Now there is all the basic magic we know from the games, but what other kinds of magic are there? Vehk's teaching mentions Solar and Lunar magic, Solar Magic seemingly being the normal one and Lunar Magic an obscure one used by Sotha Sil and Mephala. A combination of both Solar and Lunar magics was used to cause the Dragon Break. There is also Mnemolic magic, which is related to the Star Orphans. Now, what is the deal with these kinds of magic? What is so different about them, other than the source?

The Thu'um is also a type of magic.

"...the Hurling Disk, it is conjectured, contains a strange mingling of magic from both the Solar and Lunar spheres."
I think it is something different than just sort of Schools of Magic.


http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Magic#History

http://www.imperial-library.info/content/vehks-teaching

Yes, I already remembered. I was confused by you using the phrase "Solar Magic".

I thought this was pretty simple: the Hurling disk is Jyg(alag), the 17th Daedric Prince who exists only at the turning of ages (which we were told by Sheogorath, which means it probably doesn't strictly refer to human calendar systems). Solar Magic is aetherial, anuic, mana-based wonder-working. It's championed by Magnus, the sun.. Lunar magic, is based on twisting and reflecting the above. It's championed by Lorkhan, the moons.

But anyway, there seems to be three basic sorts of wonder-working power - that which is aligned with Anu, that which is aligned with Padomay, and that which is truly mystical in nature, and draws upon balance, self-understanding, and unity. So, you get your Varla stones, your Daedric corruptions, and your CHIM. The vast majority of magic (including scamp fireballs) is originally from that first category. In that last category (mystical stuff), I think we can probably also place Thu'um, Kiai, and Raga sword-arts. However, this ordering system isn't directly based on anything stated in the lore - it's just what makes sense to me.

But all of this is kinda off-topic anyway. Here's my brainstorm for all the different sorts of magic we've seen:

1. Scholastic guild-magic, descended from Galerion's teachings. What the PC uses in game.
2. Necromantic ritual magic, descended from Mannimarco. This really strikes me as being inherently different from the approach used by Galerion's disciples. Books like http://www.imperial-library.info/content/reality-and-other-falsehoods make Galerion's approach seem like it really is all supposed to be this sort of fast-cast, think it and it happens, whereas that old book on zombie manufacture (can't recall the title atm) made it sound like Mannimarco's teachings really emphasize the material world and rituals within it.
3. Psijiic high mysticism. Guild magic works with the mind, Mannimarcan magic works with the material, and Psijic magic works with the soul, to use an old trinity.
4. Thu'um. As far as I can tell, Thu'um is about saying things (such as fire or wind or speed), as opposed to the normal system of saying words that represent things. Nords & Dragons just do magic, without bothering to think about the hows and whys of it. I suspect that Kiai works the same was, as does all the weirdness associated with Xarxes (except he writes things instead of saying them)
5. Natural magic. Some creatures in Nirn, such as spriggans, use aetherial magic as part of their natural functioning.
6. Ragada sword-singing. Clearly it's magic. I don't really know how it works.
7. Maomer snake-charming.
8. Sload Necromancy.
9. The various magics of the divine.

Dwemer refusatronic devices could go into their own cathegory. See the Lady N's signature.
And tonal architecture, of course. Stompy Robots and absorbocide go here.
And maybe the magic of Earthbones. But this one could be just Aedric by its nature.

Memospores and Dreamsleeve can be aetherical. Or aurbical?.. Hnnnn...

Those are only magical in the sense that Tamrielic dirt is magical. The dreamsleeve is as much a mundane part of the Mundus as the FM spectrum is on earth, as far as I can tell. You don't need to cast a spell to die. Memospores might be magical, but my bet is that they're simply a weird technique that manipulates the normal laws of Mundus.

Just as Magicka do. Manipulations upon the normal laws of Mundus.
I think that, following this logic, any classification of magic in TES exists only from our (Earth) point of view. So we can freely put any things magical into such classification.

Minotaur, I'd say magic like Thu'um and the Sword Singing are more about magic from within, as opposed to using magic from an outside source (the sun).

As for the division between necromancy, Mages Guild Teachings, and Psijic magic, I'd say it's just the differences of using the outside source.

Good point, Phoenix.
Agreed 100%. Sorry, I though I had made that clear. I think Thu'um and whatnot are part of that third sort of Sannyasin "I have the power of the universe inside me" transcendent magic stuff.

You probably did. As for your Thu'um category, that's a better explanation.

I thought the Thu'um was just telling the Earthbones to do something, and they bend their knee.

Dreamsleeve is also the wizard-internet.

You mean... the regular internet isn't for wizards?

Damn. I've been in the wrong place this whole time!

I seem to recall "On Artaeum" mentioning that the Psijics don't necessarily use the sort of magicka as gets seen in the rest of Tamriel. I sort of assumed that, perhaps, their magic comes from the nature of Mundus itself because, whoa! They can stop time! Time, being Akatosh, is a part of Mundus. Also, Ancano and Aren don't seem to "feel a resonance" like powerful mages are supposed to be able to do when they do so. But I dunno, the College of Winterhold was paced so oddly it may all be nothing.

Aren did feel something was up. And the Dragon shouts can bend time and mundus too. Until we get an expansion set in Oblivion. Then it will bend time and space.

Yes! This is the explanation I've been looking for! What do you mean by reflecting the above though?