Magic

Magic refers to the ability to change reality through supernatural means. In this world, magic has existed since the dawn of humanity, and some magical elements found in folklore and legends do (or did) exist. However, over time, the practice of magic became frowned upon and regarded as “evil” and “possession by demon (devil)” like in the West or “unscientific” and “trickery” like in the East.

Introduction

Magic is rigorously defined as the use of magical energy to influence or perceive the world through unnatural means. Magical energy (or mana as it is commonly called in the West) is a special type of energy made from fusing spiritual energy and physical energy in a 6:4 ratio. While every living human possession spiritual energy and physical energy, the spiritual energy required for the formation of magical energy is particularly dense (i.e., strong). Thus, throughout history, only select few have been able to use magic.

Magicians

See more: Human（Magician）

The only requirements to use magic are the possession of and ability to manipulate magical energy; thus, any individuals (human or otherwise) who meet these requirements can use magic. Any human capable of performing magic is generally called a magician, or a magic user, with each school of magic having different names of its practitioners. For example, users of Western-style are called witches (f.) or wizards (m.) ; users of Taoist magic are called dàoshi (道士, "Taoist priest") with masters being called xian (仙/僊, "sages") ; users of Onmyōdō magic are called onmyōji (陰陽師).

Magic and Genetics

Genetic research in magic have yet to identify any genetic association to the ability to use magic; however, a person’s ability to use magic can be predicted by their relatives’ ability to use magic. As such, strong magicians tend to related, and marriage often occur between families of similar (or greater) magical prowess to maintain the descendents’ magical abilities. That being said, the prerequisite to use magic mainly concerns possessing dense spiritual energy, and as such, magicians have been born into families with no history of magic going back for a thousand year.

Western-style vs. Eastern-style Magicians

Because of the different systems of magic, there are some differences among the magic users, particularly between those that use modern Western magic and those that use Eastern magic (Taoist or Onmyōdō). The first difference relates to the manner in magicians cast their spells. Witches and wizards often use a magical artifact (be it a wand, staff/scepter, or grimoire) to assist in channeling their magical energy for the spell. In contrast, Taoist mages often cast spells with only the incantations and occasionally required hand gestures. Meanwhile, onmyōji use paper talismans/charms. Second, witches and wizards are not trained to directly sense the magical energy emitted by magicians, though they are able to assess the power of cast spells. Eastern magic users, on the other hand, are taught to sense spiritual and magical energy so that they can detect other magic users, assess their strength, and distinguish between friends and foes.

Casting Magic

A magician begins by gathering their magical energy and envision the effect of the spell they're about to cast. Then, by reciting an incantation, they transform that energy into producing the desired effect. Occasionally and depending on the type of magic being used, the caster may also need an artifact to help channel their magical energy. Typical examples of artifacts include wands, staffs, talismans, books (tomes/grimoires), etc.

Failed magic casting

A spell can fail to initialize or function properly for a multitude of reasons.

1. The caster could not have enough magical energy to cast the spell. This is often the case with ancient magic because each spell requires a prescribed amount of energy. Modern Western magic is more flexible in that the output of the spell depends on the caster's strength and imagination.
2. If the spell requires an incantation, any mistakes will cause failure.
3. Magic rituals will fail if the caster do not perform the ritual exactly as prescribed. And the list goes on.

Limitations

1. Complete revival of the dead is impossible by all forms of magic. Only gods can revive the dead. Immortality can be achieved through magic though.
2. Magic cannot create something from nothing without consequences, especially living things.
   1. There is no magical law that prohibits conjuring money from nothing; however, the practice is forbidden and counterfeit money is easily detected in the magical world.
3. Other than that, magic is pretty omnipotent and is capable of anything so long as someone is clever enough to device a spell for it and has enough magical energy to perform the spell.

Magic Classification

Internally Sourced Magic

Western-style Magic

Western-style magic is marked by the use of magical artifacts, such as wands, scepters, and grimoires, to act as conduits for channeling and focusing a magician's magical energy to perform a spell. Although powerful witches and wizards may be able to cast magic with an artifact, most practitioners of this style cannot.

Ancient Western Magic

Ancient Western magic is typified by the use of long chants, specific items, or specific rituals. These spells have well-defined effects and magical energy requirement. These characteristics are the result of the usage of magical formulas (or magic circles) for each of their spell. Spells developed in ancient were heavily based on meticulous calculations and determinations of the various forces needed to create an effect. As such, users (and inventors) of Ancient Western Magic needed performed long chants and specific rituals to ensure all the requirements were specified and met.

Modern Western Magic

Modern Western magic is typically characterized by short incantations accompanied by wand movements. In the fifteenth century, following the trends of the Enlightenment, witches and wizards began analyzing magic with more rational methods of inquiry to try to understanding its underlying laws and principles. In the process of doing so, one wizard managed to streamline the complexity of ancient Western magic spells into fewer spells with shorter incantations. In exchange for this simplification, anyone was now able to use any spell; however, the strength of each spell now depended on the caster rather than the spell.

Within modern Western magic, there are 7 main branches (disciplines): charms, transformation, conjuration, vanishment, spatial, healing, and potions.

Eastern-style Magic

In contrast to Western-style magic, magical artifacts are not necessary for the casting of spells, although they are sometimes used (e.g., talismans, swords, etc.).

Taoist Magic

The school of Taoist magic was found in Ancient China and its basis in Taoist cosmology and philosophy. Taoist magic also have spells that are effective against yāoguài/yōkai and evil spirits.

Onmyōdō Magic

Onmyōdō is school of magic founded in Feudal Japan influenced by Taoism, Buddhism, and Shinto. There is heavy emphasis on the art of divination and exorcism in the Onmyōdō school.

Other Schools

Alchemy

Alchemy is a discipline of magic, practiced in both Western- and Eastern-style magic, with the focus of creating the Elixir of Life. In the West, this is thought to be possible through the Philosopher's Stone, while in the East, the Elixir is said to be brewed from unknown magical substance that has yet been discovered.

New-age Magic

New-age magic (also called post-modern magic or neo-magic) is more of an operating theory and practice of magic than a style (Western/Eastern), school (Taoist, Onmyōdō, etc.), or discipline (charms, transformation, divination, etc.). It was first conceived by Shivar Kumar and expounded by his master, Ryūichi Kurosaki.

Bestowed/Borrowed Magic

Holy Magic

Holy magic is magic that derives part of its power from the divine powers of gods or deities. Users of this type of magic have been blessed by a god or deity, and the spiritual energy with which they use to form magical energy for holy magic bear resemblance to the divine energy of the respective god or deity.

Demonic Magic

In contrast to holy magic, demonic magic has influence from demons and the Devil of Hell. Users of this type of magic forms a contract with a demon or the Devil. In return for borrowing the demonic powers, the user condemn themselves to be a servant of the said demon or the Devil when they die.

Celestial Magic

Celestial magic is another contract-type magic in which the users forms a contract with one of the Constellations. There are the twelve major constellations, the elusive thirteenth constellation Ophiuchus, and the minor constellations with one can form a contract. Each of the constellations grants its contractor a special power. It is unknown what the renumeration for access to this special power is. At any given moment, there can only be at most one contractor per constellation, with the exception of Gemini which always has two contractors who are twins.

Spirit Magic

Spirit magic is practiced by the elven species. Since ancient times, elves have lived in harmony with the sprites (small, often invisible, magical creatures) that reside within the forests of the Elven Federation. Their symbiosis manifest in the form of magic, where the elves can give commands these sprites in the spirit language, and the sprites will enact that command. To an onlooker, because the sprites are often invisible, it appears as though the elves are using magic. The elves themselves describes the magic as communication with “the spirits.”

Other Classifications

Dark/Forbidden Magic

There are spells across all styles, schools, and disciplines that are considered dark and forbidden magic. Magic of this type involves the usage or manipulation elements or substances considered taboo by magicians. Examples include soul-type magic (resurrection, necromancy, soul manipulation, etc.) and time-based magic.

Equipment

Magicians of all types will use items as the crux of or to assist with their spellcasting. These items are called magical artifacts and include wands, scepters, staffs, tomes, talismans, etc. These artifacts are not magical in of themselves—that is, a non-magician could not pick these items and use them. However, there is a class of magical artifacts which hold their own magical powers independent of its user.

Magic within the Earth

Existing within the Earth is a form of energy similar to magical energy that can be used by magicians to power and amplify their spells. This power flows through the Earth through invisible paths called leylines (or dragon veins, 龍脈, as it is known in the East) and occasionally pool together into what are called mana hotspots (even though it really isn’t mana). These mana hotspots give rise to portals connecting the Earth and Mundus Magicus, an alternate world where this mysterious energy is more prevalent and is inhabited by magical creatures.

History

Development of Modern Western Magic

Back in the fifteenth century, during the Renaissance Period, aside from the cultural rebirth of the humans, there was also a rebirth for the witches and wizards. Just as the scientific method standardized scientific research, a young and talented wizard, who grew up alongside humans, sought to standardize all magic. With that, he recreated the structure of Western magic from having lengthy incantations for spells focused around four elements to abridged incantations with only one or two words for each type spell. As such, rather than over hundred spells to cast fire, there was now two, Flammo, which produces fire from the wand tip, and Incendo, which set something on fire…However, he made one mistake. By standardizing and shortening the incantation, he greatly limited the power and variety of each type of spells. The intensity of the flames, the forms that it can, now all depends on the wizards and witches casting the spell—a fatal flaw, if you ask me…Because now the effect that each spell takes depends on the caster’s magic power and their imagination. Rather than creating a large flame that will no doubt drain them of their power, they will create a smaller one that will not. An ancient spell, on the other hand, has a definite effect, and it will extract as much magical energy from the cast as it needs. Training the body to hold more magical energy is easier than training the mind to imagine something more powerful and concrete.

Development of New-age Magic

Footnotes

Related Articles

References

1. ^ Daoshi - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daoshi.
2. ^ Xian (Taoism) - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xian_(Taoism).