For What and Why? Thoughts on Centering and Motivation in Color Pairs

More color pie thoughts!

Most of the time when we analyze color philosophies, we try to squish together different phrases that give apparently equal footing to both colors (Selesnya is peace through acceptance, Mardu is freedom through self expression, Bant is gradual progression through order), but I wonder whether these do a disservice to the different valences that color philosophy can take. Every color combo has heroes, villains, and civilians involved—so what might be a better way of approaching things?

One approach (perhaps with more to come!), I think, is to consider color combinations through the principles and purpose of a character’s alignment—the for what that adds complexity to their way of doing things or that motivates them at their core. Instead of thinking about colors by mashing together methods or aims, we might think from the reverse—what gives further grounding to their feelings?

We can take, for example, Green-White. GW is one of my favorite color combos, and I think often limit think of through phrases like “peace through acceptance” or “harmony through law.” It sounds right in principle, but if we think of the range of GW characters—Ajani, Sigarda, Cadira, Caller of the Small, Bess, Soul Mommy Nourisher, Kaherra, the Orphanguard, and many more—these phrases start to feel less sufficient. Does Ajani have Green’s ambivalence about change? Does Bess seem to have white’s emphasis on order? Doesn’t seem so.

Food is meant to be enjoyed, meant to be loved. For Bess, cooking was never about impressing people — it was about feeding people. That her food happens to be some of the best in the city is, in her opinion, added proof of the righteousness of her mission: to cook for the people

Of course, the reality is that these characters aren’t just 50/50 mixes of both their colors. There centered in one or the other. Ajani, for example, is centered in White. Centering has appeared in the MTG storyline in really productive ways—I’m thinking of Rootha’s and Killian’s stories in Strixhaven, which revolves around characters who had enemy colors but ultimately centered in one (Rootha in Red and Killian in White). But despite this generative potential, our formulations of color philosophy don’t leave much room for centering: if I say that Ajani is GW centered in white, does that mean he believes in peace through acceptance but cares more about peace? Something’s lacking there.

“You are all part of my pride. As long as I live, I will protect you.”

But if we think about Green-White as a complex expression of principle and purpose, we might arrive at something different. Green and White provide lenses for one another, principles that answer the question: for what?

A mono white character might labor for the law because they believe it to be good in itself or because their highest aspiration is peace. But by adding green, they gain a special emphasis on a principle beneath the principle: maybe it’s joy for life, or a love of existence itself, or the natural goodness of people. A green-white hero might believe in justice (White), not for its own sake but because they believe that all people, as they are, deserve to be cared for (Green). This sheds some light, I think, on why Green-White has as many caretaker characters—more of these, in fact, than proselytizing hive mind members of Selesnya. Ajani, for example, believes in uplifting the meek, fighting tyranny, and embracing others in community (white) because he believes in the sanctity of each person’s truest self (green). It might go in the reverse direction: Maja, Bretagard Protector is interested in harmony, but ultimately for the sake of preserving peace and order.

Her people look up to her to protect their clan, and she has not let them down…Many from all five clans come to her to solve their disputes, and she has gained a reputation as a powerful and respected leader, both on and off the battlefield.

The idea, ultimately, is to consider how a second color might represent deeper motivation, an actual hierarchy of values, rather than a perfect blend of idea and method.

ajanigoldmane replied to your post: the only smart appliance i own is my tv and thats...

same I HATE that its like forced

TV’s are probably the only “Smart” appliance that it makes sense to be smart. Like, your entertainment system having access to apps, a light browser, etc. is frankly just efficient. But there’s no reason that a device whose sole function is to heat bread or spin clothes in a wet circle needs any sort of complexity beyond “High/Medium/Low” settings

ajanigoldmane replied to your post: “the fun of having someone with “Transsexual” in their url argue with...”

They also have a post like 2 things down that says "clocked that trans guy immediately work on your voice bud" which is yikes as fuck. I also have no idea what stance theyre trying to communicate???

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@ajanigoldmane​ theyre trying really hard to tell me that they fucking hate trans people but basically theyre saying terfs are right and nonbinary is a woman gender game.

using the fact that femme amabs scare the fuck outta them as proof that amab nb folks dont experience any push back when they don't present and act the expected way for an amab person to act, by the fact that like three people got interviewed by vice once and they can find posts on tumblr. which is all proof that people exist, but doesn't refute something that involves a deeper look into the population on a whole and not just folks already involved enough within these

spaces aren't being included in this one survey. and often, the actual article will say so itself, in a section near the conclusion, but this dipshit has no intention of reading it because its 50 bucks.

oh right people reply just on the post now, well theres both

2019 #Calendar - August Art by #ChrisRahn (@chrisrahnart) #CoolArt #Art #AjaniGoldmane #MagicTheGathering #MTGArt #MTG #MTGM19 #Planeswalker #Leonid #FantasyArt #FantasticalArt #ImaginativeRealism https://www.instagram.com/p/B0nLzXQA6Ld/?igshid=1xm4iksll2qwz

ajanigoldmane replied to your video:

Oh my god Law and Order did an incel episode this...

do you have any chads and stacys living here

I’ve never seen this before I’m losing my mind

ajanigoldmane replied to your post: caoticdragonv19 replied to your post: ...

also isnt N like a child

if you mean childlike, then kind of, yes

ajanigoldmane

  Big shout outs to meijer for including a training...

are you a meijer employee soon

apparently they were gonna bring me in tomorrow despite the fact they said explicitly that they didn’t want to do that

ajanigoldmane replied to your post: i don't know what blog you're referring to, the OP...

(art of realistically proportioned adult man’s ass) vs (art of a 16 yo with tits 3x bigger than her head and her face makes her look like shes 14) some chucklefuck: these are obviously the same

ffjgnlskdfjgnklsjdfngkljdfsngkjlndfs LMAO

ajanigoldmane replied to your post: Congrats on the name change! :D

set up paypal so I can give u 300 dollars

w

why

ajanigoldmane replied to your post: “hey i know you were making light of transmisogyny coming from someone...”:

Like the charity thing is nice but also

i honestly wouldnt have ever cared so much if i didnt see folks immediately jump to “DONT CANCEL HIM THO UUGG YOURE BEING SO MEAN BY CANCELING HIM” like let folks say hey travis, making this all about you is a little weird and you maybe shouldnt do that, especially on your massive platform dude. like idk maybe if yall chilled out and realized you can critique things without meaning that you must now fucking detest this person/platform/media whatever the fuck.

try to find a lil balance in yalls lives

ajanigoldmane replied to your post “reddurcs replied to your post “now i dont have to subscribe to...”

Im 80% sure Simone was also responsible for Incredibly Racist and Transphobic Bit in Dream Daddy stream where she compared the trans man to Widowmakwr, kept saying She after the trans reveal iirc (bc of the widow maker bit), and compared one of the non white characters to Winston iirc (not as sure about that last part)

“im just trying to be respectful you guysss” as an equally-shitty inverse of attack helicopter jokes, that’s simone de rochefort’s whole brand

@ajanigoldmane replied to your post “I am so FUCKING sick of all these infinity war gifsets with Hamilton...”

*gif of spiderman being erased* George Washington s going hooooome

this is so fucking funny

Ajani Goldmane from Magic: The Gazering

ajanigoldmane replied to your post: donesparce replied to your post: ...

holy shit?

I mean now I gotta, right?