A grand conflict among mages that has continued for many years. Clashes range from subtle maneuvering to outright violence. The Ascension War factions are Council of Nine, Marauders, Nephandi and Technocracy. The first 2 editions of Mage portray it as an idealogical conflict that became violent. Each group wants to influence Sleeper society & make the world more hospitable to their kind of magic. Revised Edition & Mage20 portray it as a desire for power over other mages that only pays lip service to ideology.
1st definition: A struggle on a global scale to make the proper adjustments in the supernatural world and the right influences on society to guide humanity towards a desired future. Sometimes violent, sometimes ideological.
2nd definition (Revised Ed): A violent conflict between the Council of Nine Mystic Traditions and the Technocratic Union. Ended in 2000 AD with Avatar Storm.