An Initial Series of Notes on Earth Pony Magic and Its Effects on Their Druidic Faith · 1:17pm Apr 22nd, 2016
During my time in Ponyville, I've come to witness the impressive might of earth pony magic and their unique faith system on nearly a dozen different occasions. It has become clear to me that the topic, while previously covered in my own education, is clearly one that requires further exploration to properly educate future generations, or the ongoing miseducation of our school age youth will continue to result in foals with no idea the work put into where their food comes from.
Due to the current piecemeal format of my observations on the subject, I will keep this document as bullet points in no particular order for reference in more detailed papers on the subject as I gather more research.
• First and foremost is the importance of their faith: Even the most devout members of the earth pony’s druidic faith are almost all still worshippers of Princess Celestia, or at least deeply devoted to her representation as the Sun Goddess.
• Unlike pegasi, who instinctively venerate Celestia's sun above, or unicorns, who intellectually connect to Princess Celestia as a divine wizardess, earth ponies feel their faith in their bodies and souls alike. If you will excuse the pun, it is their grounding and their root. Whether a country pony or a city pony, each senses the land's deeper, mystical cycles, and how those cycles respond to the dance of the sun.
• Additionally it will be interesting to see how this informs their relationship with Princess Luna in the years to come. While the moon's influence is subtle, it is clear with even cursory research that earth ponies have long venerated the "harvest moon" and various fertility aspects. This does not even account for the possibility of the moon's influence on tides for coastal earth ponies.
• Many prominent leaders of the druidic faith, (from personal observation of Big Mac, Golden Harvest, Roseluck, or her sisters) have shown visible grief and remorse at the death of their trees and many types of annual plants perennial plants, flowers, and related flora.
• There is no known link between an earth pony’s physical size and prowess to their magical power, but with the case study of Big Mac as an example, it quickly becomes clear there might be some basis for this theory that will require future investigation. (Virtually disproven. Golden Harvest, a fourth cousin of Granny Smith, stands only 5’7” and her grandfoal, Carrot Top is only 5’8”, but in a display of grief, Golden Harvest was able to drive a ‘blight’ from a field of carrots, salvaging the whole crop. When asked if he could manage the same, Mac was evasive, answering only that he doesn't work well with annual plants.)
• Interestingly, unlike unicorn or pegasi magic, earth pony magic is, by the vast majority, manifested in physical activity or exertion, rather than a specific action or summoned by a focused act of willpower. Excluding the extremely rare case noted above, I've seen virtually no overt displays of earth pony magic, and it's only through the observation of earth ponies working with plants or animals that I have discovered the covert displays of power in use.
• Case #1: Drawing stamina energy from the land they work. This is the most immediately recognizable use of an earth pony’s magic. Observing Big Mac plowing or tilling the land in his fields displays an easily measurable exchange of magic, flowing from the land as he works, visibly reinvigorating the stallion, resulting in him being more relaxed and ready for additional work by the end of the job than he was before they started. Possibly a display of how they manage to get up with the sunrise most days, and can often work past sunset? (This appears to be unrelated to their stamina, and has now been relegated to a separate case study.)
• Case #2: Bleeding fertilization/growth into the crops they tend, and the land they walk. While my subject for this study has primarily been Applejack, I have both witnessed and received semi-impartial reports and confirmation from a dozen other earth ponies that they too can confirm the results, if not the specific magical act itself. First witnessed while observing Big Mac plowing a field, my calculations for the net magical exchange going on refused to add up properly, until I noticed Applejack was weeding and tenderly talking with a nearby field of corn. Through more detailed observation of her work, I discovered she was passively injecting magic into both the plants and ground as she worked, and continued observations at my request that she leave a small control patch alone for comparison resulted in a significant difference in both growth of the plants and the amount volume & quality of crops produced. Further investigation in a proper double blind study required!
• Case #3: Functionally unlimited stamina / Increased strength in times of extreme exertion. While I originally included this as part of my observations of earth ponies drawing energy from the land they worked, I have since separately witnessed even small earth ponies producing acts of great strength and stamina that couldn't be explained merely from the known effects of adrenaline and other survival reflex mechanisms common to all ponies. The best example I currently have involves the filly Apple Bloom, who during early harvests of the early blooming apples this spring, hauled a cart I had struggled to move for several hours without complaint.
• Case #4: Golden Harvest’s overt display. The following must be listed as anecdotal evidence due to a lack of proper observation and the difficulty in reproduction. During the harvest last fall, Golden Harvest discovered that the carrot field she'd been carefully tending most of the summer had developed a ‘blight’ rendering the entire crop inedible. A moment of visible frustration overtook her and she became obviously radiant with magic in a manner rarely expressed by an earth pony, bleeding directly into the crops and down into the ground, leaving her greatly exhausted and visibly weakened, and nearly requiring her hospitalization due to the trauma involved. However, the crops showed no sign of blight; indeed, they showed every sign of superior nutritional value. As a coda, Golden Harvest did subsequently declare the field unsuitable for crops until the land’s been “Properly healed.” (Something only Granny Smith is currently trusted to do. Details pending.)
• 5th Case: Animal Husbandry. No current research subject available. (All current observations are based off Fluttershy, meaning they cannot be considered valid due to her mixed heritage and the unique aspect of her cutie mark. They are still being processed to compare with future evidence gathered from a pure breed earth pony to hopefully provide more information in the contrast between Fluttershy’s cutie mark and a normal earth pony’s animal husbandry.) It appears from what limited research I could gather from my memories about Winter Wrap-Up, that earth ponies have the ability to comfort, calm and soothe animals. A possible ability to communicate in a limited form with the subject of their focused attention also appears to exist. (Subject Fluttershy shows signs of full understanding and communication with animals, even when heavily distracted and taxed. Probably an extension of her talent, and unrelated to her dam.) Requires extreme amounts of further research, preferably from a double blind study.
• Druidic family: Due to the very private nature of Big Mac, and other more deeply religious members of the local order, I can currently offer only extremely limited information about their beliefs. What I can confirm is that Big Mac has openly expressed companionship with his orchard to a degree so deep, it borders on what most would relatively consider a familial bond, perhaps considering the trees akin to something like a cousin or nephew. To the point that while Mac hides most signs of emotions, he was on the verge of tears when he discovered a tree struck down by lightning.
• Special Note: At this time I can find no evidence of Pinkie using any amount of magic during the displays of what she calls her “Pinkie Sense”. Thus I am currently keeping records of it totally separate from any documentation for earth pony magic pending confirmation it is at all related to her clan. (Possibly a specialized family adaptation?)
• Further details remain unexplained, pending deeper investigation.
It sounds like a mixture of shamanism and druidism, heavily focusing on the magic of the natural world. Interesting...
3888337 Thanks!
3888383
Of course. Magic changes and evolves with every practitioner. While I am a servant of Evil and a Warlock of Hell, it would be shortsighted and ignorant of me to refute or dismiss the power of other magics. All magic is power, and all power can be controlled.
I have a slightly different theory...It is all Earth Pony's magic. And the Pie family is among the Alpha-class for Earth ponies while Twilight/Dusk, Starlight, Sunset are Alpha of Unicorns. Same as with RD being among the Alpha [Speedster and weather branch (based on her mark)] pegasi.
Celestia and Luna being Elder Alicorns/Alpha of Alicorns (I hate it when they were nerfed for plot reasons or show's rating. I meant, c'mon! The magic of 4 Alicorns, mostly of Tia and Woona, is equal to if not overpowered the magic of every single ponies and other residences of Equestria. And they carved out valleys and vaporized mountains in the battle with Tirek) while Twilight and Cadence can still be considered pre-mature.
Spoiler black boxes thingy are to make it looks cleaner.
4074270 A: A fantastic use of the black boxes. A big fan, very approved.
B: I do like your theory, but I've been juggling subtle hints on Pinkie and Dusk’s heritage that will get far more blatant by the end of "Best Night Ever".
4074627 Looking forward to it then...
*Waiting music*
I think of the Wonderbolt when I listen to this for some reason...
4074720 I can understand where that comes from, the general light nature and militaristic themeing feels in line.