Witchcraft Rituals and Oracles in Azndr Society: A Socio-cultural Perspective

Witchcraft, oracles, and magic have long been part of the cultural practices and beliefs of the Azande, an ethnic group living primarily in the northeastern part of Central Africa. These practices are deeply rooted in the Azande's spiritual and supernatural worldview, shaping their understanding of illness, misfortune, and the forces that govern their lives. Among the Azande, witchcraft is seen as the hidden cause of unexplained events and misfortunes. They believe that certain individuals, known as witches, possess the power to harm others through their supernatural abilities. Witchcraft accusations are common in Azande society, and individuals who are suspected of being witches often face social ostracism and even violence. Witchcraft is seen as a real and tangible force that needs to be addressed and dealt with appropriately to maintain social harmony.

More than 30 white, blue and red commons were accidentally packaged in Dominaria boosters and found two months before release. [11] [12] [13]

9 In addition, 8 common and uncommon cards from the Ixalan , Rivals of Ixalan and Dominaria sets numbered 307 280 to 314 280 have been printed in the Welcome Decks with the Core Set 2019 expansion symbol. Nicol Bolas s reign Three cards in Bolas colors across multiple rarities, depicting his reign over Amonkhet, fall from power after the Mending, and subsequent return to strength Apex of Power , Fraying Omnipotence and Patient Rebuilding.

Witchcraft is seen as a real and tangible force that needs to be addressed and dealt with appropriately to maintain social harmony. Oracles also play a significant role in the Azande's belief system. An oracle is a person, typically a male, who serves as a medium between the spiritual world and the human realm.

Core Set 2019

Core sets were discontinued after Magic Origins in 2015, but were reintroduced with Core 2019. The reintroduction made it possible to move away from the Two-Block Paradigm, and create room to print three large standalone sets each year. [4] Thus, the codename Salad was transferred from the small set in the proposed Dominaria block, to this core set. [5] [6] Like Magic 2010 to Magic Origins before, this core set contains a mix of new and reprinted cards. However, it is primarily geared toward incoming players. [7] In contrast to earlier Core Sets, the design team started out by building the Welcome Decks and Planeswalker Decks. They had the freedom to design or reprint whatever cards they needed to make an optimal experience. The team then used the cards they made for those two products as a starting point around which to build Core Set 2019. [8]

Core Set 2019 contains 280 cards (20 basic land, 111 common, 80 uncommon, 53 rare, and 16 mythic rare) and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. 25 additional cards are found in the set's planeswalker decks. These are numbered #281/280 to #305/280. A unique Buy-a-Box promotional card numbered #306/280 is also considered to be part of the set. [9] In addition, 8 common and uncommon cards from the Ixalan, Rivals of Ixalan and Dominaria sets (numbered #307/280 to #314/280) have been printed in the Welcome Decks with the Core Set 2019 expansion symbol. [10] The common taplands sometimes replace a basic land in the land slot of booster packs. 181 cards are new, the rest is reprinted.

More than 30 white, blue and red commons were accidentally packaged in Dominaria boosters and found two months before release. [11] [12] [13]

Due to the transition from the Two-Block Paradigm to the Three-and-One Model Core Set 2019 is one of the few Core Sets with a development codename.

Storyline [ | ]

Core Set 2019 features a story arc by Kate Elliott, focusing on the origins of the main antagonist of the current storyline, Nicol Bolas, and his conflict with Ugin, his twin. [14] [15] The cards also show bits and pieces of unrelated stories on several other planes. The set is filling in the story and not part of the current storyline. To avoid confusing less enfranchised players there are no Story Spotlights. [16]

Magic Story [ | ]

Marketing [ | ]

Evolution of the Core Set Expansion symbol.

Core Set 2019 is sold in 16-card boosters (one card being a marketing card), five welcome decks, five planeswalker decks, the Core 2019 bundle and a Deck Builder's Toolkit. [17] The expansion symbol of the set picks up the design earlier used for Magic 2010 to Magic 2015, though with the modernized font. The boosters feature art from the five planeswalkers, featured in the Planeswalker decks.

Five Welcome decks are given away to new players for free.

The Welcome decks, Planeswalker decks, and Deck Builder's Toolkit are strongly integrated, which allows for an easier transition between the products. Basically, the Planeswalker decks expand on the themes presented in the Welcome decks. [18] Furthermore, the contents of the Deck Builder's Toolkit are entirely fixed and can be used to upgrade the Planeswalker decks. [18] The next step is a booster pack. Because of this, Core Set 2019 is positioned as an introductory booster product for new players. [8] However, the cards targeted to beginning players are mostly found in common and uncommon. This opens up the opportunity to add cards to fill up gaps in creative, mechanical themes, answers or formats in rare and mythic rare. [8] This is also the place for high demand reprints.

The creative team also used the set to take some peeks into the larger world of Magic and give a few hints at things that are going on around the Multiverse. [8]

Events [ | ]

• Prerelease weekend: July 7–8, 2018 [19]
• Magic Online update: July 9, 2018
• Magic Arena update: July 12, 2018

Tokens, emblems and checklist card [ | ]

Core 2019 comes with 14 tokens, three emblems and a checklist card.

Token and emblems appear in the marketing card slot.

1. 4/4 Angel creature with flying and vigilance, for Resplendent Angel.
2. 4/4 Avatar creature with flying, for Ajani's Last Stand.
3. 1/1 Cat creature with lifelink, for Ajani, Adversary of Tyrants and Leonin Warleader.
4. 2/2 Knight creature with vigilance, for Gallant Cavalry, Knightly Valor and Sigiled Sword of Valeron.
5. 2/4 Ox creature, for Transmogrifying Wand.
6. 1/1 Soldier creature, for Heroic Reinforcements and Lena, Selfless Champion.
7. 1/1 Bat creature with flying, for Desecrated Tomb and Regal Bloodlord.
8. 2/2 Zombie creature, for Doomed Dissenter, Graveyard Marshal and Open the Graves.
9. 2/2 Dragon creature with flying and " : This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn," for Dragon Egg.
10. 5/5 Dragon creature with flying, for Draconic Disciple, Lathliss, Dragon Queen and Sarkhan, Fireblood.
11. 1/1 Goblin creature, for Goblin Instigator.
12. 3/3 Beast creature, for Druid of Horns.
13. 1/1 ElfWarrior creature, for Thorn Lieutenant.
14. 1/1 Thopter artifact creature with flying, for Aviation Pioneer, Sai, Master Thopterist and Tezzeret, Artifice Master.
15. Emblem for Ajani, Adversary of Tyrants
16. Emblem for Tezzeret, Artifice Master
17. Emblem for Vivien Reid

The checklist card appears in the basic land slot. [20]

• Checklist card for Nicol Bolas, the Ravager (Nicol Bolas, the Arisen) [10]

Promotional cards [ | ]

• Magic Open House: Full-artGuttersnipe[9]
• Prerelease: a stamped card that can be any rare or mythic rare from the set.
• Draft WeekendLaunch promo: Desecrated Tomb[9]
• Standard Showdown: foil basic landpromo with art by Alayna Danner. The five different basic lands line up to make one large panorama. [9][21]
• Store Championship: full-artfoilDemon of Catastrophes[9]
• Magic League: foil Reliquary Tower[9]
• Buy-a-Box: Nexus of Fate (not found in the main set) [9]
• FNM promos: Elvish Rejuvenator, Militia Bugler, Murder[9]
• Convention card: Death Baron[22]

Gift Pack [ | ]

The Gift Pack for the 2018 holiday season (released November 16, 2018) is integrated with Core Set 2019. It contains four Core Set 2019 boosters, five premium lands, a Spindown die, and five creature cards exclusive to the Gift Pack. The exclusive cards are considered part of Core Set 2019 for legality and rotation purposes. They have the M19 expansion symbol, but are numbered #GP1/001 to #GP1/005. [23]

• Angelic Guardian
• Angler Turtle
• Vengeant Vampire
• Immortal Phoenix
• Rampaging Brontodon

Azande oracles are able to communicate with ancestral spirits and provide guidance, advice, and predictions to individuals and the community as a whole. The Azande consult oracles for decisions ranging from personal matters to larger community issues. Oracles are highly respected and their words carry significant weight within the Azande society. Magic, in the context of the Azande, refers to the belief in the ability to manipulate supernatural powers for various purposes. Magic can be both positive and negative, depending on the intentions of the practitioner. It is believed that individuals can use magic to heal illnesses, protect themselves from harm, or harm others through curses and hexes. Magic is often practiced by specific individuals in the community who have acquired special knowledge and skills in this area. Overall, witchcraft, oracles, and magic are integral parts of the Azande's cultural fabric. These beliefs and practices shape their understanding of the world and provide explanations for various phenomena and misfortunes. They play a crucial role in maintaining social order, resolving disputes, and seeking guidance in decision-making processes. Despite modern influences and changes, these beliefs and practices continue to hold significance and continue to be an integral part of the Azande way of life..

Reviews for "Ancient Azndr Divination Techniques: Insights into Witchcraft Oracles"

- John - 1 star

This book was a huge disappointment. I was expecting a captivating exploration of witchcraft and ancient magic, but instead, I got a poorly researched and confusing mess. The author seems to jump from one topic to another without any clear structure or direction. The writing style is also incredibly dry and dull, making it difficult to stay engaged. Overall, I would not recommend "Witchcraft Oracles and Magic Among the Azndr" to anyone looking for a well-written and informative book on the subject.

- Sarah - 2 stars

I must say I was quite disappointed with this book. While the title and premise seemed intriguing, the author failed to deliver on their promises. The information presented was vague and lacking in depth, leaving me with more questions than answers. Additionally, the writing style was convoluted and difficult to follow, often veering off on tangents that seemed irrelevant to the main topic. Overall, "Witchcraft Oracles and Magic Among the Azndr" was a letdown, and I would not recommend it to others seeking a comprehensive exploration of witchcraft practices.

- Michael - 2 stars

As someone who is genuinely interested in the subject of witchcraft and magic, I was excited to read "Witchcraft Oracles and Magic Among the Azndr." However, I found the book to be quite disappointing. The author's writing style is dry and uninspiring, making it difficult to stay engaged with the material. Furthermore, the information provided felt shallow and lacking in detail. I was hoping for a more in-depth exploration of the topic, backed by solid research, but unfortunately, that was not what I found in this book. Overall, I would not recommend "Witchcraft Oracles and Magic Among the Azndr" to anyone looking for a captivating and informative read on witchcraft.

Witchcraft and Magic in Azndr Culture: A Historical Overview