tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post8020239769484303693..comments2023-09-19T03:20:07.025-04:00Comments on Carole Ann Moleti: Magical Rituals In a Variety of Magical Systems With Rayne HallCarole Ann Moletihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03376384405966524815noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-56078565268940452352011-11-22T12:03:36.340-05:002011-11-22T12:03:36.340-05:00A BIG THANKS, Rayne!!!!!!!!
hugs, KariA BIG THANKS, Rayne!!!!!!!!<br /><br />hugs, KariAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-34464605778731069682011-11-21T17:57:02.778-05:002011-11-21T17:57:02.778-05:00The winners for the prize draw are Kari and Diane....The winners for the prize draw are Kari and Diane. Each gets a copy of 'Storm Dancer'.<br /><br />The sites will be in competition with one another, and the ones who win are the ones who manage to have more stories than the others. <br /><br />Kari and Diane, I'll try to get in touch with you, and give you an URL and voucher code for a site where you can download the book for free.Rayne Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13992900621890391763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-81519270587647014622011-11-16T11:46:26.171-05:002011-11-16T11:46:26.171-05:00Hi back, Rayne. Try this link:
www.wiccantogether...Hi back, Rayne. Try this link:<br /><br />www.wiccantogether.com/profile/RavenSilvermoon; She is Wiccan and an author. I think you might like her books.<br /><br />hugs, KariAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-90033133250144894102011-11-15T16:51:00.125-05:002011-11-15T16:51:00.125-05:00Hi Julie,
Do you have any questions I may help wit...Hi Julie,<br />Do you have any questions I may help with? I love answering questions, so throw some at me.<br />Would you like to enter the prize draw?<br />RayneRayne Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13992900621890391763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-19999749957524055622011-11-15T16:17:53.260-05:002011-11-15T16:17:53.260-05:00Hi Rayne,
As always, the comments, questions, and ...Hi Rayne,<br />As always, the comments, questions, and answers are just as informative as the original information you put out. Thanks a bunch!<br />JulieJulie Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10242380140265459688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-3813563848667266412011-11-15T15:55:40.907-05:002011-11-15T15:55:40.907-05:00Hi Kari,
I haven't heard of Raven Silvermoon...Hi Kari,<br /> <br />I haven't heard of Raven Silvermoon, and couldn't find the name at Amazon. What does she write - novels or non-fiction?<br /><br />For my own favourites, I'm such a voracious reader (several hundred books every year) that the list would be long.<br /><br />Among novels about magic, I enjoyed Mage Heart by Jane Routley, Krabat by Otfried Preussler (a famous YA book which won literature prizes in Germany, and has, I think, been published by a couple of English-language houses, albeit under sensational names - 'The Satanic Mill' or some such). Wizard of the Pigeons by Megan Lindholm (I think that's the author's name - not sure. It impressed me because it's one of the very few books which acknowledge that working magic can drain the magician and make him tired). More recently, By Darkness Revealed by Kevin McLaughlin. <br /><br />I'm less impressed with the Harry Potter series. Much as I admire JK Rowling's storytelling and charcterisation, her magic isn't believable to me. Those magicians simply point a wand and say a word, and magic happens. No invocation, no power-raising, nothing. That's not how magic works. On the plus side, at least those magicians train and practice, which gives the whole setup a touch of realism. <br /><br />Among the non-fiction authors, I like to read anything about magic, even books by non-believers and books with spurious credibility. <br />Two authors I like (both practising Wiccan witches) are Scott Cunningham and Rae Beth. <br /><br />Of course, I have many more favourites; these are just ones which come to mind immediately.<br /><br />RayneRayne Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13992900621890391763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-38224341837168267292011-11-15T15:45:32.565-05:002011-11-15T15:45:32.565-05:00Hi Kari,
I've added a slip of paper with your ...Hi Kari,<br />I've added a slip of paper with your name to the cauldron. You can enter again when I post the second part of this article. I'll draw two winners. (Or rather, I'll get someone to draw two winners... I haven't decided yet who'll do it. My neighbour's black cat would be appropriate for a magic prize draw. Alas, he's so lethargic, he'll just blink and yawn and not move a paw.)<br />RayneRayne Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13992900621890391763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-49244340827174143052011-11-15T12:33:54.995-05:002011-11-15T12:33:54.995-05:00Ive read alot of Raven Silvermoon's books, but...Ive read alot of Raven Silvermoon's books, but all the others are random. Do you have a favorite author in this?<br /><br />hugs, KariAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-24124917631516420922011-11-15T12:31:01.579-05:002011-11-15T12:31:01.579-05:00A definite YES on wanting to be included in the Co...A definite YES on wanting to be included in the Contest! THANKS Rayne!<br /><br />hugs, Kari ThomasAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-3800160279012301482011-11-15T12:24:25.497-05:002011-11-15T12:24:25.497-05:00Hi Kathryn,
Are you planning any more books with m...Hi Kathryn,<br />Are you planning any more books with magic in them?<br />RayneRayne Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13992900621890391763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-44542791250391822772011-11-15T12:23:34.163-05:002011-11-15T12:23:34.163-05:00Hi Kari,
A witch having to steal the ingredients ...Hi Kari,<br /><br />A witch having to steal the ingredients she needs for a special spell is an intriguing scenario. I love the idea. I'll have to take a peek at your book. :-)<br /><br />When you say you love reading stories with magic in them, do you have favourite authors, or favourite books?<br /><br />RayneRayne Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13992900621890391763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-78504106149890549062011-11-15T12:21:29.548-05:002011-11-15T12:21:29.548-05:00Kari and Kathryn,
Do you want to enter the prize d...Kari and Kathryn,<br />Do you want to enter the prize draw? Let me know, and I'll put your names in the cauldron. (I'm including only people who want the book, rather than anyone who posts the comment and may not be interested. I just don't want you to miss out if you want to enter)<br />RayneRayne Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13992900621890391763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-6527634935116065172011-11-15T12:09:55.740-05:002011-11-15T12:09:55.740-05:00LOVED this post; thanks for sharing!
My last book...LOVED this post; thanks for sharing!<br /><br />My last book SPELL-KISSED has a witch who needs certain ingredients to perform a very special spell and she ends up ---comically --having to steal what she needs. The hero --- a very sexy cop---catches her.<br /><br />I love reading stories with magic in them! Thanks, Rayne for all the new info.<br /><br />hugs, Kari Thomas, www.authorkari.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-38577426333590351002011-11-15T11:38:37.119-05:002011-11-15T11:38:37.119-05:00Rayne,
I used most of the ritual in my book WITCHE...Rayne,<br />I used most of the ritual in my book WITCHES in 1993 and again in 2011. Great post, Rayne. Fellow writer Kathryn Meyer Griffith 2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS FINALIST nominee for her The Last Vampire-Revised Author's EditionKathryn Meyer Griffithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05034564063539239120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-54810825005237460322011-11-15T07:14:39.167-05:002011-11-15T07:14:39.167-05:00Tara writes: >I was once thinking aloud about a...Tara writes: >I was once thinking aloud about a problem facing one of my characters, and the person with me said, "Well, since it's fantasy, you can just do anything. It's magic!" <br />I was pretty frustrated trying to explain that "magic" in fantasy means a "system of laws and rules" not "anything goes."<<br /><br />I agree absolutely, on two levels. <br />First: If a magician can do anything, anytime, there is no story. Even if the writer invents a system, there need to be limitations, obstacles, rules, dilemmas and problems, otherwise it's boring. <br /><br />Second: As writers, we want our readers to suspend their disbelief in magic while they read our book. This means we need to make the magic believable. <br /><br />I've heard people say 'Magic doesn't exist, therefore we don't need to make it real.'<br /><br />But to most people in the world, in the history of humankind, magic has been real. Almost every culture practices magic in some form. It's rather arrogant of the modern westerner to claim that because s/he has never seen magic, magic doesn't exist. <br /><br />That's as if someone living in a jungle at the equator said 'I've never seen snow, therefore snow doesn't exist. Therefore I can write a story in which snow is pink and hot to the touch.' The resulting story would not be believable.<br /><br />As writers - whether we believe in magic or not - we need to write about magic as if we believed in it. We expect our readers to suspend their disbelief; therefore we need to suspend our own.<br /><br />The best way to make the magic in our fiction believable is to model it on existing magic systems. Magic systems which have been developed, practiced and refined for centuries, make sense. A writer, whether s/he believes in magic or not, can write believably about magic by using those systems (and, depending on the genre, modify them with imagination). <br /><br />Anyone thinking that magic isn't real, and stories aren't real, and therefore writers need not care about plausibility, simply has no idea how fiction works. <br /><br />RayneRayne Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13992900621890391763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-33031284771249672502011-11-15T07:01:37.448-05:002011-11-15T07:01:37.448-05:00Hi Carole,
I think it's great that you went to...Hi Carole,<br />I think it's great that you went to experience Santeria from a client's perspective. First hand research is always useful for a writer; by experiencing it you learn so much more than by merely reading a book or looking it up on the internet. Now you can write about it in a way which oozes authenticity. <br />And who knows, it may even help heal your physical malady. <br /><br />Most of the time, magical artefacts are harmless and won't be activated accidentally. Or even if they are activated, they only serve the minor benevolent purpose for which they are created (for example, to strengthen the user's immune system against infection).<br /><br />But yes, sometimes a clueless person unintentionally unleashes magical energy without. If you were in a state of intense emotional arousal (perhaps in the grip of tormenting jealousy, or some such), and your mind was focused on an intense desire (such as wanting that bastard to get his deserts), and you had magically charged items around, and those items aren't programmed for a specific purpose, it might unleash powerful magic with devastating consequences. So it's best to be cautious. <br /><br />Another reason for not over-extending yourself and buying magical jewellery, ingredients and tools is money. Many magicians and suppliers make good money from selling stuff to non-magicians. That's often where most of their income stems from. They're happy to suggest all sorts of things which are would not only be useless to you, but often of doubtful authenticity. <br />(The businesses which supply genuine magicians make most of their money from supplying non-magicians with impressive-looking cool-sounding fake stuff)<br /><br />RayneRayne Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13992900621890391763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-73740432309665481122011-11-15T06:47:56.879-05:002011-11-15T06:47:56.879-05:00Callene and Patty, I've entered your names in ...Callene and Patty, I've entered your names in the prize draw. :-)<br />RayneRayne Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13992900621890391763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-29825434523993200042011-11-14T22:11:56.411-05:002011-11-14T22:11:56.411-05:00It seems there are some folks who can not post. If...It seems there are some folks who can not post. If you are having difficulty, please email me carole AT caroleannmoleti DOT com and I will post for you.<br /><br />On behalf of Tara:<br /><br /><br />I was once thinking aloud about a problem facing one of my characters, and the person with me said, "Well, since it's fantasy, you can just do anything. It's magic!" <br /><br />I was pretty frustrated trying to explain that "magic" in fantasy means a "system of laws and rules" not "anything goes."<br /><br /><br />Tara Maya<br />The Unfinished Song: Initiate (Book 1)<br />The Unfinished Song: Taboo (Book 2)<br />The Unfinished Song: Sacrifice (Book 3)Carole Ann Moletihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03376384405966524815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-53530661576540134622011-11-14T21:12:41.512-05:002011-11-14T21:12:41.512-05:00Well things are going full tilt here, I see. I wou...Well things are going full tilt here, I see. I would just like to add that I am currently studying the tenets of Santeria for research, but in order to do that in a respectful and meaningful way, I have consulted a santera about a physical malady to experience what is involved in the healing process. <br /><br />She has been very insightful and helpful and cautioned me to follow her instructions very carefully (which I have done). Friends of mine who are practitioners have also cautioned me to not over extend myself and purchase any supplies, jewelry, or other implements unless it is on the advice of a santera that I trust. It got me to thinking about how easy it might be to unleash energy you have no idea how to control. <br /><br />But on the writing side, I have taken the post-magical hangover warnings into account and made them a significant part of the major scenes in Boulevard of Bad Spells and Broken Dreams. Thank you for that advice, Rayne and Widdershins (and I know who you are, Widder. Glad you stopped by).Carole Ann Moletihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03376384405966524815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-8321981933925724742011-11-14T19:42:16.057-05:002011-11-14T19:42:16.057-05:00Hi Rayne! I would just like to comment that I hig...Hi Rayne! I would just like to comment that I highly recommend anyone that loves magic to take your class! I thoroughly enjoyed myself and learned so much! I will definitely be signing up for more of your classes in the future. Of course, please enter me in the drawing! Thanks again Rayne! Your encouragement along with all the participation and feedback you give to your students in the class was wonderful! Patty Koontz petkoontz.writer@yahoo.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-63732885710562061122011-11-14T18:16:48.791-05:002011-11-14T18:16:48.791-05:00Great post. Thanks and please enter me in the dra...Great post. Thanks and please enter me in the drawing.<br /><br />CalleneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-81106623919766189302011-11-14T16:20:22.333-05:002011-11-14T16:20:22.333-05:00You can try. Practice your spell-writing skills. ...You can try. Practice your spell-writing skills. :-)<br /><br /><br />I'm giving away two copies of the e-book. You can enter twice (today's blog, and the next part which will be posted on 17 November)Rayne Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13992900621890391763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-26423389712204076442011-11-14T16:11:57.267-05:002011-11-14T16:11:57.267-05:00LOL - cool (rubbing hands together excitedly) hmmm...LOL - cool (rubbing hands together excitedly) hmmm wonder if I can hurriedly write a spell to give me good luck to win!!Dianehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06209189746892512195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-55394770715520257432011-11-14T16:07:38.402-05:002011-11-14T16:07:38.402-05:00Great, Diane. You're the first to enter the pr...Great, Diane. You're the first to enter the prize draw, then. I've written your name on a slip of paper and put it into my cauldron. (Actually, I put it into a pretty painted glass bowl).<br />RayneRayne Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13992900621890391763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4422684351196031305.post-67812882987245178062011-11-14T15:58:43.754-05:002011-11-14T15:58:43.754-05:00I agree with everything you say, widdershins. Fort...I agree with everything you say, widdershins. Fortunately, readers of this blog will be using the suggested structure only to write about magic, not to practice magic. At least I hope so. <br /><br />(Note to anyone who wants to practice magic: please take your time to learn how to do it, preferably with proper guidance and training :-) )<br /><br />Like you, I consider what comes after the ritual to be important, the closing, the grounding, the return to physical reality. Most people who who practice magic realise that they're vulnerable immediately after a magic ritual, and if they have any sense, they'll ground properly and take measures to protect themselves. <br /><br />Alas, most fantasy authors seem unaware of this. In most novels, magicians perform amazing magic feats, and afterwards carry on as if nothing was changed. This reveals the author's ignorance. At the very least, a magician would feel tired, , perhaps exhausted, disoriented, unable to concentrate, dizzy or nauseous. <br /><br />Even a brief mention of the magician's tiredness, and of a simple grounding action such as taking a drink of water, would help make the scene plausible. <br /><br />For plot purposes, authors could actually use the magician character's vulnerable state after a ritual, for example by having the magician's enemy launch a vicious attack just when the magician returns to reality, or when he's exhausted.<br /><br />It's surprising that not many authors do this. I guess it's because most authors really have no clue about magic. <br /><br />One aspect about which I disagree with you (well, not exactly disagree, just want to differentiate): The picture you paint refers to magic in which the magician leaves the physical reality and the body. This would apply to, say, Shamanism, and a few other forms of magic, and it does indeed leave the magician's mind quite wobbly and vulnerable on return until he succeeds in grounding himself in reality again. <br />Most magic rituals aren't as involved and dangerous as that. Indeed, many are quite simple and don't require leaving the physical reality at all. <br /><br />Fortunately, this kind of spirit travelling is only in the realm of fairly experienced magicians, and most of those have acquired a healthy dose of caution and common sense about their craft. <br /><br />RayneRayne Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13992900621890391763noreply@blogger.com