{"id":3748,"date":"2010-06-01T01:10:55","date_gmt":"2010-06-01T06:10:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=3807"},"modified":"2010-05-26T15:24:43","modified_gmt":"2010-05-26T20:24:43","slug":"zap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2010\/06\/01\/zap\/","title":{"rendered":"ZAP!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Energy is what gets things done.\u00a0 We use energy to make changes whether we\u2019re talking about magic or the mundane.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve taken a bunch of science classes or just watched Star Trek, you\u2019ve heard a lot about energy… all kinds of energy.\u00a0 So, since you\u2019ve used it, and heard about it, and a good deal of the conversations you\u2019ve had with your fellow magic workers has been about energy, tell me:\u00a0 WHAT IS<\/span> ENERGY?<\/span><\/p>\n

Physics is basically the study of energy.\u00a0 You learn about how to measure the various kinds of energy, what they do, what to call them, how to manipulate them, even how to generate them.\u00a0 And one of the basic principles of science is that you can neither create nor destroy energy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wait a second, if you can\u2019t create and you can\u2019t destroy energy, how can you generate<\/em> it?\u00a0 Let\u2019s look at an electrical generator and see what\u2019s going on:<\/span><\/p>\n

Most electricity is generated by moving a magnet around and around until it produces this electricity stuff \u2013\u00a0pretty simple, actually.\u00a0 But, you see, there\u2019s the rub.\u00a0 Moving something requires energy.\u00a0 Not electrical energy, movement of objects is known as kinetic energy.\u00a0 And then there\u2019s that magnet thingy; magnetism is a kind of energy too.\u00a0 So we\u2019ve got two sorts of energy involved in generating electrical energy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hmmm.<\/span><\/p>\n

Okay, let\u2019s look at how we use electrical energy.\u00a0 Take the light bulb for instance.\u00a0 The electricity goes in at the base of the bulb and we get light.\u00a0 Light isn\u2019t electrical energy.\u00a0 And we get heat.\u00a0 Heat isn\u2019t electrical energy either.\u00a0 And, remember that magnet we used to generate the electricity?\u00a0 You can use electricity to make a magnetic field too.<\/span><\/p>\n

All these different kinds of energy seem to be related, don\u2019t they?\u00a0 Well, big surprise, they are.\u00a0 They all represent the same activity when you get right down to it: change<\/em>.\u00a0 All the various ways we name the various forms of energy are nothing more than convenient ways to talk about how we use energy… how we make changes.\u00a0 We don\u2019t really make<\/em> energy; we only use<\/em> it in selective ways.<\/span><\/p>\n

Well now, you\u2019ve now received your required lesson in physics.\u00a0 How about META<\/em>physics?\u00a0 What\u2019s different about magical energy when compared to mundane energy?<\/span><\/p>\n

Not a bloody thing.<\/span><\/p>\n

We can\u2019t create magical energy any more than we can create mundane energy.\u00a0 The same goes for its destruction.\u00a0 All we can do is harness it (using some kind of energy) and transform it (using maybe another kind of energy).\u00a0 And we can direct it (another thing that requires energy) and we can make it do all sorts of other tricks.\u00a0 Once again, what we call<\/em> it is almost the least important part about it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Without getting technical, energy really is ONE THING: change.\u00a0 If you want to generate energy\u2014magical or mundane \u2013\u00a0all you have to do is find a way for two things to have some kind of relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is where it gets to be fun.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the basic premises of every magical system is a simple idea: everything is connected<\/span>.\u00a0 Are you beginning to see the possibilities?<\/span><\/p>\n

If everything is connected, then you can get energy out of any<\/span> two things in the universe!\u00a0 But, before you try to get atomic fission from your two goldfish, let me explain that some types of energy are easier to produce from two goldfish than other types of energy.\u00a0 That\u2019s just the way the world is, so try not to fight it too much, okay?<\/span><\/p>\n

Most magical training involves learning how some kinds of energy are produced more easily from certain relationships than other kinds.\u00a0 But, if you only have two goldfish, maybe you should start small and build on your successes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say you want to generate a lot of heat and all you\u2019ve got to work with is two goldfish.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rubbing two goldfish together might generate friction and friction can turn into heat.\u00a0 But I think the goldfish might not be able to generate that much heat before they expire and, besides, rubbing them together might be considered somewhat cruel, especially by the goldfish.\u00a0 And remember: everything\u2019s connected and when you do something cruel to one thing it\u2019s likely to bring cruelty down on you.\u00a0 So let\u2019s think of another way, okay?<\/span><\/p>\n

Why not put a little energy into selling the goldfish?\u00a0 Maybe you bought them for five dollars each.\u00a0 Surely you can think of some way to fancy them up in the minds of potential buyers and sell them for eight dollars each.\u00a0 It might take some doing, but it\u2019s not impossible, is it?<\/span><\/p>\n

When you sell them, send them off with a tearful farewell and count your sixteen dollars with great glee.\u00a0 Because sixteen bucks can get you a young tarantula!\u00a0 Now, you might not want a tarantula, but somebody<\/em> does and those critters can live off of your bug infested back yard trimmings easily enough.\u00a0 That\u2019ll make it grow bigger.<\/span><\/p>\n

Big enough to be sold for thirty dollars.\u00a0 In the mean time, you can entertain your friends by claiming that your tarantula is really the product of two goldfish.\u00a0 That ought to make your friends scratch their heads a little.<\/span><\/p>\n

Congratulations, you now have thirty dollars and you\u2019ve gotten rid of that creepy spider.\u00a0 And thirty dollars can buy you six goldfish!\u00a0 Which then you can sell for forty-eight bucks.\u00a0 With forty-eight bucks, you can go down to the hardware store and buy a small catalytic heater.<\/span><\/p>\n

Plug it in (to the electrical outlet) and voile! you can now generate a lot of heat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, okay, maybe there are<\/em> easier ways to generate a lot of heat.\u00a0 Two goldfish might not be the best mechanism to do it.\u00a0 But… if that\u2019s all you\u2019ve got, then go for it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Take note that, beside the somewhat bazaar connections (but everything<\/em> is connected!) and the bits of energy (advertising, trading, feeding, plugging in the heater, etc.) used along the way, the biggest use of energy was your mind.\u00a0 A lot of magic is like that.\u00a0 Magic takes a lot of mental energy.<\/span><\/p>\n

But then, so did the first electrical generator.<\/span><\/p>\n

For those of you who may be beginning your journeys into the world of magic, just remember that your mind, your ability to imagine and figure things out, is the greatest repository of magical energy ever produced.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Energy is what gets things done.\u00a0 We use energy to make changes whether we\u2019re talking about magic or the mundane.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve taken a bunch of science classes or just watched Star Trek, you\u2019ve heard a lot about energy… all kinds of energy.\u00a0 So, since you\u2019ve used it, and heard about it, and a good deal of the conversations you\u2019ve had with your fellow magic workers has been about energy, tell me:\u00a0 WHAT IS ENERGY? Physics is basically the study of energy.\u00a0 You learn about how to measure the various kinds of energy, what they do, what to call them, how to manipulate them, even how to generate them.\u00a0 And one of the basic principles of science is that you can neither create nor destroy energy. Wait a second, if you can\u2019t create and you can\u2019t destroy energy, how can you generate it?\u00a0 Let\u2019s look at an electrical generator and see what\u2019s going on: Most electricity is generated by moving a magnet around and around until it produces this electricity stuff \u2013\u00a0pretty simple, actually.\u00a0 But, you see, there\u2019s the rub.\u00a0 Moving something requires energy.\u00a0 Not electrical energy, movement of objects is known as kinetic energy.\u00a0 And then there\u2019s that magnet thingy; magnetism is a kind of energy too.\u00a0 So we\u2019ve got two sorts of energy involved in generating electrical energy. Hmmm. Okay, let\u2019s look at how we use electrical energy.\u00a0 Take the light bulb for instance.\u00a0 The electricity goes in at the base of the bulb and we get light.\u00a0 Light isn\u2019t electrical energy.\u00a0 And we get heat.\u00a0 Heat isn\u2019t electrical energy either.\u00a0 And, remember that magnet we used to generate the electricity?\u00a0 You can use electricity to make a magnetic field too. All these different kinds of energy seem to be related, don\u2019t they?\u00a0 Well, big surprise, they are.\u00a0 They all represent the same activity when you get right down to it: change.\u00a0 All the various ways we name the various forms of energy are nothing more than convenient ways to talk about how we use energy… how we make changes.\u00a0 We don\u2019t really make energy; we only use it in selective ways. Well now, you\u2019ve now received your required lesson in physics.\u00a0 How about METAphysics?\u00a0 What\u2019s different about magical energy when compared to mundane energy? Not a bloody thing. We can\u2019t create magical energy any more than we can create mundane energy.\u00a0 The same goes for its destruction.\u00a0 All we can do is harness it (using some kind of energy) and transform it (using maybe another kind of energy).\u00a0 And we can direct it (another thing that requires energy) and we can make it do all sorts of other tricks.\u00a0 Once again, what we call it is almost the least important part about it. Without getting technical, energy really is ONE THING: change.\u00a0 If you want to generate energy\u2014magical or mundane \u2013\u00a0all you have to do is find a way for two things to have some kind of relationship. This is where it gets to be fun. One of the basic premises of every magical system is a simple idea: everything is connected.\u00a0 Are you beginning to see the possibilities? If everything is connected, then you can get energy out of any two things in the universe!\u00a0 But, before you try to get atomic fission from your two goldfish, let me explain that some types of energy are easier to produce from two goldfish than other types of energy.\u00a0 That\u2019s just the way the world is, so try not to fight it too much, okay? Most magical training involves learning how some kinds of energy are produced more easily from certain relationships than other kinds.\u00a0 But, if you only have two goldfish, maybe you should start small and build on your successes. Let\u2019s say you want to generate a lot of heat and all you\u2019ve got to work with is two goldfish. Rubbing two goldfish together might generate friction and friction can turn into heat.\u00a0 But I think the goldfish might not be able to generate that much heat before they expire and, besides, rubbing them together might be considered somewhat cruel, especially by the goldfish.\u00a0 And remember: everything\u2019s connected and when you do something cruel to one thing it\u2019s likely to bring cruelty down on you.\u00a0 So let\u2019s think of another way, okay? Why not put a little energy into selling the goldfish?\u00a0 Maybe you bought them for five dollars each.\u00a0 Surely you can think of some way to fancy them up in the minds of potential buyers and sell them for eight dollars each.\u00a0 It might take some doing, but it\u2019s not impossible, is it? When you sell them, send them off with a tearful farewell and count your sixteen dollars with great glee.\u00a0 Because sixteen bucks can get you a young tarantula!\u00a0 Now, you might not want a tarantula, but somebody does and those critters can live off of your bug infested back yard trimmings easily enough.\u00a0 That\u2019ll make it grow bigger. Big enough to be sold for thirty dollars.\u00a0 In the mean time, you can entertain your friends by claiming that your tarantula is really the product of two goldfish.\u00a0 That ought to make your friends scratch their heads a little. Congratulations, you now have thirty dollars and you\u2019ve gotten rid of that creepy spider.\u00a0 And thirty dollars can buy you six goldfish!\u00a0 Which then you can sell for forty-eight bucks.\u00a0 With forty-eight bucks, you can go down to the hardware store and buy a small catalytic heater. Plug it in (to the electrical outlet) and voile! you can now generate a lot of heat. Well, okay, maybe there are easier ways to generate a lot of heat.\u00a0 Two goldfish might not be the best mechanism to do it.\u00a0 But… if that\u2019s all you\u2019ve got, then go for it. Take note that, beside the somewhat bazaar connections (but everything is connected!) and the bits of energy (advertising, trading, feeding, plugging in the heater, etc.) used along the way, the biggest use of energy was your mind.\u00a0 A lot of magic is like that.\u00a0 Magic takes a lot of mental energy. But then, so did the first electrical generator. For those of you who may be beginning your journeys into the world of magic, just remember that your mind, your ability to imagine and figure things out, is the greatest repository of magical energy ever produced.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3748\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}