If you could be given the oath, would you be?

[Mousey]

I would take it, after reading it so much it`s stuck in my head. I think Dairine was ten when she took the Oath, and I`m almost ten, so I think I might get it. I`m a mega book-worm, and brave, but I lie. Only a little, but I lie. I`ve taken it, and I``m waiting for something to happen.

[seabiscuit1009]

Whoa...I've never thought of it that way Caitlin...that's a good question. Maybe taking the Oath here doesn't necessary mean you'd be a wizard...it means that you have agreed to change your outlook on life entirely. You agree to do all the things it says, even if you don't have the magic to do them with...I don't know, it all makes sense in my head, why I can't put in down coherently on the computer is a question I can't answer.

-seabiscuit, a.k.a. hungry

[Kathy Li]

Mostly, the whole concept of the Oath/wizardry is what made me say yes when DD asked me to be a mod. This board won't be a good place untended ("I will fight to preserve what grows and lives well in its own way;..."). It needs the help and participation of everybody, and if you want it to be an outstanding board, then you have to pony up extra time and the effort. If a helpful word here or there can help tug it in the right direction, then even without the Speech, maybe I've written the equivalent of a spell.

Not that I'm saying the Board FAQ is the Song of Twelve or anything.

[PosiCat]

I took the oath when I read SYWTBAW many many years ago, now I've been working tech support for about 7 years ... the two may not be entirely unconnected.

I keep thinking that the 'mistake' in a book to keep it safe, must be within the oath, a word that's different to keep it safe for the general reader.

[ShadowWizard]

I think i would be offered the oath. i love books. i end up staying up really because im trying to read a book. i dont lie because i feel that people can tell when i lie and when i lie i feel guilty about it. knowing that i have those wizardly powers would make me brave enough to do the job. i dont think im too old yet.(14 yrs. old)

[Ravens Writing Prophecies]

I would love to take the Oath. But I'm not exactly pure. But I mean, I know that wizards don't harm other living creatures and all, but they aren't always perfect. Do all wizards have to be perfect, do you think?
I don't know. It's just something I wonder about, because I always wanted to take the Oath because I know I could give up my life for something like that...but I'm not really that great of a person, you know?
Anyone have any thoughts?

[Nitta]

I understand what u mean seabiscuit, and i agree with Caitlin in a sense that we can all make a difference no matter how small. I think we should all do our best to fufill the oath. (just skip the magic part of it)

I would definatly risk my life for something as important as that. I would accept in half a second. I wouldn't even have to think about it.(i already have been doing alot of thinking about it)I think i might be able to get asked too. I haven't done anything real bad. I have to say i have lied (who hasn't?) but they weren't very important lies and i felt guilty about them afterwards. My name means pure. Maybe that would help to

[The Red Death]

Something that important, chances are I would'nt be offered it. I mean, I read more than anyone in my class, my vocabulary is almost as big as that of my English teacher, and I match so much of the other descriptions, but it's just not for me. My responsibility is lacking, leave me with 3 kids and a dog, I'll come back with a disembodied hand and a collar. But if I was offered the chance...

Well, I'd accept in a heartbeat. To be THAT important, just to have even the slightest bit more of an influence on the survival of the world around me... It's too much for words. It'd definitely be worth it. And while we're on the name thing, my name means "Defender of mankind" and my other name means "Messenger of God"... If names were everything, I'd be a great wizard.

[Lyra Himura]

I'd likely end up like Dairine.

[Caitlin]

Originally posted by seabiscuit1009:
Maybe taking the Oath here doesn't necessary mean you'd be a wizard...it means that you have agreed to change your outlook on life entirely.

Exactly! I mean, essentially, that's what taking the oath does, doesn't it? The magic was always there, one just didn't know how to look for it? Or something like that? It's more of a change in perception than a change in you...mabye that you've chosen to make the change, so you're viewing the world differently?

[Mel]

You know? It's weird. I never really did think of taking the Oath in real life like this...*goes an turns off light* thats better...typind by Christmas Tree light...anyways, I think now, just because of this discussion, I just might conserve everything jsut a little bit more (i conserve a bit alread).

*Goes to tell brother to conserve air by not practicing his newly learned instrument, the also trumpet...*

*just kidding, jeeze!*

[Kathy Li]

Originally posted by Lyra Himura:
Couldn't find anything against using UBB code in the sig, it says "HTML permitted only if you have specific permission".

Lyra, that pretty much means HTML and not UBB encoding.

Side note for the newbies:
I try to discourage using graphics in sigs just to keep the bandwidth down (it also helps the board look a lot less cluttered). Unlike a commercial board, paid for by a publisher or studio, DD pays for this board out of her own pocket, and she's charged by bandwidth usage, so we try to be polite guests and keep the bandwidth down as much as possible. The board rules are laid out in the FAQ.

Ok, back to your regularly scheduled discussion.

[wildflower]

Kathy:
Lyra, that pretty much means HTML and not UBB encoding.

Wait, but HTML in signatures is okay, isn't it? I'm just going by the directions on how to format your signature in the FAQ, which includes HTML, so I'm guessing this is specific permission...? Yeah, I'm just paranoid (just added HTML to my signature). It'll probably make more sense in the morning (err, when I wake up; this is morning) anyway.

And so this isn't complete thread hi******* [edit: oh for pete's sake! hijac.king], I'll try to post something actually relevant to the topic.

When I was reading SYW for the first time, I only noticed that just about the entire page with the whole "Wizards love words..." thing applied to me. Second time through, months and months later when I could barely remember the plot, it hit me a lot harder. It could've been that I was spending the summer in upstate NY and I was bored out of my mind, but I wound up taking the Oath and everything. Nothing happened, but I think the disappointment of that was made up for by the discovery that there was a seventh book. XD
I don't know how I could have thought it ended at Alone, I really don't. I always wind up crying at the ends of YW books, so that might be why I didn't remember that Ponch's story still wasn't done. Thankfully, Holiday's ending was hanging so much that there was no way the series was going to end there, so I eventually got around to visiting youngwizards.com in search of the release date of book eight. ^^'

...okay, so that's still off-topic, mostly. But at least it's about the books. I guess the short version of all that is: yeah. If the Oath was real, probably.

[A Traveller with Magic]

I watched the Chronicles of Narnia yesterday (GOOOOD movie), and...well...you know how in most fantasies with war against evil and stuff...you have to kill anyone who's evil, or they'll kill you. A lot of the spells and swords and artifacts are geared towards destroying evil. So, during the part where Peter had to kill that wolf-spy-creature-thing, and couldn't, and was feeling like a total coward...well...I was thinking that if he were a YW wizard, the only way he should kill the wolf was where there was absolutely no other way. The whole thing in YW is that the wizards are trying to win back the LP, not destroy him. And so I'm glad that here is proof that not all fantasy is about killing the bad guys.
(I hope you can follow this...)

[the_peridexis]

that's an interesting subject.i think i'd be up to it, if i was offered it.i read like a lunatic, so much that my grades nearly deteriorated in 5th grade.i think i'm brave enough: i care about even complete strangers, and i'd stand up for anyone who really needs my help.i'll do anything for my friends, but i do remember times i've aided people who i don't know.i've been in some very scary situations, ones where i could have, or did, get hurt.and i hate to be helpless.it's just not like me.i feel the need to be in control-without that, my world falls apart, like in 5th grade.the kind of thing wizardry could offer me...it would be awesome, and i'm saying that from the heart.