There is big magic in Glorantha, but it tends to be bound into things. The Crater Makers, for example, bring meteors down from the moon. What you don't tend to get in Glorantha, unlike D&D worlds, is lots of flashy, disembodied magic. When an Orlanthi uses lighting, he usually calls it from the sky; he doesn't cast it from his hand (unless he has a handy javelin). Elementals don't just rise up out of nowhere; they rise up out of the huge bonfire you built, or whatever.
There are exceptions, of course. Flying, teleporting, summoning dead spirits, and so on. But I think the larger observation is still true more often than not. Gloranthan magic tends to flow through structures that are already there. So, if Orlanthi had no flying magic to begin with, it would be easier to learn to fly by jumping on to the top of a fog bank, then having the wind blow it around than it would to try jumping straight into the air. Why? Because clouds move around all the time.
It may be that, because of our perspective as PC's, we are more familiar with the flashy magic that heroes like us use. I think the average Gloranthan is more familiar with the low-key, easier magic that flows from the cycle of rituals that they regularly perform. Time to plant - do a fertility ritual. Time to weed - do a gardening ritual. Time to harvest - do the thanksgiving ritual. Time to have a baby - do the ease birth ritual. They know that there are effects because there were years when the rituals failed, and those were really bad years.
So, getting back to the magical contraception, there is surely stuff that people use for contraception. They do a ritual, boil the herbs, and rub on the ointment (or whatever), which glowed during the ritual. It has some effect. But they also know that it will have less effect if the user gave community support to the annual fertility ritual and goes to the Ernalda temple regularly. So caution is still warranted. Those that have serious reasons to avoid pregnancy can do more to avoid it. They could not participate in the fertility rituals, stay away from Ernalda rituals, avoid the place in the tula where [famous heroine] seduced [famous hero], etc. That would give a very good chance of avoiding pregnancy, perhaps as good as modern contraceptives (which fail with measurable certainty). But it is not easy, it may not be cheap, and it is a good story hook.
The best chance of avoiding pregnancy would be in the context of a heroquest in which the goddess had sex but did not get pregnant. "Vinga Does Dallas" would be a fine heroquest of that type. What, you don't know that one? You're all idiots.
Chris
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