text; un: e.västerström

[incinerating]

Name: Emil Västerström
Date: 03/17
Format: text

Hi everyone. I'm looking for some information or whatever. I guess it's mostly directed at witches, but I know some monsters were mages back home too and I'm not going to turn away any input.

Anyway, how do you do magic? Like, using runes or chanting spells or waving your hands around or anything else. The focus or whatever, the thing you do to make the magic happen. What is it? And how did you pick it?

I've tried about a billion different things and nothing is clicking, I need some ideas.

Comments

[fiddlestick]

I use music personally. Remembering an incantation is tricky, but putting things to a melody helps a lot.

For bigger spells, I have a staff from home that I use. It helps me focus.

[oathkeeper]

i'm not a witch but back home casting magic was sort of like sneezing? you just inhale and let it out and it comes out in a big burst? it's supposed to be natural like that, i think?

[poisontippedcure]

Back home, I would channel it through a cane. It felt like I was speaking directly to the spirits, and calling for their aid.

Here? I couldn’t tell you.

[betweenduskanddawn]

I've had a lot of luck with just reciting the words at first.
But after a while it seems like it matters less what I say and more what I intend?

If that makes sense.

[incinerating]

That reminds me of how my friend from home did it. He used these chants. I think they were calling on gods or something, I never really got the full picture, which is why I'm having a hard time with this, I think.

SO do you make up the songs yourself?

[incinerating]

I thought it was supposed to feel natural too. That's how it always came across with the mages back home, but it doesn't feel natural at all. Maybe it's because I had nothing to do with magic back home.

When it came out, did you use words or anything?

[fiddlestick]

Yeah. It does help to have a good understanding of where the energy is coming from. Here, usually the energy is coming from your own, or any items you might be using. Haven't had to call on any gods yet.

Yeah, unless someone's already made one up for what I want to cast.

[incinerating]

I haven't tried using an object yet. I guess I felt a little silly waving a magic wand around. My friend, I think, does magic by calling on the gods, but I'm still not sure I believe in gods and even if I did, they wouldn't be here. It's a whole different world.

Are you a witch here?

[incinerating]

Oh, yeah I think that makes sense. So you could sort of be saying nonsense but it works because you mean it to?

[incinerating]

Well, I'm pretty sure that even if I tried calling on the gods who are supposed to be looking after me, they wouldn't be here. We're way too far away from Sweden for that. So we're kinda casting from our own energy here?

That's cool. I've tried saying poetry but I'm not very good at it. Maybe I'll try singing.

Did you used to do magic at home?

[betweenduskanddawn]

Yes.

Although I do think it was important to learn it with the right words first.

[poisontippedcure]

No. Unfortunately, I'm fae.

And heavens, you don't have to actually wave the wand. Often, magic needs to be channeled into something to give it physical form. The stick exists as a medium between you and whatever you're channeling.

[oathkeeper]

you didn't have magic back home yourself? maybe that's why it's a little trickier for you?

when i used magic i didn't really need to use words, though. i sort of just pulled the magic out of the air, i guess. it was like snapping my fingers or waving a hand. it just... happened

i wish i could help more. hmm i've seen witches use magic by singing or with words and with just touching someone before

[fiddlestick]

Pretty much.

I hope it works for you! Really every witch has their own style, it's just a matter of finding it.

I did in a way, but it was pretty different from this.

[thisisamazing]

my partner uses a wand sometimes, but i've found it's easier for me to imbue spells into objects with runes. i think having something physical helps me... i don't know, picture and direct the magic? i do better when i can hold something. or hand gestures, actually, for spells that don't work well as enchantments. i use hand signals with my dragon a lot, so it's the next easiest thing for me, i guess.

we don't have magic in my home world at all, so it's been an adjustment.

[incinerating]

Wow. You'd think I'd be fine, I usually have a lot of energy. I've certainly been walking enough over the past couple years.

I think that's the problem. I don't know what my style is or how to find it. I've been trying everything they suggest at the Coven but nothing feels right. It's totally stupid, I swear even magic teachers are against me.

What was it like?

[incinerating]

No, I didn't, and maybe that's why? Someone told me it's supposed to be easier if you're not already set in your ways and all that. But it's definitely difficult.

Do you mean it was LIKE waving your hand or snapping your fingers, or did you actually do those things? I'm willing to try anything.

Thanks, that's actuall helpful. A couple people suggested singing, I might give that a try too. Waving my hands hasn't worked so far, but maybe I'm just waving them wrong.

[incinerating]

Oh. I'm sorry, I think?

What, really? I haven't really tried actually thinking hard about channeling the magic into something and THEN using it, but it all seems a little abstract. I feel really stupid doing it. How do mages deal with this regularly?

[incinerating]

Sort of a 'you have to know the rules to break them' situation then. I get it. So you get the words out of a spellbook or whatever? What kind of magic do you do? Any recommendations?

[Maybe a possible study buddy?]

[incinerating]

Oh! Runes. A guy I know from home uses runes and apparently that's how people from my area of the world are supposed to do it. He would write them on pieces of paper or the door of the tank or on the ground or boat or whatever with paint. I tried a couple times, but I don't know what they're supposed to look like and the ones I could find in books here are weird and look nothing like the ones from home.

Hand signals make sense too, though. Sort of thinking about the magic like a thing you direct, or whatever?

We had magic at home for me, but I never believed in it until a few months ago. You can only be a skeptic so long when magic is being done right in front of your own eyes. It's still a relatively new concept for me though.

[And then, in a separate text a few seconds later, as if it's just registered.]

With your dragon? Do you mean you're bonded to a dragon and you communicate with sign language?

[betweenduskanddawn]

They are a place to start, yes. And listening in on the classes the coven offers helped a lot.

I've mostly been focusing on enchantments. I found them a lot easier than learning a lot of different spells.

[She's a little bit of a scatterbrain.]

[poisontippedcure]

Well, to stop thinking of it as stupid is a good start. Communicating with the spirits is a great honor. Where I'm from, they won't talk to just anyone.

['Talk.']

Besides, if anyone makes fun of you, you can just set them on fire.

[fiddlestick]

Not that kind of energy, it's more your spiritual energy. If it was based on physical, then I'd be completely out of luck with magic.

[Since he is a weak scrawny noodle]

I don't think they're against you. It just takes awhile to get the hang of it.

Well, there were these gems called quartz that had magic energy stored in it. We'd put those in a device that tapped into that energy and from there we could make elemental spells. Pretty straight forward.

[thisisamazing]

i started trying to learn the runes here, and i still use them, but i also mix in my own people's language. once you start with the foundation sometimes it gets easier because you can move away from doing everything by the book. it just takes a while to get used to.

ah that makes sense. it must have been pretty weird. i know realizing magic existed somewhere was kind of weird for me? and then realizing that i suddenly had it. but... honestly, i really like it.

huh? no, my bonded is another witch. he's my dragon from home. my best friend. he's not like the dragons here, he's not... he doesn't talk.

un: leslie

[foundfamilies]

I don't know if I am a good person to emulate. It took me almost a full month before I had any success and I don't know if I am doing it the way we're supposed to be.
And I have been spending a lot of my time at the Coven this month on gardening classes.
And I do not use a focus, because I am not used to doing magic like that.

But I started by learning how my magic feels inside of me. I had to sit somewhere quiet, close my eyes, and try to feel what was different from how I felt when I was on my own world. Since the only change for witches in coming here is the new magic, whatever is different should be that magic.

At least, I think it would have to be.