There are a few distinct kinds of magic:

- Spell Casting
- Cantrip Casting
- Ritual Casting
- Divine Casting
- Enchanting/Enchanted Casting
- Alchemy

Some of these disciplines are separated in obvious ways; alchemy is clearly a much different form of magic from the others. However, they are all the different ways in which people can exert magical power over the world.

Spellcasting is one of the most common means of casting. Anyone can learn a common spell or two, and the time-tested and predictable structure and behavior for most spells makes them a good choice for beginners or amateurs. In spellcasting, the mage performs a certain set of gestures or speaks a small phrase in the Supernal Speak, a language which is native to celestials. Over centuries, a small dictionary’s worth of Supernal Speak words have been finagled from the Weaver, who often provided them in return for other kinds of information. These words, when spoken by a celestial, allow them to command reality in powerful ways, and mortals can attain a fraction of that control through them. However, they are difficult to pronounce and a bad enough error can completely destroy a spell or even cause it to dangerously malfunction, and to truly get the most out of the spell requires training for the user to ‘feel’ the word and come to fully understand its meaning. Casting spells also requires a clarity of intent that can make them even more difficult to perform in stressful situations, somewhat limiting the use of spellcasting in combat.

However, spellcasting is much more useful to the layman than other forms of casting. It can require only a year or two of training to learn a few words and gestures to perform a useful spell such as one permitting telekinesis, and that may be all one needs. It requires a less in-depth understanding of arcane sciences or spirituality, and is usually as simple as meditation and careful memorization. Spellcasting’s primary opposite is Cantrip casting, which is a far more advanced form of casting.

Cantrip casting requires a more advanced understanding of the subject, and is more common to dedicated mages and witches. In cantrip casting, the caster merely directs the flow of existing magical energies themselves, rather than using Supernal Speak to do it for them. This allows casters to ‘free-form’ cast, with significantly less gestures, no verbal components, and without needing to remember a spell. Cantrip casters are also not limited to the confines of Supernal Speak’s words and phrases; their magic is much more flexible as a result. The primary downside to cantrip casting is its inaccessibility. One cannot simply learn a few cantrips and be done with it, instead it requires constant training and upkeep, and a far more advanced and intimate understanding of the magical energies one is interacting with. It can also be more volatile; most common spells are very predictable and straightforward, but a cantrip caster’s magic is a little more wily.

Ritual and Divine casting are subsections that are relatively straightforward. Ritual casting involves… well, rituals. These are often used to cast extremely intricate or powerful spells that require a combination of innate magical skill reinforced through Supernal Speak. Supernal Speak has a number of written elements, ranging from standard letters and words to complex symbolism, runes, sigils, and full ritual layouts. A ritual pattern of the right shape, made with the right materials, inscribed with Supernal words of the right phrase, propping up the caster’s own magical prowess, could, for instance, open a dimensional portal or summon a powerful creature. Rituals are the best of both, effectively combining cantrip casting and spellcasting very intimately, but their exceptional power can also be a serious liability as any small mistake could have disastrous and oft fatal consequences. They are, as well, laborious and often require rare materials, and their methods are not as well documented or known as those of normal spells, making them difficult to learn and keep track of.

Divine casting is very simple. It’s when you ask God to give you a hand, and he says yes in whatever way he chooses. There’s not too much more to it than that, other than that it often intersects with rituals, as Supernal Speak can make it much easier for mortals to communicate with higher powers.

Enchanting is also fairly simple. Generally, some materials or combinations of materials are more receptive to magic than others, or can store magic better than others. Inscribing these items with Supernal Speak, or enchanting them by carefully mixing magical energies into them, can give weapons or items magical properties. Wands and Staves are made this way, and these and other items which allow any layman to cast a limited number of spells are classified as ‘Enchanted Casting’.

Alchemy is idk. I haven’t decided how alchemy works yet lol. Sure it’s like you put some stuff in a cup and mix it all up and then it does a magic, but why many ingredients are innately magical is as of yet unexplained.