The points he makes and the warnings he gives have a much wider application than just to his imaginary world and characters.
What he says is not always what some people expect or want to hear, but it is all worth considering and putting to the test.
Material from his books has appeared in several articles, and I have found a few more wise words to quote.
Using magic
Miss Tick gives more lessons to the young witch Tiffany Aching:
“’But can’t you use a keeping-warm spell?’ said Tiffany.
‘I could. But a witch doesn’t do that sort of thing. Once you use magic to keep yourself warm, then you’ll start using it for other things.’
‘But isn’t that what a witch is supposed to--‘ Tiffany began.
‘Once you learn about magic, I mean really learn about magic, learn everything you can learn about magic, then you’ve got the most important lesson still to learn,’ said Miss Tick.
‘What’s that?’
‘Not to use it. Witches don’t use magic unless they really have to. It’s hard work and difficult to control. We do other things.’”
This is not an easy lesson to learn. It may not at first make sense; it may not be acceptable. Despite that, a wise person will take it to heart. The senior witches in Terry Pratchett’s books know what they are talking about.
What a witch does
“A witch pays attention to everything that’s going on. A witch uses her head. A witch is sure of herself…
A witch delights in small details. A witch sees through things and around things. A witch sees farther than most. A witch sees things from the other side. A witch knows where she is, who she is, and when she is... Witches deal with things.”
“Ye used yer eyes and used yer heid. That’s what a real hag does. The magicking is just there for advertisin’.”
From The Wee Free Men
“Magic... isn’t what you know, it is what other people don’t know. Magic can be something right in the wrong place or something wrong in the right place.”
“...witches have got to be different, and that’s part of the secret.”
From Equal Rites
All this makes sense - eventually.
The results and effects of thinking, learning, listening, observing and investigating may appear to be magic to people who don’t do much of those things themselves.
The apparent possession of magic powers will bring respect to the practitioner:
“Respect is meat and drink to a witch. Without respect, you ain’t got a thing.“
From A Hat Full of Sky
Those words are spoken by Granny Weatherwax, the most highly respected witch of all.
Granny is right, but Tiffany wishes that she wasn’t.
Some truths are inconvenient and unwelcome. This does not make them any less true.
