The Practical Magic Inner Witch Oracle is a divination tool designed to tap into the wisdom and intuition of the inner witch. It consists of a deck of 48 beautifully illustrated cards, each representing a different aspect of witchcraft and magic. The inner witch refers to the intuitive and magical power that is present within each individual. It is believed that everyone has the ability to connect with this inner witch and use it to manifest their desires, tap into their intuition, and embrace their true self. The Practical Magic Inner Witch Oracle helps to unlock this inner power and guide individuals on their spiritual journey. Each card in the oracle deck carries a unique message and energy.
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.
Each card in the oracle deck carries a unique message and energy. They cover a wide range of topics including elemental magic, spellcraft, lunar phases, tarot, crystals, and herbalism, among others. The images on the cards are vibrant and captivating, drawing the viewer into the world of magic and enchantment.
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.
To use the Practical Magic Inner Witch Oracle, one simply needs to shuffle the deck and choose a card at random. The chosen card will offer guidance, wisdom, and inspiration in various aspects of life. It may provide insights into relationships, career choices, personal growth, or spiritual development. The oracle deck can be used by individuals of all levels of experience, from beginners to seasoned witches. It serves as a powerful tool for self-reflection, self-discovery, and empowerment. The cards act as a doorway to the magic within, helping users to deepen their connection to themselves and the world around them. In addition to the card deck, the Practical Magic Inner Witch Oracle also comes with a guidebook that provides further explanations and interpretations for each card. The guidebook offers suggestions on how to harness the energy of the cards and apply them to daily life. Overall, the Practical Magic Inner Witch Oracle is an enchanting and insightful divination tool that allows individuals to tap into their own inner magic. Whether used for self-reflection, guidance, or manifestation, it serves as a source of inspiration and empowerment on the spiritual journey..
Reviews for "Exploring the Shadow Self with the Practical Magic Inner Witch Oracle"
1. John - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with the Practical Magic Inner Witch Oracle. The cards were flimsy and poorly made. The artwork looked amateurish and lacked the depth and beauty I was expecting. Additionally, the guidebook that comes with the deck was vague and didn't provide enough information or insight into the meanings of the cards. Overall, this oracle deck felt like a cheap cash-grab and didn't meet my expectations at all.
2. Emily - 1 star - I found the Practical Magic Inner Witch Oracle to be completely underwhelming. The artwork on the cards was uninspiring and lacked creativity. The messages conveyed by the cards were shallow and generic, lacking any depth or unique insight. I felt like I could have easily found more insightful and meaningful guidance by simply using a regular deck of playing cards. I would not recommend this oracle deck to anyone looking for a deep and enriching spiritual experience.
3. Sarah - 2 stars - The Practical Magic Inner Witch Oracle was a letdown for me. The cards were smaller than I expected, making it difficult to fully appreciate the artwork and details. Additionally, the cardstock quality was poor, causing the cards to bend and wear out quickly. The guidebook was also lacking, providing only basic interpretations without any real depth or guidance. Overall, this oracle deck felt cheap and poorly produced, and I regret purchasing it.