The Principle of Similarity[]
The principle of similarity, also known as the "association of ideas", which falls under the category of sympathetic magic, is the thought that if a certain result follows a certain action, then that action must be responsible for the result. Therefore, if one is to perform this action again, the same result can again be expected. One classic example of this mode of thought is that of the rooster and the sunrise. When a rooster crows, it is a response to the rising of the sun. Based on sympathetic magic, one might interpret these series of events differently. The law of similarity would suggest that since the sunrise follows the crowing of the rooster, the rooster must have caused the sun to rise. Causality is inferred where it might not otherwise have been. Therefore, a practitioner might believe that if he is able to cause the rooster to crow, he will be able to control the timing of the sunrise. Another use of the principle of similarity is the construction and manipulation of representations of some target to be affected (e.g. voodoo dolls), believed to bring about a corresponding effect on the target (e.g. breaking a limb of a doll will bring about an injury in the corresponding limb of someone depicted by the doll).
Applications[]
- Quality Bags: These are special bags that's quantity of contents can represent a quality, attribute, and even life of a person. An empty bag represents complete lack of the represented quality, attribute, etc.. A full bag represents have the most possible of the represented quality, attribute, etc.. You can have multiple quality bags represent the same thing.
Example A: A quality bag who's contents represented someone's life force when emptied would kill that person. When adding to this bag you would be adding to the person's life force. If the bag was emptied but then refilled the person could even come back to life.
Example B: A quality bag that's contents represented someone's psionic or magical prowess when emptied would make them unable to use psionic abilities or magic. When the bag is full they would have full mastery of their psionic abilities and magic. If the bag was emptied and then refilled then the person would loose and then regain their psionic and magic abilities.
- Power Stones: These are stones that represent a quality, attribute, and even life of a person. As long as the stone is not destroyed you will get the most out of the quality, attribute, etc.. If the stone is destroyed however you loose whatever the quality, or attribute is. You can have multiple power stones represent the same thing.
Example A: A Power Stone representing someone's courage would allow that person to never loose their courage unless the stone was destroyed.
Example B: A Power Stone representing someone's life would allow that person to never die unless the stone was destroyed.
- Figurines: You can construct figurines to represent a person, whatever you do to the figurine affects the person it represents, allowing you to control, benefit, and/or harm someone through the figurine.
- Power Jewelry: A ring, necklace, or other form of jewelry that represents a quality, attribute, ability, etc. Wearing the jewelry or having it with you represents having the quality, attribute, etc. that it represents. Not having or wearing the jewelry represents lack of the quality, attribute, etc. that it represents.
- Power Images: An image that is used to represent something else. Whatever you do to the image happens to what the image represents.