Magecraft

Magecraft, thaumaturgy or sorcery is the artificial reenactment of a mystery, a miracle.

Following the entry for Magic, Magecraft is the ability to reproduce what can be scientifically realized regardless of time and funds. The limits of Magecraft have changed with time, as science evolved and miracles from before became technically possible through science. Yet, modern Magecraft remains far inferior from that of the past. So much that someone like Medea, who comes from the Age of Gods when Magecraft was much more powerful, would seems like a magician to the eyes of a modern magus, even though what she can do is not really Magic.

Magecraft that interfere with people’s mind do not need material compensation, but instead will take a toll on the user’s mind.

Curses aren’t taught at the Mage’s Association and they are far behind the schools of the Middle East on that subject.

Thaumaturgy
魔術 - Majutsu

The general term used to refer to the several modern schools of Magecraft such as astrology, Kabbalah, alchemy, Shinsendou, etc. Divergences can be found among different schools, but the fundamental basis is “to convert prana inside the user’s body to transform the external world”. The practitioner acts in accord with the system that each school operates under to execute a pre-built program. That “program” is a set of universal rules that interfere with nature once they are enforced. The power that enforces those rules is the prana of the magus and the command to do it is made through his circuits. The greater the interference, the greater will be the amount of prana consumed.

Thaumaturgy draws its power from Akasha. However, because that amount of power is fixed, the more people draw from it at the same time, the more Magecraft’s capacities become mundane. In short, the greater is the collective number of magi, the weaker their individual power will be.

Each school engraves their system of Thaumaturgical Theory into the world and uses the rules of that system to operate their spells. The efficiency of a system depends on how disseminated it is (i.e. the more people believe and/or use it). It is not uncommon for a system to not work properly when used outside its place of origin. In that regard, the teachings and holy words of the Church is the Thaumaturgical Theory with greatest number of believers and effective area.

The main aim of the magi’s academia is to turn the impossible possible. If something cannot be achieved with modern Thaumaturgy, the magi research and develop their arts just for the sake of changing that. Powerful sorceries like High Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals are ultimately challenges in order to reach the goal called Magic.

After a certain point of development, differences between power and even between Magic and Thaumaturgy start to lose their importance in practical terms. A battle between two great Magi will not be decided by their power, but by who possesses the system whose rules has the fewer tears. Not the power behind them, but the concepts they work under.

Equivalent Exchange
等価交換 - Toukakoukan

The primary rule of Thaumaturgy is Equivalent Exchange. In order to create something, another object must be given as a price. It may also involve modification to an existing object. The base of all Thaumaturgy is the use of prana to produce something that either already exists or can exist. That which falls into the phantasm category, something made out entirely of images and might even not exist naturally anymore, will be eventually wiped out by the world for being in conflict with this rule.

Emiya Shiro is able to bypass this rule to some extent when it comes to his Projections, since everything that he Traces is actually being pulled out of his own internal world by the power of his Reality Marble.

Reenactment
再現 - Saigen

The basis behind Thaumaturgical Theory is to reenact the miracles, the supernatural phenomena.

Thaumaturgical Theory
魔術理論 - Majutsuriron

Also called 基盤 (literally foundation), the system of rules that are “engraved in the world” by a school of Magecraft and that allows their type of Thaumaturgy to work. A world egg.

Known Thaumaturgical Schools
Alchemy

錬金術 – Renkinjutsu

A school that focuses its studies around the flow of matter, most alchemists research on conversion of matter, but those of Atlas delve in the conversion of phenomena.

Kabbalah

カバラ

A major Thaumaturgical School from Europe. Aozaki Aoko uses one of its branches, the Notarikon. Other branches include the Temurah and Gematria, the latter which was the basis for the Numerology of Michael Roa Valdamjong.

Resistance
抗魔力 - Koumaryoku

A power inherent of anyone with Magic Circuits, the capacity to resist spells which aim to control the target by the spiritual medium (those among the lines of sleep, paralysis and coercion). By circulating prana inside his Circuits, one can reject outside prana that tries to invade his self. Therefore, it is possible to disrupt a spell before it can complete itself. A very efficient form of defense, it makes difficult to affect even lesser magi. Also, those who are not magi but still possess Magic Circuits may unconsciously protect themselves like this. Because of it, most magi use spells capable of physical interference rather than just spiritual ones.

However, what is being rejected is the prana, not the spell itself. A spell that has already been completed and is manifesting its effects cannot be cancelled like this. Caster, however, is an exception. She can disrupt even completed spells due to her absurd amount of prana and because the structure of modern Magecraft’s spells are far inferior to those of her time.

Breathing & Walking
呼吸・歩法 – Kokyuu and Hohou

Though mainly affects one’s physical fitness, it also play a role in the strength of nature interference. The absorption of outer energy (breath of life) to connect your inner world to the outer world. The acts of inspiring, expiring and everything in between are part of a process that allows one to take in or release the gods. The magi use incanted spells to cause a specific phenomenon to occur, but those whose breathing, movement, body and very existence can cause nature interference are beyond that. An example would be the Shinto practice of banishing evil spirits and other unnatural forces by just clapping. However, this particular skill is something that takes a lifetime to learn.

Not valued by Western magi, but among the teachings of the east, the techniques of breathing and walking are high-level secrets that can’t just be imitated or easily learned. Therefore, Eastern schools always search for at least one individual capable of mastering them in a generation.

Sometimes however, there are those who are simply born with the “proper way of breathing and walking”. As a result, their own body acts as one pure, natural Circuit. Those humans can reproduce greater mysteries than the magi without knowing anything about Thaumaturgy. When found while still on their childhood, they are treated as holy children or prodigies and usually take in by those who follow the supernatural path. Still, there are cases of those who grow up without learning about their true nature.

Kuzuki Souichirou's martial arts training gave him some proficiency in this skill, although it is nothing near the level of Magecraft. Emiya Shirou's daily Magecraft training involves breathing exercises and during the fight with Gilgamesh he tried to bring his breathing pace down to normal conditions.

Elements

 * Full article : Elements

Fire, Water, Earth, Wind and Void (Ether). Water, Fire, Earth, Wood and Metal. The set of Elements that, according to the teachings of Magecraft schools, are the basic substances that shapes the world. Fire is called normal and Wind is said to be noble.

A magus normally has the capacity to manipulate at least one of them. However, there are cases of those who can manipulate Elements that are completely different from any of the ones specified above. Within the Mage’s Association, individuals like these tend to either very selective houses or not be part of the Association at all. Cases of magus who possesses more than one Elemental Affinity, and even affinity to Compound Elements, are also known. Usually said individuals try to master spells that make use of more than one Element at the same time (ex: “liquid manipulation” through the use of Water and Wind Elements). Those capable of manipulating all the five Elements receive the title of Average One and are very valued by the Mage’s Association. Methods to change one’s Elemental Affinity exist, but they are very painful and dangerous.

Origin
起源 - Kigen

The starting point. The very foundation of one’s existence. That which directs one’s actions throughout his life.

A driving force originated inside of Akasha that managed to stream out of the Source and take material form. That form at times is that of a human being. From the moment that they come into the world, all humans match their actions to be in harmony to that driving force that originated them. Rather than a conscious decision, it falls more along the lines of an inherent compulsion. Impulsive behavior patterns that one follows as if was an absolute order.

Regarding the scholars of the supernatural, Origins describe the precise details about a magus, while Elemental Affinity just indicates one’s general alignment. There are cases of magus without any Elemental Affinity that are still capable of casting spells by simply following his Origin. As long as he does that, one can even overcome greater obstacles such as lack of Circuits or lack of talent for Magecraft altogether.

Araya Souren believed that one’s death and Origin were related. If that is true then he, who experienced sixty-four different types of deaths, possesses sixty-four different types of Origins.

Origins by characters:


 * Angra Mainyu: Void/Nothingness (*)
 * Araya Souren: Stillness
 * Cornelius Alba: Refutation
 * Emiya Kiritsugu: “Severing” and “Binding”
 * Enjou Tomoe: Worthlessness
 * Kokuto Azaka: Taboo (to stray away from the norms)
 * Kokuto Mikiya: Normal and unable to hurt anyone
 * Ryougi Shiki: Void/Nothingness (*)
 * Shirazumi Lio: Consumption


 * (*) Absolute negation that goes beyond the concept of “presence”. Complete non-existence as an individual. According to Ryougi Shiki, nothing equals everything.

Consecration
聖別 - Seibetsu

The process of identification of a person’s Elemental Affinity through the use of sage, tarot cards and personality tests.