#aftwards he kept doing it for control of these abilities but

[amoritasart]

Ok I don’t know how to explain this but I think Philip might have initially carved the glyph symbols on his skin as a form of punishment?? Puritans had like, severe punishments , and they were very creative with their methods too. Whipping, public humiliation, branding… These people hanged real people for witchcraft .. I don’t think it’s a stretch to think Philip internalized these things as a kid and he grew up thinking if people do bad things they deserve to be hurt. Because like, I think of how he didn’t need to physically harm himself to do magic, he also didn’t have to literally cut off his ears (he wears a mask all the time anyway, has long hair, and concealment stones exist? ).

Like I’ve seen people say that he didn’t think it through and was kinda stupid (could very well be the case, or just impulsive), but knowing him I feel like suffering was the point? You want to learn and do magic like a witch, you will suffer like one too sort of thing. He didn’t spare Caleb for being in love with one. I don’t think he’d spare himself for becoming one.