What is a manticore? There is a series of comics (graphic novels) called The Books of Magic which reimagine the manticore, and I recommend reading them. In our own mythology the manticore is a creature which eats men, but in The Books of Magic it is a creature which destroys magic and magical creatures by reducing them to mere definitions. Its not the only nor the central villain in the series but is the ultimate villain the most destructive. I'll leave it to you to read the comic series in your local library. The series indirectly charges me and anyone who explains sacred terms of being a manticore. When I explain my view of sacred terms and try to define them I ask myself "Am I being a manticore?" "Am I destroying something?"
A decade or two ago I was on livejournal, and I didn't write much but poked around looking at what the occult people were talking about, such as the chaos magicians. They would make a similar charge to The Books of Magic. They'd say that naming a thing took away its power. The wiccans, too, would say that things should remain unexplained. They particularly hated it when someone tried to define their movement. This and the comic series impacted my thinking. Of course it is possible to be destructive with one's words.
I'm no manticore. When magic is put to evil use, when darkness becomes light and light darkness, then comes the manticore, then comes necessity. I do sometimes dare to explain that which is sacred but not to destroy. Destruction isn't my goal, though I recognize destruction is a side effect. Why do I at times speak within the world of scripture and sometimes step out of it, seemingly reducing something magical to something of mere definitions? Because it has become a necessity. The times call for it, chaos and confusion surrounding and destroying many, including me. There is good chaos, and there is bad chaos. There is a time for every thing, and there are endings.
A decade or two ago I was on livejournal, and I didn't write much but poked around looking at what the occult people were talking about, such as the chaos magicians. They would make a similar charge to The Books of Magic. They'd say that naming a thing took away its power. The wiccans, too, would say that things should remain unexplained. They particularly hated it when someone tried to define their movement. This and the comic series impacted my thinking. Of course it is possible to be destructive with one's words.
I'm no manticore. When magic is put to evil use, when darkness becomes light and light darkness, then comes the manticore, then comes necessity. I do sometimes dare to explain that which is sacred but not to destroy. Destruction isn't my goal, though I recognize destruction is a side effect. Why do I at times speak within the world of scripture and sometimes step out of it, seemingly reducing something magical to something of mere definitions? Because it has become a necessity. The times call for it, chaos and confusion surrounding and destroying many, including me. There is good chaos, and there is bad chaos. There is a time for every thing, and there are endings.