Developed into a concrete Magical Theory by Bonisagus the Founder, the Hermetic Arts refer collectively to two magical disciplines that work together during spellcasting. There are 15 Arts divided into 5 Techniques and 10 Forms.
Techniques[]
The Techniques govern the essential manipulations that magic can perform. Basically, they are what one does with magic.
- Creo (Cr) (I Create) is the technique that lets the Magus create from nothingness, or make something a more "perfect" examplar of its kind; this includes healing as healed bodies are "more perfect" than wounded bodies.
- Intellego (In) (I Perceive) lets the Magus perceive or understand.
- Muto (Mu) (I Transform) lets the Magus change the basic characteristics of something, giving something capabilities not naturally associated with its kind.
- Perdo (Pe) (I Destroy) lets the Magus destroy, deteriorate, make something age and other similar effects - essentially, making something a worse example of its kind.
- Rego (Re) (I Control) lets the Magus control or manipulate something without affecting its basic characteristics.
Forms[]
The Forms are the essentially natural phenomena that one can manipulate with magic. They represent the target of the magic or what one performs magic to or with.
- Animal (An) (animal) is used for animals. It encompasses for animals what the arts of Corpus and Mentem together covers for humans.
- Auram (Au) (air) is used for anything that has to do with the air, including lightning. Weather phenomena such as rain and hail may be covered by Auram or Aquam.
- Aquam (Aq) (water) is used for water, or any other liquid. This includes ice in the 5th edition; In 4th edition, Ice was Terram, since it is a solid.
- Corpus (Co) (body) is used for the human body.
- Herbam (He) (plant) is used for plants and fungi, and their products - cotton, wood, flour, etc.
- Ignem (Ig) (fire) is used for fire, and fire's basic effects of light and heat.
- Imaginem (Im) (image) deals with images, sounds, and other senses, though humans' ability to perceive them is part of Mentem.
- Mentem (Me) (mind) deals with intelligence and the mind, such as human or ghosts. The minds of animals are not affected by Mentem but by Animal.
- Terram (Te) (earth) stands for earth and minerals, or any other non-living solid.
- Vim (Vi) (power) has to do with pure magic; many spells to ban or control demons and other supernatural beings also belong to this Art, as such beings often have a form that expresses magically.
Using Magic[]
In using magic to cast a spell, you must combine one Technique and one Form together based on what kind of effect you wish to accomplish. Thus, a spell to heal a person would combine the Technique of Creo and the Form of Corpus together. Likewise, a Creo Ignem spell would create fire or the normal effects of fire, such as light or heat. Conversely, a Perdo Ignem might squelch a fire or greatly diminish the amount of light or heat in an area.
It may be possible for a spell to involve more than one Technique or Form. In this instance, the second art is referred to as a requisite. For example, creating a gust of wind and then controlling that gust of wind would be a creo auram spell with a rego requisite.
By combining these techniques and forms, the Magus may achieve any effect and spontaneously cast a spell with that desired effect, or cast a formulaic spell that they already have memorized.