Contemporary witchcraft, also known as modern witchcraft, refers to a set of spiritual beliefs and practices that have emerged in the 20th century. One of the key figures in the development of contemporary witchcraft is Gerald Gardner, an English civil servant, author, and occultist. Gerald Gardner is widely regarded as the founder of modern witchcraft, which is often referred to as Gardnerian Wicca. In the 1950s, Gardner published several books on witchcraft, including "Witchcraft Today" and "The Meaning of Witchcraft," which outlined his beliefs and practices. One of the main ideas in Gardner's work is the concept of a witch-cult that traces its origins back to pre-Christian pagan traditions. He argued that this witch-cult survived through the centuries, passed down through secret initiatory rituals and hidden knowledge.
So now let’s take all of that and use it to build a new magic system. This is going to be fun!
We have tools and we have the ability to work with the nanites on a very individual personal level that the magic-user can interact with them or there are the automatons. Your goal is to conquer a somewhat vague and mysterious admissions committee, and structure is your secret weapon, the magical potion that will make them blink, smile a little, and then say Hey, I like this one.
He argued that this witch-cult survived through the centuries, passed down through secret initiatory rituals and hidden knowledge. Gardner claimed to have been initiated into this witch-cult in the 1930s and worked to revive and popularize its practices. Gardnerian Wicca places a strong emphasis on the worship of a Horned God and a Triple Goddess, representing the divine masculine and divine feminine respectively.
How to Structure Your Magic Like Allomancy
Are you ready? I hope you are. Because this is a topic I’ve been wanting to talk about for a really long time now. In this article, we’re going to be talking about the structure of Allomancy in Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn trilogy.
I’ve wanted to do this for so long. Oh my God, this is going to be great!
I want to be clear upfront, this is not going to be an in-depth analysis of Allomancy. We aren’t going to be looking at the types of magic or any of the variables you would find on the magic system blueprint. Nor will we be diving into the limitations or the various ways that it’s used throughout the story.
No. What we’re looking at here is the structure, that underlying formula that Brandon built the entire rest of the magic system around. After we identify the structure, we’re going to talk about why it’s cool and why you might want to use it. Last, we’ll apply the structure to a brand new magic system.
There are several key elements that make up the Allomancy magic system structure, and we’re going to go through those one at a time.
Categories of Magical Effects
One of the things that I find cool about Allomancy and all of the metallic arts is how Brandon broke it all down into several large categories.
First, you have physical effects. These are any of the magic effects that alter the magic user’s physical abilities and senses or have a direct impact on physical matter. Then there are the mental effects that allow mental manipulation of people’s emotions, or even the mental ability to sense or cloak the use of magic. Next, are the enhancement effects that allow a magic-user to either enhance or neutralize the magical abilities of either themselves or another magic-user. Last are temporal effects that alter the flow of time or can provide information from either the past or the future.
Opposing Action Verbs: Push / Pull
These action verbs are a big part of what makes Allomancy stand out, and Brandon Sanderson uses the terms push and pull to describe different types of magical effects. In some cases, the push and pull are very literal. Take steel and iron, for example, where the metal allows the magic-user to push the metal directly away or pull it directly towards themselves. In other cases, like with copper and bronze, it’s a bit more of a metaphorical push or pull.
Whether literal or metaphorical, Brandon keeps the parallels throughout the entire structure. He even strengthens the metallic theme by making the pushing metals be alloys of the pulling metals.
Positional Words: Internal / External
Brandon also used positional words to create an additional level of distinction between specific magical effects. In the case of Allomancy, they are internal and external. Now, when you combine these three elements of the structure, you end up with this four-by-four grid, which allows us to have up to 16 powers right away.
With the grid in place, we can see pairings and parallels, which automatically makes things more comprehensible and easier to follow. That’s part of the reason this structure is so awesome.
Distinct Performance Action: Burning
In the case of Allomancy, magic users consume the metals and then burn them within themselves to fuel the magic. So you have a bunch of words related to that like burn and flare. They’re both very distinctive from what I had seen in most other magic systems, which helped it stand out even further.
Now that we have this grid of sixteen boxes and we know what category it falls under, whether it’s supposed to be pushing or pulling internal and external, it’s just a matter of filling them in. This leads to the final part of the Allomancy magic system structure.
Distinct Magical Effects
Each of the sixteen powers in Allomancy is incredibly distinct. There’s not much overlap between the two. They’re connected, but no two metals really produce the same thing, and, to a certain extent, no two metals can even imitate the other. There is some room for deception over the course of the series, but it is usually clear which metal is being burned and which effect is being produced based on what’s happening.
If you aren’t familiar with Allomancy and you want an overview of the rest of the system, I really recommend that you check out the Allomancy Overview video by Daniel Greene[]. I really enjoy it. It’s quite simple and he covers the basics of the system, as well as the basics of the other two magics systems in the story.
There you have it. That’s the underlying structure of elements, and we can now use that for our own magic systems.
These deities are seen as manifestations of the natural world and are honored through ritual and ceremony. Another key aspect of contemporary witchcraft influenced by Gardner is the use of magic and spellwork. Rituals typically involve the casting of spells, the use of symbols, and the invocation of deities. Magic is seen as a means to connect with the divine and to harness natural energies for personal empowerment and transformation. Gardner's work sparked a movement that continues to grow and evolve today. Numerous traditions and variations of contemporary witchcraft have emerged, each with its own unique practices and beliefs. These include traditions such as Alexandrian Wicca, Dianic Witchcraft, and eclectic witchcraft. Contemporary witchcraft is often misunderstood and stigmatized by mainstream society, which is influenced by centuries of negative portrayals of witches. However, its practitioners see it as a valid spiritual path that promotes personal growth, harmony with nature, and the exploration of mystical and spiritual practices. In conclusion, Gerald Gardner's contributions to contemporary witchcraft have had a profound impact on the modern pagan and witchcraft movements. His work has popularized and legitimized witchcraft as a valid spiritual path, leading to the growth and diversification of modern witchcraft practices worldwide..
Reviews for "The Goddess and the God: Exploring the Deities in Gardnerian Witchcraft"
1. Sarah - 2 stars - I found "Contemporary Witchcraft Gerald Gardner" to be a disappointing read. The book lacked depth and failed to provide any substantial information. The author's writing style was dry and unengaging, making it difficult to stay interested in the content. Additionally, I was hoping for a more critical and analytical approach to modern witchcraft, but instead, the book seemed to glorify it without acknowledging any potential flaws or controversial aspects. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone seeking a comprehensive and well-researched exploration of contemporary witchcraft.
2. John - 1 star - I couldn't finish "Contemporary Witchcraft Gerald Gardner" as it felt like a collection of unverified claims and personal anecdotes rather than a credible examination of modern witchcraft. There was a lack of scholarly references and rigorous research to support the author's assertions. Furthermore, the book lacked a coherent structure, jumping between different topics without providing a clear connection or progression. I was hoping to gain a deeper understanding of witchcraft in the modern context, but this book failed to deliver any valuable insights. I would advise readers to look for more scholarly and well-researched sources on the subject.
3. Emily - 2 stars - "Contemporary Witchcraft Gerald Gardner" didn't live up to my expectations. As someone interested in exploring the practical aspects of modern witchcraft, I found this book to be too focused on historical background and the author's personal experiences. While I appreciate the importance of historical context, I was hoping for more practical information and guidance. The lack of clear instructions or step-by-step explanations left me feeling confused and unsatisfied. If you're looking for a more hands-on approach to witchcraft, I would recommend seeking out other resources rather than relying solely on this book.