Thaumaturgy 101 - First Period, Thursday 3/05

[brandyforapples.livejournal.com]

"Class, unfortunately, has quite a few handouts today."

She sent the sheets through through the class, passing it to the nearest person.

"For those who were in my alchemy class, I'll remind you that many of the meanings provided here could be utilized in any alchemical workings you might try and that the principles you learned there still apply."

[ocd up]

Comments

Discussion

[brandyforapples.livejournal.com]

"Some plants have uses in medicine or cooking which are similar to those for use in magic. Some are the opposite.

"Why might you think this is so? And what does it say about the plant itself?"

Re: Discussion

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"What about different variants of a plant?" Dōjima asked curiously. "Like, a tiger lily versus a lily of the valley? Does that change the result too?"

Re: Discussion

[finding-x-dream.livejournal.com]

"Tiger lilies are edible, and lilies of the valley are poisonous," Agnes pointed out with a smile. "So, yeah."

Re: Discussion

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Seriously?" Dōjima asked. "I thought brightly colored things were usually poisonous, you know, to warn off predators and stuff. So it's the cute little flower that's toxic?"

Re: Discussion

[finding-x-dream.livejournal.com]

"Well, yeah," Agnes answered. "But in low doses, poisons are good for medicines and spells."

Re: Discussion

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"I can see poison being useful in a spell," and Dōjima made a face at that, since any spell using a toxin didn't sound like a beneficial use of magic, "but how does it work for medicine?"

Re: Discussion

[finding-x-dream.livejournal.com]

"I'm not sure what you mean," Agnes mused. "I mean, they're going to do the same thing whether you put them in a potion or a stew. On the other hand different parts of a plant might do different things, and sometimes how you prepare them is important. A poultice is going to have a completely different effect than an infusion." She bit her lip, thinking. "Of course, if you're talking about stuff like waving sticks around in the air to make a spell work better, that depends on the spiritual properties of the plant. And THOSE sometimes have more to do with what our ignorant ancestors thought the leaves looked like than anything intrinsic. Doesn't make it any less effective, but sometimes it's frustrating."

Re: Discussion

[grasshopper-mol.livejournal.com]

"Isn't it all kind of the same thing? It's all about knowing how to prepare your plant for the use you mean to use it for." Molly said, then finished answering the question, "I guess it means the plants are really useful?"

Re: Discussion

[harrydresden.livejournal.com]

"Well just about everything's got more than one use, right?" Harry said. "I'd think it had more to do with intent than any actual property of the plant itself."