Season Six - BTVS - the thing about magic
The thing about magic - there are always consequence…always!
Spike said it - magic had real world consequences - setting things in motion. It was something he learned the hard way in season two after he captured Angel, and very cavalierly did a spell to heal Dru. At that stage he seemed unafraid and competent with magic. Dru was healed - and Spike ended up burned, in a wheelchair and - as a consequence of Angel’s curse being broken (magic again) - he lost Dru to Angel. plus whatever Angel did to him while he was helpless. Daddy likes to hurt his girl, and I assume his boy. (Spike, my boy!) And since Dru was healed, she didn’t need him anymore.
Now - season 6 - Willow, Anya, Tara, and Xander do a spell that 3 of them know is wrong, a dark magic spell that goes against the natural order. In so doing they open the door to forces which rule the entire season.
Willow completely opens herself to darkness. She kills a fawn to use it’s blood for necromancy (which she lies about). The consequences are twofold - she can’t shut down the dark magic, and it begins to change her. As a consequence of killing the fawn Tara dies, because the life of the slayer is worth more than the life of a deer. A person is a fair exchange. That’s when Willow completely gives into the forces she opened herself too. It hits her in her vulnerable spots - insecurity, needing to be in control, wanting to help - and it twists them throughout the season
Xander knows he shouldn’t do it - but he goes along anyway. As a direct result of the spell, he loses his support group, and all he has is Anya - so he goes along with her. Even when he begins to have doubts about committing. Xander always prevaricated, and sometimes lied because he was afraid of losing his support group. He tended to believe that the group looked down on him, and that was reinforced when they abandoned him. His own fears took over, and kept him from being emotionally honest with Anya.
Tara didn’t speak up strongly enough - and when she tried to speak up it was too late to affect Willow. Had she spoken up when she could have, knowing the dangers, Willow would not have immersed herself in dark magic. And if Willow hadn’t listened, then she should have done more - get Giles at least.
Anya did it for Xander, because she wanted closeness. His friends being peeled away gave her that in appearance, but he was to insecure to risk honesty. If she had taken him aside to talk to him, to explain the dangers, then maybe he and she could have put an end to it. We all saw that Willow could be talked down by Xander.
So the spooky entity that got pulled along was a blind - the real consequences of the spell are revealed over the entire season. Dark magic twists the best intentions. The thing about magic - there are always consequence…always!
Spike said it - magic had real world consequences - setting things in motion. It was something he learned the hard way in season two after he captured Angel, and very cavalierly did a spell to heal Dru. At that stage he seemed unafraid and competent with magic. Dru was healed - and Spike ended up burned, in a wheelchair and - as a consequence of Angel’s curse being broken (magic again) - he lost Dru to Angel. plus whatever Angel did to him while he was helpless. Daddy likes to hurt his girl, and I assume his boy. (Spike, my boy!) And since Dru was healed, she didn’t need him anymore.
Now - season 6 - Willow, Anya, Tara, and Xander do a spell that 3 of them know is wrong, a dark magic spell that goes against the natural order. In so doing they open the door to forces which rule the entire season.
Willow completely opens herself to darkness. She kills a fawn to use it’s blood for necromancy (which she lies about). The consequences are twofold - she can’t shut down the dark magic, and it begins to change her. As a consequence of killing the fawn Tara dies, because the life of the slayer is worth more than the life of a deer. A person is a fair exchange. That’s when Willow completely gives into the forces she opened herself too. It hits her in her vulnerable spots - insecurity, needing to be in control, wanting to help - and it twists them throughout the season
Xander knows he shouldn’t do it - but he goes along anyway. As a direct result of the spell, he loses his support group, and all he has is Anya - so he goes along with her. Even when he begins to have doubts about committing. Xander always prevaricated, and sometimes lied because he was afraid of losing his support group. He tended to believe that the group looked down on him, and that was reinforced when they abandoned him. His own fears took over, and kept him from being emotionally honest with Anya.
Tara didn’t speak up strongly enough - and when she tried to speak up it was too late to affect Willow. Had she spoken up when she could have, knowing the dangers, Willow would not have immersed herself in dark magic. And if Willow hadn’t listened, then she should have done more - get Giles at least.
Anya did it for Xander, because she wanted closeness. His friends being peeled away gave her that in appearance, but he was to insecure to risk honesty. If she had taken him aside to talk to him, to explain the dangers, then maybe he and she could have put an end to it. We all saw that Willow could be talked down by Xander.
So the spooky entity that got pulled along was a blind - the real consequences of the spell are revealed over the entire season. Dark magic twists the best intentions. The thing about magic - there are always consequence…always!