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.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

...

Ping me if you need something, please. Otherwise I might miss it.

Willow signed in.

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

Xander signed in.

Lana signed in, still looking a little bedraggled, despite having changed her clothes.

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

Blair signed in

"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?"

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

"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."

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."

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."

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

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."

Laughing right now, even if it wasn't mean? Totally not an option. "There is no wrong here. Unless you decide you don't like the colors," said Jenny. "In which case? Take it apart and make a new one with different colors."

"But the wires will be all weak and bendy," Willow said. "I'll have ruined it."

"There's plenty of wire for you to get a whole new strand of it," said Jenny, nodding seriously. "You'll be fine. Think of it like making those colored macaroni necklaces kids make in grade school. That was easy, wasn't it?"

Sam signed in.

Willow had a look of panic that suggested there was past macaroni necklace trauma.

Dawn signed in.

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?"

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

Sign-In - Nature Magic, 6/8

Playing With Rocks - Nature Magic, 6/8

Talking And Stuff - Nature Magic, 6/8

After The Workshop - Nature Magic, 6/8

OOC - Nature Magic, 6/8

Re: Sign-In - Nature Magic, 6/8

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

Re: Sign-In - Nature Magic, 6/8

Re: Sign-In - Nature Magic, 6/8

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

Re: Sign-In - Nature Magic, 6/8

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Re: Sign-In - Nature Magic, 6/8

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

Re: Sign-In - Nature Magic, 6/8

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