Magic



"The language of the Mystic Arts is as old as civilization. The sorcerers of antiquity called the use of this language "spells", but if that word offends your modern sensibilities, you can call it a "program"; the source code that shapes reality. We harness energy drawn from other dimensions of the Multiverse to cast spells, to conjure shields and weapons, to make magic!"

- The Ancient One to Stephen Strange

Magic is the practice of harnessing dimensional energies to manipulate aspects of reality. It encompasses many different activities, including astral projection, divination, spell casting and teleportation. It includes the practices of many cultures, nations and religions as well as many books and writings from ancient times. Depending upon the individual, some sorcerers practice their power by certain belief systems, such as Shamanism, Voodoo, Wicca, or any number of other practices from cultures around the world.

Magic Sources
"You think you know how the world works? You think that this material universe is all there is? What is real? What mysteries lie beyond the reach of your senses? At the root of existence, mind and matter meet. Thoughts shape reality."

- The Ancient One to Stephen Strange

Magic is divided into three different categories: Personal energies, Universal energies and Dimensional energies. Supposedly, all magic is built on the concept that all realities can be reshaped by tapping into the existing power that is found in either themselves, their Universe, or other dimensions.

Personal energies are those derived from the life force of the sorcerer. Personal energies can only be used to power abilities developed through mental studies and are thus limited to mental powers such as astral projection, hypnotism, telekinesis and telepathy. However, because it is known that continual use of such energies will fatally deplete the individual by consuming their life force, sorcerers must also learn to harness external forces through meditation techniques and trained willpower. It is known that the students enrolled at K'un-Lun are trained to harness an internal force known as Chi as a means to strengthen their own minds and willpower.

One of the easier sources that a sorcerer can draw power from are the Universal energies of their home dimension. Universal energies can be used for conjuration and teleportation purposes and are commonly used in battle to create shields and weapons of energy. Universal spells usually require specific gestures and/or words in order to be activated. Some Universal energies can also be used by astral bodies who contain a dimensional anchor in the form of an artifact or an individual. For example, the Ancient One was able to force Stephen Strange's consciousness to safely travel throughout the Multiverse and to return to their physical world by using herself as an anchor.

Lastly, dimensional energies are those that are bestowed upon a sorcerer from one or more extra-dimensional entities. These entities must be entreated by the sorcerer(s) using ritualistic spells and possibly a promise or sacrifice of some method. For example, Kaecilius and his followers promised to give Dormammu access to the Earth Dimension in exchange for eternal life and superior power. Once their agreement had been made, Dormammu proceeded to bestow his power unto the Zealots. However, the Ancient One has proven that some Dimensional energies can be channeled without the awareness or participation of the entities involved as she successfully managed to siphon power from the Dark Dimension for hundreds of years without any allegiance or loyalty to Dormammu.

Most sorcerers, especially those that use extra-dimensional energy, such as the Masters of the Mystic Arts, train in the art of spell casting, which was explained by the Ancient One as being conceptually similar to programming and codes of computer sciences. Achieving specific magical effects can require certain words, gestures, or rituals of some sort, while others may require the use of relics and other items imbued with supernatural power. Alternatively, Asgardian sorcerers like Loki and Frigga possessed skill to primarily rely on gestures and mental effort to use their mystical skills.

Magic Schools
Due to the fact that all creatures have an inherent connection to the Multiverse, this subsequently means that all creatures, especially those with the mental capabilities to learn of its mechanisms (i.e. aliens, humans, etc.), have the potential to wield these powers through study and practice.

Nevertheless, all sorcerers, natural-born or not, are required to study the sciences of the forces that are channeled, not only as a means to better understand them, but also as a means to better control them.

Asgardian Magic
"Your ancestors called it magic and you call it science. Well, I come from a place where they are one and the same thing."

- Thor to Jane Foster

Asgardians are well aware of magic and have studied it for millennia. The Asgardian people do not see their magic as some elusive "mystical energy", they instead consider it to be an advanced field of science and part of every living being. Their transportation, architecture, weapons and even medical care are based upon using a blend of magical forces and technology. Their society features many legends about magical creatures and sorcery. Individuals such as Frigga, Heimdall and Loki are able to tap into otherworldly forces to gain abilities beyond that of their fellow Asgardians through sorcery. Asgard is also home to many relics, weapons, and artifacts that do contain many magical properties.

Eldritch Magic
The Eldritch Magic utilized by the Masters of the Mystic Arts, is a light-based magic that produces sparks and fiery energy in a yellow/orange color palette. It can be used to generate constructs of tangible energy, such as melee weapons, shields or cast spells by conjuring specific formations with the fiery energy. It also gives off light and warmth.

Other beings in the galaxy, like the Ravager sorcerer Krugarr, are adept of this type of magic.

Dark Dimension Magic
"Master Kaecilius, that ritual will bring you only sorrow."

- Ancient One to Kaecilius

Dark Dimension Magic is a magic that is forbidden by the Ancient One, (whom however used it to expand her lifespan so she could live longer to keep an eye on other members of the Masters of the Mystic Arts). The reason why she forbade this magic was because channeling energy from the Dark Dimension would open oneself to Dormammu's influence. The effects of using this spell include having a symbol burned on the user's forehead and an expanded lifespan to the point of near-immortality; however, any user who did not fully understand the Dark Dimension would gradually become a Mindless One, potentially condemning the user to an eternity of suffering. When Kaecilius and his fellow Zealots used stolen pages of the Book of Cagliostro to contact Dormammu and channel energy from Dark Dimension, Dormammu's influence over them (which marked the skin around their eyes dark purple and outlined silver and cracked, signifying their gradual transformation into Mindless Ones) allowed them to warp reality and even conjure Space Shards as weapons.

Darkhold Magic
An ancient book of spells and unspeakable power, it has been sought after by Red Skull, Daniel Whitehall, and Nick Fury.

Asgardian Magic

 * Illusion Manipulation: Loki and Frigga can generate hazy, green, holographic images, used to create illusions. They have both used this ability to either make decoys of themselves or another person, or to project themselves into another location to speak to someone, similar to astral projection. Loki was also able to use illusions to alter his appearance, usually altering his Asgardian armor into human clothes to blend in, as well as disguising the Scepter as a walking cane with a glowing handle. Through illusion, Loki was also able to disguise himself as both Odin and Captain America, and was able to make Thor appear as Sif. Later, Loki made it appear as if he had cut Thor's hand off and stabbed him. Similar to this, Loki was able to make wine look like several purple snakes. Loki was even able to project his illusions over his entire cell to make hide the fact that he was disheveled and that he had destroyed the room in anger over Frigga's death. Frigga was able to fool the Dark Elf sorcerer Malekith with a projection of Jane Foster during the Sacking of Asgard. Loki's illusions could also allow him to mesmerize people with visions, such as when he made Valkyrie relive her defeat by Hela and the lose of her fellow Valkyries simply by placing a hand on her head.

Eldritch Magic

 * Eldritch Whip: The Masters of the Mystic Arts are able to conjure fiery lines they can use as whips, lassos or swords for combat. They constantly emit sparks, evoking a serrated appearance, and generate more force than the user normally can produce alone. This allows a user to effortlessly restrain and drag humans with the rope or strike someone with enough force to send them flying across a room. However, more powerful sorcerers can resist the whip's strength if it is used on them, allowing a skilled sorcerer to turn the whip's great force back on the user to effortlessly disarm them. This was evident when the Ancient One was unfazed by the Zealots that entangled her ankles with the whip, while she then proceeded to effortlessly pull those who were holding the other end of it to the ground with a tug of her leg. Also, a sufficiently strong entity can overcome it, as Thanos was able to clench the Gauntlet even while restrained by thousands of Eldritch Whips without much effort to disperse the replicas of Strange.
 * Binding Spell: During the Battle of Titan, Doctor Strange conjured thick crimson bands to restrict Thanos's use of the Infinity Gauntlet. They are much stronger and larger than the usual Eldritch Whip he uses to restrain enemies.


 * Atmospheric Spell: Doctor Strange was able to create a wind to clear the street of New York City of smoke and debris after Ebony Maw's Q-Ship landed in Greenwich Village. The wind was able to redirect the smoke out of the street and up into the sky.


 * Protection Spell: To protect the Time Stone, Doctor Strange put a spell on the Eye of Agamotto preventing anyone from trying to remove it. When Ebony Maw attempted to take the Eye from Strange, the amulet glowed brightly with Eldritch Magic, burning his hand severely.


 * Duplication Spell : While battling Thanos, Doctor Strange was able to create hundreds of duplicates of himself to surround and attack him. However, Thanos was able to use the Infinity Gauntlet to destroy all the copies and reveal the real Strange.

Astral Dimension Magic

 * Astral Projection: The Masters of the Mystic Arts are able to leave their earthly bodies and enter the Astral Dimension.

Dark Dimension Magic

 * Dimensional Warping: After performing the ritual to contact Dormammu and tap into the powers of the Dark Dimension, Kaecilius and the Zealots were able to manipulate space without being in the Mirror Dimension. This allowed them to warp and twist the landscape of the Mirror Dimension, as well as the inside of the New York Sanctum. Also, they could run on walls and ceilings, totally disregarding gravity. In addition, their momentum seemed enhanced to the point where they could easily send someone flying with their attacks, especially while defying gravity. Another feat of reality warping seems to include freeing the user from Time Manipulation magic as Kaecilius used this power to remove himself from the Eye of Agamotto's influence to stop Doctor Strange from restoring the Hong Kong Sanctum.

Eye of Agamotto

 * Time Manipulation: When the Eye of Agamotto is wielded by someone possessing the necessary knowledge and skills, it appears to be able to control the flow of time through the Time Stone, be it on a small or massive scale, notably to turn back something to a previous state, to accelerate its time in order to apply changes that have not happened yet, or to lock it in a time loop, resetting its state until the wielder chooses to cease its effect.
 * Time Slip: Another application of time manipulation that can be performed by a highly skillful user is to put a target within a time slip where a reverse effect of time won't affect that target. Using this method, one can revive a person who died through conflict by reversing the time around them, and then enact the time slip so that once the spell is broken, it won't redo their death. This method was used when Doctor Strange put Wong into his time slip while reversing the destruction of the Hong Kong Sanctum and as a result, Wong's previous death was avoided.
 * Precognition: Using the Eye, the Ancient One was able to review all possible futures ahead of her in her long life, notably remarking on Doctor Strange's possible futures. When using Time Magic for the first time, Strange's inexperience and ignorance with the spell caused a fracture in time to appear before him, showing multiple versions of the same event happening. While preparing for the Battle of Titan, Doctor Strange was able to see over 14 million possible futures to see if he and his allies had any chance of defeating Thanos. Of the millions of futures, Strange only saw one where they were able to beat him.

Transmutation

 * Matter Transmutation: During his meeting with Thor, Doctor Strange was able to turn a cup of tea into a mug of beer after Thor said he does not drink tea. The mug, which Thor suddenly found in his hand in the place of the tea cup, was also able to magically refill itself, much to the pleasant surprise of Thor.

Darkhold Magic

 * Infinite Knowledge: The Darkhold appears to contain infinite knowledge and it speaks to its user in their native language. Using the knowledge of the Darkhold, Joseph and Lucy Bauer have been able to build the Quantum Particle Generator to create matter out of thin air. It also gave Eli Morrow the knowledge to create containment boxes capable of containing spiritual entities, and even gave him the ability to create matter with his own hands. Using it seems to have a probability of causing the creation of a portal to Hell, such as when Aida's use of Project Looking Glass created one.


 * Corruption: The Darkhold has the ability to make its user obsessed with it and corrupt anyone like it did with Joseph and Lucy Bauer.

Magic Items
The reason for objects and structures with magical properties is explained by Karl Mordo as sorcerers imbuing objects with magic to take the strain sorcerers cannot, due to some magic being too powerful to sustain. Magical objects from Earth are called Relics.
 * Asgardian Magic
 * Mjølnir
 * Gungnir
 * Runestone
 * Book of Yggdrasil
 * Berserker Staff
 * Frost Giant Magic
 * Casket of Ancient Winters
 * Fire Demon Magic
 * Twilight Sword
 * Eternal Flame
 * Eldritch Magic
 * Dark Scepter
 * Bow and Arrow of Apollon
 * Book of Cagliostro
 * Cloak of Levitation
 * Orb of Agamotto
 * Sling Ring
 * Staff of the Living Tribunal
 * Vaulting Boots of Valtorr
 * Wand of Watoomb
 * Crimson Bands of Cyttorak
 * Brazier of Bom'Galiath
 * Pincers of Power
 * Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth
 * Hell Magic
 * Darkhold

Trivia

 * Eli Morrow's ability to create matter by drawing energy from another dimension is strikingly akin to magic.
 * Despite their prominent power and knowledge, the Masters of the Mystic Arts are shown to be limited in their ability to use magic for healing compared to other mystical sources, such as the Spirit of Vengeance, and Chi energy.