My suggestion? It sounds like you've decided on a power set and you're trying to work the character's history around that. I'd take the inverse approach.

But if you're dead set on giving her nature powers, I'd definitely look to real world sources for inspiration. Paganism, as you said, would be the obvious route to go, but I'd be careful of slipping into parody. "Neo-paganism" has really come into vogue in the last few decades. It's touchy-feely hippie religion, with a lot of adventists applying the sort of rules you put up towards it, but it's certainly not the entire definition of "paganism". In general terms "paganism" is just a word the Judeo-Abrahamic world (primarily the Catholic Church) coined to describe all polytheists. Essentially it's any religion that's not Muslim/Christian/Jewish.

The first thing I'd establish is the nature of your character's powers. There are really two ways to look at it. There's ritual magic, which is defined by spells and incantations. The general implication is that anyone can do it as long as they have the resolve, know the right rituals, and are willing to make some sort of sacrifice to enact the spell. The catch for being essentially accessible by anyone is that there's a cost for the magic, whether it means making a sacrifice for a specific ritual or living your life in a very prescribed manner. It's usually defined as making some sort of pact, deal, or oath with an extranormal being, which (depending on the philosophy of the magic user) could vary from elemental spirits to gods or demigods to demonic entities. It can vary from having a patron spirit who demands some strict oaths of loyalty to remain as your benefactor, to trucking with all sorts of entities in exchange for shorter sacrifices.

The other and probably easier route to go would to give your character some sort of innate magical ability. They're born into a long line of witches who enacted some bloodline pact that passes on through the generations, or they have fairy/demon/what-have-you blood somewhere down the family tree. It's easier but depending on the circumstances might violate the rule of only playing human characters in the game. It's quicker and easier because instead of building a spell book or set of rituals you basically have a limited established power set, but it's also more limited.

Somewhere between these two there's a sort of hybrid balance, a character who enacts rituals but is one of the few people capable of doing it, because of some sort of special inherent trait, or specialized training.

One way or another, I think the essential element of magic is establishing limitations. One of the established tropes of magic use is that everything has a price. If your character's family has some sort of pact with the Fair Folk of the British Isles, you might give them the weaknesses of that group of supernaturals: say an aversion to iron, a lack of reflection in mirrors or water, etc. If she has some sort of covenant with the Mistress of the Hunt, perhaps make her prohibited from eating meat from an animal she hasn't killed herself. If she's a ritualist, make sure each appeal to a supernatural entity requires a supplication, whether it's as simple as leaving out a bowl of milk for something relatively minor or a blood sacrifice.

Once you figure out the nature of the powers and the actual power set, I'd sit down and do some research into finding something that has a link to real life. If she's from Scotland, then her powers probably originate in the religions around there. The good thing is, the British Isles are rife with mythology. Before the Christians conquered the island, it was made up basically of feuding tribes, each with their own religions and superstitions. You have all sorts of traditions to draw from, whether it's the courts of the Fae, Arthurian myth, or primitive nature religions, or even the transplanted traditions of the Roman pantheon. Either way, build a concrete mythology for your character. The key is to determine for yourself where the magic is derived from, how it's achieved, and what the cost is. Once you have a chosen mythology in place, you should have a damn strong basis for your character's magics.

Either way, good luck.

Have you ever read or seen the movie "Celestine Prophecies"?
It is about the true connection we All have to the light/life energy in the earth and plant life, anything living. It is part of being a spiritual human being. This ability or the ability to be consciously aware of it and be able to harness the light/energy in all things, is stronger in some then others, and can be developed through meditation and training.
That might be one way to explain why she has her abilities.
Hope that helps.

Well...I have the basic idea for the basis of my character's powers in my mind, but I've been having trouble getting my ideas down in writing. unfortunately for me, having a major difficulty with putting my thoughts into words is something I go through more or less on a daily basis.

I just got the book from the library on Monday, along with "The Celestine Vision". I haven't gotten very far yet, but it seems pretty intense. I also got some other reading material to look through, such as "Paganism for Dummies", "Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions", "Practical Solitary Magic", and "Women's Rituals", to name a few.

Needless to say, I've got a lot of reading to do...

How's this for a start?

Beliefs: If Fiona allowed herself to be given a label, she might possibly consider herself to be what is known as an "Eclectic Solitary" Pagan. Those who practice Eclectic Paganism combine what they believe to be the best of a variety of Pagan, and possibly non-Pagan, traditions.

Eclectic traditions can best be defined through their participants and the practices of those participants.

Eclecticism can mean that the participant's practice is an accumulation of different influences, ranging from Native American to Celtic to Asian, with the participant drawing from each tradition as they are inspired and comfortable. Conventionally this type of practice is called syncreticism, where many different cultural and religious paths are the inspiration for a particular path's practices.

Fiona's own system combines Strega (an Italian tradition that emphasizes heavily on herbal knowledge and tends to be strongly matriarchal), Shamanism, Druidism, Ceremonial Magic, Bardic magic (using her artistic talents to induce magical effects--Fi's specialty is the tin whistle), and nature/spirit worship.

The term, "Solitary Pagan" refers to a person who practices alone, regardless of tradition. This does not mean that solitaries never enjoy being with a group or community of Pagans. There are many solitaries who attend public Pagan functions. They do not, however, have an interest in joining a circle or coven on a permanent basis.

I'll see if I have more time to work on it tomorrow.

From "Paganism for Dummies", pages 4-6:

Telltale Signs of a Pagan Personality

Like many Pagans, I believe that just about anyone can enjoy and benefit from the unique perspective of nature spirituality. But also, like most Pagans, I don't believe in trying to convert others to my way of seeing things. So if Paganism is the right path for you, I hope that you'll explore it further. I also want to state right up front that I believe it's okay that some people are Pagans and some aren't. Whether because of personality types, beliefs, or mere preference, not everyone will choose to explore the Pagan path. And that's fine. But you may be wondering, "Is Paganism for [i]me?" Well, here's a quick checklist to see if you might have some of the common characteristics of the Pagan mindset (if there is such a thing). One of the wonderful things about Paganism is that it appeals to a wide variety of people with many different backgrounds and ways of seeing the world. It may be difficult to nail down once and for all what the "typical" Pagan is like, but this list can help you learn a little more about Paganism in general:

• Most Pagans love nature, whether that means a city park or a remote wilderness area. Weather permitting, the average Pagan would much rather be outdoors.
• Pagans tend to be open-minded and curious people. They are not necessarily anti-religious, although many tend to find that traditional religions leave them cold. Before they discover Paganism, many will say "I'm spiritual, but I'm not religious." ((something I've been saying for years)) Heck, they might say that even after embracing Paganism because many Pagans do not consider the path to be a "religion" but simply a way of life.
  *Pagans come in all political shapes and stripes, but most have a basic sense of fairness and justice. For this reason, Pagans generally think that the traditional idea of God as a father--without a corresponding concept of Goddess as a mother--is, well, out of balance and probably deeply unfair to women.
• Pagans prefer to think for themselves to being told what to think. They love to ask questions, and they believe it is a good thing to question authority and challenge dogma. The average Pagan would much rather learn by experience than simply accept something on faith.
  *Pagans love life! They don't consider life on Earth to be some sort of painful trek through a vale of tears; rather, they have an honest and realistic assessment of life as containing both pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, happiness and disappointment. To Pagans, the point of spirituality is not to escape life but to learn ways to maximize its joy and minimize its sorrow.
• Many Pagans get a kick out of studying ancient mythology and studying ancient Gods and Goddesses, and spiritual practices of long ago. For some Pagans, this is a way of connecting with their ancestors, but for many others, it's simply for the joy of it.
  *Pagans often have some natural bent toward spirituality and mysticism. Gazing into the night sky will fill many a Pagan with a sense of wonder and awe, while others simply approach spirituality out of a belief that there are latent powers in the human mind and body that can be used to make life better. For lack of a better word, these powers may be considered "magic."
• Pagans like to use ritual to mark the passage of time, whether that means the normal progression of months and years (as seen in the movement of the moon around the earth, and the earth around the sun) or the significant transitions of life, including birth, coming of age, marriage, entry into old age, and death. What these rituals are like--whether simple or elaborate, whether done in solitude or in a large group--varies from Pagan to Pagan.
• Nearly all Pagans have strong ethical and moral beliefs. Many believe in such principals as freedom and love. Some insist that "harming none" is an important moral concept, while others adopt traditional values like honor and hospitality. Given their love for nature, many, Pagans are strong environmentalists. Although there are as many different kinds of ethical codes as there are types of Paganism, they all share in common a belief that ethical codes are important and are meant to be taken seriously.

Do you see yourself in some, most, or all of these, then welcome to the Pagan path!

I know im going to get my chops busted for this.. but I finally got that book "Book of Erotic Fantasy" that is an awsome book Fiona!

Please don't necro-post like this.