Magic, in various forms, has been an integral part of human history and culture for thousands of years. Across different civilizations and time periods, the belief in magical powers and the practice of magic has persisted. The rule of magic refers to the set of principles and laws that govern the practice and effects of magic. One of the fundamental rules of magic is the belief in the interconnectedness of all things. Practitioners of magic often believe that everything in the universe is connected, and through the manipulation of this connection, they can influence the physical world. This belief is often rooted in the concept of energy and the idea that everything is composed of energy.
Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the sixties, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood red hair, shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts, and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk.
Mostly this was welcome; Practical Magic suggests that the only romance the aunts ever experienced ended when lightning struck their teenage lovers, while The Rules of Magic quietly acknowledges and then brushes past that incident early on. From the start Susanna sets down rules for her children No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic.
This belief is often rooted in the concept of energy and the idea that everything is composed of energy. Another important rule of magic is the power of intention and belief. It is believed that the effectiveness of magic is directly influenced by the intention and belief of the practitioner.
'Rules Of Magic' Blends The Charm Of The Familiar With New Enchantments
I saw Practical Magic the film when I was 14, a little while before I read Practical Magic the book. I loved both, talked passionately about how very different they were from each other, how glad I was that I'd seen the film first so as to appreciate it on its own terms. The film gave me women loving and fighting with and for each other, in a house and garden (and kitchen) to spend the rest of my life lusting after; the book gave me poetry, the names of flowers, and generations of Owens sisters. The book focuses on Sally and Gillian as adult sisters, and on Antonia and Kylie, Sally's teenage daughters – but I always loved best the elderly aunts, Francis and Jet. I loved their comfort with each other, their confidence with magic, their authority, their power. I wanted to be them, and I wanted their stories.
I was over the moon, then, to learn that The Rules of Magic is a prequel starring the aunts and their brother Vincent, set mostly during their youth in New York City during the 1960s.
The Owens women have always had grey eyes, a spark of magic, and bad luck in love. Legend has it that their ancestor, Maria Owens, abandoned by her lover and accused of witchcraft during the Salem trials, cursed her bloodline to prevent her daughters suffering as she did. But Maria's journal also urges her descendants to "fall in love whenever you can," and the contradiction between curse and command is at the heart of Francis, Jet, and Vincent's lives. Coming of age on the Upper East Side with fashionable parents suspicious of the extraordinary, they explore and develop their powers together in secret — all the while resisting, and failing to resist, falling in love, with catastrophic consequences.
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I started reading The Rules of Magic in the afternoon and didn't stop until 2:00 AM. It's not a thriller by any means, not what I'd call a page-turner — there was no urgency to my reading, no skipping along sentences in order to find out what happens. Instead, reading it was like being caught in a current, floating along with a river's twists and turns, glimpsing familiarity and difference in varied measure before tumbling into something like the sea. I kept reading, not because I wanted to reach the end, but because I wanted to dwell in the honey-light of Hoffman's words. I wanted to hold these characters' hands.
Sometimes the degree to which I know Practical Magic by heart worked against my enjoyment, as Rules of Magic contradicts or rewrites elements of the former in order to fully develop the aunts' lives. Mostly this was welcome; Practical Magic suggests that the only romance the aunts ever experienced ended when lightning struck their teenage lovers, while The Rules of Magic quietly acknowledges and then brushes past that incident early on. But some parts — especially perceptions of the siblings' respective flavors of witchiness — made me frown and reach for Practical Magic as an authority on the subject. Which of course it needn't be; final process can certainly trump first thoughts. But reconciling the differences was sometimes distracting.
Hoffman's prose is as tender, dreamy and sweet as ever, laced with the sting of vinegar and broken glass.
For a book titled as it is, there seem to be no more rules to magic than to poetry. Magic here is old family recipes that yield surprising results in new ovens. Given this, I was sometimes confused by how often do no harm came up as an exhortation or a plot point, when by any conceivable metric the Owens siblings do harm people — and themselves — with magic all the time. Trying to puzzle a consistency out of the magic use was a bit like trying to bottle up the river with a sieve, so for the most part I shrugged it off and just lay back into the current.
But overall, the tug of the familiar and the enchantment of the new are the rule to which the above were exceptions. Hoffman's prose is as tender, dreamy and sweet as ever, laced with the sting of vinegar and broken glass. It's startling to take stock of how of a piece this book feels with its predecessor, of what a complicated dance of interlocking nostalgias this book explores and provokes: I, reading a book cataloguing a time during which Hoffman was a child, feel a tug of nostalgia towards the child I was while reading the book she wrote about adults my mother's age. Circles close within circles and spiral out again, and there's a magic in that too.
The Rules of Magic shows that sometimes the work you do comes back to you threefold — and sometimes you go back to the work you've done, and unfold three times more color from it.
Amal El-Mohtar is the Hugo Award-winning author of The Honey Month and the editor of Goblin Fruit, an online poetry magazine.
I saw Practical Magic the film when I was 14, a little while before I read Practical Magic the book. I loved both, talked passionately about how very different they were from each other, how glad I was that I'd seen the film first so as to appreciate it on its own terms. The film gave me women loving and fighting with and for each other, in a house and garden (and kitchen) to spend the rest of my life lusting after; the book gave me poetry, the names of flowers, and generations of Owens sisters. The book focuses on Sally and Gillian as adult sisters, and on Antonia and Kylie, Sally's teenage daughters – but I always loved best the elderly aunts, Francis and Jet. I loved their comfort with each other, their confidence with magic, their authority, their power. I wanted to be them, and I wanted their stories.
Strong belief and focused intention are believed to increase the potency of magic spells and rituals. A common rule of magic is the principle of "like attracts like" or the law of attraction. This principle states that similar energies or vibrations attract each other. Hence, practitioners often use specific materials, symbols, or rituals that align with their intended outcome. For example, if someone wishes to attract love, they might perform a spell involving rose petals, candles, and incantations related to love. The concept of the Rule of Three is also prevalent in many magical traditions. This principle suggests that any magical action or spell a practitioner performs will be returned to them threefold. It serves as a reminder for practitioners to think carefully before using magic to avoid harmful or negative consequences. Furthermore, the ethical considerations of magic also play a significant role in its practice. Many magical traditions emphasize the importance of using magic responsibly and for the greater good. This is often referred to as the Wiccan Rede, which states, "An it harm none, do what ye will." Practitioners are encouraged to focus on positive intentions and avoid causing harm to others through their magical practices. Overall, the Rule of Magic encompasses a wide range of principles and beliefs that guide the practice of magic. It emphasizes the belief in interconnectedness, the power of intention and belief, the law of attraction, the Rule of Three, and the ethical considerations of magic. While the specifics of these rules may vary among different magical traditions, they all serve to provide a framework for understanding and practicing magic..
Reviews for "The Rule of Magic: Love Spells and Attraction Magick"
1. John - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Rule of Magic". I had heard so many great things about it, but I found the plot to be confusing and the characters lacked depth. I struggled to connect with any of them and found myself skimming through the pages just to get it over with. The writing style was also not my cup of tea, with overly flowery descriptions that felt pretentious. Overall, I didn't find any redeeming qualities in this book and I wouldn't recommend it to others.
2. Sarah - 3 stars - While "Rule of Magic" had an intriguing premise, I found the execution to be lacking. The pacing was incredibly slow, and it took too long for anything significant to happen. The characters felt one-dimensional and their motivations were poorly explained. The magical elements of the story were underdeveloped and felt like an afterthought. I was hoping for a captivating and enchanting read, but unfortunately, I was left feeling bored and underwhelmed.
3. Mark - 2 stars - I struggled to finish "Rule of Magic" and it left me with a feeling of frustration. The plot was convoluted and hard to follow, jumping between different timelines and perspectives without much purpose. The characters were forgettable and lacked substance, making it difficult to care about their fates. Additionally, the world-building felt shallow and undeveloped, leaving me with a lot of questions and confusion. I had high hopes for this book based on other people's reviews, but sadly, it didn't live up to my expectations.