Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic
-Arthur C. Clark
Throughout human history magic has enjoyed a special role. Most cultures have some idea of magic or magical people. Often these mages are seen as healers who know the secrets of malignant spirits and magic plants. Religions and mythologies are full of magic wielders both good and evil.
Despite its rich history, magic has found itself in a somewhat demeaning position in many contemporary communities. We often use the word magic to describe things that don’t exist, and when used to describe things that do exist, it is interpreted as a lack of understanding. Magic is common in fiction, but often it goes entirely unexamined and becomes just a backdrop for a fantasy story. Magic is seen as childish, whimsical, or, in certain circles, downright evil.
There are of course exceptions to this portrayal of magic in fiction. As an example, take Brandon Sanderson, who is committed to having his magic make sense. He gives it a reason to exist, and really examines its consequences. It turns out that to do this, he first must tell the story of the entire universe, since of course magic would be linked to the very fabric of reality.
Considering what this means for us in our reality was the spark that inspired The Magic Octograph. If we call only things that are not real magic, we entirely discount that their may be magical things that really do exist. In fact, a cursory glance at the wonders that anyone with a smartphone can accomplish is more than enough to build the sense of wonder, dread, or whimsey so often associated with the arcane.
Of course, what empowers silicon to perform such marvels is none other than the very fabric of reality. If it weren’t for electricity (an intrinsic characteristic of reality) none of these modern marvels would be possible. In fact, physics underlies all of what technology can do for us. If we redefine magic as those things that are enabled by the nature of nature, it becomes clear that everything can be seen as magical. Arthur C. Clark was right, but he could have just said that any technology is indistinguishable from magic.
With The Magic Octograph we hope to share this worldview through a medium more evocative than text or speach. When entering the tent, we hope that guests will remember some similar tent (perhaps containing a fortune teller or alchemist) from some favorite novel or movie or manga of theirs. They can then go through the short process of learning about magic from one of several introductory scrolls we provide them, and even cast their first spell, complete with arcane runes and glowing transmutation circles.
Of course, the spells at their disposal are nothing they could not do already (like summoning a pizza, divining the weather, or scrying some faraway land). We hope that this realization is not too much of a disappointment to them. Having learned the ways of wizardry they will hopefully gain a new perspective on their life. Maybe they will be able to see the magic in the mundane, especially when the pizza that they summoned actually arrives.
-Henry, Liz, and Rowan