The ability to see, and touch, Astral matter; matter present on the next of six planes of existence, comprising a second world overlaid just atop that of the mortal one, the Astral Wilderness. Here, the spirits of all living things, and many spirits free entirely of mortal anchor, are present. The first step is peering beyond the Veil; the second is becoming familiar with that which lies beyond it; the third, and final, is to reach out and touch.

Astral magic, also often referred to as Spirit or Soul magic, is a form of magic concerned with seeing and interacting the normally-hidden entities that reside in the five 'higher' planes. Each plane, separated by a Veil, contains a second 'layer' of reality invisible to untrained, mortal eyes. The first is the Mortal plane, the foundation of all of reality. The next is the Astral Wilderness, a place where spirits, whether they have mortal forms or not, reside. In this plane, an entire separate world exists; plants, trees, even animals that merely do not have mortal forms. Day by day, people pass through invisible animals and step over unseen flowers. Some of these creatures even feed on the emotions of mortals and other spirits; storied, long-standing homes are often festooned in layers of Astral flora, rooted in the lives of those within.

It is mostly in this plane that Astral magic is concerned, although the skills used to see into and interact with this plane translate, with increasing difficulty, to the even higher planes. Most mortals require training to be able to see past the Veils for even a short period of time, let alone learn to physically interact with anything they see, being that they are normally intangible to everything in the higher planes. Being able to see into the higher planes is a valuable tool; some may need it to potentailly expel ghosts or harmful spirits, while others may choose to seek this knowledge purely for curiosity's sake. Further, gaining greater Astral acumen can grant one the ability to see into and read others' souls; though undetailed and simple at first glance, a keen eye can pick out details over time that reveal the intricacies and feelings of the person they're inspecting. Many shamans have spent their lives using this power to read the souls of their people, using this insight as a guide in helping them purge negative emotions and strengthen their spirit.

There are a few specific types of Astral magic. Of all types of magic besides Divine, Astral magic has perhaps the most diversity of approaches. The three primary approaches to Astral magic are, in order of rarity, are Sight, Self, and Touch.

Sight specifically refers to the ability to see into the Astral plane. This is a common skill for many to develop in order to more effectively deal with potential threats like hostile spirits, and so is rooted in many communities. However, it also has many other valuable uses; some ingredients from the Astral Wild can be anchored to the mortal plane and used in alchemy or even in teas, and therapists and shamans use very high-level Sight astralism to, with their patients' consent, read their inner feelings and see the 'truth' of their soul. At higher levels, it becomes possible to see for long periods in the Astral Wilds, but its beauty tends to overwhelm those who gaze into it for too long, inflicting Astral Blindness, a malady that can cause one to become increasingly blind to the mortal plane that lies beneath.

Self-based Astral magic is the sight and manipulation of specifically one's own soul. In this type of magic, a user seeks to improve their soul through plumbing spiritual depths usually hidden from them. This can range from a form of therapy, in which one can expose the 'mechanisms' of negative emotions in an effort to understand and counteract them, to an attempt to harden one's own soul against outside attackers and even use it as a source of Elemental magic. Users of inward Astralism can draw elemental energies from their soul, as that is their source; after all, elements are merely expressions of the Worldspirit, however this form of magic is more limited and exhausting than the more efficient path of Animus, and so it is not often the sole purpose of self-Astralism. Eventually, one focused on strengthening their soul will find that Touch-based Astralism is easier, and, more importantly, that they are capable of Astral projection, allowing their spirit to step out of their bodies in limited ways. True, perfect projection, in which the body acts as an anchor for a fully free soul is referred to as lichdom.

Astral projection has many different uses, in particular in necromancy, where one can project all or parts of their soul to puppeteer undead matter. Because bodies are built to be conduits for souls, they make perfect 'shells' for a wild or projected spirit to inhabit and interact with the mortal world conveniently. The most advanced liches can build mortal shells for their spirits almost identical to their bodies, granting them both a mortal, even human, form. This gives them the ability to act mostly normally, but protects them from death; upon the destruction of their 'shell', their spirit will merely return to its true body, able to split away again after some period of recuperation.

Touch-based Astralism is a bit more complex than its name suggests. Its most basic function is to allow the user to, with intent, interact with spiritual entities as if they were objects on the Mortal plane. This power seems simple at first, but can become devastating in the right hands; Touch-based Astralism extends to distant control over other spirit matter, which can unlock some of the most deadly and strange forms of Astral magic. A user of powerful Astral Touch can directly control, injure, or even destroy or consume souls. At its most insidious, this means that a user can exert some degree of mind-control on those in their immediate presence, and at its most destructive, this can lead to warriors capable of destroying the souls of their enemies with a simple touch. For this reason, Astral Touch is often looked upon with more wariness than the other forms, as interfering with the souls of others is one of the highest taboos in all of Elstren.

Altogether, Astral magic can be very complex and difficult to learn, and it is one of the rarer forms of magic. Baseline Astral Sight is very common, with almost all Lantern-Bearers receiving training in it to identify magical and spiritual threats. Beyond this, however, it grows rarer and more messy. The 'higher' forms of Astral magic are open to exploitation, a risk controlled only by the presence of those capable of metamagic and peers capable of seeing any ongoing Astral manipulation. However, they are also capable of incredible social good; some shamans are cornerstones of their community, easing conflicts and assuaging restless souls, and those capable of interacting with wild spirits can be extremely valuable.