What are the magickal properties of acid rain?

Does acid rain have any magickal correspondences?
What kind of magickal properties does acid rain have?

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I don’t know if there are any specific correspondences of acid rain, but let’s break it down a bit and see if we can’t come up with some of our own!

First, what is acid rain?

rainfall made sufficiently acidic by atmospheric pollution that it causes environmental harm, typically to forests and lakes. The main cause is the industrial burning of coal and other fossil fuels, the waste gases from which contain sulfur and nitrogen oxides, which combine with atmospheric water to form acids – Definitions from Oxford Languages

According to the EPA, acid rain happens when “sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) are emitted into the atmosphere and transported by wind and air currents. The SO2 and NOX react with water, oxygen and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. These then mix with water and other materials before falling to the ground.” Source

There is also a differnce between wet deposition and dry deposition (you can read about those on the EPA website linked below…)

So, with that in mind, here are a few things to think about when forming the correspondences of acid rain:

:cloud_with_rain: It’s usually caused by pollution, though a very small portion is caused by natural phenomenon like the eruption of volcanoes.

:cloud_with_rain: It is acidic, meaning it is abrasive and corrosive.

:cloud_with_rain: It happens through combustion – burning of fossil fuels, pollution from gases in factories, and eruptions of volcanoes.

:cloud_with_rain: It is most harmful to plant and aquatic life.

:cloud_with_rain: It leaches aluminum from the soil adding to the toxicity of the water in aquatic environments.

:cloud_with_rain: It kills plant life, mainly by the leaching of aluminum from the soil as well as the removal of other vital nutrients.


Something fairly interesting, though, is that wet deposition (what we think of when we think “rain”) doesn’t appear to be harmful to humans.

Walking in acid rain, or even swimming in a lake affected by acid rain, is no more dangerous to humans than walking in normal rain or swimming in non-acidic lakes. However, when the pollutants that cause acid rain —SO2 and NOX, as well as sulfate and nitrate particles— are in the air, they can be harmful to humans. Source


So :clap:t3: With all that in mind, what sort of uses can we think of for acid rain? I’ll get you started, but I’d love to see you come up with some of your own! The main things I can think of involve baneful magic, so I’d be curious to see if you can come up with something that isn’t harmful!

:star: Curses and hexes, specifically starving someone of something they need.

:partying_face: Now it’s your turn to think of some!


https://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects-acid-rain

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That’s a really interesting question, @carter1- and @MeganB gave an awesome answer! :clap:

Acid Rain isn’t something I’ve ever consciously used in my practice before, and looking at what it’s made of, I agree with Megan that it looks like a pretty negative substance. Something like this does indeed seem to be best suited for Baneful Magick.

Doing a bit of brainstorming, I’d imagine acid rain could be used for banishing, scaring off, or causing others to vacate an area- like humans and wildlife might try to escape from or avoid acid rain.

I had to stretch my mind a bit, as it’s hard to see how something like acid rain could play a role in white/wholesome magick, but perhaps it could be incorporated in an earth healing spell? Symbolic items or anchors are often incorporated spells to help direct them- perhaps acid rain could be used to symbolism the pain of the earth, in order to guide a spell towards healing?

Just a thought- I’d love to hear your plans/ideas around acid rain too, Carter (if you’re okay with sharing them!) Blessed be! :sparkles:

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