Intro to Magic, 5th Period (Week 7: 10/18/06)

[romanywitch]

"First, we can have a quick review session. Then, guys, I need a short essay on what your experiences or beliefs are with one of the topics we've covered. You don't have to be a true believer, so feel free to rip into it with the skepticism. Your options are on the board."

On the board -
We've covered: Definitions of magic, the elements, raising magical energy, grounding/centering, shielding, spellcasting, cursing and karma, and symbology.

I do not have gmail access during the day, so it's best to ping me in the OOC thread for this course if you need anything.

Course Syllabus & Roster

Wait for the OCD threads, please. Take the test, or goof off, whatevever.

Comments

Sign-In - Intro to Magic, 10/18

[romanywitch]

All collapsey, please.

Re: Sign-In - Intro to Magic, 10/18

[http://users.livejournal.com/weissguy_/]

Eric Weiss. Of doom.

Re: Sign-In - Intro to Magic, 10/18

[dude-its-jude.livejournal.com]

Jude Lizowski. Of slightly unpleasant conclusion.

Re: Sign-In - Intro to Magic, 10/18

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana Lang

Re: Sign-In - Intro to Magic, 10/18

[ranma-sao.livejournal.com]

Ranma Saotome

Re: Sign-In - Intro to Magic, 10/18

[alchemic-bean.livejournal.com]

Edward Elric

Re: Sign-In - Intro to Magic, 10/18

[sakuracchyan.livejournal.com]

Kinomoto Sakura

Re: Sign-In - Intro to Magic, 10/18

[kitty--fetish.livejournal.com]

Alphonse Elric

Talk, Make Mischief, Actually Work - Intro to Magic, 10/18

[romanywitch]

Have fun.

Re: Talk, Make Mischief, Actually Work - Intro to Magic, 10/18

[alchemic-bean.livejournal.com]

Midterm? There was a midterm today? Edward was not aware of this. Of course, 'Edward' and 'oblivious' often fit nicely into the same sentence and some days he probably wouldn't have noticed if the sky had turned a peculiar shade of seafoam green.

He would look at his notes, if he had them. Except for the part where most of his notes turned into random alchemy notes, in which case they wouldn't help him much. He wondered idly where he had put those notes, he had a fun theory about salt and zombies written on one of the pages and it might come in handy at some point.

Midterm Essays

[romanywitch]

Handwave it if you want to, or write an actual essay. Works?

Re: Midterm Essays

[http://users.livejournal.com/weissguy_/]

Eric writes the essay and when the mun gets time, he may actually write something, but he wants to make sure his butt is covered first

Re: Midterm Essays

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana wrote a wonderfully detailed and accurate essay and also turned in stuff on runes as a makeup for the class she missed last week due to illness.

Re: Midterm Essays

[ranma-sao.livejournal.com]

Ranma might have written a good essay. The world would never know however... His handwriting is such a mess that it could make even the most strong-stomached English teacher weep.

Re: Midterm Essays

[alchemic-bean.livejournal.com]

Edward thought about his title for a few minutes, shrugged, and then just didn't put one.

'Magic' in the loosest sense of the word is something that produces a desired effect or result thorugh the use of incantation or various other techniques that presumably assure human control of supernatural agencies. Those other supernatural agencies may include extra-normal or paranormal energies, spells, curses, and symbols. A great deal of magic is made up of human will and belief, which is where it draws its power.

That is, if you believe in magic.

As an alchemist I harness a natural energy to produce change. It is not any form of magic but simply utilizing nature to the fullest of its uses. The energy may be described as 'paranormal' by one unfamiliar with its properties but simple study proves that it is similar to magnetic energies. Everything that exists and is altered by such energy all falls under the Law of Conservation of Mass and the Law of Equivalent Exchange - matter cannot be created or destroyed, only changed. For something to be added, something must be taken away. For everything gained there is a sacrifice made.

I have not yet seen any particular evidence of spells and curses that do not draw upon existing energy in any way - I have seen evidence of people using magic to alter and change things, which would fall under the Law of Conservation of Mass. Even if they used a different manner of summoning and harnessing said energies than a traditional array containing the four elements, they are still using it under the same principle. I have seen people negatively affected using 'spells' and 'incantations' - evidence of the sacrifice made to gain the knowledge and abilities of its uses.

Magic does not have form or substance. Magic is supposed to bend the rules of reality and eliminate the rules of the universe. To beat the governing laws of Nature would be magic - and so far I have yet to see any proof of that. Everything I have seen so far has an explanation, a scientific one. Even if it is slightly different from my own perception and experience, it still is not 'magic' if it is explainable.

I have yet to see anything 'supernatural' about magic. By that definition I have not yet seen magic but a strange, twisted offshoot of the science I myself study. There is no such thing as true magic.

Edward finished up his essay and doodled in the margins before he decided to turn it in. Coherency? Thank god no one had ever tried to translate his alchemy notes, because in comparision this made sense.

Re: Midterm Essays

[sakuracchyan.livejournal.com]

Sakura handwavily writes an essay; quite detailed and fairly well-written-- if not a little distracted. She did pretty much take the class last year, so very well should

Re: Midterm Essays

[dude-its-jude.livejournal.com]

Jude's tongue poked out in concentration as he wrote his essay on cursing and karma. He tried to keep it free of as many 'dude's, 'sweet's, and 'harsh's as he could. It was also the topic that reminded him the least of Starr.

Re: Midterm Essays

[kitty--fetish.livejournal.com]

Alphonse did actually look over his notes before class, even if some of it either went over his head or sounded too farfetched. At least he had somewhat of an idea of what he was talking about in his essay, going a little over each topic, since he definitely had something to say about each one. It wasn't the most elaborate thing ever, but Alphonse managed to get quite a bit down.

After Class - Intro to Magic, 10/18

[romanywitch]

If you want to chat.

OOC

[romanywitch]

Blah, blah, fishcakes.

Re: OOC

[alchemic-bean.livejournal.com]

FISHBISCUIT!