Happy Magic: The Gathering Day! 🎉

Magic Card

MTG was more than a game; it became the lens through which I studied community, identity, and creativity.

Honestly, it changed my life.

I first encountered Magic during a dissertation course when I still didn’t know which game would become the heart of my research. I was finishing a short observational study on Warhammer at a local game store( support your local game stores they are awesome!) and was introduced to MTG. Almost immediately, I knew it was the perfect vehicle for the theories I had been developing.

What I discovered through Magic wasn’t just gameplay mechanics, it was living stories. Players build decks for tournaments, casual Commander sessions, and even deeply personal narratives. I met a woman who built a deck entirely from cards tied to the love story she shares with her husband. One coworker, a highly professional woman, told me she kept a single Magic card in her desk drawer to symbolically fend off difficult bosses or bad clients.

Choosing Magic as the centerpiece of my thesis was the best decision I ever made. It taught me that games are more than rules, they are culture, emotion, and freedom (or community—you decide which word resonates more). I framed my argument around how players bond with cards, decks, and each other whether through formal play, creative deck-building, or the personal symbolism some people carry with them.

Magic the Gathering Card

Magic the Gathering really is Magic!

Natalie