Magical Theory 101 (Monday, 02/13/2006, 5th Period)

[romanywitch]

CLASS IS CLOSED FOR GRADING.
Jenny has chocolate hearts, cinnamon gummy bears, and a whole bunch of other kinds of Valentine's Day candy set out for her students. Along with red fruits--cherries, strawberries, raspberries, red apples--and bagels, cream cheese, and coffee. Always coffee. The door is closed in order to minimize disturbances from the hallway.

"Okay, guys, tomorrow is Valentine's Day. So today, we're going to cover that time-honored way of screwing up everyone's romance: the love spell. If you hadn't guessed, I'm a little less than fond of them.

Love spells? Generally don't work. Your intent has to be pure. How many people you know who cast a love spell with pure intent in their hearts? Anybody know anyone who's actually cast a love spell? And then had it work out okay, that is.

So. As an example, let's use this kid named--well, we'll call him Alex, shall we? Alex's girlfriend broke up with him, and he decided he wanted to get her back. So he found a witch at his high school--who had just a teeny-tiny little family history of mental instability, might I just add--and somehow conned her into casting this love spell for him.

The results? Not quite what he bargained for. First off? The intent wasn't pure. I think when I had a little totally off-screen and non-canonical, fyi chat with this student witch about responsible spellcasting she mentioned the words 'blackmail' and 'I want the Hellmouth working for me.' And something about a deep-seated anger. So you know, when you're trying to cast a love spell, you really shouldn't be thinking, 'Ooh, Hellmouth, now there's the perfect energy for the lovelorn to be calling upon."

Yes, in my dimension, the last high school I worked at had a direct connection to hell right underneath the library. Made things interesting, let me tell you that.

So. This kid, Alex? He and the witch got a focus object, and then the witch decided that she could cast a love spell by calling upon Diana. Research, people! If you're going to cast a spell, make sure you're calling upon the appropriate divine energy. Maiden Goddess of the hunt? Not nearly the goddess you should be calling up in a love spell. Or a spell which contains the word 'submits.' Diana? Submission? Pretty laughable there. And research is key--especially because if you research far enough back in time, you can figure out that Diana is derived from Artemis, who turned a hunter into a stag and had him ripped apart by his own hounds just because he accidentally saw her skinny-dipping in the forest. And Artemis? Worshipped by the Amazons, who weren't always fond of men. You go back far enough, to pre-Hellenic times, and sure, Artemis was a Goddess of fertility, but she was also associated with the cycles of life and death.

But, hey, I'm getting a bit far afield. So Alex came to school the next day and is convinced that the object of his affections? Will be totally gaga over him. And yet, they kept fighting. But every single other female in the entire school fell head-over-heels madly in love with him. Including those who might have a couple wards up to protect them from spells cast on the Hellmouth. What Diana wants, Diana gets, and what ended up happening was that virtually every single woman in town formed a bloodthirsty mob because Alex didn't love them. The ex-girlfriend? Also caught up in this, and believe me, having the women of the town after you because you broke up with someone? Gotta be unpleasant too.

Plus someone got turned into a rat for a little while. Ick.

Luckily? Spell got reversed, and just in the nick of time, before the mob tore Alex and his ex-girlfriend apart. Just like Actaeon--that hunter--was torn apart by his hounds.

So. See what happens when you meddle with magic to change emotions? And why casting a love spell is just seriously icky karma. Let's talk about love spells. And Alex. What do you guys thing about love spells and what Alex did?"

ETA "Also, anyone seen Logan? He dead or something? Because he's missed the last three classes. Logan, I need to talk to you, or I'm gonna have to assign you detention for this weekend."

Useful Links:
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OOC: Lots to do at work today, as Mondays are my busy days. Responses may be slow, but will be forthcoming.

{{OOC: OCD comment threads going up shortly are up.}}

Comments

Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[romanywitch]

...

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[kikidelivers.livejournal.com]

Kiki is munching on some cherries. "How permanant would a love spell be likely to be?" she asks. "Won't it wear off eventually, or the target may discover a way to fight or resist it? It seems kind of self-defeating, because once the target discovers that the caster has been manipulating them, they'll hate the caster - or the person who got the caster's help - even more."

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[romanywitch]

"Depends on the parameters the caster puts on the spell," said Jenny. "And that's a very good point on the consequences of a spell like that. Do you think someone could cast a love spell that didn't go wrong somehow?"

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[kikidelivers.livejournal.com]

Kiki, her chin in her hand, drummed her fingertips against her cheek thoughtfully. "I don't know," she decides at last. "I suppose it is possible, but it would depend on the power of the caster and how thorough and careful they are while casting it, as well as the natural inclination and strength of will of the target."

Kiki continues with an issue that is a little bit on the dark side for her. "I'm curious - has anyone ever been punished for performing a love spell? I mean, legally punished, aside from karmic retribution. Because really, how is a love spell any different than slipping drugs into someone's drink at a bar or a club?"

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[soldtoarmenians]

Xander, on hearing that last one, paled, and said, "Hey, no way would I have-- Um. Which is to say. You may have a point. If the person who cast it would ever have gone that far."

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[the4thsister.livejournal.com]

"I think you'd have to be really desperate to use a love spell on someone, because well if someone doesn't love you for who you are but because you've cast a spell on them well what's the point, you'd know they didn't really love you and I can't see how anyone would want to live like that."

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[absolutesnark]

"I agree with Paige," Piper said quietly. "I can't imagine why anyone would want to be with someone who only shared the same feelings because of a spell. Plus, there's the whole personal gain issue."

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[the4thsister.livejournal.com]

Paige nods, "although would you really be gaining anything?"

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[absolutesnark]

Piper pondered that. "Probably not emotionally."

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[kikidelivers.livejournal.com]

"Unless," concluded Kiki thoughtfully, "It's not really about love at all. If it's about control, power, manipulation and possession, then someone who wanted those things over someone else would have no problem using a love spell to get what they wanted."

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[demonbelthazor]

Bel looked decidedly uncomfortable during the discussion of love spells.

"Can you ever have pure intent with a love spell?" he asked. "Are all of them doomed to fail?"

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[romanywitch]

"Can anyone ever say that they love someone with no thought for themselves?" asked Jenny. "And that they're trying to influence another person's emotion with pure intent? My belief is that anyone who says the latter? Fooling themselves."

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[demonbelthazor]

"What about Cupid?" Bel asked. "In my world he really does exist. He makes people fall in love all the time but he's supposed to be a creature of good. Drazi, the Demon of Hate, is always fighting him."

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[fh_jackass]

"But a love spell's deliberately trying to change someone's emotions. How can that ever be good? Like Kiki said, it's a magical equivalent of slipping someone a roofie or GHB," Logan said. "Even if you meant it for the best, you're still taking away their free will."

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[upforachase.livejournal.com]

Cordelia is listening quietly and taking notes. That is, until Jenny gets about a sentence and a half into the lecture. Then she drops her pen and starts getting increasingly red.

She does everything possible to avoid looking at Xander.

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[romanywitch]

Jenny might still be having a few issues from when she went out to get lunch.

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[upforachase.livejournal.com]

And Jenny might not be Cordelia's favourite teacher anymore. Mind you, they both share a love of tormenting Xander.

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[soldtoarmenians]

Who, despite suspecting this lesson was coming sooner or later? Lobster rod. Totally lobster rod.

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[krycek-rat.livejournal.com]

Krycek listened to the lecture and felt a little bemused at his name being used as the example and subsequent discussion.

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[soldtoarmenians]

Xander, having grabbed both a handful of chocolate hearts and an apple, was trying to decide between them when Jenny uttered the word 'Alex.' By the time she got to 'Hellmouth working for me," eating wasn't really an option, since he'd slunk so low in his desk that swallowing might do damage to his internal organs. and his face was... well, at least the apple was color-coordinated.

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[romanywitch]

Jenny would be regretful if she wasn't so shaken up. Oops.

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[sakuracchyan.livejournal.com]

Sakura laughs softly at Jenny's story. "It sounds like this 'Alex' person thought a little too highly of himself and the powers of who he recruited for the spell," she says, grinning.

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[romanywitch]

"No, he was pretty hurt," said Jenny. "People sometimes don't think about things when they're hurt."

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[sakuracchyan.livejournal.com]

Sakura knits her eyebrows together. "...Yeah, that much I understand," She nods.

Re: Discussion - Today's Topic: Love Spells. And "Alex."

[maias-notebook.livejournal.com]

Maia listened to the story and wrote at Jenny lectured. Love in any form at the moment was not something she wanted to discuss since Chiana left so suddenly only a few days before.