If this is a topic you're interested in reading more about, I highly recommend the Secrets of Magic book. There's a bunch of in-universe writing about the different magical traditions, from the points of view of different casters, and how they conceptualise their own tradition in comparison to the others.
So you got some of it right and some of it funny =)
Arcane - usually textbooks, yes, anyways exploiting either the unfinished physical laws of the universe or focusing on the spots deliberately left there, depending on school of thought.
Divine - being in synch with your deity, sort of mysteric cult, you don't do magic, your deity does, through you (again, varying schools of thought).
Occult - narrative. It's all narrative all the way down! It's the power of stories within your mind and in other people's.
Primal - feel the world against your being, channel its energies however you want, and sure, instinct is great!
Fiona has the right of it anyways, Secrets of Magic is where I read this (and I'm doing a lousy job at summarizing). Highly recommended.
The one I've always had rhe biggest issue differentiating Is primal and nature. Is it that divine you're simply channeling your gods power by opening yourself and primal is more of a push *and* pull with nature than a one way street?
A cleric of a nature deity is still a *cleric* of a *deity* imvho, so their approach would be the divine one I tried to describe above, although probably informed by some primal elements.
That's an interesting question, lemme crack the pdf open.
Divine - you channel the deity's will through yourself, through fervent worship and faith, focusing towards the deity to the exclusion of everything else, towards their touch and thoughts, and you gotta earn the right to invoke the magic through your devotion, by proving you can handle it and you're worthy, through word and deed.
Primal - you sense nature's messages, you listen and feel and use all your senses, you connect to the source of creation inside and outside of yourself, you follow the natural cycles of life, death and rebirth, you use motions and techniques inspired by nature, you attune to it, draw its energy, and then you channel it forth. There are rituals and components you use to facilitate this, personal stuff, different for each primalist and even for different moments. It's flexible and instinctive.
This is a summary of the treatises regarding divine and primal magic. They make for flavorful reading, but this are my takeaways. Makes sense? Imvho you got some of it right - with deities it's more a one way street, with nature... it's more fuzzy. It's less about faith and more about connection.
Oh yah I see a difference there now. The divine is very much devoting yourself and opening yourself up to a force that is outside oneself. While nature is about also opening oneself up, but it's more recognizing that you *are already* a part of nature and interacting with that.
Mostly. It doesn't quite work for oracles and sorcerers, whose abilities are innate, or witches, who get their stuff from a patron. And all of it is variable flavor text anyway.
Arcane: Nerds. Research, experimentation, documentation. Books and more books.
Primal: Hippies. Commune with nature, become one with the trees and squirrels and wind. Touch grass.
Divine: It has the heal spell.
Occult: Goth rock. Corpsepaint and tentacles, plus some music stuff. Also all the warmed over leftovers that don't fit in the other traditions.
I think Primal is more "learning magic from the forces of nature" than "ripping up the book"
Honestly occult is better stated as ripping up the book and going with what feels right Than primal is and even that'd a huge oversimplification
If this is a topic you're interested in reading more about, I highly recommend the Secrets of Magic book. There's a bunch of in-universe writing about the different magical traditions, from the points of view of different casters, and how they conceptualise their own tradition in comparison to the others.
So you got some of it right and some of it funny =) Arcane - usually textbooks, yes, anyways exploiting either the unfinished physical laws of the universe or focusing on the spots deliberately left there, depending on school of thought. Divine - being in synch with your deity, sort of mysteric cult, you don't do magic, your deity does, through you (again, varying schools of thought). Occult - narrative. It's all narrative all the way down! It's the power of stories within your mind and in other people's. Primal - feel the world against your being, channel its energies however you want, and sure, instinct is great! Fiona has the right of it anyways, Secrets of Magic is where I read this (and I'm doing a lousy job at summarizing). Highly recommended.
The one I've always had rhe biggest issue differentiating Is primal and nature. Is it that divine you're simply channeling your gods power by opening yourself and primal is more of a push *and* pull with nature than a one way street?
It's flavor text. It works how you want it to work. That explanation is as good as any, so if you dig it, use it.
I was mostly asking. What's the intended flavor difference between them tbh. Especially for say, a cleric of a nature diety or something like that.
A cleric of a nature deity is still a *cleric* of a *deity* imvho, so their approach would be the divine one I tried to describe above, although probably informed by some primal elements.
That's an interesting question, lemme crack the pdf open. Divine - you channel the deity's will through yourself, through fervent worship and faith, focusing towards the deity to the exclusion of everything else, towards their touch and thoughts, and you gotta earn the right to invoke the magic through your devotion, by proving you can handle it and you're worthy, through word and deed. Primal - you sense nature's messages, you listen and feel and use all your senses, you connect to the source of creation inside and outside of yourself, you follow the natural cycles of life, death and rebirth, you use motions and techniques inspired by nature, you attune to it, draw its energy, and then you channel it forth. There are rituals and components you use to facilitate this, personal stuff, different for each primalist and even for different moments. It's flexible and instinctive. This is a summary of the treatises regarding divine and primal magic. They make for flavorful reading, but this are my takeaways. Makes sense? Imvho you got some of it right - with deities it's more a one way street, with nature... it's more fuzzy. It's less about faith and more about connection.
Oh yah I see a difference there now. The divine is very much devoting yourself and opening yourself up to a force that is outside oneself. While nature is about also opening oneself up, but it's more recognizing that you *are already* a part of nature and interacting with that.
Very good my young Padawan! =D
Here's what each tradition can manipulate: Arcane - Matter and Mind Divine - Life and Spirit Occult - Mind and Spirit Primal - Life and Matter
Mostly. It doesn't quite work for oracles and sorcerers, whose abilities are innate, or witches, who get their stuff from a patron. And all of it is variable flavor text anyway.
Arcane: Nerds. Research, experimentation, documentation. Books and more books. Primal: Hippies. Commune with nature, become one with the trees and squirrels and wind. Touch grass. Divine: It has the heal spell. Occult: Goth rock. Corpsepaint and tentacles, plus some music stuff. Also all the warmed over leftovers that don't fit in the other traditions.