatar dies. This also would indicate that the Avatar never enters the Shadow lands, and thus, is not the Eidolon.
The Eidolon on the other hand is not sentient, but a reflection of a person's spirituality. Like the Avatar, it guides the person, but is more of a feeling then a sentient force. Where the mind and the Avatar are separate and one can exist without the other, the Eidolon cannot exist without a host. Eidolons are apparently also very personal, and do not transfer from one person to another. When someone reaches Oblivion, his Eidolon apparently goes with him.
We can only come to the conclusion that the Avatar and the Eidolon are actually separate parts of human spirituality. Furthermore, from reading Mage and Wraith, it is implied that every human has an Avatar when he is born, and every human has an Eidolon when he is dead. However, not everybody has a strong enough Avatar or Eidolon for it to manifest.

Wait a sec, where does it say that everyone has an Eidolon?

Actually, it doesn't. Eidolon is nothing more then a three paragraph background on page 132 of the W:tO rule book. Don't bother checking the index, it will send you to page 29, where it will refer to nothing on the topic. On page 110 under step four is a reference to it being bought in sample character creation. Other then that, there is no other mention of it. So we must extrapolate from what it does say about it.

The Eidolon is the "Higher self" a personal spirituality. However, this implies spirit in the sense of a soul, then in the sense of belief. While it could be a manifestation of a person's inner beliefs, the implications are such that it is separate from a person, in the same way that the super ego is separate from the ego. Using this analogy, the Shadow would correspond to the Id.
Since the Shadow is separate from the self, which can be read in several sections, and is most dramatically described in "The Sea of Shadows" where an example is given to show that the Shadow can be destroyed while leaving the self intact. Of course the side effects of this are rather nasty, it does show that the Self and the Shadow are separate in a spiritual sense, then the Eidolon would seem to also be separate. We come to the proof that since everybody has a Shadow, and the Eidolon is part of the Self-Shadow connection, then everybody has one.
There is also further evidence available in Mummy. On Page 52, it outlines the Egyptian beliefs for the parts of the human soul. Listed under this are various parts, one of which is the Khaibit. Khaibit is defined as "The Shadow". Further explanation is available under the Necromancy section on page 45. This Necromantic ritual by the same name divorces the Shadow from a person so that they can continue into the afterworld without the burden of negative emotions. The result is a freed Shade that attempts to corrupt the world.

So the Eidolon-Self-Shadow corresponds to the Super Ego-Ego-ID of Freud, where does the Avatar fit in?

The Avatar is separate from the Eidolon, Self, and Shadow. While it cannot manifest without the assistance of an awakened individual, it is separate with it's own personality, goals, and desires.
An Avatar has a goal, which is separate from the goals of the person it is in. However, most Avatars are stuck in unawakened individuals, so they lay dormant until they have the right conditions to manifest. In an Awakened Mage, the Avatar allows the mage to alter reality by showing him how to alter his perceptions and feed these altered perceptions through the Avatar.
However, this symbiotic relationship does not always work out, because the Avatar does not control the person and personality conflicts can arise. The most dramatic of this is when a mage tries to alter reality and his personal beliefs get in the way, causing Paradox. The way to avoid Paradox is to surrender entirely to the Avatar, thus allowing the Avatar and the self to become virtually one and the same. This is what is known as a Marauder.
The book says under the description of Avatar on page 154 of M:tA, "The soul is what differentiates humans from animals." However, from the readings and the data I have accumulated, this is a mis statement. I would correct it by saying, "The AVATAR is what separates humans from the animals."
The soul has too many connotations, and should not be used to refer to any one part of the spirituality of a human. In the Wraith Player's guide and in the Dark Kingdom of Ivory, animals when they die pass into the underworld and assume self-awareness. And while it?s not clear, I would assume that they too have a Shadow and Eidolon. Since they seem to have the primary parts of "a soul" to manifest in the Shadow lands, it would appear that the only thing that sets humans and animals apart is the Avatar.

So we have The Avatar, the Eidolon, The Self, and The Shadow. But just what is the Self anyway? Is it "The Soul"?

Well, the self is a bit of a loose end. It's not quite implied exactly just what the self is. Certainly it has been shown that the self would correspond to the person's conscienceness, his mind. However, the mind and spirit are separate spheres under the mage rules. This brings up the question, where does the mind fit into all this?
Does an Avatar have a separate mind? Does the Shadow? How about the Eidolon? Is the self a spiritual shell and a mind as well? A quandary to say the least. In order to understand exactly what this is, we must determine exactly what is the mind and spirit and body.
These three fall under separate spheres under mage rules, so we must conclude that they are different things, under WW rules. The body is clearly flesh and bone and falls under the life sphere and is nothing more then a shell for the mind.
Since when a person becomes a wraith, is not the spirit just a shell for the mind, as well? This would then imply that the self is the mind.

So, what exactly are the parts of human spirituality?

Well, there is to start the body, which contains the Avatar and the Eidolon-Self-Shadow combination. The body is also referred to as the Khat by mummies. It can fall under the Life sphere in most cases but for Vampires it falls under Matter. The body is what houses everything, in other words.
The Avatar, referred to as the Sahu by the mummies, is similar to the mitochondria of our cells. Our cells work better with them, but in the beginning we didn't need them. The mitochondria don't need us because it has it's own DNA, but it works better with a host cell. Over the eons they grew so interdependent that they really can't function properly without one another anymore. Also, the Avatar has it's own intelligence. If the Avatar has a Shadow and Eidolon, it's hard to tell. However, I can only assume that it doesn't. The Avatar seems to be an aspect. Maybe like the mitochondria it had the ability in the past to exist separate from the host, but both have long since lost the ability.
Which brings us to The Eidolon-Self-Shadow. The Mummies would refer to this as Ba-Ka-Khaibit. It would seem that the Eidolon part is a spiritual part of the whole, but seems to have very limited self, drawing most of it's personality from the true self. Likewise, the Shadow is dependent on the true self for any manifestation of personality it has.
The Eidolon is a reflection of the person's "higher" self, personality wise. The Shadow is a manifestation of the self's dark side, his negative emotions and his "angst". Which brings up the question, is there really a Shadow and a Eidolon, or are these psychosis generated concepts that serve only to fragment the Self and prevent transcendence? No more so then the Id, Ego, and Super Ego fragment a person. Simply put, it is the tangible manifestation of the division within us all.
Which leaves three aspects left. The mummies choose the heart, or Ab, as a separate part from the Khat/Body. The heart would seem to be very important, seeing that a stake would immobilize a vampire. The Ren, or true name, of an individual is also seen as part of the soul. Although what effect this can be used on people's individual parts is up to the individual storyteller. The Caul, or Khu, is the shining, intangible covering that surrounds the wraith. An interesting question is does this caul cover the Avatar as well?
And finally: The Juice/Sekhem/Pathos/Blood Points/Quintessence/Gnosis/Glamour. What ever you call it, it's the stuff that makes the world go round, just different ways of looking at it.

Joy, what does this all mean?

Well, with a true singular view of the game mechanics behind we can come up with a reason for why supernaturals manifest as they do.

Give me some examples, please?

OK, The vampire. It is known from examples that the Avatar leaves the vampire upon death. Therefore he becomes a manifestation of spiritual energy in a pattern prescribed by the laws of reality. Werewolves cannot use magic, so therefore they do not have Avatars. Obviously their "other" spirituality and connection to the Umbra and Gaia makes it impossible for there to be room for an Avatar. Mummy states that the Sahu leaves after death so they no longer can use true magic at that point.

Wait a sec, Go into greater detail about vampires.

OK, Vampires are normal humans to start. Then they get "Embraced". This kills them and brings them back. Upon death, the Avatar leaves the body if it's lucky, or is destroyed. But vampires do not go unto the long night gently, they remain on this plane as vampires. They become spirits trapped in physical form, with strong connections to the death umbra. I might conjecture that "The Beast" is an altered manifestation of The Shadow, but would have problems justifying this statement, as there is no corresponding manifestation of the Eidolon. So two possible theories come to light.
One, part of the curse suppresses the Eidolon so that we cannot find it, and are thus consumed by "The Beast". In this case, Golconda would be the finding of your Eidolon, and achieving transcendence while still tied to this plane. If a GM wishes to use this, he should make Eidolon available as a background to vampires. Usable only to resist the Beast.
Two, the vampire is transformed into a spirit being. A new spiritual aspect is added, "the Beast", and he becomes a walking fetish. I have personal problem with this, because it adds yet another part to an already confusing mess. Then again, I just might be trying to push a square peg in a round hole.

What about Werewolves?

Well, this may sound odd, but werewolves aren't human in any way shape or form. Spiritually, I'd call them spirits on the wrong side of the Gauntlet. They have no Eidolon, no Shadow. They are one being spiritually with no inherent internal division. They have no Avatars, thus explaining why they cannot manipulate reality like mages. Proof of this is that when a werewolf dies, he doesn't go into the death umbra but goes to "join Gaia" where his spirit can be contacted by people with Past Life. So werewolves don't fall under human spirituality, werewolves are just spirits. The same thing can be said about fey. They are spirits trapped on this plane. Human spirituality does not apply to them in any way.

OK, mages?

I think I covered that, but to sum up: Awakened mages are normal humans with a Self, a suppressed Shadow and a suppressed Eidolon that may or may not manifest, depending on if they go to the death umbra when they die, and an Avatar that is awakened.

OK, what about combinations?

You can never have a vampire-mage combo. You can get close, but never truly have it. You could in theory take an Avatar and bind it into a vampire, and attempt to warp reality enough for the vampire to learn how to use it, but don't bet on it. If you got a mage that powerful, why would he give a damn about vampires?
Then you have your mage-garou combo. In theory, it's possible. Sam Height, for example. A kinfolk without the Gnosis background to tie him to Gaia can become awakened, because he is not "fully" a werewolf. Then he can undergo the ritual for making a Skin Dancer. Boom, you got a mage-garou.
Then you got a vampire-garou. This requires the garou to botch his Gnosis roll. I say that this is not just his failing to be connected with Gaia at the right time, but also if he had a fragment of his human "soul" with a fragment of his Shadow still around in his body. Which makes sense, you are more likely to gain a botch on one die then ten, and a garou with one Gnosis is less in tune with Gaia then one with ten. Less Gnosis is less were wolf-ish, and therefore, more "human". This is proven in that it's harder to go into the Umbra with a low Gnosis, and homids have less Gnosis then lupus. You need to be tied to this plane at the moment of weakness.
Mummy-Garou are rare, but possible. But it throws a monkey wrench into the whole cosmology. White Wolf has an example of a mummy werewolf (Wepawet), which means that werewolves are spiritually divisible, which means they have parts to their spirituality as well, but it doesn't jive with the rest of the universe. I'd have to say that if Horus wants to make a mummy-whatever, Horus can do it. He's older then some 3rd generations, and may have been around for the flood, it's hard to tell. He can do what he damn well pleases. This being the case, Garou must have an Eidolon. This is were is starts getting sticky. If Garou have an Eidolon, then they have a Shadow. This might be true, if the Shadow corresponds to the Wyrm, then this might be their rage. Focused, controlled Wyrm Power/Angst.
Fay-whatever. Two words, chaos personified. Fay can do whatever they want and break the rules, so don't bother making rules for them.
Wraith-whatever, Ummmm, no.
Mage-Garou-Vampire. One, WHY? Mage-garou-ghoul, maybe, but why would you want to lose the ability to go around in the day? Furthermore, you run into the problem of keeping the Avatar, and if the garou part will allow you remain on this plane. Just too messy.

Love to hear your thoughts on this ...

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