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

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Unfortunately, 'because he's the adult' wasn't enough to make Dawn trust their father. If anything, it made him more suspect. "What do they have in common?"

"Personality, attitude..." Sam trailed off, finally looking at Dawn. "After my mom died, my dad became obsessed with finding the thing that killed her. That's his only goal in life - to find the thing and kill whatever crosses his path between now and then. And Dean is perfectly willing to follow right in his footsteps. Me? Not so much."

Dawn really wasn't happy to hear that piece of news, but she'd talk to Dean about it later. "What do you want to do?"

"Ah, the million dollar question." Sam smiled softly. "I really don't know. Something normal? Something safe? Something I can drag Dean into to keep him safe too?"

"Won't you get bored?" Dawn asked, measuring four lengths of wire around her own neck, then adding a few inches for Sam's, Dean's, and Xanders. "Plus, how can you just give up, knowing what else is out there?"

That got a full smirk out of Sam. "You sound like Dean," he said. "Okay yeah, maybe I'll get bored. But I think it'll be a long time before that happens. And it's not giving up. I know what's out there, and I know that Dean and my dad and his friends can handle it all better than I can."

"Why do you say that?"

"Why do I say what?" Sam asked, looking at her fully again.

"That they're better at fighting the evil creepy things than you are?" Dawn asked, trying to figure out what Sam was really telling her.

"Because they are," Sam replied, thinking of all the times his dad made him stay home because he wasn't strong enough to go with him. "I mean, I'm not bad at fighting or anything, but I'm not as good as Dean, and I never will be. They don't need me."

"You're wrong," Dawn said firmly. "I haven't seen you or Dean in action, obviously, but they do need you."

Which is when Dawn realized that she was arguing for Sam to go into danger and wondered exactly when it was that she'd lost her mind.

"Now it's my turn to ask: why do you say that?" Sam asked, looking a little smug.

"I can't explain it," Dawn answered. "Except that it sounds like you think differently than they do--that can only help in a fight. Gives you an advantage."

"You really think I'd be useful." It wasn't so much a question as a surprised statement. "Thanks Dawn. That means a lot."

"Of course I do," Dawn answered, beginning to thread beads onto the wire, "and you're welcome?"

Sam smiled, starting to string his own beads onto some wire. He still wasn't convinced that Dawn was right, but it felt nice to know that she thought more of him than his dad did.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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