Fiction or Inspiration

[PhoenixRevival]

I was reading a rather good novel the other day that happend to alter my perspective on how energy manipulation could be done and how to treat different sources of energy... Which now leads me to a question to ask of you MWickers=)

Has Fiction, Fantasy and/or Science Fiction ever inspired you to look at the way you practice differently?

Have you ever been inspired to try something similar to a way something has been written in Fiction etc. and if so did it actually work?

I guess this is sort of a life imitating art / vice versa discussion i'm trying to start. Thanks in advance ^_^

PR

[KC Destroyer of Worlds]

I was reading a rather good novel the other day that happend to alter my perspective on how energy manipulation could be done and how to treat different sources of energy... Which now leads me to a question to ask of you MWickers=)

Has Fiction, Fantasy and/or Science Fiction ever inspired you to look at the way you practice differently?

Have you ever been inspired to try something similar to a way something has been written in Fiction etc. and if so did it actually work?

I guess this is sort of a life imitating art / vice versa discussion i'm trying to start. Thanks in advance ^_^

PR

:thumbsup:Great question!

Actually yes, it has. I like to think of the fantasy and fiction authors that I read as just another opinion. Sometimes what they are saying makes sense, sometimes it doesn't

Thinking about it though, Sci-Fi/ Fantasy authors make their bread and butter helping people willingly suspend their disbelief in order to enjoy themselves. What they are saying has to resonate (so to speak) with their audience, on some level.

If it's Sci-Fi, it has to be some kind of remotely plausible if unproved science. If it's fantasy it has to speak to a somewhat familiar belief system. Doesn't necessarily have to be the readers belief system, but generally it's within the realm of their understanding.

Regardless, the good writers, will develope or present a belief system that the reader can make an intuitive leap to, while the writer is still being innovative.

**Sorry about the ramble**

[Sparkles]

*grin* And look at how much sci-fi from the past has actually ended up being reality; maybe not exactly as written, but the end result happened. We have been to the moon, we have cloned life, we have successfully reattached severed limbs, and the list goes on. Adds an interesting potential to fantasy and science fiction!

[Calli]

:thumbsup:Great question!

Actually yes, it has. I like to think of the fantasy and fiction authors that I read as just another opinion. Sometimes what they are saying makes sense, sometimes it doesn't

Thinking about it though, Sci-Fi/ Fantasy authors make their bread and butter helping people willingly suspend their disbelief in order to enjoy themselves. What they are saying has to resonate (so to speak) with their audience, on some level.

If it's Sci-Fi, it has to be some kind of remotely plausible if unproved science. If it's fantasy it has to speak to a somewhat familiar belief system. Doesn't necessarily have to be the readers belief system, but generally it's within the realm of their understanding.

Regardless, the good writers, will develope or present a belief system that the reader can make an intuitive leap to, while the writer is still being innovative.

**Sorry about the ramble**

kchoye said it better than I could. I completely agree with this post. I have found grains of truth in the most unlikely places, and been able to use them.

[Phoenix]

This is one of the reasons I am a big fan of Pagan fiction. These books are generally just a good, relaxing read but at the same time they allow me to view another person's belief system and way of practicing. Mostly these just allow a glimpse of something new but that alone sets me off on a quest to find more information. I think we can learn and grow from anything we encounter.

[KC Destroyer of Worlds]

kchoye said it better than I could. I completely agree with this post. I have found grains of truth in the most unlikely places, and been able to use them.
:bow: Thanks Calli!

[Lunacie]

I certainly have. Several authors over the years have inspired me or made me think about magic/energy/rituals in a different way.

[PhoenixRevival]

Well I'm definitely glad I'm not the only one.

Anyone care to share any general examples of what they've pulled? If its against your creed to do so, dont feel obligated?

My current one is tagging locations or objects i feel to be abundent in energy by creating pictures of them in a new book i have. The concept is to, by visual representation, be able to call on those locations or objects. I dont know if it'll work BUT it is too interesting of a idea not to try ^_^

[Nitefalle]

At the risk of being razzed about this, I view most of paganism as being based on fiction. Look at Wicca - as a collective belief system, it originated totally from Gerald Gardner's head and look what came of that. Revivalists and recons and anyone that looks back on original myths are looking at fiction, basically. Myth is a fable, meant to tell a story of a particular time and culture of how the gods might have acted or how humans should act in accordance with the religious belief system of that place / culture. But, since we can't prove gods exist one way or another, myth is a work of fiction.

Given that, when I read something in a fantasy / sci-fi book that really resonates with me, I will definitely consider either tweaking it or at least considering the essence of what it as that piqued my interest and looking for something that correlates with that "in real life" or make something up based on it. Why not? Inspiration is all around us, whether it comes from nature or someone else's head.

[Lunacie]

At the risk of being razzed about this, I view most of paganism as being based on fiction. Look at Wicca - as a collective belief system, it originated totally from Gerald Gardner's head and look what came of that. Revivalists and recons and anyone that looks back on original myths are looking at fiction, basically. Myth is a fable, meant to tell a story of a particular time and culture of how the gods might have acted or how humans should act in accordance with the religious belief system of that place / culture. But, since we can't prove gods exist one way or another, myth is a work of fiction.

Given that, when I read something in a fantasy / sci-fi book that really resonates with me, I will definitely consider either tweaking it or at least considering the essence of what it as that piqued my interest and looking for something that correlates with that "in real life" or make something up based on it. Why not? Inspiration is all around us, whether it comes from nature or someone else's head.

I won't "razz" you, but I will disagree that Gardner invented Wicca out of myth and fable. I believe there were certain groups who were practicing various parts of witchcraft traditions and magical traditions, and Gardner gathered aspects of those traditions and melded them together into something that works very well as a means of both connecting with the gods (I believe they are real) and fellowshipping with other people.

From what you're saying, the bible is a work of fiction based on myth and fables, written by men who couldn't tell the difference between what was real and what was made up or imagined, since no one can prove that the god of the bible exists. Interesting.

However, I do agree with you that inspiration is where one finds it and that is good. :hahugh:

[cydira]

As an author I know once said:

All the stories in the world are the same thing. All of them have already been told. We're just reshuffling the deck and dealing it with our own style.

True or false, it's pretty much describing the whole picture. *shrugs*

[Cobalt]

Well I'm definitely glad I'm not the only one.

Anyone care to share any general examples of what they've pulled? If its against your creed to do so, dont feel obligated?

In a collaborative writing community I'm a part of, there is a god of freedom. That's his domain. That's it. I decided early on that if it's valid to construct a religion out of various cultural needs over a period of centuries, it's valid for us to do it over a handful of years. As a result, for a good couple of years I wore a necklace with this god's symbol on it. It didn't matter that nobody I met knew what it was. I knew, and it mattered to me.

This is an example of how I tend to work with these things in general. If there's anything that the study of comparative religion has taught me, it's that a religion's mythos doesn't need to be literally, verifiably, historically and scientifically true in order to be good.


I won't "razz" you, but I will disagree that Gardner invented Wicca out of myth and fable. I believe there were certain groups who were practicing various parts of witchcraft traditions and magical traditions, and Gardner gathered aspects of those traditions and melded them together into something that works very well as a means of both connecting with the gods (I believe they are real) and fellowshipping with other people.

From what you're saying, the bible is a work of fiction based on myth and fables, written by men who couldn't tell the difference between what was real and what was made up or imagined, since no one can prove that the god of the bible exists. Interesting.

I agree that this is what the Bible would be from that perspective, but I disagree that it invalidates it in the way you seem to be describing. If a story or set of stories had to be literally true in order to matter... no work of fiction would ever have changed anybody's life ever. No one would ever walk away from a work of fiction, either poetry or prose, with a changed outlook on themselves, the world, life in general. No one would have put down a work of fiction and said, "Everything is different now," and people have always done just that. And they've done it even knowing that what they read did not happen in any historical sense.

Because I'm comfortable with that property of fiction, I'm comfortable drawing from fiction for my religious practices, and I'll even continue to call it fiction.

[Lunacie]

>>

I agree that this is what the Bible would be from that perspective, but I disagree that it invalidates it in the way you seem to be describing. If a story or set of stories had to be literally true in order to matter... no work of fiction would ever have changed anybody's life ever. No one would ever walk away from a work of fiction, either poetry or prose, with a changed outlook on themselves, the world, life in general. No one would have put down a work of fiction and said, "Everything is different now," and people have always done just that. And they've done it even knowing that what they read did not happen in any historical sense.

Because I'm comfortable with that property of fiction, I'm comfortable drawing from fiction for my religious practices, and I'll even continue to call it fiction.

Actually I agree with you that it isn't necessary to validate a belief system, which seemed to be what the other poster that I quoted was saying and what I was disagreeing with.

I totally get that religion doesn't have to be revealed by some prophet or holy book, religion can be experienced through meditation, or reading, or having someone teach us how to do it ourselves, even through dreams.

[Corvis Canis Latrans]

At the risk of being razzed about this, I view most of paganism as being based on fiction. Look at Wicca - as a collective belief system, it originated totally from Gerald Gardner's head and look what came of that. Revivalists and recons and anyone that looks back on original myths are looking at fiction, basically. Myth is a fable, meant to tell a story of a particular time and culture of how the gods might have acted or how humans should act in accordance with the religious belief system of that place / culture. But, since we can't prove gods exist one way or another, myth is a work of fiction.

Given that, when I read something in a fantasy / sci-fi book that really resonates with me, I will definitely consider either tweaking it or at least considering the essence of what it as that piqued my interest and looking for something that correlates with that "in real life" or make something up based on it. Why not? Inspiration is all around us, whether it comes from nature or someone else's head.

True to a degree....but also true that it goes full-circle and always has. Fiction draws inspiration from ideas encountered in real life, even fantasy fiction. I've found quite a bit that seems to be loosely based on pre-existing magical systems like that of the Golden Dawn and its offshoots (existing before the fiction book was written, I mean) and a whole load of fantasy novels that loosely tie in with ideas decontextualized from Neoplatonic thought that's been around at least since the Renaissance....

Lots of fun interwoven strands in literature and practice.

[PhoenixRevival]

Does anyone have a memorable inspiration they'd like to share?:toofless:

[KC Destroyer of Worlds]

Does anyone have a memorable inspiration they'd like to share?:toofless:

I took inspiration from Mercedes Lackey's "Arrows of the Queen" series for my shielding techniques.:thumbsup:

[PhoenixRevival]

I took inspiration from Mercedes Lackey's "Arrows of the Queen" series for my shielding techniques.:thumbsup:


Oh, that sounds interesting. And if i may inquire (cause i'm nosey ^_^) has it worked for you rather well?

[KC Destroyer of Worlds]

Oh, that sounds interesting. And if i may inquire (cause i'm nosey ^_^) has it worked for you rather well?

It's worked pretty well. I've had to do some adjusting because the visualization was a bit off for me. I just have to keep adjusting things as I change.

[PhoenixRevival]

It's worked pretty well. I've had to do some adjusting because the visualization was a bit off for me. I just have to keep adjusting things as I change.

Awesome. I'm a learn-a-holic so its very interseting to me to hear about other's experiences... Unfortunately it sometimes leads me to press when people are suppose to "keep silent" *shrug* Thanks for sharing! ^_^

Anyone else have anything to share with the Class? *smile*

[KC Destroyer of Worlds]

Awesome. I'm a learn-a-holic so its very interseting to me to hear about other's experiences... Unfortunately it sometimes leads me to press when people are suppose to "keep silent" *shrug* Thanks for sharing! ^_^

Anyone else have anything to share with the Class? *smile*

I don't mind being poked, I like to talk about these sorts of things, I just tend to get tangential, so I'm trying to keep it short, so I don't alienate.:blahblah::bolt:

[*oonagh*]

i find charles de lint to be a great inspiration. he inspires me to see "magic" in the mundane.

[LisaT4P]

Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein = CAW.

Grok? ;)

[Cobalt]

Actually I agree with you that it isn't necessary to validate a belief system, which seemed to be what the other poster that I quoted was saying and what I was disagreeing with.

Ah! Okay. My bad.

[Lunacie]

Seconds the nods for Mercedes Lackey and Charles de Lint - although it's been a few years since I read them. Unfortunately I had to sell my library when I moved several years ago, and I know there are other names that have provided inspiration over the years with their fiction, but without being able to go and browse those shelves I can't remember them.

More recently I've enjoyed the fiction of Yasmine Galenorn (also writing as India Ink), and Madelyn Alt, and found some inspiration in their stories. The Rowan Gant series by M. R. Sellars has inspired some horror, if that counts. :lol:

[PhoenixRevival]

Everything counts... =)

Thanks for sharing! Lets keep it going!:mmm:

[Darth Brooks]

Has Fiction, Fantasy and/or Science Fiction ever inspired you to look at the way you practice differently?

Have you ever been inspired to try something similar to a way something has been written in Fiction etc. and if so did it actually work?

Okay this is probably gonna sound totally corny, but one of my favorite movies is a film called Halloween III: Season of the Witch, which is about a Celtic warlock (who may or may not actually be more like a Faery being) who uses a combination of witchcraft and computer technology to accomplish a fiendish plot. I really dig the way it takes the idea of witches casting hexes on people by using personal objects taken from their possession, and reverses it - i.e., the victims are given objects (specifically, Halloween masks) produced by the villain, which are then "activated" by TV signals. The results are fairly disturbing, to say the least. It also ties in with Stonehenge, transformation into animals (in a way J. K. Rowling would probably find horrifying), and robots. (And as an aside, it's the only film I've ever seen where the word Samhain is pronounced in Gaelic, rather than phonetically.) I am fascinated by the idea of advanced technology and "ancient technology" being used together to accomplish a desired result, and though the film's idea of how such a combination can be used is rather insidious, it has nevertheless effected the way I see these things.

Take Mystic Wicks, for instance. An online messageboard, which is the result of computer technology. Electricity, microchips, etc. Yet it is also like a nexus for occult power, in that numerous people practicing magical paths can communicate and exchange ideas here. The Energy Requests forum is a particularly good example of how even people right here on MW use a combination of magic, or prayer, and technology to help others across great distances, in a way that supersedes anything we've ever had before the Internet. What would happen if an artificial intelligence like Hal 9000 learned how to use heka? Would it experience Deity, like many of us do? Would it use such power and knowledge for good, or for evil? Would it eventually attain the possibility of a sentient afterlife? I think the possibilities are endless. Hell, even 2010: The Year We Make Contact and Blade Runner can tie in with this.

Another work of fiction which has really effected the way I look at things is Dark City. The idea that a person's individuality might be effected by switching out their memories, their accumulated experiences, with someone else's. Or the idea that someone can be given a completely fabricated history which can give them everything they need to know to deal with the immediate present, and to effect the future in a significant way. Using illusions to effect the Real, while knowing full well that the illusions are Unreal. What truly makes us who and what we are? Are we defined by our memories and experiences, or is there something else, some essential aspect of the human self which is impervious to external influence, and which ultimately stands apart from the rest of the objective universe? And is something truly, completely Unreal if it can have actual effects on the Real? And similar to Halloween III, Dark City also blurs the line between magic and technology; the villains of the story, the Strangers, are aliens who use an advanced technology to accomplish their ends, yet to us they are more like hypnotic vampires from folklore, with magical powers. I think of what they do - which they call "tuning" - as being an excellent metaphor for magic in general. Doctor Who also blurs the line between magic and technology quite a bit in some stories.


**Sorry about the ramble**

Don't be sorry, you make a lot of great points. I don't think you were rambling at all. :)

[Windsmith]

Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books (Wee Free Men, Hat Full of Sky, and Wintersmith) have had a profound impact on me. The idea that witchcraft is not about baubles and flashy magic but about a way of being in the world - and being with the world resonates strongly with me. It grounds me in my practice and helps keep me humble: the magic isn't about me, nor entirely my doing: it is the power of the Earth moving through me. If I have power, I am the power of the conduit, not the Source Itself.

I recently read Leslie Marmon Silko's Gardens in the Dunes. The relationship that Indigo, Sister Salt, and Grandmother Fleet have with their surroundings, and the way that Hattie slowly learns, somewhat, to have a similar relationship, gives me great hope that I, too, can develop similarly.

[Corvis Canis Latrans]

I also have to count myself among the Charles deLint and Mercedes Lackey fans.

Some of the various sci fi books on virtual reality can generate interesting ideas, too.

Been reading Patricia McKillip's books lately, too.

Robin Hobbs (for the longest time I avoided her because the names were cheesy, but actually the Assassin trilogy and the Fool trilogy are quite good.

Young adult fantasy is fine--Harry Potter is at times a bit cliche, I'd recommend Wise Child and Juniper, by Monica Furlong. Lovely books.

[Lunacie]

I love the writing of Terry Pratchett. :thumbsup:

Thank you, Windsmith and CCL, for the other suggestions. I have put in requests for those books through the inter-library loan system.

[KC Destroyer of Worlds]

Take Mystic Wicks, for instance. An online messageboard, which is the result of computer technology. Electricity, microchips, etc. Yet it is also like a nexus for occult power, in that numerous people practicing magical paths can communicate and exchange ideas here. The Energy Requests forum is a particularly good example of how even people right here on MW use a combination of magic, or prayer, and technology to help others across great distances, in a way that supersedes anything we've ever had before the Internet. What would happen if an artificial intelligence like Hal 9000 learned how to use heka? Would it experience Deity, like many of us do? Would it use such power and knowledge for good, or for evil? Would it eventually attain the possibility of a sentient afterlife? I think the possibilities are endless. Hell, even 2010: The Year We Make Contact and Blade Runner can tie in with this.

This is an excellent point. As each of us expands our virtual network, so to is our magical network expanded. Each path views power transmission differently, correct me if I'm wrong, but in most distance isn't really a factor.



Another work of fiction which has really effected the way I look at things is Dark City. The idea that a person's individuality might be effected by switching out their memories, their accumulated experiences, with someone else's. Or the idea that someone can be given a completely fabricated history which can give them everything they need to know to deal with the immediate present, and to effect the future in a significant way. Using illusions to effect the Real, while knowing full well that the illusions are Unreal. What truly makes us who and what we are? Are we defined by our memories and experiences, or is there something else, some essential aspect of the human self which is impervious to external influence, and which ultimately stands apart from the rest of the objective universe? And is something truly, completely Unreal if it can have actual effects on the Real? And similar to Halloween III, Dark City also blurs the line between magic and technology; the villains of the story, the Strangers, are aliens who use an advanced technology to accomplish their ends, yet to us they are more like hypnotic vampires from folklore, with magical powers. I think of what they do - which they call "tuning" - as being an excellent metaphor for magic in general. Doctor Who also blurs the line between magic and technology quite a bit in some stories.



Don't be sorry, you make a lot of great points. I don't think you were rambling at all. :)

Thanks Darth.

You made some really great points here.

I find Dark City in particular interesting. Technology is often viewed as magic by an inferior culture. (I don't know who said that first but I am totally paraphrasing, I don't want to rip it off, someone else said it first.)

[Darth Brooks]

I find Dark City in particular interesting. Technology is often viewed as magic by an inferior culture. (I don't know who said that first but I am totally paraphrasing, I don't want to rip it off, someone else said it first.)

To my knowledge, it was Arthur C. Clarke, and he stated it in his "three laws" of prediction:





When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarke%27s_three_laws

[KC Destroyer of Worlds]

Knowing is half the battle

[PhoenixRevival]

Oh good stuff!

Darth, awesome points... loved the Dark City reference... and here i was thinking i was the only one who liked that movie.

In the Terry Goodkind Sword of Truth series something i always loved was into the series pretty deep the main character is learning he has the gift of magic and whats worse, no one has the same type of magic he does. Everyone in that world uses magic in a static way, but the main character begins to discover that magic isnt limited by the laws of the people that use it, but rather its alive and viseral; a power that doesnt have merely one form of expression... I liked that.

Also WAY back there were some Magic: The Gathering books put out by Del Ray. (I know, I know... M:TG but stick with me)

A set of books in there defined magic as an individual art almost. One person would use a book to keep their spells while another used a shawl with embroidery all over it while yet another used beads and trinkets and the like stitched on a jacket. I like the idea of living magic like that, things built into day to day objects others wouldnt think twice about. =)

[KC Destroyer of Worlds]

Oh good stuff!

Darth, awesome points... loved the Dark City reference... and here i was thinking i was the only one who liked that movie.

In the Terry Goodkind Sword of Truth series something i always loved was into the series pretty deep the main character is learning he has the gift of magic and whats worse, no one has the same type of magic he does. Everyone in that world uses magic in a static way, but the main character begins to discover that magic isnt limited by the laws of the people that use it, but rather its alive and viseral; a power that doesnt have merely one form of expression... I liked that.

Also WAY back there were some Magic: The Gathering books put out by Del Ray. (I know, I know... M:TG but stick with me)

A set of books in there defined magic as an individual art almost. One person would use a book to keep their spells while another used a shawl with embroidery all over it while yet another used beads and trinkets and the like stitched on a jacket. I like the idea of living magic like that, things built into day to day objects others wouldnt think twice about. =)

I agree with this. I am studying magical artisanship, with the help of some MW'ers. I've learned a lot of the do's and don'ts, one thing that keeps coming up is the deeper you get the fewer don'ts there are. I'm currently working on year and a day collection of drawings. Once the year and a day is up, all of the drawings are going into a BOS for a friend of mine.

[PhoenixRevival]

Maybe we can take this converstation a bit further...

What about other "fiction-esque" mediums? Art, video games, movies, card games, comic books... has anyone had inspiration from these sorts of things and used them successfully? If so what was it and what were the results?

Darth, you commented about movies and such which kinda got me thinking about it... kudos!

[David19]

Oh good stuff!

Darth, awesome points... loved the Dark City reference... and here i was thinking i was the only one who liked that movie.

In the Terry Goodkind Sword of Truth series something i always loved was into the series pretty deep the main character is learning he has the gift of magic and whats worse, no one has the same type of magic he does. Everyone in that world uses magic in a static way, but the main character begins to discover that magic isnt limited by the laws of the people that use it, but rather its alive and viseral; a power that doesnt have merely one form of expression... I liked that.

Also WAY back there were some Magic: The Gathering books put out by Del Ray. (I know, I know... M:TG but stick with me)

A set of books in there defined magic as an individual art almost. One person would use a book to keep their spells while another used a shawl with embroidery all over it while yet another used beads and trinkets and the like stitched on a jacket. I like the idea of living magic like that, things built into day to day objects others wouldnt think twice about. =)

I quite like those ideas too :).

[Citana]

What about other "fiction-esque" mediums? Art, video games, movies, card games, comic books... has anyone had inspiration from these sorts of things and used them successfully? If so what was it and what were the results?

Actually... our coven rolls around this alot. We have a philosophy that the devine as found within us is reflected in everything we see, so long as we look. But particular examples of fiction, fairy tales, movies, etc. almost always have a sort of "moral to the story" that can be taken and learned from, in any sort of light that the devine wishes to give you.

For example, we call ourselves the Jabberwocky, for we found inspiration in the non-sensical poetry from the poem originally found in Alice in Wonderland--though at first, something may seem to have no inherent sense or meaning, there is always meaning or feeling incited into the work (whether it be prose, poetry, a painting, architecture, movie, music, etc) from the creator themselves. Your personal interaction with the work will portray and lend itself to interpretation which you can learn from, as your interpretation is a part of your personality, your uncounscious at work.

Thus there is always something to learn from a spiritual perspective, no matter the medium or the work itself (though to see some of it, some classes on psychology, sociology and art are likely to be helpful), so long as you open up to them, and are willing to put aside yourself for a moment, take in what this work means to you.


enough of the "teacher" rambling....


personally, I have had such inspirations from Alice herself, as well as a few great books such as the Mysts of Avalon (which contain a great visualization of Avolon itself), and American Gods (A must read for all Pagans in my opinion) in particular. Also, WiseChild is great for the beginner, parent or teen. This book talks about the meaningful relationship with everyday menial jobs, the magick of house-work, interpersonal relations with others, etc.

[David19]

For myself, I do think fiction can be inspirational, for example, I think Buffy and Angel, just as examples, can be inspirational (especially in the message of Buffy of fighting for what's right, facing your inner demons, etc, I mean, both shows are really big metaphors for life, Buffy represents the trials that most young people growing up have to face, even addiction, like Willow faced, of course, most young people have addiction to drugs as the problem, not magic (I'm sure there are exceptions!)). I, personally, think you can find inspiration in a variety of ways, as long, as it's meaningful to you, that's all that matters, IMO.

[Lunacie]

Actually... our coven rolls around this alot. We have a philosophy that the devine as found within us is reflected in everything we see, so long as we look. But particular examples of fiction, fairy tales, movies, etc. almost always have a sort of "moral to the story" that can be taken and learned from, in any sort of light that the devine wishes to give you.

For example, we call ourselves the Jabberwocky, for we found inspiration in the non-sensical poetry from the poem originally found in Alice in Wonderland--though at first, something may seem to have no inherent sense or meaning, there is always meaning or feeling incited into the work (whether it be prose, poetry, a painting, architecture, movie, music, etc) from the creator themselves. Your personal interaction with the work will portray and lend itself to interpretation which you can learn from, as your interpretation is a part of your personality, your uncounscious at work.

Thus there is always something to learn from a spiritual perspective, no matter the medium or the work itself (though to see some of it, some classes on psychology, sociology and art are likely to be helpful), so long as you open up to them, and are willing to put aside yourself for a moment, take in what this work means to you.


enough of the "teacher" rambling....


personally, I have had such inspirations from Alice herself, as well as a few great books such as the Mysts of Avalon (which contain a great visualization of Avolon itself), and American Gods (A must read for all Pagans in my opinion) in particular. Also, WiseChild is great for the beginner, parent or teen. This book talks about the meaningful relationship with everyday menial jobs, the magick of house-work, interpersonal relations with others, etc.

Just have to point out (can't help myself... really...) it's spelled divine.

I agree that there is a lot of magic in books like Alice in Wonderland, and once you dig down through the chaos there is a lesson about how we treat the people we meet and other lessons like that. My fascination with magic in fiction started very young with the Raggedy Ann and Andy books.

[Citana]

Just have to point out (can't help myself... really...) it's spelled divine.


Yeah, yeah.... 2am will do that to ya. ;)

[Lunacie]

Yeah, yeah.... 2am will do that to ya. ;)

I haven't stayed up that late in a very loooong time, but having a migraine tends to make my typing skills very hit or miss ... a lot of missing. Spelling is generally good for me at any time, but don't ask me to do any math when I'm too tired or having a headache. :ggrief:

[Windsmith]

Knowing is half the battleThe other half is pants.

[KC Destroyer of Worlds]

The other half is pants.

Oh indeed, one would hate to run out into battle with jimmy and the boys, or china or something hanging out.

[PhoenixRevival]

Oh indeed, one would hate to run out into battle with jimmy and the boys, or china or something hanging out.

Meh, chalk it up to the "element of suprise" :crazylaug

[KC Destroyer of Worlds]

Meh, chalk it up to the "element of suprise" :crazylaug

The Picts got away with it for years...

[LostSheep]

I think you can learn a lot from Granny Weatherwax.

Rincewind: perhaps less so.

[BlueRidgeMere]

Like others, I've been inspired many a time by the various witches of the Discworld (the wizards not so much :toofless:). As far as fictional role models go, I've also been really inspired by a number of the heroines in Juliet Marillier's books -- Sorcha, Liadan, Nessa, and Creidhe in particular.

I'm trying to think of recent examples of where I've gotten an idea for something to add to my practice from a novel -- I can't think of anything from the past few years, but I remember one from when I was in high school. I started learning about Paganism when I was 15, around the same time that I went crazy over Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic series, and I remember getting some ideas for magic workings from her books (particularly working magic through knitting). It's not like fiber arts magic is unique to her books, but they were the first place I encountered the idea -- and I still never knit with intention without thinking of Sandry :)
I also had an "aha!" moment around that time when I re-read two of the books Citana mentioned -- Wise Child and Juniper by Monica Furlong. I remembered reading them in middle school and loving them -- and they do speak to a lot of the important things Citana mentions.

[Lunacie]

Like others, I've been inspired many a time by the various witches of the Discworld (the wizards not so much :toofless:). As far as fictional role models go, I've also been really inspired by a number of the heroines in Juliet Marillier's books -- Sorcha, Liadan, Nessa, and Creidhe in particular.

I'm trying to think of recent examples of where I've gotten an idea for something to add to my practice from a novel -- I can't think of anything from the past few years, but I remember one from when I was in high school. I started learning about Paganism when I was 15, around the same time that I went crazy over Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic series, and I remember getting some ideas for magic workings from her books (particularly working magic through knitting). It's not like fiber arts magic is unique to her books, but they were the first place I encountered the idea -- and I still never knit with intention without thinking of Sandry :)
I also had an "aha!" moment around that time when I re-read two of the books Citana mentioned -- Wise Child and Juniper by Monica Furlong. I remembered reading them in middle school and loving them -- and they do speak to a lot of the important things Citana mentions.

Welcome to MW!

I requested Juniper through our inter-library loan system but haven't gotten the call saying it's here yet. Guess the holiday weekend slowed things down.

[skilly-nilly]

There's a third book in the Wise Child series, 'Colman'.

It's a little weaker than the others but still satisfying-- I enjoyed all 3.

[~Nixie]

Fiction is one way for me to explore and expand my imagination, and especially my visualization. When I read a story, I am taken to another universe, filling in the scene and details with my mind, and experiencing the rest of my senses. I feel more "connected" with the characters as they develop, and I become suspended in a different place, with the story acting as a guide and my imagination making it more "real". It allows me to better understand my subconscious, archetypes, dreams, etc...when it comes time to putting magic into practice, I have a easier time entering that "altered" state of mind if I read fiction regularly, or make up my own worlds through stories and art.

Sometimes fiction serves as other types of inspiration. I can't think of a specific example right now, but sometimes I'll read something in a book I like, that inspires me to do something similar.

[Metta]

Probably going to sound boring when I say this but honestly, 'The Mists of Avalon' made the concept of earth energies and of connection with the Goddess feel tangible to me and helped me realize that these are things I can reach out and tap into and work with, instead of being smoky, obscure ideas swirling somewhere over my head.