What Kind of Ancient Magic Are You?

By: Zoe Samuel
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
What Kind of Ancient Magic Are You?
Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Magic is as ancient as language, perhaps even older. Magic took many forms, as it evolved within the countless cultures of the world. In some places, magic isn't considered unusual in any way. In others, magic is considered taboo. In still other cultures, magic occupies a specialized, honored place at the center of culture. In Europe, witches were consulted, then excommunicated, then hunted into extinction. In Africa, magic is often seen in aspects of everyday life.

Regardless of cultural origins, the earliest forms of magic took specific shapes. Some magicians were concerned primarily with seeing into the future, or rallying the troops, or conjuring spirits for one reason or another. These needs lead to specific methods, schools of thought, uniform practices, and eventually, styles of magic. Oneiromancy. Pyromancy. Telepathy. Ancient magic isn't "Western" or "Eastern", indigenous or colonial. Ancient magic was an expression of memes in the original sense of the word: common ideas that exist without specific form, traveling the world in an ecosystem of thought.

Which style of ancient magic would speak to you? Which would you practice? Which style of ancient magic lives in your very soul as you read this? Don't fret. We can sort you out. Just take this quiz and you'll know what kind of ancient magic you are!

What life event caused you to get the most obsessed?
I missed out on a big opportunity.
When I first learned what my dream job was.
When I bought my first piece of real furniture not from Ikea.
The death of a loved one.

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What do you like to do on vacation?
Gamble.
Take in the local culture.
Go shopping for interesting things.
Visit the local church.

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What do you look for in a new car?
The right color.
The car's personality.
Certified Pre-Owned.
A rollcage.

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What causes most of your setbacks?
Bad luck.
The fates.
My attachments.
The other planes of existence.

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What is key to your successes?
I take precautions.
I look for opportunities high and low.
I feel out my environment.
I keep one eye on the past.

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What do you know best?
How not to tempt fate.
That everything has value.
That everything has a story.
That we're all going to the same place.

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What uncomfortable subject is your unusual forte?
The little things that some people call OCD, but I call "pre-game rituals".
Kindness.
Money.
Death.

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What metal would you prefer in your personal affects?
Silver. It's lucky.
Titanium. It's "God's metal".
Copper. It ages beautifully.
Gold. It's eternal.

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What unusual physical site would you be most likely to randomly visit?
A lonely crossroads.
A library.
A flea market.
A cemetery.

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How do you cope with unexpected change?
I cross my fingers and hope for the best.
I call upon my knowledge to find a useful tool or ally.
I find someone positioned to help.
I mourn.

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What sort of job do you have?
I work in stocks.
I work in journalism.
I'm a merchant.
I work in healthcare.

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What do you like to do in your free time?
I'm a doomsday prepper.
I like to research the markets, and learn its behavior.
I like to learn about the history things.
I like to read biographies.

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What physical object do you covet the most?
All of them. I never know what will protect me.
Just money.
Really old things, like the Spear of Destiny.
The Vatican Library.

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What would you never want to have in your possession?
Anything owned by an unlucky person.
Radioactive material!
Anything used to kill a person.
I just can't think of anything.

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How likely are you to go the extra mile that others recoil at the suggestion of?
If it's to cover my butt, I'll do anything.
Only to learn. Not much else.
No, no thank you.
I'll do things no one else would.

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How broad-gauged are your interests?
They are fairly narrow.
I try to take in any and all information.
I have a small portfolio of interests.
I'm only interested in one thing: the past.

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If you had powers, what would be their purpose?
To protect me from bad luck.
To understand the world around me, totally.
To feel emotions.
To communicate with my ancestors.

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Do you think power rests in places, people, or things?
All of the above!
Places
Things
People

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What manner of "performance" magic do you like best?
Close-Up Magic
Stage Conjuring
Mentalism
Seances

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How frightening do you find magic?
Very!
Not at all, generally.
Only a bit, on occasion.
Everything is terror. Magic is honest about it.

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How extremely have you modified your body?
I trim my nails, but that's all!
I cut my hair and trim my nails.
I have a tattoo.
Bits were cut off for non-medical reasons.

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Who have you scared?
Random strangers
My colleagues
My friends
My family

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Who wants to destroy you?
Someone... I don't know who!
No one!
If someone is trying, I will find them first!
Someone dead.

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How difficult are you to tame?
I'm like an angry weasel! I will not be tamed!
I'm pretty tame.
I'm not just tame, I'm institutionalized.
I can only be tamed with tremendous effort.

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How religiously observant are you?
Very, of all religions.
Not very, but I tip my hat.
I don't have the time.
I'm extremely devout.

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How dangerous are you?
A bit dangerous, like a rusty Swiss Army Knife.
Not very dangerous, like children's aspirin.
Not at all dangerous.
Very dangerous, like a rabid dog wearing a coat made of broken glass and chainsaws.

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How big are you on ritual?
I have a lot of rituals, like counting things to a prime number.
I'm done with rituals.
I like process, not ritual.
I love a good ritual, with candles and everything.

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What do you anthropomorphize - or talk to as if it were living?
Randomness
Everything
Feelings
Corpses

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What do you like to use to decorate your house?
With lucky colors.
Eclectic cultural objects.
Antiques.
Goth.

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How in control of your life are you?
Not at all.
As in control as one can be.
Mostly.
I'm trying to take control right now.

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You Got: