It is often difficult to believe that witches, already viewed in a light of mystery, can achieve such feats as
. The forces which fuel
are already fraught with danger, foreshortening many Artisans-in-training and inattentive practitioners. To presume that
are somehow kinder is a gross understatement. Druids do not take kindly to those they deem unworthy of wielding "their" gift, and the natural world takes ambivalent pleasure in ruining those who only exist to take.
So what is it about witches that makes them so exceptional? Are they special at all, or is it merely their training regimen? By exploring the more personal aspects of the witch's life, we can find some indication of what differentiates one from her contemporaries.
Mother, Mother
There is no patriarchy among witches. The word "patriarch" is absent from speech, only uttered in its many synonyms with giggled whispers across the dinner table. Just existing in the masculine can become a dangerous game when confronted with witches, who often respond to its presence with playful cruelty.
There has never been a male witch. If there has, the coven they joined has not been deemed official nor recognized on the continent, or merely viewed as "not a real witch."
Magic is not segregated through any means but social; there are no rules written in the stars which claim that, by sheer measure of existence, an individual cannot learn spells. The Artisinal Schools of The Republic are open to all folk, both rich and poor, fledgling and savant, and although regulated through wealth, class, and risk, programs exist that swathe the continent for any would-be talent. Witches are not the same. Only two covens in Bromeilles—Institut de Thibaud and Florence Benine—are run on an institutional basis by The Republic. Neither of which accepts men.
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Yes, I'm Going With Gothic Inspiration. No, I Won't Be Taking Criticism.
Image from u/beersjob on Reddit(?)
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The foundations of a coven vary wildly between individual groups, but some pieces are universal. One such piece is the isolation of women from their male peers and the segregation of the masculine from the feminine. The study of magic, as one witch academic writes, argues a branching complement to:
"... the study of isolation. Magic, as it is understood through the eyes of the [occult] Artisan, invokes sacrifice in its user. Thus, it is under the system's obligation that one must separate themself from material woes—socially, chemically, or otherwise—so that one may fulfill what is desired of them. What is different about a colleague's conversation from the sound of birds conversing? The tapping of branches on a windowsill from that of gusting winds? Decades have been spent arguing the semantical value of stimuli, but rarely has the aura of the classroom itself been challenged. We as an institutional body have observed the effects of sex in every aspect of Republique, so why suddenly stop at the schools?"
To witch ideology, especially that critical of the institutional system, the existence of a sub-sectioned population is paramount. For one reason or another, an independent group of scholars, casters, and researchers must prioritize subjects different from the bulkhead. A witch's definition of "Masculinity" need not be scornful or despised (although this does not stop specific communities from doing so). Still, recognition is made to facilitate a distinct environment. This environment is bred primarily through the efforts of Matrons—experienced or "retired" Witches and Artisans—who act in a role similar to overseers.
A Set of Circumstances
Covens are typically designed to function like boarding schools. A hierarchical structure is set in place, where the coven Matron—like a college dean—supervises and educates the witches, all while developing an aura of collective bonding. Older witches learn to play the teacher and arbitrator, while fledglings adapt to their new environment's hazing. Witch covens, like other organizations within The Republic, rely on self-sustainability. Witches must first be taught to tolerate one another before the coven can be retained and improved.
Witch covens all pertain to a particular code of rules & regulations, but unlike the systematic manner of the Artisinal Schools, coven codes mainly depend on the coven itself. Covens often form around groups of individuals with intersectional environments, either the result of close bonded relationships or shared trauma, which reflects back upon the code and attracts others from similar circumstances. While not always the majority population in a coven, more esoteric circles rely on these similarities for growing their flock.
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It Musn't Be All Bad, Right? Suffering Is Not Without Respite; Darkness Cannot Exist Without Light.
Art by Gigi Cavenago
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Fragments of Codes Remembered And Lost
- Tide Coven: "...and although all manner of beasts shall try to tame us, with their steel and their weights and their lies, we shall respond like the ocean to the sailor who hopes to bring us harm: I shall never be controlled again."
- Red Coven: "I am my thoughts. I am my mind. I am she who wills creation into existence. Where my mind goes, there shall be fire, and where my thoughts go, there will be war..."
- Lunar Coven: "Stretch yourself beyond the veil, within thine pool of alabaster light. You will be cut out, untethered from this world and its vile forces, and born again from Sleeping War. Rejoice! Thy pool is crimson; the pact is sealed."
- Purple Coven: "...I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me..."
"Femininity" to a witch is a collection of foci, often separate from the student herself. Coven doctrine promotes these core beliefs as above an individual's moral compass, and all members must adhere to them, such as Expression, Community, Cooperation, and Sensitivity. These are not inherently feminine mores, but to a practicing witch, these are seen as fundamental aspects of their identity. This does not mean that witches are not violent. It also does not mean that witches never go against these tenets. They are guidelines first and fundamentally second.
Teaching a witch about "sensitivity" is more than just explaining how they can better understand their emotions. Every aspect of a witch's education interprets their teachings into three fundamental languages; Understanding their peers, understanding their magic, and understanding themselves. To even a fledgling witch, these ideas all overlap, and the final language—understanding the self—is crucial in finalizing what femininity means to them.
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Tell Me Your Secrets
Art by F3LC4T |
By this definition, witches embody the feminine. Covens are social havens; tightly-knit webs of trade and information capable of stretching over miles. No coven witch is alone in their duties, for even beyond the safety of their demesne, work is done in packs. A ranger or traveller who comes upon a group of witches is unlikely to see a group of soft-spoken, expressive women but rather a whispering cacophony of cackles and giggling edging from identical shadows. Much like their druidic counterparts, little safety is guaranteed in the natural world. All beasts and mortals disappear upon wandering into a witch's den.
Although the power witches wield is great, controversy is often shone in public discussions whenever mention is made of their discrimination against men for participating. To some, the answer is obvious—these covens were never designed for men in the first place—while others argue the legitimacy of the practice. To this, more esteemed witches may claim as follows:
Men and the spirits they possess are not excluded from covens just by being men. This would be cluelessly discriminatory and no different than excluding women from a "masculine-pure" setting. A witch's obsession with what they call the "feminine" does not lie only in the context of their body, either: fledglings and matrons alike can be found scarred and re-named, androgynous, or with flesh unlike their sisters. Importance lies firstmost in the faith they hold for the feminine—to view it with a sense of sanctity—followed by the validity of that claim. There exist witches who are born and did not recognize themselves as—but at one point in their life choose to uphold—an icon of femininity. Even witches who identify in the flesh as neither men nor women defend their creed regardless.
This is normal behaviour in a witch's environment. Although complications and exceptions always arise, and not all covens agree, a general understanding permeates the culture. This does, however, bring issues to resolve. A witch who transitions and finds themselves engrossed in the masculine is loved still for their being but usually asked to leave. These are merely the necessities of circumstance.
On Topic: The Distinction of Terms
There is a distinction between concepts such as 'the masculine' and actually identifying as male. In the former, 'masculinity' serves the role of a series of concepts, norms, and beliefs that portray the individual as 'masculine'—someone stereotypically associated with the male gender and, by extension, sex. Many in North America, for example, may associate body-building and gym culture with purely 'masculine' behaviour, inspiring and discouraging people from engaging in those activities.
This does not mean that anything you think of as masculine is masculine behaviour (the argument of whether anything is genuinely masculine or feminine is ripe for debate), but that an individual society can designate certain ideals or beliefs. Any group of people, when large enough, will start assigning groups to things. It can be something other than a binary group, a static choice, or even exclude any of the concepts you'd expect! These things differ on a case-by-case basis. By this logic, it is crucial to recognize that when we talk about specific behaviours as being associated with the masculine or feminine, it is not necessarily focused on some universal concept of "genderhood" but rather the context of the society in question.
Just as societies differ in real life, fictional cultures are likely to have distinct values that differ from ours. Artists often resort to transposing many of our own expectations of how society works into a fictional setting for the sake of accessibility (such as the function of government, stereotypes surrounding gender, the education system, and curse words like "God Damn It!").
This translation is not a bad thing; in fact, it's helpful! As writers or creatives, we can sometimes lose sight of the grand scope of things, so having a simple way to connect the viewer with our content helps make it more digestible, not to mention easier to read. I bring this up because fiction won't always align with our lived expectations, which is a good thing. The peoples of Bromeilles are similar to ours in many ways due to that same accessibility and the folly of my own humanity. Still, it is those differences in perception that really make fantasy shine. Non-humans, particularly, benefit from this kind of perspectival analysis.
How might an alien think? What differentiates the standpoint of an insect person from that of a human? Why don't these [society]-inspired citizens act or think like their historical contemporaries? Why should they?
One of my goals when developing both Bromeilles and Séraphine is to try and explore things I felt I haven't seen in fiction. So far, this has been the result of creative ignorance on my part—I have not consumed nearly as much content as I would like, and my attitude so far has been hopeful yet lazy—but also dotted with success. Sitting down at the drawing board, I've found myself increasingly focused on exploring things I'd otherwise never consider. Developing concepts I'd never written about prior. The fun I've had working on this project has only emboldened that feeling.
How I describe "masculinity" or "the feminine" does not need to be the same as how you describe it or even how I view it in real life. I try to be somewhat educated on the topic—I'd rather know something than nothing—but it also doesn't mean I'll get everything right. However, thanks to fiction, it doesn't have to be "right": fiction allows me to explore worlds as they are, ideas about how they are, and why people believe what they do. To be completely honest with you, I'm not 100% sure how humanity in Bromeilles views masculinity or femininity, or how witches handle it, nevermind if any other species cares about it in the first place.
Words are power. Ideas, being the progenitor of words, are thereby even more powerful. It is a great pleasure to develop a system of how people function and interact with one another and thereby see the world. Much of it has been unorthodox, quite uncomfortable or cruel, and a fair bit outright bad. I'm glad to be exploring it, regardless.
