Nature & Nature Magic (Thursday Afternoon, 06/08/2006)

[romanywitch]

Today's class was meeting in the park, which had been in a reminder e-mail Jenny had *handwavily* sent out.

"Today, we're going to talk about rocks. Well, we won't so much be talking as doing. Works? You've got some handouts on minerals and their magical properties--a general handout, one in detail on Bezoar stones, which aren't really stones at all. They're icky, but useful.

Some cultures carved or drew on stones in their magical practices. You've got handouts for those too. We call them petroglyphs--rock drawings. I've included some info on pictographs for you too, just for fun, if you want it.

Last, but not least, some cultures created what we believe to have been astronomical observatories out of large rocks. The most well-known example? Stonehenge, which some of us got to see on last year's trip to England during Spring Break. Astronomy, astrology, and magic were all interconnected in ancient societies, and some of us still think they are today. Portents in the heavens much?

What I've got here are things you can do with rocks. Lots of semiprecious beads, some fishing line, and tools and clasps--make your own magical jewelry with help from the handouts. I've also got some rock-carving supplies and some smooth river rocks, if you want to make your own petroglyphs. Also, I answer questions while you guys do the fun stuff. Have at it."

OOC: The handouts contain information from the following links (click at will & mod your own handout, please) -
Ancient Healing Stones & Crystals
Bezoar Stones
The Magic of Rocks & Stones (Warning: Site plays music.)
Stones & Gems (Warning: Site plays music.)
Petroglyphs & Pictographs
Wikipedia - Petroglyphs
Wikipedia - Pictograhps
Wikipedia - Stone Circles
Fire Mountain Gems - Jewelrymaking Supplies

Please note that Jenny has pulled any information on anything harmful out of those handouts, and hasn't included anything harmful in the supplies. Also, mod your own supplies, within reason. For example, Jenny didn't provide ruby, sapphire, alexandrite, or other valuable stones, but the findings (clasps and little o-rings and such things) are silver.

Course syllabus and roster. for this workshop.

OOC: With my availability the way it is, I should be good for daytime play, so long as work doesn't get unexpectedly busy. Nighttime access is extremely limited for the foreseeable future, but I will be checking this post again tomorrow during the day. Ping me in the OOC thread if there's something you specifically want brought to my attention.

Wait for the OCD! Go for it.

Comments

Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[romanywitch]

...

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

Willow took copious notes on the rocks. The highlighters used were color coded to the type of rock in question.

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[romanywitch]

"Still with the highlighters, huh?" asked Jenny, leaning over Willow. She nodded at the beads and smiled. "Play with some rocks soon and have fun. Like I don't already know you're going to be studying on your own time?"

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"But I want to get it all right!" Willow said. "How can I get it right if I don't take the right notes in the first place because one wrong word with magic and poof! Pudding everywhere. Not that I made the pudding but it's on my mind for obvious reasons and it seemed like a handy example."

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[romanywitch]

Jenny's smile broadened. She'd missed the obsessive-compulsive learning-related freakouts. "Willow, chill," she said, reaching out to pat her shoulder reassuringly. "Beginning course, here. No funky Latin words to get wrong. What I'm trying to do is give everyone a feel for magic, not drill-sergeant everyone into making everything perfect from the start. So it's okay to just play around for now. Promise."

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

"But what if I try to make a necklace and I get the colors wrong?" Willow asked.

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana listened carefully, then settled down to make a beautiful necklace and bracelet from the provided supplies.

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[romanywitch]

"Looking good there, Lana," said Jenny. "So what'd you pick? Handwave all you like."

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana shows her the stones she's laid out. "I'm making a necklace of the moonstone, citrine and rose quartz and a bracelet of the amethyst and lapis lazuli. I don't know if they really have the properties the worksheets say they do, but if they do, these seem most like the things that would help me in my life right now."

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[romanywitch]

Jenny nodded. "It's a more subtle magic than you're generally going to see around here," she said. "But subtle can work better than the obvious stuff, especially when you're talking about those qualities. The magic in things like this? It supports the work you're doing."

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana nodded. "I like that about it. Nothing big, just quiet and helpful."

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

Dawn sorted carefully through the stones, setting three of each kind she chose aside. Anyone who knew stones and minerals might notice that she had selected stones known for spiritual protection and focusing power. She raised her hand. "Miss Calendar? Is there a stone that would be particularly good protecting against injuries?"

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[romanywitch]

"Hmm. Protecting against them happening in the first place?" Jenny frowned and tapped her forefinger against her coffee mug while she studied Dawn's selections. "Not so much, but bloodstone's a good general healing stone--" She nodded at a tray. "The green beads with the little red flecks. Amplify that with some clear quartz, maybe, and I'll bet you could get some prevention added into there."

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

Dawn took three of each of the stones Miss Calendar had pointed out and separated them into piles. "Is there anything else you can do to amplify these stones? Or one that would take a protection geas really well? Also, would they work better on wire or on a leather cord, since the leather is of nature, even if it's dead nature?"

She began separating the stones into three piles, with one of each stone in the pile, then arranging them for maximum effectiveness.

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[romanywitch]

"Hmm." Jenny looked thoughtful. "I already made sure the bad vibes went away before I brought them out for everyone. That's usually step one. Grab some of the bigger beads, and use the engraving equipment to add some protective symbols. Runes are always good for that. You know some, or want me to see if I can dig up the files on my laptop?" She fingered the leather cord and the wire. "The beads aren't drilled big enough to fit on the leather cord. But wire should work just as well--it's as factory-produced as the leather is, really, and metal comes from nature too."

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[likethegun]

Despite taking a shower, Sam still had bits of mud and pudding on him from Wilderness Survival this morning, and he was trying not to get anything dirty as he looked through the stones.

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"What happened to you?" Dawn whispered, as she realized that she needed to make a fourth necklace and began selecting another set of the stones she'd picked out earlier. "You're kinda dirty."

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[likethegun]

Sam flushed a little, embarrassed. "Um, we had to take a really long walk in Wilderness Survival, and there was mud and dirt and I think I still have pudding in places I can't see."

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

"You do, actually," Dawn said, reaching over to wipe away the smudge of mud on the back of Sam's neck.

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[grand-fallguy.livejournal.com]

Tim had a kitten on his head, and another on his shoulder. The other had jumped down and was inspecting the various rocks and stones. Tim decided to make a few bracelets or a necklace for his mother and Teleri. And not T'ing. Gwynn might like one though.
He picked the stones that the kitten was paying the most attention to, looking them up first of course.

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[narglette.livejournal.com]

Having three projects in mind, Luna picked up several things.

She took a few river stones, some craving supplies, and, lastly, some jewelry making supplies. True, she had her own of the latter, but best to save them for when she became possessed of an idea in the wee small hours of night.

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[romanywitch]

"So what are you thinking of making?" asked Jenny.

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[thenamesxander.livejournal.com]

Xander selects a couple of rocks and begins carving the Mystic Force crest on them.

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[romanywitch]

"Not a symbol I'm recognizing," said Jenny, looking curiously.

Re: Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

[thenamesxander.livejournal.com]

"It's... well, it's the crest that symbolises the source of our powers, back home," Xander explained. "My teacher told us that things that had the crest placed on them could only be used by the forces of good."