QUESTION - Do you think the promise that magic will solve all popularised in modern fiction gives young people a false perception when taking their first steps as a witch?
ANSWER - I think the very nature of fiction is to make things seem more interesting than they are. I read a lot of romance novels for example and if I expected real life to emulate fiction I'd be very disappointed that my husband didn't meet me from work everyday mounted on a huge stallion determined to seize me and make love to me passionately the moment he set eyes on me. There is a certain amount of willingness to suspend belief when we read a book or watch a film. We understand its real life plus 80% exaggeration.
Do I think young people are incapable of discerning the difference between fantasy and reality? No, of course not. I've no doubt that the odd young person gets disappointed when they order their Harry Potter replica wand off the internet only to find that the only magic they have performed is persuading their parents to fork out an outrageous amount of money for a plastic stick. But I give most young people a lot more credit for being able to perceive the difference between magic portrayed in fiction (effortless, instantaneous, flashy) and real magic (needs hard work, persistence and even then might not work out the way you want it to)... The young people I have met through my website have always impressed me with their willingness to read, listen and learn. I don't think our witches of the future are into quick results - I think they may have been inspired by fiction (and let's face it magic has been everywhere these past ten years...) but they understand that to succeed on a craft path requires a firm reality check and a lot of hard work.
I'm not against all this magic in the media, if it gets people interested in something that benefits them and others then that can surely only be a good thing. Yes some witches are a bit scathing of fantasy fiction but most that I know would agree with me and see it as harmless fun and entertainment.
Image http://www.deviantart.com/art/Magic-119153524
ANSWER - I think the very nature of fiction is to make things seem more interesting than they are. I read a lot of romance novels for example and if I expected real life to emulate fiction I'd be very disappointed that my husband didn't meet me from work everyday mounted on a huge stallion determined to seize me and make love to me passionately the moment he set eyes on me. There is a certain amount of willingness to suspend belief when we read a book or watch a film. We understand its real life plus 80% exaggeration.
Do I think young people are incapable of discerning the difference between fantasy and reality? No, of course not. I've no doubt that the odd young person gets disappointed when they order their Harry Potter replica wand off the internet only to find that the only magic they have performed is persuading their parents to fork out an outrageous amount of money for a plastic stick. But I give most young people a lot more credit for being able to perceive the difference between magic portrayed in fiction (effortless, instantaneous, flashy) and real magic (needs hard work, persistence and even then might not work out the way you want it to)... The young people I have met through my website have always impressed me with their willingness to read, listen and learn. I don't think our witches of the future are into quick results - I think they may have been inspired by fiction (and let's face it magic has been everywhere these past ten years...) but they understand that to succeed on a craft path requires a firm reality check and a lot of hard work.
I'm not against all this magic in the media, if it gets people interested in something that benefits them and others then that can surely only be a good thing. Yes some witches are a bit scathing of fantasy fiction but most that I know would agree with me and see it as harmless fun and entertainment.
Image http://www.deviantart.com/art/Magic-119153524
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