I've spoken to a number of people on the subject of "Real World" magic, and the way I'd summarise it is that "things change over time".
In previous centuries (before the 20th) there were pretty reliable reports that something strange was going on. 20th Century, post WW2, the comments I heard are that "if magic is being used, then 'plausible deniability' is being maintained".
If magic works in Fenspace, then it is very likely there have been historical practitioners. But, something (a wider belief in the effectiveness of science? cosmological changes as the Solar System orbits in the Milky Way? wide use of electrical power? the spread of radium then other radioactives?) has been messing up the more overt varieties.
Historical magic would have no real solid theoretical basis, just loads of 'working rules', many of which might be useless, or worse than useless. But, here and there, there would be useful practices, such as use of meditation, emotional control, training a 'magic self', that sort of thing.
I'm not saying that there are the equivalent of full-blown combat mages ready to step out of the shadows of "Real World" history. What I'm saying is that there is a lot of weird stuff, not adequately explained by conventional science, and the odds are there are people with some strange, if relatively low-key and 'deniable', talents.
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"It is the business of the future to be dangerous" - Hawkwind
In previous centuries (before the 20th) there were pretty reliable reports that something strange was going on. 20th Century, post WW2, the comments I heard are that "if magic is being used, then 'plausible deniability' is being maintained".
If magic works in Fenspace, then it is very likely there have been historical practitioners. But, something (a wider belief in the effectiveness of science? cosmological changes as the Solar System orbits in the Milky Way? wide use of electrical power? the spread of radium then other radioactives?) has been messing up the more overt varieties.
Historical magic would have no real solid theoretical basis, just loads of 'working rules', many of which might be useless, or worse than useless. But, here and there, there would be useful practices, such as use of meditation, emotional control, training a 'magic self', that sort of thing.
I'm not saying that there are the equivalent of full-blown combat mages ready to step out of the shadows of "Real World" history. What I'm saying is that there is a lot of weird stuff, not adequately explained by conventional science, and the odds are there are people with some strange, if relatively low-key and 'deniable', talents.
--
"It is the business of the future to be dangerous" - Hawkwind