A theory about Starswirl

[TheInvisiblePony]

Okay, so I've mulled the subject around a bit, and I think I've stumbled on a little gem about Starswirl. We know in the S3 finale his attempted magnum opus was a spell to change a ponies destiny. We also know he's worked presumable a great deal on time travel magic, or at least enough to create the spell that Twilight uses for time travel. I wonder though, time travel is easily the most thought of attempt to fictionally change events. You want something to work differently, you go back and change it. Simple.

However, in Equestria, time travel seems to close itself off in loops, often in humorous ways that cap off punchlines to an episode. At least, that's what we know based off the episode's information. So, I think that Starswirl's last spell was not his first attempt to change another pony's destiny. I think that he tried time travel first (possibly not even first, given the sheer amount of spells he has in his wing), and failing that, he tried a more direct hooves-on approach, but ultimately failed in his goal. Just a musing really.

[MyLittlePonyTales]

That sounds... pretty logical. O_o

But why was Starswirl trying to change the destiny of a pony in the first place?

[Volt]

But why was Starswirl trying to change the destiny of a pony in the first place?

Is being Starswirl not good enough reason for you Tales?

[MyLittlePonyTales]

I mean, WHY would you want to try to change the destiny, and thus the past, present, and future, of a pony?

[gamerkane]

I think he wanted to have the abilities that come with those destinies.That's why it spell worked when Twilight fixed it, because her friends were willing to help her. At least that's what I assume, although I have heard a theory that Starswirl wanted to become an Alicorn.

[Dio]

I mean, WHY would you want to try to change the destiny, and thus the past, present, and future, of a pony?

It could be posited that Starswirl's spell was an attempt to "break the bonds" of one's cutie mark. Throughout the series, it has been explicitly stated that a cutie mark is the mark of one's destiny and a reflection of their talents and worth as an individual. On the one hand, it gives those with cutie marks a reason for living and a concrete goal to strive for as they attempt to self-actualize. On the other, being locked down to one life path because of what one's cutie mark says can potentially be disheartening. Perhaps Starswirl was not trying to alter others' destinies, but his own; in the process allowing others to be free from what he saw as shackles to the whims of fate.

[MyLittlePonyTales]

I was going to point out that not all Cutie Marks determine a ponies destiny. For Rarity, she likes to make dresses for a living. Is making dresses or sewing her special talent? No. Finding gems is. However, she did not have a part in choosing her talent. Her talent chose her. Now, she could have taken that, and decided that her career MUST be with gem finding, and that that was her talent and going to be her job and lot in life. Instead, she incorporated it into something she liked to do, letting it aid her in her life rather than define it.

But again, the talent chose her, she did not choose the talent. Half the time, this seems to be the case. Sometimes circumstances allow a pony to get their mark doing something they enjoy. Sometimes, a ponies subconscious just decides that it's time to get a mark, and basically forces something onto the pony.

What if Rarity had chosen to blindly follow her mark, instead of doing what she liked? Would she have been as happy as she is now? Probably not. But, due to the nature of pony society, and as evidenced in the season 3 finale, some ponies would just do what their Cutie Mark 'told' them, even if doing something else would make them happier.

[elsporko]

Rarities spell is finding gems. Her cutie mark represents her ability to create beatiful things. She didn't get her cutie mark until during the performance where her fabulous costumes where worn. Unicorns appear to get a natural spell in addition to levitating things

[Lerian]

That sounds... pretty logical. O_o

But why was Starswirl trying to change the destiny of a pony in the first place?

Theory based wholly on my fan-fic canon:

Star-Swirl is court-wizard and advisor to the Unicorn king and queen, (princess Platinums parents), and understands the events that are occurring in the run up to those presented in Hearths warming eve. Thus he attempts to create a spell to derail these events (He rightly or wrongly believes that the king and queen are destined to be the end of the Unicorn kingdoms). Whether it works, is mis-cast and affects the princess or indeed has no effect and it turns out that while the unicorn kingdom ceases to be, princess Platinum causes the unicorns to survive*, (as per HWE), is open to interpretation.

*As is her destiny?

[TheInvisiblePony]

Okay, so I did a little research on the subject, in particular the amniomorphic spell Starswirl was credited with in Nightmare Night. From what I can gather, its a subtle pun because amnio is prefix that pertains with bowls, and morphic is essential shaping. So, Starswirl is a bearded pony who shapes bowls... or in other words...

a hairy potter.

With this information, throwaway joke as it is, I wonder if the old bearded guy was just going through a mid-life crisis. I mean, he was unsure of his destiny, so he tried to emulate his desired goal with magic, didn't quite get any satisfaction, tried time travel, then the destiny spell. Or something like that.

[elsporko]

He also could have simply been driven by a desire to push the bounds of magic. The magic Twilight did was new magic and the first evidence of magic being able to change a cutie mark. Its very impressive to have it on your resume