School of Magic

So a bit of silliness, then.

Somebody (she knows who she is) put the idea of sorcery into my head not that long ago. Since then I've been trying to figure out exactly what that means. Now, ceremonial magic doesn't appeal. Nor does sorcery's, well, dudely reputation. I'm a feminist and have long since lost my ability to put up with dick-swinging (as they say) of any kind. So I've been trying to parse out what a woman's sorcery looks like. There are plenty of examples, at least in legend. Kirke, Morgan le Fay, even poor Medea. Because sorceress is different than sorcerer.

It's not quite witchcraft; it's a little more studied, more educated, while at the same time rather more glam. Witches wear whatever's comfy, stains or no; sorceresses get all junked up with the astrological symbol-embroidered cape and about a billion rings. Lots of earrings, too. At least that's what's coming to my mind.

So I've been thinking about this, and what that means, especially about which avenues to pursue. Now for the silliness.

There is a thing going around Tumblr, a letter from Hogwarts announcing that you, the recipient, have been accepted. It has a list of supplies you'll need to get for the upcoming school year, as well as a list of classes.

Oh, classes. Now wouldn't that be fun.

So I got to wondering. If I were, say, running a college, a college where one studies some form of magic, what would the curriculum look like? We'll say a proper four-year secondary school education (Hogwarts is, in American terms, Junior High and High School).

Now I went to art school, so that's what I know, and that's the model I've got in my brain. Freshman year of my School we all took something called Freshman Foundation. There were four classes in it. There was Art History, which was an auditorium lecture paired with a weekly class with a teacher where you could ask questions, and then there were three studio courses which ran a full eight hours each (split up; they did let us eat lunch). Drawing, 2D and 3D, though looking it up I see the last two have been renamed Design and Spatial Dynamics, I assume to sound as pretentious as possible. Honestly and oh-for-fuck's-sake, I roll my eyes at you, Really Insanely pretentious School of Design.*

So I was thinking a year of basic magical lessons (though not eight-hour classes, I'm not crazy) followed by the electives one takes for one's major in the following years. I suppose that's what most colleges do.

So I wonder what would be the basics the first-year students would get taught? Things that all the majors would need to know.

Some of my ideas are: Herbs 101 and 102 (both semesters), The History of Magic (including a basic overview of the main systems of magic), Magical Tools, something maybe to do with focus/concentration/the Will? I'm not sure Spellcasting would be in there, honestly; I'd think knowing a bit about what you're doing and why, first, would be better (safer?) than jumping right in, but I could be a conservative type about that sort of thing, too.

For majors so far I've got Alchemy, Shamanism, Oracular Sciences (hee hee LOVE that name), Sorcery, and Astrology. I know Shamanism isn't quite the right word, but I was looking for a magical path that involves close interaction with the spirit world. I suppose Herbalist could be in there, but that's probably a real major somewhere else that means a bit of a different thing.

And some classes, without, hopefully, getting too Hogwarts-y, as the focus isn't quite the same. I'm thinking plenty of herb classes (this may be a requirement all four years depending on the major, and could have more in-depth classes like Solanaceae or Poisons or something). There might also be Entheogens, Stones and Crystals, Animism, various classes on a specific branch of magic like Enochian or whatever, Trance, all the Divinations, maybe a general course and then individual classes like Tarot or Oneiromancy, Sigils, Curses, probably some Protection Magic (which is I suppose Defense Against the Dark Arts), History of Symbols, The Elements, Numerology, and various history courses too like The Witch Throughout History: Changing Perspectives on Feminine Magic, which would be a Women's Studies class too.

So, readers (all three of you); if you were going to this school, or maybe even teaching it, how would you organize it? What classes would you teach, and/or would you like to take? What do you think are the foundational courses all first-year students should get, before they pick a major? What courses would be required for those majors? And what textbooks would you use?

Do please leave your ideas in comments! I'd love to hear!


*I see what I did there.