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Zodiac Magic Items

I'm planning a Zodiac themed story. Each of the Signs will have a legendary Magic Item that goes with it. Not all of the Signs are chosen yet, still working on some flex spots / Place Holders.

A. No Weapons or Armor. Want fill all 12 spots with more unusual choices.
B. No Animal or People Signs. This lines up with the magic items better, and keeps animal signs free for non-magical Astrology stuff.
C. In BOLD are the stuff I'm most unsure about.

  1. Mirror - awaken magic/talent, Clones?
  2. Wheel - Command/Control Fate - Monk-Chakra Magic?
  3. Chariot -???
  4. Tower - Barrier Magic? Actual Magic Building that bends Space?
  5. Eye - Dreams?
  6. Chalice - Communion, sharing power?
  7. Scale - Balance/Duality theme?
  8. Key - Locks, Pass Wall, Dreams?? Open Close Chakras?
  9. Scepter -???
  10. Trumpet - Control Weather, Animals, Animate Objects
  11. Shield ??
  12. Lantern - Future Sight (it's light shows the future inside that light)
 

CupofJoe

Myth Weaver
I'd argue that a chariot and a shield are forms of armour. But if they are okay, then I'd go for an arrow [for hunting].
I'd be tempted to add something like a loaf of bread [or some food stuff].
Maybe a map or a lodestone?
Or a drum?
 
I think I should double down on the Tarot imagery, as a lot of the Signs I like most line up with it. Still need 2 items to make it to 12. Here is what I have so far.
zodiac tarot chart.png

Here are some suggestions I got from another site. Loom, Lute, Wand, Throne, Vine, Tree, Arrow, Cloak, Boat, Crook, Anvil, Hammer, Gate, Hand, Heart,
 

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skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
What's wrong with having ten rather than twelve signs? It's your zodiac, after all.
 
What's wrong with having ten rather than twelve signs? It's your zodiac, after all.
I feel like people would assume there are 12 parts to a Zodiac. However, there are NO RULZ! I can do any number, Posting like this helps me think through the process, and open up to feedback.
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
As long as you're throwing out da rulz, you don't need to use the word zodiac, especially since the word itself comes from the Greek for 'animal'. You could make up a phrase, or go looking for the same word in other languages and spin that.
 
A shovel- death... returning to the earth... being sowed... new growth, and the ability to adapt.

Spoon- something 'domestic', perhaps nuturing, but always calculated. A spoon can serve sustenance or poison.

A cauldron- transformative... different 'ingredients go in, something better than the individual ingredients comes out. Heavy, grounded.

I would substitute 'chariot' for a 'carriage', to get some distance from war imagery. But, honestly, a 'wheel' and a chariot to me is kind of redundant. I'd use the Wheel- much more powerful imagery. I can't think of anything as technologically significant to mankind than the discovery of the wheel (hub and axle, too) and the harnessing of fire.

Hatchet or an ax... not as a weapon, but as a basic homesteading tool. You can adapt raw materials by force to suit your needs, but it takes care and precision. A wood-workers' saw or carpenters' tools might be more suitable to avoid war imagery.

Loom (or spinning wheel) making something from nothing, creativity, industriousness, dedication, concentration. The ability to follow through and stay on task.
 
A shovel- death... returning to the earth... being sowed... new growth, and the ability to adapt.

Spoon- something 'domestic', perhaps nuturing, but always calculated. A spoon can serve sustenance or poison.

A cauldron- transformative... different 'ingredients go in, something better than the individual ingredients comes out. Heavy, grounded.

I would substitute 'chariot' for a 'carriage', to get some distance from war imagery. But, honestly, a 'wheel' and a chariot to me is kind of redundant. I'd use the Wheel- much more powerful imagery. I can't think of anything as technologically significant to mankind than the discovery of the wheel (hub and axle, too) and the harnessing of fire.

Hatchet or an ax... not as a weapon, but as a basic homesteading tool. You can adapt raw materials by force to suit your needs, but it takes care and precision. A wood-workers' saw or carpenters' tools might be more suitable to avoid war imagery.

Loom (or spinning wheel) making something from nothing, creativity, industriousness, dedication, concentration. The ability to follow through and stay on task.


Sorry posted before I actually finished typing... silly phone...

Thimble: ability to mend things; able to work delicately but is also protective, precise. Endurance. Low key, not flashy but all substance. Someone you wish you could carry in your pocket to be with you when you're in a fray.

Scissors: decisive. Once you cut something, it cannot be un-cut. Tries to 'cut through everything', cut down to size. Practical, doesn't tolerate BS and is best kept SHARP.

Pen: its mightier than the sword. Creativity, communicative, truthful, steadfastness (indellible). Can also be cryptic, mysterious, puzzling. Spontaneous and somewhat unpredictable or eccentric.

Broom: sweeps away negativity, clears dusty energies. Fresh starts, very forgiving. Can be too hasty or quick to judge a situation, but also naive. Just sweep things out the door if you have the time, otherwise under a rug will do for now.

Apparently this request has got my brain on creative overdrive. I'll get off at this stop, thanks for the ride.
 
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K.S. Crooks

Maester
It seems like you want to choose the objects first then decide what magic they offer. What if you did it in the opposite manner. Determine what Magic do you need for your story and then chose an object that you can match in some obvious or obscure way. For example if you need speed magic maybe e magical rein can be strapped around a person's arm and then they gain the speed of the fastest horse. As for the number of Zodiac you have it only needs to match how your world divides their calendar- 12 months = 12 signs, 13 months (lunar calendar) = 13 signs, Chinese 12 signs over 12 year cycle instead of decades.
 
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