fandomhigh | Magical Theory 101 (Wednesday, 01/11/2006, 4th Period)

{{Class is closed for grading.}}

Jenny stood at the front of the classroom. The door to the hallway was closed to minimize disturbances to the lecture. If anyone left the door open on their way in, Jenny asked them to please close the door behind them.

After the students signed in and took their seats, Jenny started today's lecture.

"Okay, first off, one thing I forgot to mention on Monday, guys. That's my detention policy. Cause a disturbance in class? Possible detention, depending on the disturbance. Miss two classes? Detention. Unless you have a good reason. Come and talk to me if you do."

{{OOC: In other words, I get that RL can come up in a heartbeat Let me know if it does.}}

"My introduction on Monday? Kinda sparse too. As you know, I'm Ms. Calendar, your teacher. And my magical knowledge involves practically breathing this stuff in as I grew up. I come from a specific familial and cultural tradition, and it looks like we might have some more people in the class who're from a fam trad. We'll be covering that concept later in the term. Questions on that?

Now, on to the lecture. The principles of sympathy, contagion, and antipathy. Not so yicky as it sounds. These are the basics on how to cast a spell on someone--or how a spell can be cast on you. Sympathy's easy. Like attracts like. Roses are a symbol of love, right? Therefore, you'd use rose petals in a love spell.

Now, love spells? Whole different story. And let me make this really darn clear to you guys: Do not be casting love spells. Almost invariably? They're gonna go wrong. No questions on that; we'll be dealing with the topic later in the term.

Right. Moving on. Voodoo dolls are a representation of a person. And therefore? Sympathetic. Get a bit of hair or some nail clippings on the person you're making a voodoo doll--also known as a poppet--of, and you're starting to get into the principle of contagion here. A small bit of something can affect the greater whole. In other words, you got a sample of someone's hair? You can affect the body. So if you're not in the mood to have a spell cast on you? Ditch the nail clippings, get rid of the hair from your hair brush, and blood? Do not be leaving your blood around for anyone to get ahold of. Blood is powerful magic, guys.

Antipathy's a little more complicated in practice, but in theory, it's not so bad. To boil it down: opposites repel. A cross drives off a vampire. Silver and werewolves? Generally not gonna find them in each other's company either. Salt and zombies don't get along so well either, just so you guys know. Rumor has it they've been a concern in the past. An exorcism is a whole big pile of antipathy heaped on a malignant spirit. In another way of putting it--anything that's been done? Can be undone. No spell's permanent. Laws of magic say there's gotta be a loophole somewhere, and if you look hard enough? You're probably gonna find it.

Next week? We'll get into the concept of expending magical energy. Today? Let's start talking about sympathy, contagion, and antipathy. You can discuss the classroom material either with your classmates, or with me.

{{OOC: OCD comment threads ~~going up shortly~~ are up. Comment away!}}

Useful Links:
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Kiki raises a hand. "Are there spells that fall outside of the principles of sympathy, contagion and antipathy? Do these apply only to a spell being cast specifically on a person?"

"Good question, Kiki," said Jenny, smiling at her. "Not so many, at least in the magical system I learned. And it all depends on how good you are--some people can just raise the energy and cast a spell without a prop or a focus. That's advanced work, though we'll cover it a bit in the next session."

"And nope, not just a person. They can apply to places, objects, and just about anything else. A handful of dirt from a piece of property works nicely if you're going to cast a spell on the land you've taken it from. A nice chunk of turquoise can represent the sky if you're looking to cast a weather spell."

"So there are different systems of magic?" Cordy asks. "I mean, I get that like, voodoo is something different from more western magic, but, is there like, a standard magic that is the most common type?"

"What I'll be teaching the theory on is going to be the basics of most western magical traditions," said Jenny. "We'll be having class sessions on some of the other traditions as well. There's magic from other dimensions, as well as from other traditions. Good question, Cordelia. Was there anything in particular you were curious about with other magical systems?"

"No, not at the moment, thanks," Cordy said quietly.

Jenny noddeed. "All right, then. Come and see me after class, or during my office hours if you have any more questions."

Kiki nods. "I'd been wondering about conjuration magic, as in that the whole point is to draw matter out of energy - although most people think it's just making something out of thin air." Kiki quirks her mouth wryly. "I've had mixed results with that."

Jenny grinned at Kiki. "Well, no wonder," she said. "That's hard work. There's a component of physics there too, I'm thinking. So what exactly were you wondering about conjuration magic? If you can use these principles in it, you mean?"

"Yes," Kiki nods, thinking to herself that her willful ignorance of physics might have played a role in the avocado problem, "Do they fit in, and if so how? I can see easily how these principles would apply to enchantments, charms, and divinations, or to evoke an effect on someone or something - but I'm unclear as to how they would relate to conjuring, or transmutation and transfiguration."

"Hmm," said Jenny. "I don't know if we're working on the same magical system, Kiki. How would you go about conjuring something?"

"Er," Kiki beings, trying to figure out how to explain her magic. "It's a matter of concentration, to be able to take my own magical energy and basically, well, solidify it. I just have to focus really hard on the end product - but I can only do very simple creations, and it is very very tiring. It could be that there is an easier way to do it, I just don't know yet what that would be. Since I don't need anything on hand to make something - which I'd thought was the point of conjuration - maybe if I had a little of the end result on hand already it would be easier, as it would just then be multiplying what's already there...which," Kiki adds, puzzling out the logic aloud as she goes, "would line up with the idea of sympathy, I guess. I've never tried that, though."

Xander rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So is that the idea behind vamps in some stories needing to sleep in dirt from their native land, or carry it around in their boots and stuff? Obviously doesn't work for the Sunnydale kind of vamp, but I gather that's not the only kind around, what with the flying undead puppy on campus."

"You guessed it," said Jenny. "Though I'm mostly an expert on vampires from our dimension. Go figure, right?"

"So who's got the flying undead puppy?" asked Jenny. "He's harmless, right?"

Xander grinned. "Rory Gilmore. He's pretty harmless as far as I can tell, unles syou're worried about being licked to death."

Magical Theory 101 (Wednesday, 01/11/2006, 4th Period)

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Sympathy, Contagion, & Antipathy

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Sympathy, Contagion, & Antipathy

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Sympathy, Contagion, & Antipathy

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Sympathy, Contagion, & Antipathy

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Sympathy, Contagion, & Antipathy

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Sympathy, Contagion, & Antipathy

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Sympathy, Contagion, & Antipathy

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Sympathy, Contagion, & Antipathy

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Sympathy, Contagion, & Antipathy

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Sympathy, Contagion, & Antipathy

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Sympathy, Contagion, & Antipathy

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Sympathy, Contagion, & Antipathy

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Sympathy, Contagion, & Antipathy

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Sympathy, Contagion, & Antipathy