#witches and wizards are not gendered terms

[cecenyss]

Okay listen. Listen okay. Dumbledore’s moral failings are a result of poor writing.

Like jkr goes out of her way to describes Albus Dumbledore as this paragon of virtue who’s constantly trying to do the right thing and he’s practically omniscient and one of the only reasonable people in the entire wizarding world

And then she turns around and goes “but he didn’t check on the boy he left in the care of a Muggle he had been warned was going to mistreat him by someone he’s known for years” and he didn’t check for eleven years.

And then after that when Harry’s envelope literally said cupboard under the stairs nobody checked on that?? And hey hey McGonagall was the only one who’d see that letter actually she was the one who signed it so that’s poor writing on her character too

But this is about Dumbledore not her

And then nobody double checked on Sirius Black and whatnot including Dumbledore (and that’s not just Albus?? Like Remus didn’t, nobody else who knew Sirius didn’t) which is frankly ridiculous because he had friends and what can be assumed was an active social life given he was friends with James Potter who everybody falls over themselves to sing the praises of at every opportunity

This is, I think, an issue with writing an overpowered character in general. You describe them as virtually all-knowing, but then don’t come up with reasonable explanations for why they wouldn’t know certain things that need to be unknown for the plot to progress. You give them awesome powers, and then struggle thinking of ways for them to be thwarted.

When this isn’t done correctly, the only possible explanation for the fans is to make the op character in question an asshole. They didn’t care enough to check that a child was safe or they didn’t feel like vouching for the safety of someone else so they just didn’t or they allowed people to become collateral damage even though it would’ve been a perfectly viable solution to let things play out another way.

It’s so annoying to me that people do this but it’s also perfectly understandable because in reality the character is fundamentally contradictory; there’s no real way to reconcile the ideas that “Dumbledore is intelligent and wise” and “Dumbledore didn’t bother checking on an infant who actively had terrorists gunning for him for over a decade.” Those two things just can’t coexist without some serious bending over to make them make sense.

But they have to for the story to make internal sense, because it is a bad story. It’s just bad writing, there’s no way around it. And that’s a really difficult thing to swallow, even after coming to terms with jkr’s bigotry. Because even when she was just transphobic and racist and just kind of a bigot in general I could still say “well, the story was good, but it sucks she turned out so bad.” But I really can’t say that anymore. And that hurts so, so bad.

[arunningjoke]

doodles of my deltarune au chara w/ pixel art of the main 3 to the right

nonbinarys with eyeliner <333333

[emilnikos]

are the words "witch" and "wizard" gender neutral

not based on a dictionary or anything idk what the dictionary says just follow your heart and tell me what you think ok?

[evilwizard]

what's the difference between witches, wizards, and warlocks? i've tried looking it up, but all it only says that wizards and warlocks are male witches, which i disagree with, as i believe the magic style, vibe, and aesthetics are different, and i'm curious what your opinion is?

The real answer is that all of these words are basically synonyms, with different connotations due to various root words with various historical contexts. (“Warlock” for example being rooted in a late Middle Ages Scots term for magical practitioners suspected to be in league with the devil—from Old English wær, literally “covenant,” and leoga, literally “liar.” Essentially, those who broke their “covenant” with God and dealt in dark magic.)

But words change context based on our understanding of them, which is why in modern times you may have heard that warlocks are those who gain their power from a contract with some ethereal arcane force—a version popularized by D&D. In truth, the connotative differences between these words in most people’s minds are so slight, and they’ve been used interchangeably so much, that you can pretty much just reinvent their meaning for any given piece of fiction you use them in.

There has been a recent effort to needlessly gender these words, to be sure. We can thank J. K. Rowling for that. It’s remarkably unfortunate that such an uncreative—and, to be frank—noxious person occupies such a place of power in modern fantasy.

My personal headcanon for these words is this: witches tend to work magic with the natural order, wizards work against it, and warlocks are magical practitioners that deal with arcane contracts. (I actually rather like the D&D version, especially how it relates to the word’s etymology.)

Of course, you can use these terms however you like—which is a great thing, because fantasy is a genre with limitless potential!

[themanirealityshifter]

so, if i am scripting that there are “gender neutral” people in my marauders dr and my golden trio dr, or those who prefer “gender neutral” terms, what would be the gender neutral version of wizard/witch? cuz wizard is for “masculine-aligned” people/those who are comfy with “masculine aligned” terms, and witch is for “feminine-aligned” people/those who are comfy with “feminine-aligned” terms. soooo what would the “gender neutral” version of that be?

(and i put all those in “” cuz we need to stop labeling terms and shit as certain genders/gender-alignments, fuck gender norms)

but seriously, what would be the “gender neutral” version of wizard/witch?

[vyl3tpwny]

hey. i saw some chat on the premier of the queen is back about girls being witches and your response of no, which i 100% agree with. personally i view witches and wizards as being different types of magic eg wizards use wands with spells and rituals to do arcane stuff while witches use potions and chants to do wild magic stuff. is your view on magic similar to that, or is wizard just used as a catch all term for magic? i haven't watched mlp but couldn't find much about wizards or witches online.

i think its all genderless.

the title of "girls who are wizards" is meant to be subversive. a huge part of that is because i view both dubstep and video (the characters) as genderfucks themselves. they can be depicted masculine, feminine, in between, and out of bounds.

it's so common that wizard and witch are gendered terms, so i love the idea of just bending language in its already fluid nature to serve an underlying queer narrative about how you shouldn't give a fuck how ppl perceive themselves, depict themselves, and express themselves. much like all organic communication, if someone is being genuine and authentic and not setting out to harm anyone, then nothing else fucking matters, seriously.

it's AWESOME.

anyway, they're girls who are wizards because they do wizard shit. they cast epic spells, vanquish mighty beasts, discover strange new lands, and get whimsical with that shit. if they were witches, yes of course they would do wild magic and brew potions and commune with the animals. girls can do both. girls can do anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

over the past several years i've been reclaiming things in my mind. where once i felt i had outgrown da magics and da wubz, i now am emboldened to bring them to the world...

[petr1kov]

don't like how wizards and witches are seen as gendered terms for the same thing. sure, they both practice magic but the vibes are not the same at all. a girlwizard and a boywitch are very different to me

[bunchofdoodlesinspace]

ALRIGHT. So. Idk how many people (who are not my friends/mutuals and get to hear me rant about this show every other week) are aware, but I'm slightly obsessed with Winx Club. And I've talked off and on about these Winx redesigns I'm slowly chipping away at, and how doing them has sorta led me to rewriting the show itself, since I've redone a lot of the lore around the transformations (esp the later ones).

But because I'm a full-time university student majoring in character design with an interest in Not seriously injuring my wrist/hand, it's taking me. a while to make them (as of writing this, I have rough designs for all the main 6 girls up to Enchantix. 2 of them have finished designs which I shall be posting soon :D), so in the meantime I thought it'd be kinda fun to throw down some of the overall AU headcanons I have about the world and how it works. SO. with that I present:

Cup's Winx Rewrite AU Headcanons:

-What is known as the Magic Dimension/Universe in the show, in my version, is more like the term for a collective of various worlds, united through a variety of portals and links to the distant planet, Magix, which serves as an intergalactic capital. -Part of the reason that Magix exists in the way it does (both as the capital for the universe, as well as being where all three main magic schools in the show (Alfea, Cloud Tower, and Red Fountain) are located) is in part as a means to prevent another disaster like that which occurred at the hands of the Shadow Phoenix and the Ancestral Witches, which ultimately ended in the complete destruction of the planet, Domino. -The school's themselves both function as academic places of learning as well as training grounds for new guardians to learn how to protect themselves. Each school offers a different magical path for its students: Alfea, the path of Fairy Magic. Cloud Tower, the path of Witchcraft, and Red Fountain, the path of Wizardry (those who learn it being called "Specialists"). While it's uncommon, it is possible for students to switch paths if they find they aren't gelling with the one they started with. Everyone has the potential for any kind of magic, but that doesn't mean every kind of magic works for every person. -Oh, also, there's no gender specifications for any school. Fairies, witches, and specialists of any and every identity under the sun(s) exist in this world. -Fairies, witches, and specialists are not the Only magical beings to exist in the dimension. The planet Andros, notably, is home to not only many land-dwelling beings, but also to mermaids, who live in the Infinite Ocean, a realm that connects to all other oceans in the Magic Universe via numerous underwater gates. -Earth is, or rather, was part of the Magic Universe, for a very long time. This was up until the tragedy that befell the planet's magical creatures at the hands of the Wizards of the Black Circle. This led to its link being cut off from the rest of the other magical realms, and leaving its human society to develop in a world where magic remained a mystery. -This does not mean magic on Earth died. It continued to exist in the fringes, where it was safest for it to be allowed to develop. The bulk of it was/is maintained in Tir Na Nog, the Kingdom of the Earth Fairies, due to its extreme difficulty to locate by mundane means. -Another celestial object that was one connected to this network was one of Solaria's moons: Lumenia. Solaria claims to have lost contact with them eons ago, and refuses to make attempts to reopen the connection. -Since all of this IS rooted in a redesign project, I feel like I should note that there are a multitude of forms of varying power levels open for fairies to utilize. However, only 3 forms are actually taught at Alfea: Winx, Charmix, and Enchantix, Winx being the base form every fairy has the ability to use once they figure out how to tap into their powers. -Enchantix is one of the most powerful forms to exist. Once it is acquired, it serves to be the new base form over Winx. Gaining it also opens the doors for the fairy to acquire practically any other form to exist, most of which serve more to help in certain situations (eg.: Sirenix = Underwater needs). I'll go in-depth about the lore of each form once I've finished their designs. :)

I feel like. that covers most of my bases for now. I have. so many more thoughts sitting in my brain, if anyone is curious about anything please feel free to ask. I'm basically making myself stop for now bc I do have some homework I need to work on tonight JKHFJK

[free-my-boy-grumbot]

MAGIC USERS AND THEIR DEFINITIONS (because i’m mentally unwell and needed something cool to research)

FOREWARNING: In this, I do say that “witch” and “wizard” are not gendered terms and witches are different from wizards. This is literally just my headcanon (for lack of a better word). Most fantasy media does say that they are the 2 magic genders, but it’s my post and i’m going with the definition that I like.

Abjurer: Specifically deals in protective spells and the suppression of others’ magic.

Alchemist: Focuses on potion making, chemistry and alchemy (I know, shocker).

Artificer: Magic craftsmen. They do not cast spells, and instead can infuse objects with magic (such as a sword or wand).

Bard: Casts divine magic using their music and charisma.

Cleric: Their magic is a favour from the Gods to them. They pray at the beginning of the day every day to get their powers.

Chiromancer: Specialises in palmistry or fortune telling.

Diviner: Uses magic to foresee or predict future events or to discover hidden knowledge.

Druid: Wields nature-themed magic. Like clerics, they get their magic from the gods.

Enchanter: A general name for someone who uses magic.

Hydromancer: Specifically focuses on controlling water or liquid.

Illusionist: Uses magic to create illusions. Also known as evokers or conjurers.

Mage: Similar to the sorcerer, but instead of relying on willpower and instinct, they are more uniform, while sorcerers are more on the creative side.

Necromancer: Specifically focuses on reanimation of the dead.

Oneiromancer: Specifically focuses on dreams and prediction of the future.

Pyromancer: Specifically focuses on controlling fire.

Sorcerer: Does not learn magic, and instead has it within them. This can be, for example, because it is in their bloodline.

Warlock: Gains magic from a divinity or higher power. The magic equivalent of fucking your teacher for grades.

Witch: Does magic that is particularly focused on plants, herbs, healing, and cooking. Witches mostly make potions and have familiars (most commonly cats, frogs/toads, rats or ravens)

Wizard: Learns magic from books and study. Many also have staffs, wands, or another means of casting spells.

Let me know if i missed anything!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hello! I had a lore question about Twisted Wonderland and after reading through your blog, I figured you'd be the best person to ask! ^-^ My game keeps glitching, so I may have missed any info on this. But do we have any information on witches and sea witches (Assuming they exist in Twisted Wonderland because of Ursula.) in the game? I heard Epel's grandmother is a witch, but I don't know if anything else about witches are mentioned. And if so, how are witches viewed in Twisted Wonderland?

I don’t believe there’s a distinction between male and female mages (which is what I think you’re talking about when you say “witch”?). There is not any significant lore which would indicate or imply that female mages are treated differently than male ones.

In the instance you mentioned with Epel describing his grandmother, I’m pretty certain he just says she “can use magic”. Riddle's mother is also referred to in a more generalized term ("magical healer/medical mage"). In most instances, the characters refer to people who can use magic as “mage” or “sorcerer” rather than using traditionally gendered terms. For example, Crowley is the "headmage", not the "headwizard". The terms “witch” and “wizard” are actually scarcely used. This is also true of the Japanese version of the game, where 魔法士 (mage) or 魔術師 (sorcerer) is used rather than 魔法使い (wizard) or 魔女 (witch).

The one big exception to the witch/wizard rule I can think of is when they refer to the Sea Witch/海の魔女, as that is Ursula’s title among the Great Seven. There are no “sea witches” as a group, Ursula is THE Sea Witch (singular, no others). If we want to be really technical here, Maleficent is also called the Thorn Witch/茨の魔女 in Japanese, but her title was localized in EN as Thorn Fairy. Again, like Ursula, this is her title and she is the only Thorn Witch around; it’s not a group or a classification.

In any case, words like “witch” and “wizard” are no longer used in modern Twisted Wonderland. Why is that? Well, according to Lilia in book 6, part 18, "witches" and "wizards" is outdated terminology from a time when it seems that magic users in general were feared:

If witch/wizard is used at all, it most likely comes from the fandom/fans speaking about characters or from fan translations and not from the actual game itself, whether EN or JP. Within the world of Twisted Wonderland, the terms "witch" and "wizard" are no longer considered modern (think of it as like outdated slang or how no one nowadays uses “gigglemug”). It may even be considered inappropriate (like the terms are now considered offensive), but I don't think that's the case (otherwise, why would venerated woman like Ursula and Maleficent still be called the "Sea Witch” and the “Thorn Witch”?).

Vocabulary evolves with time and culture, and isn't exactly the same between our world (where witch/wizard/mage etc. can be used as synonyms interchangeably) and TWST's world.

[fanfictionlibrary]

After Hogwarts (Sebastian x Reader)

A Hogwarts Legacy fanfiction

The reader's house, gender, and appearance are not defined.

It was your seventh year at Hogwarts, and in about two months you and your classmates would be taking your N.E.W.T.s. The classes and your self-study sessions have never been so stressful. The teachers were constantly reminding you that these exams would decide your future. A future in which you would grow into even more outstanding witches and wizards than you already were. Honestly, the teachers were very encouraging, and aside from the headmaster, Professor Black, who looked at all of you like you were Troll Bogeys, the other Professors were sad that the graduation of your year was right around the corner. Although the Professors had to say goodbye to seven-year students every school term, the departure of you and your friends seemed to pain them especially. That was no wonder, considering that you and your classmates had been involved in a series of dangerous events that led to the demise of well-known dark wizards and finally to the Battle of Hogwarts. 

However, you, as students, were so caught up in your studies and the stress resulting from these that you barely had the time to lament your Hogwarts experience. And none of you really wanted to. Thinking about it felt like multiple stabs to the ribs – and you as the Hero of Hogwarts knew what you were talking about. Defeating poachers, dark wizards, Ashwinders, Trolls, goblins, and the menaces Ranrok, Rockwood, and Harlow personally, you knew what pain felt like and saw absolutely no glory in being a hero. Nonetheless, you loved the thrill of fighting and adventure.   

This was why you found yourself in a secluded section of the library on the second floor, thinking about your life after Hogwarts and being torn between two job options. Naturally, before the N.E.W.T.s, all students had to organize and apply for apprenticeships and jobs, because Hogwarts made sure that there was no graduation without a clear future perspective. The school helped the students with finding an occupation in the labor market by offering job orientation programs. And when you attended one of these programs in your sixth year, you decided to become an Auror.  It was not far-fetched, and honestly, everyone had expected it. At the beginning of your seventh year, you applied for Auror training, and obviously, you were accepted. It didn’t even need Officer Singer to vouch personally for you, something she had been doing repeatedly after you defeated Cassandra Mason, who sold her shop in Hogsmeade repeatedly and drove the new owners insane. No, everyone had heard about your great deeds. 

But you couldn’t help but wonder whether you really wanted to be an Auror. Of course, the rush of adrenaline coursing through your veins during a precarious battle was beyond this world, but Aurors were known for dying young. For the first time, you felt like you wanted to lead a secure, stable life that was defined by regularities and routines. That was why you were staring so intently at the piece of parchment lying in front of you on the table. Last night, right before going to bed, an owl from Professor Hecat was delivered to your dorm room, presenting another job offer. Curiously, you had read it: 

I am writing this letter late at night and do not have time for formalities. I would like to come straight to the point. I have a job offer for you as a teacher for Defense against the Dark Arts. If you take the job, you would start work next school year. It seems that I must retire early, earlier than I would like to. Which makes it important for me to find an honorable and responsible successor. I have already talked with the faculty about this job offer, and they all agreed unanimously that you fit the job description for a Hogwarts professor impeccably well. Even Professore Black acceded. You have not only experienced the perils of the Dark Arts and fought them, but you also have incredible social skills. It would be a shame if you didn’t teach students and accompany them on their journey to greatness. You would make a splendid teacher. Now, if you are interested, come and see me today or tomorrow. But if I don’t hear from you by then, the headmaster will have to start searching for my successor officially. 

-Dinah Hecat 

You stuffed the letter in your bag, deciding to consult your best friend, Sebastian Sallow, on what to do, and made your way to Professor Ronen’s Charms class. Sebastian certainly would offer good advice. After all, you have been through severe hardships together. You helped him with overcoming the sadness and loneliness that engulfed him after he had killed his uncle Solomon and after Anne left Feldcroft, stating that she loved him but couldn’t forgive him nor bear to see him. 

Forgiving or not forgiving Sebastian was never a question to you. In your opinion, Ominis was partly right when he said that someone needed to mean the three Unforgivable Curses to cast them successfully. By no means did Sebastian actually want to kill his uncle; the regret and panic that was written on his face right after he had cast the Killing Curse were enough for you to be certain; he was just utterly frustrated that his uncle had given up on Anne. He reacted impulsively when he cast Avada Kedavra, meaning that the wish to hurt someone mustn’t be rooted as deeply into someone’s consciousness as it is generally believed. Besides, you could just use Incendio or Diffindo multiple times to achieve the same result. An impulsive thought was enough to torture, take someone’s will away, or kill. The core of your wand probably determined the strength of an Unforgivable Curse, too. A dragon heartstring turned to the Dark Arts more easily than a unicorn hair.

You must know about what causes an Unforgivable to be cast successfully. You were enchanted by the Dark Arts, too, and used them on multiple occasions whenever you strolled through the forbidden forest or had a heart-to-heart duel with dark wizards. You were glad that the Professors didn’t know about your dark tendencies – otherwise, you would have never received a job offer for a teaching profession. Lately, you had resolved on using the Dark Arts only in situations that absolutely required them. You needed more stability in your life and would not seek out danger for the sake of it any longer. You wanted to put your foot down and settle. 

You were passing through the transfiguration courtyard when Amit and Poppy spotted you. They waved excitedly and ran over. 

“Are you heading to Charms, too?” asked Poppy in her soothing voice. 

“Yes, I am,” you replied, smiling at Amit and Poppy as they walked next to you. 

Amit chuckled, straightening out his Ravenclaw robes which he always kept neat. “I bet Professor Ronen can’t wait for the final exam in Charms. He always says that he wants us to tackle the exam like we were fighting a ghastly spider.” Amit grimaced, disgusted. “Actually, I prefer a quill and an exam sheet to a spider anytime.” 

“Definitely,” you commented, giggling with Poppy. Together the three of you entered the Astronomy wing and made your way up the stairs to the Charms classroom, but before the door to the Transfiguration courtyard closed fully, it was swung open again, and a sarcastic voice was carried over to your ears. 

“Were a spider to see you, Thakkar, it wouldn’t even bother to eat you,” remarked Ominis, and you all halted in your steps to let him catch up with you. “No one wants to swallow something that smells like cowardice.” The Slytherin boy held his wand up, its tip glowing red. Imelda Reyes followed behind him, her arms crossed and her chin tilted haughtily as she stared down Amit. There was a rivalry between Slytherin and Ravenclaw students that was absolutely vicious. It was an endless battle between ambitious cunning and studious wisdom. 

“Cut it out, Ominis,” you said. “That was not even remotely funny.” 

Next to Sebastian, Ominis Gaunt was your closest friend. “How would you know what fun means? You always laugh at Sebastian’s jokes,” Ominis countered.  

“No, I don’t,” you huffed, looking at your feet, letting your hair fall in front of your face to conceal your blush from your friends, who grinned knowingly.  

“You and Seb should just confess already,” complained Imelda as you all set in motion to reach class on time. “I mean, what is the harm? It is so obvious that you have feelings for each other. Did you know,” Imelda turned to you, raising an eyebrow, “that you said Sebastian’s name last evening when you fell asleep in the library? I wonder what you were dreaming about.” She winked conspiratorially at you. She was your best wingman – or rather wingwoman – but she had become a little too confident after she passed the tryouts for Puddlemere United. You were glad that she could pursue her passion after Hogwarts but desperately wished that she would tone down her matchmaking aspirations in the school halls where everyone could hear her. 

“Really? She did say his name?” asked Ominis. “That is interesting. Then there must be something that you and Sebastian are not telling me.” You didn’t know what the future ministry officer walking next to you was insinuating, but when you saw his devilish smirk, you didn’t want to know. “Do you and Sebastian use telepathy to communicate, perhaps? Because he fell asleep about the same time as you in his bed and kept moaning.”  

“Oh gosh!” You covered your red face with your hand, ignoring Ominis’s self-indulgent smile and Poppy and Imelda’s teasing as they exploded into laughter. However, you nodded when Amit mumbled that he would rather spend his time learning Gobbledegook than listening to mediocre innuendos.   

Compared to you, Poppy and Amit were sure of what they were going to do. Poppy would become a caretaker for magical beasts, traveling around with an organization formed by the Ministry for the protection of said wonderful creatures. And Amit, who was even more obsessed with stars and the night sky than he was in his fifth year, would go abroad to Japan to study the constellation of the sky there and teach Astronomy at Mahoutokoro. 

When your little group entered the Charms classroom, Professor Ronen greeted all of you enthusiastically. “Come on in, come on in! The final exam won’t wait for you to be ready, but you have to make sure that you are prepared instead!” 

All of you took your resigned seats, meaning you went over to Sebastian, who was already waiting for you, waving as a charming, genuine smile adorned his features. You were so distracted by the cute freckles littering his face and his sharp features that had lost some baby fat that you only noticed the remnants of Floo Powder on his shoulders when you sat down next to him. 

“Where have you been?” you asked worriedly, hoping he hadn’t given into his old habits and left the castle in search of danger. After Solomon’s death and Anne’s distant behavior, Sebastian scoured the wild, seeking out life-threatening situations to feel alive again. Often, you had to save his sorry ass and tell him that he was allowed to be happy, allowed to have a nurturing life. Although you taught him to live in the present and not in the past, the guilt he felt about Solomon’s death was still gnawing on his heart and soul. If it weren’t for you, Ominis, and the prospect of him and Anne reconciling, he would have given himself up and probably turned to the Dark Arts entirely.  

“Don’t worry,” he reassured, knowing what you were thinking. “I helped Penny in your shop. Last night Fastidio caused his usual wreckage. But this time it was so bad that Penny asked if I could help her. So, I did and managed to return for Charms just in time.” You thanked him with a loving smile. Sebastian had become quite the handsome man and grown into his body; he towered over you easily when you sauntered through the halls together, and his broad shoulders shielded you from view when you walked behind him. 

The lesson began, and Professor Ronen initiated the revision phase for your final exam. 

Maybe Ominis was right, and you and Sebastian did possess some sort of telepathy. While Ronen went through the theory of the spells Depulso and Flipendo, Sebastian moved his knee to touch yours, scooting closer, arms brushing against each other. Indeed, you were helplessly and desperately in love with each other, but so far, little touches, teasing, light banter, and flirting had been enough to satisfy you. After all, you were still young and trying to define your identities. Also, both of you were hyper-independent. A defined relationship would only interfere with your preferences for a free, independent lifestyle. Besides, you saw each other in school every day. Which was about to change soon. Maybe being just friends wasn’t enough anymore… 

“Alright, class!” Professor Ronen clasped his hands together. “I know how important it is that students work at their individual pace. And as a teacher, it is my duty to respect the heterogeneous student body. Therefore, feel free to use the rest of the lesson to learn alone, with a partner, or in groups. Whatever you prefer. You can study the theory of Flipendo or Depulso and practice the spells. You can stay inside the classroom or go outside to the hallway.” Professor Ronen’s fascinated and glowing expression turned into a serious one as he rubbed his hands together, staring at the class. In an ominous voice, he threatened, “But trust me when I say that you don’t want to know what consequences will follow if I see you slacking off.”

Most students formed groups and filed out of the classroom, practicing in the hallway. Sebastian and you stayed seated. Simple spells like Depulso and Flipendo were child’s play to you, and you pretended like you were reading about the theory in your books. Clearly, you were bored. Soon you heard the loud voices of your classmates echoing through the classroom and being carried over from the hallway as they commanded their wands to perform magic. Professor Ronen sat down at his desk and corrected tests. 

“You know that already,” began Sebastian quietly, staring deep into your eyes, “but I am utterly grateful that you let me stay in your shop and live with you and Penny over the holidays these past years. It gave me a purpose and helped me to move forward. You helped me. I’m glad I only need to return to Feldcroft when I must.” 

Sneakily, you glanced at Professor Ronen. He was immersed in his work and oblivious to your conversation. “You know I would do anything for you, Sebastian.” You squeezed his hand briefly before withdrawing it and placing it back on your book like an attentive student. 

Nervously, Sebastian rubbed his neck. “Also, I just received confirmation from St Mungo’s Hospital. My apprenticeship as a healer will begin two months after graduation.”

You could barely conceal your excitement at the news. “That is wonderful, Seb!” You knew how much he wanted to become a healer. 

“I know so much about healing and magical maladies already due to my excursions to the forbidden section of the library,” he commented and absentmindedly brushed a lock of your hair behind your ear. “I am unable to save Anne, but maybe I can help others that are in need. I want to use magic to nurture life… not destroy it. I have done the latter already, and I repent it deeply.” A shadow clouded his face.

“Seb, you will be a great healer. I just know,” you said softly, intertwining your fingers with his and not letting go this time. “But know that you cannot save everyone. I don’t want to see you succumb to your obsessions again.” 

“I won’t. I promise.” Suddenly, he exhaled shakily. “Since we are already talking about obsessions, there is something I need to tell you.” 

“What have you done?”

“Wha— Nothing!” He crossed his arms, letting go of your hand in the process, and sulked like a little child. But his expression became serious again as his hand ran through his hair and then scratched his arm nervously. Suddenly, he appeared to be insecure. You didn’t know Sebastian like that. Solicitously, he placed his hand on your thigh and you began to panic. Hastily, your head whipped around to Professor Ronen, but he was humming the school hymn while eating chocolate frogs and marking tests. 

You breathed a sigh of relief and met Sebastian’s dark eyes, losing yourself in their depth. 

“You are an obsession of mine, too,” Sebastian confessed. “And lately I have been wondering what would become of us after graduation. Honestly, I don’t want you to become an Auror. That job is dangerous. I am not invalidating or underestimating your abilities. I know what you are capable of, but the thought of you winding up hurt, lethally wounded even in St Mungo’s or dying… It kills me. I love you with all that I am. I want to live my life with you. You challenge me and help me to become the best version of myself. I am irrevocably enticed and consumed by you—” 

Sebastian’s heartfelt speech was interrupted when an agitated Amit burst into the classroom and yelled, “Professor Ronen, quick! Garreth Weasley went too hard on the Depulso charm and catapulted Everett Clopton down the stairs, who then collided with Leander Prewett. They are unconscious!”   

“Oh goodness!” Professor Ronen swallowed a chocolate frog hastily, hurrying out of the class with Amit. The other students left the room and followed curiously. 

“Only at Hogwarts…” mumbled Sebastian next to you, shaking his head. “Can you hear Ominis’s malicious cackling, too? He is going to have a field trip with this. He never liked Prewett.” 

You did, but right now you didn’t care. If there was one thing you learned from fighting poachers and dark wizards, it was that you should always use a distraction to your advantage, whether it was caused by extraneous forces or yourself. You grabbed Sebastian’s cheeks, connecting your lips with his. Funny enough, he was not in the least taken aback. He just went along with it, and honestly, you wouldn’t have it any other way because that was a typical Sebastian reaction. One of his hands cradled your head, and the other wandered to your lower back. As your lips moved in synch to the symphony of your beating hearts, finally performing what they have been destined to do all along, you knew exactly which occupation you would exercise in the future.   

[exhuastedpigeon]

Feels Like Magic

A Buddie Urban Fantasy AU

Rated: T | Buddie | Chapter: 2/9 | 4.2k Updated Weekly on Wednesdays

Eddie hates that modern society has gendered the word ‘witch’. Witches aren’t all women, wizards aren’t all men, warlocks aren’t ‘just male witches’, and sorcerer isn’t just another term for wizard. He also hates that he can’t be publicly mad about it because as progressive and accepting as L.A. is, there are still rules and regulations in both the supernatural community and in the regular human society.  When he had left El Paso he had been a little worried about leaving behind most of his magic community, but he was more worried about what would happen to him if he stayed. His parents, though well meaning, weren’t exactly supportive of the way he wanted to raise Chris and how he wanted to teach Chris about magic, how he wanted to make sure Chris didn't lose touch with the kind of magic that Shannon had given him. He knew his parents thought it was odd that Chris exhibited both witch magic and druid magic, knew they wanted Chris to focus on honing his witch powers, but Eddie didn't want his son to lose that part of his mother, even if she had left them behind.  He knew he needed to leave for himself and for his son. He needed to leave even if that meant only having abuela and Pepa as his support network to start . He knew, from them and from basically every other supernatural person he had met, that L.A. was more progressive in a lot of ways, but especially in terms of the supernatural. In fact, Pepa worked for the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, the department that ensures that supernatural issues are taken care of and that the supernatural stays safely hidden in plain sight. Plus, Pepa had lived in L.A. for over 30 years, she had an in with the community there that most people could only dream of. So Eddie left El Paso and didn’t look back.

Read on Ao3

[mask131]

Of course, parallels are always going to be drawn between Tolkien's Legendarium and Lewis' Narnia. But, as someone who loves to study the depiction of magic in fantasy, there is one parallel that keeps sticking with me, or rather two-in-one.

Parallel one: Both authors have in their fantasy world a group of magic-users of a same gender (the Istari/Order of the Wizards/the Five Wizards ; the coven of the Northern Witches), with only two members of this group being fully explored as characters (Gandalf & Saruman VS The White Witch and the Lady of the Green Kirtle), and the others being left vague and mysterious (only a handful of info on Radagast and the Blue Wizards ; zero info about the other Northern Witches)

Parallel two: Both chose to depict wizards in their fantasy worlds as magical because they are actually supernatural entities that took a human form (the Istari are Maiar - divine spirits/minor angels/"daemon" in the Greek sense of the term - who were sent as messengers/helpers/emissaries ; the various wizards of Narnia are fallen stars undergoing penance for mysterious crimes). Plus, both authors presented three wizards to their audience, two forming an obvious duo (Gandalf and Saruman ; Coriakin and Ramandu), while the third is a "lesser" character (Radagast because he only appears in mentions and secondary tales, always in an indirect way ; the Hermit of the Southern March because he has all the traits of a Narnian wizard but is never called, adressed or identified as such).

[digitalwitchmayura]

[incomplete] Unofficial miscellaneous Mayura trivia

What is the meaning of the ‘Wiz’ in ‘Nanika Wiz Mayura’?

Nanika with (ghost name) was a common format for ghost titles, starting with Sakura/Nin-i-tan

A tribute and clever pun to the legendary Wizardry series - a series of role-playing video games, developed by Sir-Tech, that were highly influential in the evolution of modern role-playing video games. The original Wizardry (released in 1981)was a significant influence on early console role-playing games such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. Originally made for the Apple II, the games were later ported to other platforms.

 Wizardry IV: The Return of Werdna, released by Sir-Tech in 1987, is famously the hardest game in the history of computer RPGs. There is nothing harder. The majority of those who have played it were unable to leave the very first room. It’s like the ancient blueprint of the RPGs we know and love today. 

I find it a groundbreaking feat that the game was re-programmed from scratch and is somewhat playable within Mayura’s dialogue, despite being an English game this is the biggest obstacle to translate for me. 

Wizardry has recently opened an official english site for the first time to promote the remake, you can see the history of it there

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

help, I don't understand Mayura's references!

That's okay, me neither when it comes to many of them.

many of her references stem from a magazine called Micom BASIC(マイコン BASIC), one of the oldest running gaming magazines focusing on microcomputers.

up until as recently as 2022 it was near impossible to find any archives of Micom BASIC, but you can check out some scans of them (untranslated) here:

 https://retrocdn.net/Category:Micom_BASIC_scans

https://archive.org/details/micomBASIC19841994

 also highly recommend this translator's blog if this sort of stuff interests you - @thearkhound they've made some really accurate and insightful english translations of never before seen interviews with legendary game devs like Shigeru Miyamoto from Micom BASIC.

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

but as someone who struggles with having the attention span to complete classic RPGs  (many being obscure, japan release only and too expensive on the second hand market as well) it's helped me immensely to casually watch Gamecenter CX and the Wizardry OVA to get a better grasp of some of the terms and spells she uses.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

SA-GCCX English Subtitled Downloads and Information:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wizardry OAV (1991):

Some versions of your translation differ with what club Mayura is the president of, what’s the deal with that? Which club is she the president of?

To be honest it’s hard to say because she changes the answer every time, but there is a part of Mayura’s script as well as a little javascript code on her now defunct official blog which randomly generates a club title, picking from various retro gaming keywords, before twitter’s API was destroyed there was a widget where you could hit 'join club' by sharing it to a Twitter hashtag. from what I can gather She’s formed a whole lot of gaming clubs and is simultaneously leading all of them at once.

How come Mayura identifies as both a wizard and a girl? (or ‘Why is she a Digital Witch?’)

(a few explanations for this but TLDR; there’s a ton of inconsistencies spanning my various translations of Mukei’s homepage, it seems like wizard and witch are interchangeable in retro RPGS, sorry if it’s confusing) 

During the earliest days of RPGs ( especially J-RPGS from the years 1982-1987), Wizard was usually a gender neutral or unisex character class. 

Native Japanese speakers say “mahoutsukai” normally to mean ‘wizard’ in Japanese. mahoutsukai – 魔法使い (まほうつかい) : a noun meaning ‘wizard’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Depending on the context and situation, this can also mean ‘witch’ in Japanese.

The Japanese kanji for ‘wizard’ is Mahou Tsukai, which is directly ‘Magic user’ and does not specify a gender, Mayura’s favourite game (and ghost namesake) is Wizardry and a majority of her personality and dialogue is based around it, so it felt fitting to translate it to Wizard. 

“Witch”/”Digital Witch” and “Wizard” are used in english interchangeably in (untranslated) 2010s iteration of Mayura’s blog so I'd say it's probably up to personal preference, both are correct

in the history of programming, Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (SICP) is a computer science textbook by Massachusetts Institute of Technology professors Harold Abelson and Gerald Jay Sussman with Julie Sussman. It is known as the "Wizard Book" in hacker culture and refers to programming or hacking as magic, using sorcerer's spells to invoke the processes within the machine . (which I'm too uneducated to fully understand but my reasoning is that wizards = hacker and technology related)

Why does Mayura speak so strangely?

Her only knowledge of human culture or the 21st century is learnt solely through archaic RPGs and reading through strategy guides or obscure out of print magazines like Micom BASIC. According to her extended lore, 400 years ago she was a human living in the real world,  but she was an orphan and the village she lived in shunned her and tried to burn her at the stake. it's said in some of the Mayura Maniacs reference sheets that before her current life as a desktop buddy, she was an orphan and an alchemist named Unyx took her in as his student, protecting her and teaching her to control her magic powers. in order to save her from being executed, he had to transmute her soul into a 6-pointed star bracelet. Mayura was 20 years old at that time and lost all memory of her previous life when she was re-awakened in the 20th century and many of her favorite games were released in the founding years of gaming before my time during the 80s and 90s

[wizard-irl]

Is "Witch" Gender Neutral?

A lot of people say that the term "witch" is a gender-neutral term, and I agree. It's gender-neutral in that anyone should be able to freely identify with it, regardless of someone's sex or gender. People who don't identify as women are absolutely allowed to use the term "witch," and shouldn't have any other terms forced on them if that's what they prefer.

However.

There are a lot of witches who insist that "witch" has no gendered connotation, and that there is no reason why someone who practices witchcraft should want another term. "Witch" is purely gender neutral, isn't it?

"Witch" is not gender-neutral in that it connotes a person of any gender. Think of a witch. Do you think of a man? Do you think of someone whose masculine? Because I and many others do not.

Don't take my word for it? What does the internet define a witch to be and look like?

It's feminine connotation is further emphasised by its etymology and historical use:

Old English wicce "female magician, sorceress," in later use especially "a woman supposed to have dealings with the devil or evil spirits and to be able by their cooperation to perform supernatural acts," fem[inine form] of Old English wicca "sorcerer, wizard, man who practices witchcraft or magic[."] … [W]itchcraft was specifically singled out as a woman's craft[.] … Witch in reference to a man survived in dialect into [the 20th century], but the fem[inine] form was so dominant by 1601 that men-witches or he-witch began to be used.

"Witch" is a term with a feminine connotation. People who do not identify as women, especially those who are transgender, do not appreciate having a term like this forced upon them. I have seen multiple posts on this site from transmasculine people that say that this term is a source of dysphoria for them, that they are expected to identify as witches if they want to find community in witchcraft. It is cruel to suggest that these people should put up with tacit misgendering because "any gender can be a witch, including men!"

That's missing the point. Yes, any gender can identify with the term "witch." People who believe that “witch” is woman-exclusive often exclude other actual women from the term. However, just because they can identify with it, does not mean that they will. The reasons why they don't identify with the term are their own and they do not owe you an explanation for why they don't use it.

To everyone who doesn't identify as a woman fully or at all out there: you do not need to use the term "witch." If you feel a connection to the word, if it makes you happy to use it, by all means, use it. But if "witch" makes you feel dysphoric, if you cringe calling yourself it, or if you just don't like the way the word looks or sounds, you do not need to use it and you aren't any less of a serious practitioner for it.

Neutral/Masculine Terms

But that begs the question: what terms are out there that aren't "witch?" I've compiled a short list.

Wizard: Wizard is perhaps the most popular masculine alternative to witch, at least in fiction, and is the term I like since it communicates what it needs to. Wizard is derived from wise and -ard, an old suffix equivalent to modern -er. Initially it meant a philosopher or sage (someone who is wise, a wise-ard), and due to philosophy melding with magic in the Middle Ages, took on the meaning of "someone with magical power." Thanks it being a class in D&D, this may be applied to women, but this is a term mostly associated with men.

Warlock: This is another popular masculine term, almost exclusively associated with men. Warlock is derived from an Old English word meaning "traitor, oath-breaker," and initially applied to the Christian Satan. Over time, the word began to be used to refer to people connected with Satan, and from that, men who practice magic. I've only see women warlocks in D&D, where it is a player class.

Sorcerer: Compare with sorceress. Derived from Medieval Latin sortarius, meaning "fortune-teller." Due to a feminine term existing (sorceress), sorcerer is often only applied to men. Again, I have only seen women sorcerers in the context of D&D, where it is another class.

Mage: Mage is a gender-neutral term; a Google Image search returns roughly the same amount of men as it does women. Mage is derived from Latin magus, meaning "magician," which was in turn borrowed from a Persian word meaning the same thing. Magus is also used in magical communities, but I see it more applied to people in positions of power within magical organisations. Same meaning as above.

(Magical/Witchcraft) practitioner: This is the gender-neutral term I tend to prefer. This emphasises what we're doing more than what we are.

Occultist: Occultist seems to be a rarer term, and is defined as "someone who studies/practices the occult."

Magician: Another rarer term that I see with a lot of older ceremonial magic groups. Often not used to not be confused with stage-magicians, but can still be used to describe spiritual magic.

Specific paths: If you're referring to a group of people who follow a specific path connected to witchcraft, opt for the name of that path. If you're referring to Wiccans, use "Wiccans." If you're referring to Hellenics, use "Hellenics."

Specific practices: Again, if you're referring to a group of people who are doing a specific magical practice, use that practice. If you're talking about astrology, use "astrologer." If you're talking to people who worship demons, use "demonolater."

As with “witch,” just because a gender bias exists, does not mean that you can’t use a term. There’s no reason to stop a woman from being a warlock if they resonate with the term, just as there’s no reason to stop a man from being a witch. But if you’re looking for alternatives with a masculine or neutral gender bias, here you go.

I welcome any additions to the list, if anyone has them.

[the-divine-maverine]

Wanting to be involved in magical communities and not wanting to be called a witch is incredibly alienating.

I feel insanely dysphoric being refered to as a witch, because even though it's supposed to be gender neutral, the truth of the matter is that it's heavily associated with women, and I hate it. So what do I do? I claim a different title, one that makes me more comfortable, of course.

So I do that, then what? Pretty much all posts/communities/etc. about magic are by witches for witches. I have nowhere to go that doesn't talk about witchcraft. Magic =/= Witchcraft. I practice magic, not witchcraft. Witchcraft is for witches.

So I have two options. I can either call myself a term I'm comfortable with, but sacrifice community, or I can have community so long as I misgender myself and use all the common words ("witchcraft" etc.) There's nowhere for me to go that doesn't heavily use these terms and all the tags that talk about wizards, mages, etc. are about fantasy and fictional characters, not real magic. So if I want to use as many tags as I possibly can on my posts, I'll essentially be forced to misgender myself.

There's this voice in the back of my head that says "it doesn't matter what you call it, you still practice witchcraft and that makes you a witch" and it's difficult to shake. I just wish the magical community would be more accessible to me as someone who doesn't want to be lumped in with witches. I wish there was more consideration for people who don't want to be called witches.