Athaiya

An Athaiya is a ritual in which an mage apprentice is formally recognized as a magus, with all the privileges and responsibilities that implies. Most apprentices begin their training in their adolescence, and even those who begin training later are treated as such until they have had their Athaiya. After this point, they are seen as adults both by other magi and in the eyes of the law.

Qualifications

An apprentice's Athaiya is performed once they have reached a series of milestones in their training:

Mastery over their first spell. While these spells are considered minor cantrips to experienced magi, everyone remembers the first time they successfully cast a spell, what that spell was, and what the circumstances were that led up to it. It is this first spell that is being commemorated by the ritual, as casting any spell requires one to learn how to allow magical energy to pass through them without harming them. After this point, learning other spells comes much more quickly, as it is simply a matter of learning new ways to shape that energy.

Thorough understanding of a treatise on the ethics of being a magus. Several such treatises exist for a variety of worldviews (some of which push the definition of "ethics" to its limits), and a master is free to write their own for their apprentices.

The ability to sense magical energy. This is usually necessary for casting spells, but some are born with instinctive gifts that allow them to handle a spell without fully understanding the process; these gifts alone, while impressive, do not make one qualified to be a magus.

Execution of the Ritual

When a master decides their apprentice is ready for their Athaiya, they will invite a handful of other magi who they know well to the event, which customarily takes place in the late afternoon. The guest list is customarily very limited - often just the master's previous students and possibly the master who taught them when they were young. However, many masters allow their apprentice's family and close friends watch from the sidelines, provided they agree to stay silent until the ceremony is completed.
When the time comes, the apprentice stands before the assembled magi, formally thanks them for coming, and then recites the treatise they were required to memorize. Differences in word usage are permitted, but if any substantial mistakes are made, they bring shame both on themselves and on their master, who must apologize for wasting the time of those in attendance, and the rest of the event is called off. The apprentice is then assigned some form of punishment, though the severity is entirely up to the master in question. Some masters attempt to minimize this possibility by requiring their apprentices to recite the treatise from memory on a daily basis for a month or more before the anticipated date of their Athaiya.
Upon concluding the passage, the apprentice will invoke the name of the spell they are about to demonstrate, then retrieves any necessary paraphenalia for the demonstration (for example, a target dummy for an apprentice demonstrating an offensive spell, ripped cloth to repair with a mending spell, and so forth, as well as any components required to cast the spell. They then cast the spell, and each of the attendees gives their feedback on how they did. Any criticism is expected to be given constructively and recieved as useful advice to apply in the future. The apprentice's master rises and congratulates their apprentice, then requests the group's permission to grant their apprentice the title of magus. Objections are extremely rare, and must be backed up with a very good reason based on the apprentice's performance during their Athaiya. If there are no objections, or if those objections are resolved or overruled by the consensus of all other magi in attendance, the apprentice is formally granted the title, often being given a token that legally identifies them as a magus in their country.
After the ceremony, it is customary for a celebratory dinner to be held. If the apprentice's family or other guests were denied entry before, this is where they are invited to join. The dinner is considerably less formal, and all attendees are permitted to speak freely.