Magic, in its essence, is a vast and mysterious concept that has captivated humans since ancient times. It is an art that encompasses a wide range of practices and beliefs, often varying greatly between cultures and civilizations. Despite the diversity in magical traditions, there is a certain underlying structure that can be observed. To understand the structure of magic, one must first acknowledge that it is fundamentally centered around the manipulation of energy and consciousness. Practitioners of magic believe that they have the ability to harness and direct these energies to create desired effects or outcomes. This manipulation is typically achieved through the use of rituals, spells, symbols, and various tools.
But this is flavoured by the ‘chicken or egg’ nature of their seminars, which served as both experiments on and training for ‘people helpers’. Concepts such as the meta-question (“I’m angry about losing my job.” / “And how do you feel about being angry?” – gleaned from Virginia Satir’s wisdom), and insights such as a feeling therapist at odds with a visual client, must have been very potent. They were therapizing therapists.
Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2010-04-23 17 45 39 Bookplateleaf 0008 Boxid IA118122 Boxid_2 CH119601 Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark II City California Donor alibris Edition Pbk. The introduction states that volume one began the task of making the magician skills of other potent psychotherapists available to other practitioners in learnable and explicit form.
This manipulation is typically achieved through the use of rituals, spells, symbols, and various tools. One important aspect of magic is the belief in a connection between the physical and metaphysical realms. Many magical traditions posit that everything in the universe is interconnected and that by manipulating the metaphysical, one can influence the physical.
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.
This idea is often expressed through the concept of correspondences, which is the association of certain objects, colors, elements, or energies with specific intentions or outcomes. Another fundamental concept in the structure of magic is the belief in personal power and intention. Practitioners of magic often emphasize the importance of personal will and intent in their practice. They believe that their thoughts and desires have the power to shape reality and that by focusing their energy and intent, they can manifest their desires into existence. Additionally, the structure of magic often includes the recognition of certain forces or entities that exist beyond the physical realm. These may include deities, spirits, or other supernatural beings, depending on the specific magical tradition. These forces are often invoked or worked with during magical rituals or ceremonies to aid the practitioner in their work. Furthermore, the structure of magic is often steeped in symbolism and metaphor. Symbols and imagery are considered powerful tools in magic, as they can help to focus and direct the practitioner's energy and intent. Many magical traditions incorporate specific symbols, such as pentagrams, sigils, or runes, which hold specific meanings and associations. Overall, the structure of magic is a complex and multifaceted system that encompasses various beliefs, practices, and techniques. It is deeply rooted in the manipulation of energy and consciousness, as well as the belief in interconnectivity, personal power, and intention. While the specific details and practices may vary between magical traditions, the underlying structure remains a consistent and integral aspect of the art of magic..
Reviews for "The Mathematics of Magic: Analyzing the Numerical Aspects of Its Structure"
1. Emma - 2/5 stars - "I found 'The Structure of Maagic' to be incredibly slow-paced and uneventful. The story had potential with its intriguing premise, but it failed to deliver any excitement or suspense. The characters lacked depth and their motivations were unclear. Overall, I was disappointed and felt like I wasted my time reading this book."
2. John - 1/5 stars - "I can't believe I actually finished 'The Structure of Maagic'. The writing style was confusing and convoluted, making it difficult to follow the storyline. The author seemed to prioritize complex descriptions over coherent storytelling. Additionally, the dialogue was stilted and unrealistic, making it hard to engage with the characters. I regret picking up this book and would not recommend it to others."
3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - "I struggled to connect with the characters and the plot in 'The Structure of Maagic'. The world-building felt disjointed and the magical system was poorly explained. The story jumped between different perspectives without a clear direction, leaving me feeling lost and disconnected. The pacing was uneven, with long periods of inaction followed by rushed and confusing action sequences. Unfortunately, this book didn't live up to my expectations."
4. Robert - 1/5 stars - "I found 'The Structure of Maagic' to be a complete mess. The plot lacked coherence and the narrative was difficult to follow. The author introduced too many unnecessary subplots and characters, making it confusing and overwhelming. The writing style was overly descriptive to the point of being tedious, bogging down the story with unnecessary details. The ending left me unsatisfied and overall, I was severely disappointed with this book."