Core idea
Power does not come from absorbing energy alone. It comes from three things working together: ginhawa (breath and life force), loób (the inner self, meaning character, will, and conscience), and kapwa (the shared bond with other people and with spirits). A person who is strong in breath but weak in character cannot advance, because loób is the gate between every stage.
Stage 1: Hinga (Breath)
The student learns to control breathing during long fasting, cold river baths before sunrise, and slow, repeated movements of Arnis or Kali. The body becomes steady and the mind becomes quiet. The visible result is better stamina, faster recovery from wounds, and a calm that others notice. The cost is discipline. A student who lies, steals, or loses temper during this stage loses progress.
Stage 2: Oracion (Spoken Prayer)
The student memorizes oracion, which are secret prayers mixing old Latin, local dialects, and sounds that no teacher explains. Each one must be spoken at the correct hour, often at midnight or during Holy Week. The prayers focus ginhawa into sharp bursts of strength, speed, or protection. The cost is secrecy. An oracion that is shared carelessly or spoken without belief becomes empty, so students learn to keep silence about their training.
Stage 3: Anting (The Bound Object)
The student binds power into an object such as a stone, a medal, a strip of cloth, or a blade. This is the anting-anting, and it gives lasting protection or battle skill, even when the owner is tired. Each object carries pantang, which are strict taboos, such as never crossing a certain river, never eating a certain meat, or never entering a house during mourning. Breaking a taboo makes the object fail at the worst possible moment.
Stage 4: Loób (The Refined Self)
The student faces inner trials instead of physical ones. Memories, guilt, and fear are examined slowly, often in caves, forests, or mountains such as Banahaw or Makiling, where old practitioners say the spirits are strong. A person who passes can sense spirits, feel lies, and resist fear or control. A person who fails may become proud and cruel, and this is the stage where many practitioners fall into becoming feared figures rather than respected ones.
Stage 5: Babaylan (The Mediator)
At this level the practitioner no longer relies on personal strength alone. Power flows from kapwa, a deep bond with the community and with the spirits that protect it. The practitioner can heal illness, guide a village through hardship, bargain with spirits, and strengthen others instead of only themselves. The cost is utang na loob, a debt of gratitude to the spirits and to the people. The more power received, the more the practitioner must give back, so the strongest figures are often the humblest.
Rules that keep it realistic
Power grows slowly and unevenly, since belief, health, and moral conduct all affect it. No stage can be skipped, because each one prepares the person for the next. Every gain has a visible price, such as a taboo, a debt, or a loss of freedom. Different regions can have different names and methods, so a teacher from the Visayas would not train the same way as one from Luzon or Mindanao.