Magical Theory

At its most basic, magic is the drawing and manipulation of energy through formulas known as spells. An environment has a makeup, concentration, and potency of magic, called ambient magic, dependent on definable factors known as circumstances. A magic user can capture a definable amount of magical energy based on their magical potential. A creature's magical potential is determined by genetic factors and develops over its lifetime: the more powerful the user, the more powerful the spell, but must cast it through a focus and components to manifest the energy physically.

Ambient Magic and Sources of Magic
Ambient magic is an innate characteristic of a life-bearing world, and it is characterized as a sort of energy field. The strata of accessible energy is split into three: positive, neutral, and negative with different concentrations of these energies influencing the sort of magic able to be cast in an area. Of course there are other sorts of magical sources less well understood, and this is under the umbrella term of extraplanar magic. There are also stores of ambient magic called locus magic which can be accessed in a manner defined by its architect.

Strata of Accessible Magic
Magic users can manifest spells from only a very narrow slice of the field. As discussed, it is characterized in a positive to negative plane and a neutral zone. Events and natural occurrences shape the makeup of positive and negative energy. Recent theory states that positive and negative energy are sourced ultimately from the Astral Plane.

Positive ambient energy is created from positive emotion and growth. It is the most empowering and life-giving, and is drawn upon for healing.

Neutral ambient energy is created from the life forces of all living things, magical or otherwise. It is the most stable of the three sorts and the most consistent. Many spells are based in neutral energy for this very reason.

Negative ambient energy is created from decay, from perversion of the natural order, from powerful negative emotions. It is the most destructive and volatile of the three energies. Places of great tragedy or those touched by so called dark magic are rife with negative energy.

Innate Magic
Innate magic is magic absorbed by a magical organism that interacts with its physiology in a process known as arcanosynthesis. This sort of magic is accessible to a caster through the use of components harvested from these arcanosynthesized organisms, expending it as a sort of battery. Potionmaking is a prime example of harnessing innate magic. Some magical traditions cast magic solely through components.

Extraplanar Magic
Extraplanar magic refers to magic sourced from other planes. In a classical sense this refers to magic from outside the Earth, other planets, but also now includes ill-understood planes of existence. A caster can channel magic from other sources but it necessitates extreme skill. The most prominent uses of extraplanar magic are in summoning and curses, considered to be dark magic.

Material Plane
The Material Plane is the physical reality as humans view it. It includes innumerable planets, stars, and black holes that influence the presence and absence of magic.

Fey Realm
The Fey Realm, known also as the Ethereal Plane, is the home of spiritual beings, including sprites, elves, and dryads. It is the most easily accessible plane from this one. Travel is frequent between these planes by those creatures, but not so except by the most experienced of casters.

Astral Plane
The Astral Plane is considered to be the plane of thought, where souls of creatures and animals travel to after death, controlled by the most powerful beings in the universe. It is considered the source and embodiment of pure magic, devoid of substance and existing only at the whim of the beings that govern it. It is normally inaccessible by the living and is defended by both physical and metaphysical barriers. Only the most legendary of casters and creatures are able to come close to the astral plane and usually do so by bargaining with lesser beings such as demons, embodiments of negative energy and chaos.

Locus Magic
Locus Magic refers to the use of objects to store potent magical energy that is able to be accessed in a manner determined by the object's designer, a sort of receiver. Family magic is a commonly understood and relevant locus, and the storage of which is based on a geographical location or heirloom object: a runestone, a tapestry, a shrine. In the making of these objects centered around a family, it collects and stores a sliver of the ambient magic harnessed by each of the family members, storing it for later use and only accessible by a member of that family.

Locus magic restricts the amount of ambient magic present in an area. Theoretically, a locus could entangle the entire ambient 'field' of a planet with disastrous implications.

Instantaneous
Instantaneous manifestation is the most common for casters and spellcasting creatures. It includes all forms of jinxes, hexes, charms, transfigurations. It is powered through the caster's own magical potential, the channeling of magical energy. The benefits to Instantaneous is that it is just that- instantaneous. The downside of Instantaneous manifestation is that depending on the magical output its duration is far lesser than ritual magic: a spell cast in ritual lasts longer than one cast in an instant. In addition, instantaneous magic provokes magical fatigue: it drains accessible magical potential.

Magical Exhaustion
In humanoid casters, magical exhaustion refers to the phenomena of being unable to manifest magic. This typically happens through overexertion and is remedied by rest like any other sort of exhaustion. When magically exhausted, a caster cannot draw upon ambient magic whatsoever.

Ritual
Ritual magic is one that is manifested over a duration. Potionmaking is considered a ritual, as is extraplanar summoning or more advanced protective magic or artifice. Ritual magic is an interaction between native sources, creating longer lasting pockets of manifestation with more specificity and attention to circumstances than instantaneous magic. The benefit to ritual magic is that it can be accomplished by more than one spellcaster, allowing for more ambient energy to be channeled. The downside of ritual manifestation is that it takes time and concentration to perform and, though less draining than instantaneous manifestation, still has an effect on a caster's ability to channel magic.

Circumstances
A circumstance is a force that influences a magic user's ability to manifest magic and also how magic affects magically-attuned creatures and plants. These circumstances are divided in terms of their overall influence and importance into three categories: Elementary, Secondary, Ancillary.

Elementary Circumstances
These are the most vital circumstances that a magic user must take into account. A spell will fail if one of these circumstances are insufficient / not present. These are considered elementary to casters as it affects day-to-day instantaneous casting as well as ritual and environmental magic

Presence of Ambient Magic
A caster manifests spells through harnessing ambient magic.

Emotional State of the Caster or Creature
This is one of the primary internal circumstances, controllable by the user. In certain emotional states magic is more powerful. Calm draws neutral energy, while heightened emotions draw on positive and negative energy.

Physical Health of the Caster or Creature or Plant
The ability of a creature to draw on magical energy is dependent on their physical health. Lack of nutrients, blood loss, presence of sunlight, all of these things influence one's abilities to harness and manifest magic depending on the creature or plant. It isn't necessarily fitness or physical ability either for casters or creature.

Ancillary
Arcanorefraction

The focus one uses is subjected to the force of arcanorefraction, which is the process by which a focus physically manifests magic. Wands are made to refract many different spectra of available ambient, but cannot harness all of them. Specialized focuses can access a smaller array of ambient spectra. A caster casting somatically (through their body) must account for arcanorefraction when casting, usually in bodily movement.

Gravity

The force of gravity also plays a role in magic, though isn't crucial to instantaneous manifestation. Proximity to a gravity well or a change in altitude are examples of gravitational circumstances.

Position of Astronomical Objects
The position of the Earth to the Moon and to the Sun and between them, as well as other planets influences ritual magic and the absorption of ambient magic in arcanosynthesis.

Focuses and Components
A focus is a transmitter of harnessed ambient energy, manifesting it in a physical form. A wand is a universal magical focus, as are staves.

Magic can also be cast through components such as in potions or some practiced magics around the world. The components can serve to manifest more specific forms of energy by utilizing the innate (that is absorbed) magic of the object in conjunction with the caster's. More advanced wizards can learn to channel magic directly through their body.

Family Magic
As mentioned, magical families use locus magic to entrap ambient for future use. The definition of family, like any other defined variable in locus magic, is entirely customizable but generally refers to the blood relatives and adopted kin of the creator. When someone fits that definition, they are able to access the locus and use its magical energy. When no one fits the definition of family, the magic is rendered inaccessible until the locus is destroyed.

The connection to one's family has vast implications for the political nature of wizarding states. Traditionally, the ones connected to family magic also gained political privileges in an oligarchy or aristocracy. A family is only referred to as a 'House' in one of these oligarchical states. The British Wizarding World is one of these aristocratic oligarchical states.