My theory on Starswirl's spell's purpose

[Blanky 3]

I've heard a lot of people wondering what Starswirl the Bearded's spell was supposed to do.  After all, they never really say in the episode.

 

 

First of all, I don't think we can count cutie mark scrambling as an intended effect of the spell.  I've heard people ask "So it messes up ponies cutie marks and then teleports the caster away?".  I think that's faulty logic.  How many things fulfill half their intended purpose when half assembled?  If you try to use a half assembled hairdryer it will probably electrocute you, and that's not because electrocution is half of what a hairdryer is supposed to do.

 

I think it is safe to assume that its intended purpose has something to do with the Elements of Harmony, seeing as how both its castings effect them.  So what would Starswirl be doing with the Elements?  It's stated that he doesn't understand friendship like Twilight does.  Many people have headcannoned that this means he didn't go out and make friends at all.  Even if that's not true I think it's reasonable to assume that he didn't have a group of friends who could activate the Elements.  So I think he was trying to make a spell to artificially activate the Elements of Harmony, using magic rather than friendship.  When half made it activated the energy of the Elements, but didn't direct it, so it just scrambled around.  When completed it actually activated the Elements.

 

What does activating them do?  We've seen them do two things so far.  They can Imprison/banish things as well as purify/de-evil things.  So, I think that when the elements were activated, and Twilight just happened to be the thing they were all pointed at, they banished her.  Sending her to a metaphysical and possibly semi-timeless plane.  The same as what I think happened to Nightmare Moon.  I don't think she was physically on the moon (it wouldn't account for her face being on the whole thing), and she didn't seem quite "thousand years of isolation" crazy.  In fact she seemed to be picking up right where she left off.  Of course, this is getting into a whole different headcannon.

 

So Twilight got banished, and maybe she got a little purified too as kind of final step towards princesshood.  Then Celestia shows up to rescue her.  Why could she do that?  Well, Celestia is in theory really powerful, and has experience with the elements and where they send things.  Plus, she's already been keeping an eye on Twilight.  So it stands to reason she saw her get blasted, or she was expecting this sort of thing to happen anyway.

 

 

 

 

So, TLDR version-

 

Starswirl didn't have friends who could use the elements of harmony, so he made a spell to use them artificially   He couldn't finish the spell because he didn't understand friendship, and thereby the elements, well enough.  Twilight finished the spell, and the elements banished her, because that's what they do.  Celestia came and rescued her from wherever she got banished to.

 

 

 

 

What do you all think?

[DeiStar 248]

Celestia said that Starswirl didn't understand friendship as Twilight did.

 

This could imply that Starswirl understood friendship, just not like Twilight.

 

I'm still bothered by the fact that he creates like 200 spells and gets nothing, yet Twilight finishes one of them and becomes a princess.

 

Just more fuel to Twilight's MarySueism.

[SonOfTheNorthe 412]

"The mark of one's destiny, singled out alone and fulfilled"

Personally, I think that this means that Starswirl the Bearded was trying to fulfill his own destiny.

[pinkiefan1287 610]

The idea is good. But, I think the first thing we need to find out is, did Starswirl even know about the elements? 

 

That's been kinda my problem so far with this, everyone thinks that Starswirl know about the elements, but there is no proof to say he did. We don't even know if he was around when Equseria was founded. Only the apartness was around. Now it could be he was around, seeing as Celestia and Luna have his book, Luna knows Twilights costume (Still she could have just been reading a lot), and he has a wing to himself at the library. I still think we need more background in order to see what his life was like.

 

To what it seems only Celestia and Luna know about the elements and were the only ones who could use them. In episode 1, Celestia used them to seal Nightmare Moon into the moon. 

 

So the next question is how could Celestia activate the elements them with out anyones help and Starswirl could not?

 

If you ask me the elements had nothing to do with his spell. Still your idea is good and it could work.

[poniesforfun 716]

I like how Starswirl is a mysterious character never having an appearance and only being a reference. We need more stuff like this. Hoping to see more reference to this mysterious character and if there is any kind of appearance of him I hope they set it up right not make it lame.

 

 

Celestia said that Starswirl didn't understand friendship as Twilight did.

 

This could imply that Starswirl understood friendship, just not like Twilight.

 

I'm still bothered by the fact that he creates like 200 spells and gets nothing, yet Twilight finishes one of them and becomes a princess.

 

Just more fuel to Twilight's MarySueism.

 

This could mean Starswirl thought friendship involved money and getting connections to higher places.

Edited March 12, 2013 by poniesforfun

[Bucky McGillyCuddy 956]

Yeah i never really understood it. Why was Star Swirl creating spells relating to friendship. Wasn't he a notorious recluse? Anyway all will be revealed hopefully before the series' end. 

[Starlight Sky 374]

Star Swirl strictly followed the path of a scholar to its final conclusion. His unfinished masterpiece (From one to another, another to one. A mark of one's destiny, singled out alone, fulfilled) represents his approach to life. To reach one's full potential, he believed isolation and training held the key. As his verse describes a solitary journey of accumulation, Star Swirl gained knowledge for his own sake. This granted him a wealth of knowledge about magic spells, but little about the magic born through bonds with others.

 

Just how Star Swirl represents the culmination of only seeking knowledge, Twilight reveals an alternative answer. As a pony who began following a similar path, Twilight would have reached a similar ending; however, the guidance of her friends and Princess Celestia sparked a change of heart. After experiencing the magic of friendship, Twilight continued magical studies while forging ever deepening bonds with her friends. Thus, giving birth to a new answer that Star Swirl couldn't conceive. "From all of us together, together we're friends. With the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end". Sharing their lives with one another has intertwined their fates- giving birth to magic that grows without limit: friendship.

 

Star Swirl attempted to create an ultimate magic with the answer found at his journey's end. Since he aimed to answer how to lead a fulfilling life and fulfill your destiny, the spell sets you on the path he followed. Singled out alone to focus on your goal without distraction. This made the Elements of Harmony a prime target since it symbolizes the unison of different elements/ponies to achieve something none could accomplish alone. While only the five pillars of the Elements of Harmony had cutie marks swapped, the citizens of Ponyville were emotionally separated and argued with one another. Twilight found her answer, which "A True, True Friend" embodies well. That connection between everypony is what makes Equestria such a magical place. It's what brings about that elusive sixth element.

[zlogi 16]

Something to add or change in your theory: When Twilight remasters the spell and says, " from all of us together. Together we're friends. With the marks of our destiny made one there is magic with out end " i think she's also saying that the power all of them combined is stronger then that of one person " singled out alone "

 

Or rather a clarification.

Edited May 27, 2013 by zlogi

[MadPointer 75]

Skip to 40:45

Asker: I have two questions for M.A. Larson.
Asker: In the season 3 finale, what was the original intent of Star Swirl the bearded’ spell?
M.A. Larson: What’s the other one?
[snip]
M.A. Larson: ...As for the first part, I’m gonna take the Fifth and pass it over to my left
Meghan McCarthy: Oh, I can’t...
FinalDraft: You brought it upon yourself
Meghan McCarthy: I know.
Meghan McCarthy: Um. That’s a good question. I don’t know if we went into it knowing what he thought that the end result was he was sorta working... what he was working towards... um... but.. yeah...

[Starlight Sky 374]

Skip to 40:45

Asker: I have two questions for M.A. Larson.

Asker: In the season 3 finale, what was the original intent of Star Swirl the bearded’ spell?

M.A. Larson: What’s the other one?

[snip]

M.A. Larson: ...As for the first part, I’m gonna take the Fifth and pass it over to my left

Meghan McCarthy: Oh, I can’t...

FinalDraft: You brought it upon yourself

Meghan McCarthy: I know.

Meghan McCarthy: Um. That’s a good question. I don’t know if we went into it knowing what he thought that the end result was he was sorta working... what he was working towards... um... but.. yeah...

 

Haha, it's largely left to our interpretation for now. Season 4 might hold more answers to narrow it down. I like my perspective, and would love to hear more, but this thread seems to have died before it really began. Probably since it's eclipsed by the Alicorn Twilight craze (is this really the right section for this thread?).

 

Anyhow, thanks for the link. Although I'm still gonna revive this to see what others think.