So, I've been around for a fairly long time but I've remained a fairly apathetic basher the entire time. I'd like to change that, so I was hoping I could get some advice from some people who know what they’re doing.

My main two questions: what equipment (items/defs) should I have, and where should I be bashing?

In regards to the first question, all I have right now is greatrobes and two healing potions. I feel like it's self-evident that I need more than two vials, but I was wondering if I should be using other healing methods, like scrolls or sparkleberry, when bashing, or if that’s not really cost-effective. Is it a good idea to hunt with all the enchantment rays? Are there specific defs I should be using?

As far as point two, I know there's a guide to hunting right in this sub-forum, but there are some places not on the list (like the only real place I’ve been bashing lately when I get the energy is the Asylum). I'm level sixty-eight, but I still tend to get ripped to shreds whenever I try Astral, so obviously that’s not a great place for me.

I realize these are rather simple questions, but I'm really trying to get into this with a bit more know-how than I've had in the past. Any constructive comments would be greatly appreciated.

You definately want the enchantment rays. They make a big difference in how often you have to sip.
I personally carry at least one of every potion, because fire and frost are relatively common afflictions (from what I have seen) and you need to be able to mend breaks and regen limbs and such.

As for Sparkles and Healing scrolls, that depends on your race/class, because I know as a mugwump, I'm rather squishy, so healing scroll helps. Sparkles get expensive, and can be hard to track down, but enchantment recharges are fairly easy to find, inside nations and the aetherways too.

Use Nature Domoth herb.

Level 68 Geomancer, I'm assuming? Try hunting the Keph hives. Good gold, lots of hives, problem is they're on Prime and you're on enemy territory, so get a gem or something if you don't like getting poked at when you're hunting. Could also try Shallamurine priestesses or the less painful astral things like fesixes.

Always have all your non-power defs. Sparkleberry isn't a must but it helps. Life/War/Harmony blessings.

I always, ever since I got my first system, do a full def-up when I log on and recast defs as soon as they fall. There's really no reason why not to use all defs you can, well, at least ones that stay for at least a hour. Gives the best protection you can get, gives a better chance to get out in one piece if someone does decide to jump you, makes you always ready to defend and so on... Besides, as a mage you really don't waste loads of power on doing a full def-up.

You'll really need all curatives in decent amounts as things can and will afflict you with various nastiness. I still don't carry around a healing keg with me (although I should, heh), instead if usually have about 10 healing vials, so I can got bashing and forget about refilling them.

As for other healing methods. Yes, you should be using all you can to hunt efficiently. Potions, scroll and sparkle as well. Most systems will let you set levels for potion, scroll and sparkle, just work out what's best for you. When bashing I like to set sparkle at 50% health, just to make sure I go below half as rarely as possible. If you can get sparkles for a decent prices, it's really not so bad, considering that while bashing in areas with decent drops, you'll be getting at least a 100 or so per mob.

At your level and as a mage I would pretty much forget about things like Astral... hives, maybe... never hunted Kephera so not sure what they do. I know that weakest Illithoids can still be a pain for me if I'm unlucky with crits. That's mostly due to their healthleech. As a mage, your speed and damage output is somewhat pathetical (I know, I've been one) so everything with a healthleech is... pointless to bash. You'll spend way too long and waste way too much resources for it to be worth the exp.
I'd also stay away from Shallamurine that Xiel suggested. The priestesses there will rape you as a squishy lvl 68 mage. Hit and run could be an option, but again, that'll take too long to be worth it.

To be honest, I'd try something like single gorgogs (if you've hunted them in past, forget about it. They now team and you really don't want three or four of them use the ~2k attack at the same time) or merians. Sharks in Sea of Despair, spectres most likely are an options as well. Krokani and aslaran when you can find them. Skaarch is also worth a try.
Basically, I'd focus on smaller things that are quicker to kill and lots of, instead of bigger things that take too much time to kill.

Kephera aren't bad, but then again I'm an Illithoid Telekine with nearly 7k for a forcefield. Just watch out for big mobs of them together and you'll be fine.

When I was a TK I was running around with close to 7.9k Forcefield when I had Tosha, blessings and pretty much every other buff I could get. I was lvl 82 at the time and a Trill, with psychic resistance. I could take on about four illithoids at the same time and still be reasonably fine. The problem however, was that my damage output and their healthleech nearly cancelled each other out. I remember staffing an illithoid scavenger (the weakest type of illies) for well over a minute when I got unlucky with Crits. The ones who didn't leech where fine though.

As far as I know, no kephera (minus the nurses) have healthleech.

Clearly that means they should buff kephera

Or nerf Illithoid health leech.

Or buff Staff. >.>

Wtf, are mages bad for bashing all of a sudden? They were awesome a minute ago. Staff damage > cosmicfire and telekinesis + psionics = buffs out the wazoo.

The main problem there is with Mage bashing (if you're not a Telekinetic) is that your health isn't spectacular, and the equilibrium loss per staff cast takes quite a while. And the probability of crits happening for the last hit, we waste most of it.

You're behind, man! Guardians don't bash with cosmicfire anymore.

After level 80 nothing is good bashing. You are lucky to get .30% from killing one of the vicious, immensely dangerous creatures that lurk in the darkest shadows of Lusternia. Rapidly, it gets worse. The only exception I could imagine would be getting together all the 75+ and Demigods you know to link on the astral and bash a dozen bulls at once.

Comparative to other IRE games, high level bashing in Lusternia is easy. You just gotta have persistence.

Nah, cuz they made the astral creatures hit harder with every extra person you bring along. More people = more death.

Contrary to popular belief, Astral is still a good place to go group bashing, provided you have a couple demigods and don't bring 15 people.