magician
An excerpt from Ars Magica by Hermione Granger
A magician is a person who can use magic.
It's that simple.
However, the term magician is more commonly thought of as a person who studies and practices the use of their magic.
Most of us, if not all of us, consider our ability to use magic to be a gift - a powerful gift at that. And it is a gift. A great responsibility, and a great burden. For some, it is a curse and something to fear.
But is not something we can avoid. If we are born with magic, we will eventually use magic. If we do not learn to control magic it will destroy us. For some, that means becoming an Obscurial. For others, it means madness.
But we must master our magic, or our magic will master us.
A magician is defined by how they access and use magic. It's rather simple on it's face, but far more complicated. It's better to say that a magician is defined by how they primarily use magic, and how they choose to use magic.
Witches and wizards are the most common kind of magician, if any magician can be said to be common.
Simply put, we are born with the ability to use magic. We can sense and we can touch and we can use that primordial, elemental part of the universe. We can, using a tool such as a rod, staff, or wand - or a potion - that power inside of us. We can bring it out and enforce our will upon the world itself.
Our only limit is in our will, which is shaped by our understanding and our knowledge. We look to wizards like Albus Dumbledore and we see great power and great daring. But there was also the hard work of mastering his knowledge and power, and there was the great ambition that shaped his quests for knowledge.
Also, great necessity as his path was beset by darkness - either Gellert Grindelwald or Tom Riddle or any of the thousand other minor dark wizards of our age.
So many ended up crossing wands with him.
At one point, he was the last of his kind - a Grand Sorcerer. A Dueling Master. He lead one of the last great societies, resurrected time and again to fight the battles so very many of knew needed to be fought.
We look at his legend. We look at his power, and we think much of him, without realizing that each and ever one of us has the same capacity and capabliityy for equal power, if only we had equal will, equal knowledge, and equal impetus to pursue it.
This is the nature of magicians who use High Magic - it is merely the tool by which we focus that will - our intent - and thus grasp and command and master the magic we are able to use.
We do not have limits as other kinds of magicians understand them - but we are also limited by how well we use our tools and they are not.
Such a terrible word for a terrible burden.
Squibs are those who are caught between worlds. They can see magic. They can percieve the magical world, but they cannot interact with it, not in the same way a magician can.
While we have discovered, since the return of the Old Lore to our foggy shores, that many Squibs were, in fact, merely other kinds of magician, there are still some who are trapped in that terrible in between.
Squibs are able to percieve and interact with magic, but must live in the muggle world, for the magical world doesn't work well for them.
Instead of teaching them, educating them and givng them purpose as our link to the muggle world, we have turned them into a second class citizen of both worlds - which is a thing we should all be ashamed of.
The Old Lore is mysterious and it is also enticing. In the Old Lore, we find the beginnings of all our understandings of magic. As I am not a proper Loremaster, my understandings of the Old Lore are academic at best, and obviously second or even third hand.
But Loremasters are those who practice what we now call the Old Lore - and it is, indeed, very old. So old, in fact, that it is the beginnings of magic.
Loremasters are those who can touch and use ambient magic in various ways. The use of ambient magic is how they connect to magic. They either ask it to do things, will it to do things, or (a very few) channel it through them and use it to do things.
Their powers do not work by any set of rules or systems and are often as much instinctual as they are learned. Such abilities are learned more by learning how to connect to magic than by learning the rules of magic. While Loremasters can channel vast amounts of magical energy through them, the more 'open' their connection is, the more magic they can access and use all at once. Most Loremasters' connection to magic is very specific and only works in specific ways, further limiting them. Sometimes, such as in the cases of Seers, their magic cannot be controlled at all. The specific form a Loremasters' connection takes is often their 'Lore' and cannot be changed. Loremasters are just as common as Witches and Wizards, but because of the way the magical world thinks of magic and the rarity of teachers, these abilities are very rarely explored, used or even discovered.
And also, for the better part of a century, forbidden in the majority of the civilized world.
The third, and most mysterious branch of magic - the one that many believe doesn't exist. Mind magic.
There are some magicians who have innate abilities with this kind of magic. While it can be argued that mind magic is simply Lore, many mind magics don't use ambient magic, such as Occlumency and Legilimency. (It is entirely possible these are High Magic disciplines that mimic inherent mind magic abilities, much as many High Magic disciplines mimic various Lores.)
For the purposes of this book, and with respect to other scholars' work, the less than accurate terms of Psychic or Mystic can be applied to these magicians. Another term which might be applied to this form of magic is Shaman, but there is much debate about how correct I am regarding these abilities.
Mind magic, whatever else it may or may not be, is not dependent on ambient magic or on a witch or wizard's ability to use magic. Many Loremasters have aptitudes for mind magic, but cannot use any other form of High Magic. Many witches and wizards who cannot use any kindo f Lore are able to use the aspects of mind magic that use ambient magic.
And there are historical accounts, such as those from the Lamia Assyr and other accounts (all easily found in the archives of the Grand Library of the Wizarngamot) which speak of magicians - some of whom would otherwise be considered squibs or muggles - who have significant abilities that fall within this branch of magic but no signifcant abilities or skills that would fall under the other two branches of magic.
The current theory for how those mystics or psychics connect to magic is rather vague.
It is believed they are born with specific magical senses and the ability to interact with the world using those senses, much the same way we can interact with the world using the five basic senses known to every child.
While this is somewhat vague and unclear, it is the most logical explanation for mind magic - which is further explored in the chapters of this book dealing with the uses and methodologies of mind magic.
It is true; most magicians can access more than one branch of magic.
Almost every magician can use some aspect of High Magic. This makes High Magic a unifying brach of magic.
Many witches and wizards are capable of accessing and using some small aspect of Lore, though not to any great degree - certainly without the ability to become a Loremaster. This stands to reason, as Lore is the magic originally practiced by our distant ancestors.
While not a rare as originally thought (though by no means common), there are those magicians capable of mastering two branches of magic. Some, such as Sorcery are quite specific, but others are not.
How mind magic plays into these crossover abilities is, of course, still quite unexplored.
A Gift of Power
A magician is a person who can use magic.
It's that simple.
However, the term magician is more commonly thought of as a person who studies and practices the use of their magic.
Most of us, if not all of us, consider our ability to use magic to be a gift - a powerful gift at that. And it is a gift. A great responsibility, and a great burden. For some, it is a curse and something to fear.
But is not something we can avoid. If we are born with magic, we will eventually use magic. If we do not learn to control magic it will destroy us. For some, that means becoming an Obscurial. For others, it means madness.
But we must master our magic, or our magic will master us.
Kinds of Magicians
A magician is defined by how they access and use magic. It's rather simple on it's face, but far more complicated. It's better to say that a magician is defined by how they primarily use magic, and how they choose to use magic.
Witches & Wizards
Witches and wizards are the most common kind of magician, if any magician can be said to be common.
Simply put, we are born with the ability to use magic. We can sense and we can touch and we can use that primordial, elemental part of the universe. We can, using a tool such as a rod, staff, or wand - or a potion - that power inside of us. We can bring it out and enforce our will upon the world itself.
Our only limit is in our will, which is shaped by our understanding and our knowledge. We look to wizards like Albus Dumbledore and we see great power and great daring. But there was also the hard work of mastering his knowledge and power, and there was the great ambition that shaped his quests for knowledge.
Also, great necessity as his path was beset by darkness - either Gellert Grindelwald or Tom Riddle or any of the thousand other minor dark wizards of our age.
So many ended up crossing wands with him.
At one point, he was the last of his kind - a Grand Sorcerer. A Dueling Master. He lead one of the last great societies, resurrected time and again to fight the battles so very many of knew needed to be fought.
We look at his legend. We look at his power, and we think much of him, without realizing that each and ever one of us has the same capacity and capabliityy for equal power, if only we had equal will, equal knowledge, and equal impetus to pursue it.
This is the nature of magicians who use High Magic - it is merely the tool by which we focus that will - our intent - and thus grasp and command and master the magic we are able to use.
We do not have limits as other kinds of magicians understand them - but we are also limited by how well we use our tools and they are not.
Squibs
Such a terrible word for a terrible burden.
Squibs are those who are caught between worlds. They can see magic. They can percieve the magical world, but they cannot interact with it, not in the same way a magician can.
While we have discovered, since the return of the Old Lore to our foggy shores, that many Squibs were, in fact, merely other kinds of magician, there are still some who are trapped in that terrible in between.
Squibs are able to percieve and interact with magic, but must live in the muggle world, for the magical world doesn't work well for them.
Instead of teaching them, educating them and givng them purpose as our link to the muggle world, we have turned them into a second class citizen of both worlds - which is a thing we should all be ashamed of.
Loremasters
The Old Lore is mysterious and it is also enticing. In the Old Lore, we find the beginnings of all our understandings of magic. As I am not a proper Loremaster, my understandings of the Old Lore are academic at best, and obviously second or even third hand.
But Loremasters are those who practice what we now call the Old Lore - and it is, indeed, very old. So old, in fact, that it is the beginnings of magic.
Loremasters are those who can touch and use ambient magic in various ways. The use of ambient magic is how they connect to magic. They either ask it to do things, will it to do things, or (a very few) channel it through them and use it to do things.
Their powers do not work by any set of rules or systems and are often as much instinctual as they are learned. Such abilities are learned more by learning how to connect to magic than by learning the rules of magic. While Loremasters can channel vast amounts of magical energy through them, the more 'open' their connection is, the more magic they can access and use all at once. Most Loremasters' connection to magic is very specific and only works in specific ways, further limiting them. Sometimes, such as in the cases of Seers, their magic cannot be controlled at all. The specific form a Loremasters' connection takes is often their 'Lore' and cannot be changed. Loremasters are just as common as Witches and Wizards, but because of the way the magical world thinks of magic and the rarity of teachers, these abilities are very rarely explored, used or even discovered.
And also, for the better part of a century, forbidden in the majority of the civilized world.
Mystics & Psychics
The third, and most mysterious branch of magic - the one that many believe doesn't exist. Mind magic.
There are some magicians who have innate abilities with this kind of magic. While it can be argued that mind magic is simply Lore, many mind magics don't use ambient magic, such as Occlumency and Legilimency. (It is entirely possible these are High Magic disciplines that mimic inherent mind magic abilities, much as many High Magic disciplines mimic various Lores.)
For the purposes of this book, and with respect to other scholars' work, the less than accurate terms of Psychic or Mystic can be applied to these magicians. Another term which might be applied to this form of magic is Shaman, but there is much debate about how correct I am regarding these abilities.
Mind magic, whatever else it may or may not be, is not dependent on ambient magic or on a witch or wizard's ability to use magic. Many Loremasters have aptitudes for mind magic, but cannot use any other form of High Magic. Many witches and wizards who cannot use any kindo f Lore are able to use the aspects of mind magic that use ambient magic.
And there are historical accounts, such as those from the Lamia Assyr and other accounts (all easily found in the archives of the Grand Library of the Wizarngamot) which speak of magicians - some of whom would otherwise be considered squibs or muggles - who have significant abilities that fall within this branch of magic but no signifcant abilities or skills that would fall under the other two branches of magic.
The current theory for how those mystics or psychics connect to magic is rather vague.
It is believed they are born with specific magical senses and the ability to interact with the world using those senses, much the same way we can interact with the world using the five basic senses known to every child.
While this is somewhat vague and unclear, it is the most logical explanation for mind magic - which is further explored in the chapters of this book dealing with the uses and methodologies of mind magic.
More Than One Gift
It is true; most magicians can access more than one branch of magic.
Almost every magician can use some aspect of High Magic. This makes High Magic a unifying brach of magic.
Many witches and wizards are capable of accessing and using some small aspect of Lore, though not to any great degree - certainly without the ability to become a Loremaster. This stands to reason, as Lore is the magic originally practiced by our distant ancestors.
While not a rare as originally thought (though by no means common), there are those magicians capable of mastering two branches of magic. Some, such as Sorcery are quite specific, but others are not.
How mind magic plays into these crossover abilities is, of course, still quite unexplored.
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