Occultism

That which isn't magic but tends to look quite a lot like it typically falls under the broad heading of occultism in Aotra. Difficult to define because of its sheer breadth, Aotran occultism could best be described as a combination of tradition, suspicion, and ritual. It is a widespread and popular practice where true magic is difficult to come by, but is also far from rare even in cities crawling with arcanists. Aotran occultism can be divided into three predominant forms: occult healing, prophecy, and sigilcraft.   Occult healing is the most widespread of Aotran occult practices. It is the work of skilled apothecaries who use their thorough knowledge of plants, fungi, and minerals to craft remedies that aid recovery from wounds and ailments. Occult healing is a tradition dating back millennia, and it is a practice which fell out of favor quickly after humanity first harnessed magic; while occult healing is effective at boosting the body's natural ability to heal, it cannot compete with the instantaneous effect of restorative magics. Accordingly, in the aftermath of the Severing, as magical healing became much less accessible than it once was, there was a renaissance of occult healing in many communities across Aotra. In recent years, a particularly popular sort of occult healing is mycomancy, the art and science of growing and preparing fungi for curative remedies. Its surge in popularity is largely because of how easy the cultivation of fungi is in all climates. Herbalism, the tradition of using plants in occult healing, is comparably popular, but also highly regional: dominant in some areas, near-unheard-of in others.   If occult healing stands in contrast to restorative magics, the traditions of prophecy stand in contrast to divination magics. Occult prophecy takes several forms: the study of omens, interpretation of dreams, and augury are all varieties of it. Many cultural groups have their own traditional forms of prophecy, and in this way, prophecy tends to be the most culture-specific sort of occultism. Notable practitioners of occult prophecy include adherents of the Cult of Istha, to whom divination and prophecy are paths to understanding their deity's intents and desires.   The third branch of Aotran occultism is also the one most closely intertwined with actual magic. The art of sigilcraft draws upon signs of power dating back millennia, using the power of these sigils to enhance and empower oneself. The source of these sigils' power has been a topic of debate for nearly as long as people have known how to do sigilcraft. Their effects can appear magical, but are nowhere near as predictable and controlled as the effects of so-called "true sigils"—i.e., arcane glyphs and runes. Many masters of sigilcraft believe that it is tradition alone that has imbued these ancient symbols with magic; for millennia, people have associated them with power, over time building up a sort of mythology around them that empowers them in the same way a deity becomes empowered by its believers' faith. Regardless of the truth behind the power of occult sigils, they remain a well-known branch of Aotran occultism, albeit rare in comparison to healing and prophecy.