Magic

Systems of skills and techniques, closer to what we call ’science’ than the average image of magic and magicians.

First and foremost, mages were philosophers, seeking to uncovering the secrets of the world; instead of facing the physical world, they turn to the spiritual world, dealing with beings of knowledge. However, as there are limits to how much mental strength a single person can possess, it is often the case that mages borrow the power of supernatural beings. Thus, mages were held in awe and fear, as prophets of divine will, and philosophers who have seen the deep places of the world.

However, as human science evolved and becomes more advanced, our perception and understanding of the world expanded, and the mysteriousness of magic disappeared. Magic itself is no longer used to reach ‘ultimate truth’, but simply for practical purposes – charming or killing another individual, predicting the future, treating injuries, or amassing of wealth. Thus, modern mages should no longer be considered ‘those who exceed’, but simply those skilled at supernatural techniques.
It is also within recent times that magic has diversified based on the types of beings called upon, and the kinds of effects sought. For example, magic which calls upon God or Gods, angels, or saints, and causes phenomena which benefit man and mankind (healing, purification) are known as divine magic, or white magic. On the other hand, that which deals with devils, daemons, and evil spirits for purposes which would harm others are known as the wicked arts, or black magic. Another kind of magic relies not on supernatural beings, but on the heavenly bodies, the rocks and herbs of the earth, the power in words and numbers, and other ‘natural’ powers: nature magic.

Magic proper is an art cultivated by a solid education and training, and thus beyond regular individuals. Low-level spells, which can be used even without serious practise, are known as sorcery or witchcraft. Sorcery can be considered a sort of charm-work, mainly for solving practical probems: finding lost objects, or stopping pain. Witchcraft is similar, but instead oriented to more malicious purposes, like curses: causing plants to rot, or killing pests. These kinds of low-level magic are generally not recorded in magical grimoires, but passed along by word-of-mouth and local traditions.

General

Spell
 “Songs can even draw the moon down from heaven”.
The words that enact the supernatural phenomena of magic. Not a keyword that ‘activates’ supernatural power, but in itself holding the power and “soul” of words. However, spells are not simply ‘words of power’; they are full rituals which must be sung in verse, containing the will of the caster. Spells are the circuits which allow the caster to shape ‘the power of words’ in a form he most desires.

Decisive Pose
Magic and spells have always been intrinsically linked to song and dance. Signs, gestures, steps: all of these are just as important as the incantation itself, and most magic activate only based on a combination of them.
Rakan’s obsession with deciding the ‘best pose’ is due to this. A normal person (like Chisame) can’t help but not understand, but the fact that even Negi thinks Rakan ‘looked idiotic’ is quite telling of his inexperience and lack of training and serious study.

Sign
Tracing a symbol or mark in the air with your hand (“carving the sign”) or fingers (“joining the sign”). For example, the Buddhist mantra “rin-pyou-tou-sha-kai-jin-retsu-zai-zen”, or the Christian Cross.
Gesture
Body language. A specific sequence and form of postures. Dancing is among the oldest of body languages.
Step
The precise art of pacing and stepping. The originally Chinese art of uho (named after Yu the Great) is one system where magic is activated by a specific pattern of walking, or pacing a particular sign. This passed into Japanese Onmyou and Shinto as hanbei.

Ward
Geometric rituals. Drawing around or in it representations and names of powerful spirits which you wish to borrow the power of will increase its strength and effectiveness.

Magic Square
By mathematically creating a shape where the set distance in every direction is equal, it becomes a ward against evil. As walking from one point to another is exactly equal in all four directions, it symbolises “perfection” – ie. a God, repelling malevolent spirits.

Magic Circle
While a circle similarly represents “perfection” (completion), it also represents a ‘closed world’ – a line separating the outside world and the inside. Thus, they are often used for bounded fields and barriers, to protect the one within against external threats.
The ‘closed world’ aspect makes circles effective as binding or restricting spaces. Hence why spirits tend to be summoned in a circle – to prevent their breaking out. In this case, the name of the summoned spirit will be carved within the circle itself.

Rite
The methods and procedures required to successfully accomplish magic. Establishing the path the current sorcery will take with a previously determined procedure, and using incantations, body language, symbols, the celestial bodies, magical artifacts, etc. to amplify and stabilise the magic. The more complex or far-reaching the magic, the stricter the procedural requirements will be, and the complexity of the conditions increases.
With certain rites, animate or inanimate objects prepared purely for destruction – a sacrifice (gisei) – are needed. Notable are living sacrifices (ikenie) – a great existence being exchanged for effects of higher merit and value. Thus, rituals meant to obtain great results will use human beings as living sacrifices. In particular, the most effective human sacrifices are highly spiritual existences such as shrine maidens or saints, or individuals with close or direct flesh-and-blood ties to the caster.