The Demon vs. The Rose: Magic in BtVS

[Under Her Spell]

This is an article I've just finished about magic in Buffy, which focusses around Willow.

The Demon vs. The Rose

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I haven't had sex... I'm a nice girl from Alabama who lives with her mom.
-Amber Benson

Willer: ah jest kinda like havin' sumpin thass jest yo' know, mine?
Taree: ah do... ah'm, yo' know...
Willer: Whut in tarnation?
Taree: Yourn...

Slain by Buffy ¦ Buffy Fan Art

[KathleenWolf]

very fluid and well thought out... the references were perfect and I love the conclusion

bravo

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"Are all you witches gay?" Buffy - Walking In Circles

[Katharyn]

I love it when Kittens write articles. Nicely thought out and well presented.

Thanks.

Katharyn

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You hear that baby?

[Under Her Spell]

Thanks KathleenWolf and Katharyn - I like Kitten articles a lot myself, too, as it's nice to start off from a positive standpoint about W/T.

I'm waiting for BBOvenGuy to reply, because he wrote that fairly similar piece "Willow and Magic: It's not about the power". Funnily enough I started by disagreeing with him, but then I decided that it was the escapism that Willow liked, not the having power over others.

[Still Waters Run Deep]

Excellent article John.

I'm sure Bob will come up with an invaluable critique of the piece, but apart from one or two minor points, I think I agree with your argument

It all comes down to the old good vs evil dichotomy [or Law vs Chaos as I prefer. The Cosmic Balance, read some Michael Moorcock] ...you may want to help, but as soon as you use your enemies tools, you are no better than them.

Read just about any well thought out fantasy novel, which is more than mere *sword and sorcery* and you will find a discussion of the moral and ethical shortcomings of magic use.

Take LotR..Gandalf is very sparing of his *big* magics, and does'nt use them unless absolutely neccessary...remember him recoiling in horror when Frodo offered him the Ring. Boromir wanted the Ring as an instrument to bring down evil, not understanding that it would be his undoing, regardless of how pure his motives are.

In a nutshell my understanding of the Willow situation is that she is unable to see how tapping into the 'dark mo-jo' [D'land S3]will ultimately corrupt her, regardless of her purity of mind.

Giles went there too, but had the strength [because he was a watcher in waiting?] to retreat, treat magic with respect and only resort to it when there was no alternative [Primeaval,The Gift]

Tara's magic is that which is enshrined in the 'good' [Law] side of the Cosmic Balance, tapping into those magics which are all around us, if we only know where to look, and have the skills, confidence and inner strength to conseve and use them wisely.

Again, I say, there is a lot more to Tara than we're led to believe. She is going to surprise us all someday

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love and kisses

Still Waters Run Deep

*Hands! Hands in new places!*

[Under Her Spell]

What were the minor points, Still Waters? Go on.

I forgot to add my other theory, which was that Willow's power means she has a certain vulnerability; because people like D'Hoffryn and Rack are attracted to Willow (er), she is in greater danger of being corrupted. Giles didn't have that. The other thing is that Willow doesn't have the magical grounding like Tara, who's mother practised.

[Scarecrow]

Brilliant essay! Thougha little darn spoilery..grr... ah well.

I agree with a lot of the points and love what is says about Tara (Lesbia.. heh). Thoug i do have some disagreements in places but i can't sayu for sure until seeing future episodes...

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The Futures Bright. The Futures Joss.
"Liberate tutemet ex inferis"

"Me and Willow always know how to find each other"

"There is no good, Munroe, there is no evil. There is only flesh"

"There are some corners of the Universe that have bred the most terrible things, things that stand against everything we believe in. They must be fought"

[Under Her Spell]

Er, there is a warning at the top of the page, Scarecrow! I don't think I can do any more than that. No spoilers, really, just Season 6 content.

[Still Waters Run Deep]

quote:

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Originally posted by Under Her Spell:
What were the minor points, Still Waters? Go on.

thing is that Willow doesn't have the magical grounding like Tara, who's mother practised.

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Umm you've put my only real point in here

I've always thought that part of Willows problem is that she has no grounding in the why's and wherefores of magic, only the how, unlike Tara.

Giles alluded to the fact - 'Look what happened to the mouse' referring to the Sorcerers Apprentice scene in 'Fantasia' - when Willow wanted to clear the Magic Box up with a wave of her hand. Giles could have done it, Tara could have done it, but they did'nt, because they knew it was an abuse of the power, something they always knew, unlike Willow, who had'nt served her apprenticship.

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love and kisses

Still Waters Run Deep

*Hands! Hands in new places!*

[This message has been edited by Still Waters Run Deep (edited March 03, 2002).]quote:

[BBOvenGuy]

Everybody's waiting for me, eh? Well, no pressure there...

I liked this article. It left me asking more questions rather than giving me answers - but then I like that in an article. You've opened up a whole new aspect of Willow's situation, and that's the question of how magic interacts with the person casting it. Your paragraphs on how important the intent of the spellcaster is to the outcome of the spell have me thinking all sorts of things, now.

One of the things in the addiction story-arc that seems to confuse a lot of people is the way Willow is now being shown as having physical withdrawal symptoms. How can this be? If magic is supposed to be a force of nature in some way, then it would have to be interacting with the entire being of the spellcaster. That would explain why it tuned into Willow's rage in "Something Blue," for example.

I'll have to think more about this. Thanks for pointing it out!

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Remember the Kitten Board Mantra: "Joss is nuts about Tara, Willow/Tara and Amber!"
(...and Marti's rather fond of them, too...)

[Wiccagrrl]

quote:

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Giles went there too, but had the strength [because he was a watcher in waiting?] to retreat, treat magic with respect and only resort to it when there was no alternative [Primeaval,The Gift]

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Giles also had the reality check of having a friend essentially OD from his magic use.

As for the original article, very well written and thought out. And I think the intent does probably have a lot to do with how well the magic works, and what makes for "dark magic" and "white magic".

[This message has been edited by Wiccagrrl (edited March 03, 2002).]quote: