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fandomhigh2009-01-22 01:40 pm
brandyforapples.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomhigh2009-01-22 01:40 pm
Thaumaturgy 101 - Thursday, First Period - 1/22
Abigail Irene Garrett was bundled up in her best city coat, traveling dress, and boots. As her students filed in, she pointed them towards the tea and coffee she'd had Mary help her set up before the class had started.
"I'll take the freezing charm off of them in a moment; I just wanted to make sure it was hot for when you all came in," she said to her class with a smile.
"Unfortunately, we're covering a bit of history today so there will be no fireballs," a smile to one of her studentswho was hopefully there "nor any other warming influences other than the drinks. Hopefully, however, your scholastic spirit will be given plenty of fuel to burn."
She turned to the class with a brief chuckle.
"Don't worry, I know how ridiculous that sounded. I just couldn't resist."
And now to the board.
"The history of magic started, as you might expect, as an outgrowth of religion. While most western textbooks will point to the Greeks and the Romans as our mystical forebearers, I don't regret to inform you that there were traditions in ancient Egypt, ancient Africa, ancient China, and ancient India which started at the same time or even earlier in some cases. You might notice where I place these, how widely spread they are. Magic, and religion, are powerful human forces and that they sprang up in a multiplicity of locations simultaneously surprises me not one whit.
"The first we could call 'proto-magicians', however are the Magi of Zoroastrianism. The rites and rituals of their work are what shape our first 'school' of magic: the Hermetics. Some parts you might find familiar in this school are the use of 'magic words', ritual tools, the usage of a circle, and the utilization of symbols and sigils.
"In the periods following this, there were a number of different schools that came about. The Druids, who provided quite a lot to the ideaology of the magician as community leader, are one. They also gave us quite a lot of the woodlore used in sorcery today. Another is the Norse or the Teutonics, which held two schools based on two different gods. The magic of Odin, whose use of runes and bindrunes as well as sigils and symbology expanded upon the Hermetic principles, and the magic of Freya, more trancework, which was one of the first magical systems which dealt with the female powers as ideaologies. Some scholars insist that the Druids did as well, but as always, there is debate.
"Stepping back, I must point out the Egyptian mysteries, but I admit to you all that this is neither my cup of tea nor anything I intend to teach overly much about. Egyptian magic dealt heavily with the gods and their religion and it's nothing I've ever used or felt the need to use. That said, their use of amulets and formulae has been documented as being some of the most advanced at the time.
"Somewhere in the 13th century or so, Jewish mysticism came into play in the form of the study of Kabbalah, which while dabbling in magic, mostly took the form of exploration into the deeper portions of the religion. I feel the need to mention it, however, considering that some of the principles have found their way into magic today. With this came also demonology and angellogy, which are seperate subjects but also worthy of note.
"In the middle ages, however, magic and science became a close thing. Alchemy, which some of you might be familiar with, was one of their ideaological 'children' but the results of this coupling are far reaching and many though somewhat beyond the scope of this class. One of them I would like to bring to mind was the practicing of folk magic, which was as much common sense as anything else. But it was one of the first periods wherein the 'common' people felt they could use magic."
"This continued on into the Renaissance, which showed a return to the Greco-Roman ideaologies in some part, as well as the decrying of certain arts, such as necromancy and other 'black' magics."
She took a deep breath and smiled at the class.
"Don't worry. Almost done."
Then she continued.
"The periods after this were some of the darkest in magic's history. Witch hunts and all manner of unpleasantness came about due to the actions of the church. In my own world, this was not long lived though it resulted in the continuing registration of those studying magic and the use of marks for those in such programs."
She showed her own mark, or part of it that was in a decent place, a swirling mystical symbol outlined in red ink.
"Thankfully, however, these things did end and magic moved from a place of fear to once more stand beside science. Currently, for me at least, there are a number of different lodges and orders about, each with different goals and processes."
She breathed out.
"For now, though, I think, a bit of discussion to liven the blood up, shall we?"
[ocd up!]
"I'll take the freezing charm off of them in a moment; I just wanted to make sure it was hot for when you all came in," she said to her class with a smile.
"Unfortunately, we're covering a bit of history today so there will be no fireballs," a smile to one of her students
She turned to the class with a brief chuckle.
"Don't worry, I know how ridiculous that sounded. I just couldn't resist."
And now to the board.
"The history of magic started, as you might expect, as an outgrowth of religion. While most western textbooks will point to the Greeks and the Romans as our mystical forebearers, I don't regret to inform you that there were traditions in ancient Egypt, ancient Africa, ancient China, and ancient India which started at the same time or even earlier in some cases. You might notice where I place these, how widely spread they are. Magic, and religion, are powerful human forces and that they sprang up in a multiplicity of locations simultaneously surprises me not one whit.
"The first we could call 'proto-magicians', however are the Magi of Zoroastrianism. The rites and rituals of their work are what shape our first 'school' of magic: the Hermetics. Some parts you might find familiar in this school are the use of 'magic words', ritual tools, the usage of a circle, and the utilization of symbols and sigils.
"In the periods following this, there were a number of different schools that came about. The Druids, who provided quite a lot to the ideaology of the magician as community leader, are one. They also gave us quite a lot of the woodlore used in sorcery today. Another is the Norse or the Teutonics, which held two schools based on two different gods. The magic of Odin, whose use of runes and bindrunes as well as sigils and symbology expanded upon the Hermetic principles, and the magic of Freya, more trancework, which was one of the first magical systems which dealt with the female powers as ideaologies. Some scholars insist that the Druids did as well, but as always, there is debate.
"Stepping back, I must point out the Egyptian mysteries, but I admit to you all that this is neither my cup of tea nor anything I intend to teach overly much about. Egyptian magic dealt heavily with the gods and their religion and it's nothing I've ever used or felt the need to use. That said, their use of amulets and formulae has been documented as being some of the most advanced at the time.
"Somewhere in the 13th century or so, Jewish mysticism came into play in the form of the study of Kabbalah, which while dabbling in magic, mostly took the form of exploration into the deeper portions of the religion. I feel the need to mention it, however, considering that some of the principles have found their way into magic today. With this came also demonology and angellogy, which are seperate subjects but also worthy of note.
"In the middle ages, however, magic and science became a close thing. Alchemy, which some of you might be familiar with, was one of their ideaological 'children' but the results of this coupling are far reaching and many though somewhat beyond the scope of this class. One of them I would like to bring to mind was the practicing of folk magic, which was as much common sense as anything else. But it was one of the first periods wherein the 'common' people felt they could use magic."
"This continued on into the Renaissance, which showed a return to the Greco-Roman ideaologies in some part, as well as the decrying of certain arts, such as necromancy and other 'black' magics."
She took a deep breath and smiled at the class.
"Don't worry. Almost done."
Then she continued.
"The periods after this were some of the darkest in magic's history. Witch hunts and all manner of unpleasantness came about due to the actions of the church. In my own world, this was not long lived though it resulted in the continuing registration of those studying magic and the use of marks for those in such programs."
She showed her own mark, or part of it that was in a decent place, a swirling mystical symbol outlined in red ink.
"Thankfully, however, these things did end and magic moved from a place of fear to once more stand beside science. Currently, for me at least, there are a number of different lodges and orders about, each with different goals and processes."
She breathed out.
"For now, though, I think, a bit of discussion to liven the blood up, shall we?"
[ocd up!]
Re: Discussion
"Any particular reason?"
Re: Discussion
Savannah's voice was soft because she didn't want to upset or offend Abigail -- whom she obviously respected -- but she could see how that kind of system could mean only one thing to people like her.
Re: Discussion
"I see. Well," and that came with a deep breath, "that's probably why your world doesn't have such a system."
She smiled kindly and tilted her head.
"If there's one thing I've learned while here, it's that what you have at home is what you have at home and the rest of the worlds can be quite different. We have no such divide, except perhaps between scholars who differ in opinions on matters. Nor are magic users 'targets' of anyone; they're professionals like anyone else, marked just as an officer of the law by his badge or a butcher by his apron. It's just that unlike either of those two cases, our 'office' can never really be set aside as the knowledge is with us."
She patted the edge of the design at her neckline.
"Also, I'm a bit of an old flirt and I wear things a bit more scandalous than most. Usually, the mark is not visible in public."
She was just proud of hers.
"And the point is only for private identification by officers of the law, not public display."
Re: Discussion
"I have to say, that your world seems like a nicer and more ordered place than most -- and I think that people on both sides in my world would really like to have a system were people were marked so they would know who was on what side." She smiled then. "Of course, I do pity any one who tried marking me as belonging to either side."
Re: Discussion