I’ve always been fascinated by magic. A tent appearing out of nowhere with a table and plates covered with food at the wave of a wand. Only to disappear again with a wave of that same wand. People transforming (or being transformed) into pigs or ornaments. Being able to transform yourself into a beam of light which streaks across the landscape from one location to another. Or hurling beams of light at people to harm or heal them.
I’ve fallen in love with all of these flashy moments, trying them out (or some variation) in my own stories. Other writers have gotten me thinking about just what magic is.
A coincidence, a stroke of luck, good or bad can be pretty magical. One of my favorite roleplaying games suggested that this may be magic at work, subtle and undetected by most.
Some of the phenomena we see in nature seems magical. It may have been magical to those living centuries ago, unable to explain it.
The technological devices we take for granted seem quite magical to me at times. I can’t explain how many of them work, even though some of my nearest and dearest play with them regularly.
Perception seems to play a key part in magic, in seeing something as magical. I’m finding myself increasingly drawn in my own writing, not just to magic, but the perception of it. What is magical to one person may be a pile of rocks to another.
How about you, dear reader? Do you like read or write about magic? What is magic to you?