Ministry of Magic?

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Ministry of Magic?
By:
Post # 1
Now, ever since I discovered magic I've been wondering, "Is there a magical government of some kind?". I want to hear what you have to say. Below I list 3 possible answers to this question, please choose one and provide an explanation.

1. Branch of Government (ex: Harry Potter's Ministry of Magic)
For: This is likely simply because, to me, it seems ridiculous that if a government every found out about magic (as the British monarchy most likely did) they would seek some way to control it.
Against: We haven't heard of it. You would think that the "magic police" would tell you they existed so you would know what spells are illegal.
Note: This does not include some kind of "protecting the world from magical creature invasion" or Warehouse 13-esque group.

2. Secret Society (ex: The Dresden Files' White Council)
For: Well somebody's got to protect the Earth. This makes more sense than the above because it would only deal with the REALLY bad magic stuff, leaving most of us wizard to sort things out for ourselves.
Against: Assuming it's secret, there really isn't legitimate evidence against such a thing.
Note: This includes some kind of dominate secret society that is just more powerful than others.

3. Anarchy-ish (ex: The Secret World MMORPG)
For: Think the number 2, but multiple small societies instead of one large one. This basically means that there is no one group "protecting" the Earth and they are probably feuding with each other from time to time.
Against: Same as number 2.
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Re: Ministry of Magic?
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Post # 2
#2 and #3 sound sort of like covens
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Re: Ministry of Magic?
By: / Knowledgeable
Post # 3
What makes the British monarchy more likely to understand magic than any other culture?

The Japanese imperial line traces their lineage back to Shinto spirits... And just about every European monarchy views their divinity as coming from divine right.

I'm sure there are various "secret" cabals, cults, and covens. They exist all over. They do not necessarily feud with each other.

Magic is not a fantasy novel, an mmorpg, etc. The elements that make these organizations interesting in books and games are intentionally made more pronounced, dramatic, etc. so that they further plot and otherwise make the particular story more entertaining. Real life, while often dramatic, secretive, or what have you, does not necessarily involve such things.

If you're curious about a real magical order that exists world wide, perhaps you can check out the Golden Dawn. Or one of the traditional varieties of Wicca, like an Alexandrian coven, or a Gardenian Coven.
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Re: Ministry of Magic?
By:
Post # 4
Well there have been a few very advanced groups that were secret societies such as Crowley's Order of the Silver Star and such, but there is no governing group over spiritual practice, as it is a path we walk essentially, though we may have others to support and advise us.
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Re: Ministry of Magic?
By: / Beginner
Post # 5
i loled at MMORPG. massive multiplayer online roleplaying game. hahahahaha magick isnt a game and it isnt fantasy. im sure other people wouldnt feel confortable with knowing that we are around all the time. people can be ignorant
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Re: Ministry of Magic?
By:
Post # 6
thats absolutly ridiculous!!
LOL

i would love to beleive it though :)

Blessed Be!
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Re: Ministry of Magic?
By:
Post # 7

Agree with Awake on this.

There are tons of covens and systems in the real world that do not even operate like this. And why would magic be a branch of government? That whole paragraph made no sense to me and made me want to scream. I can understand if the government was a theocracy, like ancient Egypt. But I don't think there would be a 'magic police'. And then the phrase 'illegal spells' lost me somewhere in space.

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Re: Ministry of Magic?
By:
Post # 8
AwakeTooLong: Thank you for your input. I guessed that the British monarchy knew about magic because of court magicians, including Dr. John Dee whose magical possessions are on display in a museum.

2396022: I said MMORPG because that's the best example I could think of for what I was trying to describe.

Espirt: I just thought that it was a little unusual that since magic has the ability to inflict harm or death on another, that some person or group would have taken it upon themselves to prevent such a thing. Do we have the right to use magick against the "muggles"? There are "dark wizards" out there, so are there people protecting us from them? One idea that's occurred to me is that, hypothetically, you could use black magick against somebody like the President. Unless the government knows something about magick, it would seem that we all have the capability to take control of the Earth with next to no one to stop us (if any of us were motivated to do such a thing, that is). I think a better question than "is there a magick police?" is "should there be a magick police?" We all know what magic can do if a truly evil person used it, so is there anybody out there who wants to protect us (both magick users and otherwise) from it?

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Re: Ministry of Magic?
By:
Post # 9

Not really.

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Re: Ministry of Magic?
By: / Knowledgeable
Post # 10
Most monarchies had court magicians, astrologers, alchemists, etc. It was highly fashionable in various times. John Dee, for example, did not only work in England. He worked throughout Europe, I believe.

And I think you're over estimating the nature of those who actively seek to harm others through spiritual practice, as well as their capabilities and organization.
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