Elemental Magic in the Briarverse: Light

Originally published at: Elemental Magic in the Briarverse: Light - Ackerly Green

This week, we return to the series with Light, the first magimystic element in order of the chronocompass.

 

Element: Light

Associated Guild: Weatherwatch

Associated House: Exploration

Associated Time of Day: Dawn

 

The magimystic order of the elements appears on the chronocompass in association with their respective guilds and times of the day. Dawn begins intuitively with Light, which serves as the representative element of Weatherwatch, the guild best known for its penchant for adventure and its ruling magimystic House of Exploration. Though there is much that we still don’t know about the origin of the guilds and the chronocompass, it seems intuitive that the symbol for Weatherwatch should be the “Further Fire,” as we do know their guiding element has long lit their travels and championed their exploratory pursuits.

And yet, this illuminating magimystic element is among the most primitively practical, and its immense power can be channeled even in the most mundane of settings. As we learned in the Search for Magiq narrative, reflecting on the symbol for Light in combination with physical settings connoting a sense of exploration, such as places of departure, modes of transportation, and natural features of wonder like forests or bodies of water, were enough to channel its inherently magimystic properties enough to create bursts of raw, elemental power. In a similar vein, bearing the alchemical symbol for Light in the form of a button or a sketch can often provide a boon for those seeking to open themselves to the discovery of new things, or even those merely looking to view their familiar surroundings with the fresh eyes of an explorer. Candle magic, too, has long been used by the magimystically-inclined to channel energy and to set intentions, to create a field of protection, or to divine the future from the interplay of Light and shadow.

For what of course, would Light be without its darker inverse? One could say that its very existence is defined by its antithesis, two sides of the same coin. Though we can only speculate on what those early magimysts, our predecessors in wonder, had to bear before discovering the healing and guiding properties of this particular element, we can surely empathize with their trials in these uncertain times. Or perhaps this was one element whose powers never needed outright discovering, but instead, like Aether, have been known intrinsically since long before we began giving names to spells.

On that note, we’d love to hear from you about how you see Light, or any of the magimystic elements, guiding your daily life. As with last week’s conversation on Aether, you don’t have to be a Weatherwatcher to contribute to this discussion! In fact, we’d love to hear how you see the elements manifest among different guilds, as well as which ones may overlap or work in tandem with each other. Through this exploration of the elemental fabric of the Briarverse, we hope to make the magic feel a bit more accessible, a bit closer to home, and of course, to help you discover how you may harness them to your advantage even on the darkest of days.

23 Likes

Oh boy!
So my optometrist has pointed out that my slight astigmatism means that sometimes I see rainbows where other people see white light and I should be worried if this stops happening.
This has meant that Ive always been obsessed with light and colour and it focuses heavily in my magic. (As a quick a side, ever heard of Winifred Nicholson? Her art is so cool and very very light focused)
I’ve often found that light is often a source of inspiration for me. One of the most profound rituals Ive ever done was on a ferry in the middle of the north sea when the light hit the sea just right and illuminated everything. Dawn and dusk are also wonderful times for rituals.
I also tend to use candles in rituals, its a focus in a way that few things are for me and immediately sets me in the mood for ritual.

13 Likes

That’s really cool! My astigmatism just makes me see spears of light from light sources if I squint at them.

13 Likes

Okay but astigmatism now sounds like a superpower to me??
@violetlily that ritual sounds absolutely lovely.

10 Likes

Oh wow, I just looked up WInifred NIcholson and her work is lovely! Especially the ocean scenes.

It feels rather like Light is a secondary/partner element to Wilds for the Verdurant bearing, which makes sense since it’s the ‘sunwise’ one of the three. They share the drive for discovery and exploration. And of course, most wild things need light to grow and change.

My husband is a special education teacher, and he talks a lot about the growth mindset and neuroplasticity, the idea of continuing to learn and maintaining curiosity throughout life. That all feels very Light-like to me.

12 Likes