#Literary Magic

[ancientroyalblood]

Exploring Magical Realism in Literature: Blurring Reality and Fantasy

Within the vast landscape of literature, where words are both colors and brushes, the genre of magical realism emerges as a unique and enchanting tapestry. It’s a genre that possesses the alchemical power to blur the boundaries between reality and fantasy, allowing the extraordinary to dance with the ordinary. In this exploration, we dive into the enchanting realm of magical realism, uncovering…

[nellaplettblog]

[9digitalterravisionsblog]

[lyndentree63]

Oohhhhhhh. So far, all of Aabria's Dimension 20 seasons are intensely literary Misfits and Magic - Harry Potter ACOFAF - Jane Austen, Bridgerton Burrow's End - Watership Down, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, Animal Farm, 1984, etc.

There's something delightful hearing her talk about not coming to TTRPGs through high fantasy like Lord of the Rings and Wheel of Time, but yet there's so much bookish influence on her GMing work. Diversify the literary influences!

[fairydrowning]

"Somewhere, someone is falling in love with a person who loves them back after a whole winter of being alone and broken. It is the earth's magic to make people trust in the warmth of love again."

– Juansen Dizon, Via "juansendizon" on Tumblr

[haveyoureadthispoll]

In Tokyo, sixteen-year-old Nao has decided there's only one escape from her aching loneliness and her classmates' bullying, but before she ends it all, Nao plans to document the life of her great-grandmother, a Buddhist nun who's lived more than a century. A diary is Nao's only solace—and will touch lives in a ways she can scarcely imagine. Across the Pacific, we meet Ruth, a novelist living on a remote island who discovers a collection of artifacts washed ashore in a Hello Kitty lunchbox—possibly debris from the devastating 2011 tsunami. As the mystery of its contents unfolds, Ruth is pulled into the past, into Nao's drama and her unknown fate, and forward into her own future.  Full of Ozeki's signature humour and deeply engaged with the relationship between writer and reader, past and present, fact and fiction, quantum physics, history, and myth, A Tale for the Time Being is a brilliantly inventive, beguiling story of our shared humanity and the search for home.

[icecreamwithjackdaniels]

"He said that people who loved [animals] to excess were capable of the worst cruelties toward human beings. He said that dogs were not loyal but servile, that cats were opportunists and traitors, that peacocks were heralds of death, that macaws were simply decorative annoyances, that rabbits fomented greed, that monkeys carried the fever of lust, and that roosters were damned because they had been complicit in the three denials of Christ."

— Gabriel García Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera, 1985

[that-ari-blogger]

An Interesting Character

Usually, when character is brought up in discussion, it is in reference to the people. If you think of the characters of The Owl House for example, you probably think of Luz, Eda, Bellos, Hunter, and Principal Bump.

But, by pure mechanics, a character is just a force at work in a story. One with personality, and agency, sure, but it's just a force.

This means that, if you squint a little, the Boiling Isles itself is a character, and the Wild Magic is an extension of that. It certainly gets treated like a character by the story, especially in Adventures In Elements.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Before I start, let me give one attempt to argue with the pedants. By definition, a character is a person. So, hear me out, the Boiling Isles is literally the body of a titan, who actively talks to Luz later on in the series. That is my justification.

So... why is wild magic a thing?

I'm not asking for an in-universe answer, because that is multifaceted and not really the point. I'm asking why the writers decided to include this idea, and what effect it has on the story?

The phrase "magic is..." is used four times in this episode. Once by Eda, and thrice in quick succession by Luz. And it is worth taking a look at these statements.

"I know my lessons seem weird, but this is what wild magic is all about! Making a connection with nature. The earliest witches understood that. Human witches need to understand it, too. You wanna learn a second spell? ... Then you have to learn from the island."

There is a lot going on with Eda's guidance. First up is the small detail about the tense. The earliest witches knew that magic is about nature, implying now it is different. But mainly, this is an explanation of the nitty gritty of The Owl House's magic system. It's about two things, nature and connection. And I want to delve into that a little bit.

There is something fascinating about Bellos and his roots in witch-hunting. Because that was specifically defined by an opposition to things, rather than any actual views of its own.

Malleus Maleficarum, the book that kicked off the witch-hunts is a fascinating read, as long as you understand what it is that you are reading and don't use it as a set of instructions. Internet Archive has a translated version by Prof. Christopher S. Mackay, complete with commentary from latter authors that I highly recommend.

This single book caused a ton of harm to people, and you can examine it from almost any angle you like. The original was written by a terrible person with terrible intentions, and I also recommend Overly Sarcastic Productions' video on Werewolves for more information on that section of history.

What I want to focus on is the vernacular. References "devils" about 400 times and namedrops "witches" with similar regularity. The word "demon" comes up over 1000 times, and the word "pagan" comes up about 40 times. Specifically in reference to "pagan nations" which is about as racist as it sounds, as well as a ton of using the word as a catch all insult ("x type of person is worse than a pagan", etc. etc.). I don't want to get into the theology and history of this word, because it's a complicated minefield. But in this context, specifically around Europe in this time period, it means just about all regional faiths and mythologies. Celtic, Norse, Germanic, and several others.

Fun fact about me, I am Welsh, which means is that I have a connection to Welsh mythology, and so my analysis of wild magic is through that lens. If you have an understanding of other similar cultures, let me know, I'm fascinated to learn how that affects the reading of the Owl House.

Now, Modern Druidism is a living religion that I am not well versed in and want to treat with the respect befitting any living faith. So, I am sticking to what I know about the history and mythology and trying to make the differentiation between those two and Modern Druidism clear.

So, Druids in Celtic mythology are religious leaders, and peacekeepers. But what is possibly the most famous thing about them is their connection to nature. And here is where the analysis of The Owl House comes into play. Because the Owl House takes great care to associate magic with the natural, and Bellos with the unnatural.

"It means magic is a gift from the island. It means magic is everywhere. Magic is everywhere!"

Bellos creates artificial magic through his artificial staff and the destruction of the Palismen to fuel his life. Hunter wields an artificial staff, and in Adventures In Elements, Amity trains with an artificial training wand, which is linked to Bellos through the coven system.

But you would think that Luz's runes would also count as artificial. So what gives?

This episode shows them as part of nature more than the more refined spell circles. Luz's magic is that connection to the island in its purest, rawest form, and as I have said before, Luz's greatest strength is her ability to connect.

The dynamic between Wild Magic and Coven Magic isn't a dynamic between the artificial and the natural, it's a dynamic between empathy and utilitarianism. Wild Magic borrows, or is gifted, Coven magic takes and uses for its own ends. They are similar concepts, but it's in the minutia that the meaning comes out.

Final Thoughts

There is one final thing that Wild Magic reminds me of, and its off on a limb a bit. I currently live in Australia, and while Aboriginal spirituality is varied and complex and not my story to tell, I have been gifted this piece of advice that I would like to share: Humans don't own the land, we are a part of it, just as the trees and the beasts and the storms and the fires. Humans are mere custodians, our duty is to watch over and protect, and to connect.

I thought that was relevant.

I am away next week, but I'll be back in the new year with some analysis of The First Day, so stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

[rt-nique]

SLYTHERIN TIM DRAKE‼️

⚠️ spoilers for fic Scientific Method by vogon_poet

binged Scientific Method by vogon_poet about 2 months ago and this fic single handedly dragged my ass into Harry Potter 😭

ALSO I AM A SLYTHERIN!TIM TRUTHER!!!! MY BOY IS SO BADASS I LOVE HIM!!! He’s so smart and science-ing the fuck out of magic, I loved it when transfiguration finally clicked. Amazing writing from the author!!

AND I LOVE HOW THE AUTHOR MERGES TIM AS A WIZARD AND TIM AS ROBIN!!!!! It’s such a great balance between keeping Batman canon and letting Tim explore being a wizard and how he impacts the wizarding world, and the mix of magic martial arts is so cool.

I want to draw Tim and Blaise next, I adore their friendship!!

ps Tim is actually good at potions (the facial expression is just funny)

[black-is-beautiful18]

Y’all need to look up the meaning of satire and trope cuz this is ridiculous 😭. The American Society of Magical Negroes is a satirical film about the magical negro trope often used in media. Satire means that it will be making fun of the trope and even criticizing it. These types of movies/books usually only have one Black character and it often requires said Black character to do heavy lifting for the white character(s). It’s literally what happened in Ghost with Whoopi Goldberg. As much as we might like the movie it’s true. I also have a post about Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa and that trope goes crazy in that book. The Black character most likely will be portrayed to be stereotypical or 50/50 wind up dying, teaching the white character some sort of lesson, and then being forgotten until it’s convenient or completely while the white MC gets some sort of power up and their arc is completed. I promise it’s not gonna hurt you to laugh at how stupid it is. I’m also pretty sure Key & Peele had a skit about this.

[dominarianplowshare]

(Regretfully) I have created a substack to discuss Magic. May God help me (please do read it!)

[life-imitates-art-far-more]

Georges Merle (1851-1886) "Une sorcière au xve siècle" ("A Fifteenth-century Sorceress") (1883) Oil on canvas Located in the Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, Alabama, United States The commanding figure depicted in the middle of performing a spell is likely a subject from literature, although the source has yet to be identified. The mysterious symbolism, including a voodoo doll, pentacle, Egyptian imagery, and more, can be clarified when the origin of the story is known. Until then, the secrets of "The Sorceress" remain fascinating and perplexing.

[nightswatchdisbandmentera]

Just letting asoiaf fans know that subversion does not necessitate avoidance.

Yes, subversion does not necessitate avoidance!

I repeat, SUBVERSION DOES NO- *gunshot*

[gennsoup]

Love is nothing if not a catastrophe, one that makes me second-guess gravity, history, the limits of my own person. Love is, might be, feels like, a kind of fairy tale too--one that can begin only once the story we thought we knew blows apart.

Sarah Cypher, The Skin and Its Girl

[frenchnewwaves]

Joan Didion's Packing List:

TO PACK AND WEAR: 2 skirts 2 jerseys or leotards 1 pullover sweater 2 pair shoes stockings bra nightgown, robe, slippers cigarettes bourbon bag with: shampoo toothbrush and paste Basis soap, razor deodorant aspirin prescriptions Tampax face cream powder baby oil

TO CARRY: mohair throw typewriter 2 legal pads and pens files house key

“This is a list which was taped inside my closet door in Hollywood during those years when I was reporting more or less steadily. The list enabled me to pack, without thinking, for any piece I was likely to do. Notice the deliberate anonymity of costume: in a skirt, a leotard, and stockings, I could pass on either side of the culture. Notice the mohair throw for trunk-line flights (i.e. no blankets) and for the motel room in which the air conditioning could not be turned off. Notice the bourbon for the same motel room. Notice the typewriter for the airport, coming home: the idea was to turn in the Hertz car, check in, find an empty bench, and start typing the day’s notes.”

—Joan Didion, “The White Album” (1979)

[a-bird-dreaming-of-freedom]

- Depression & other magic tricks by Sabrina Benaim.