Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-26116863-20160411030312/@comment-25926288-20160411032807

Yep. I do a whole bunch of unnecessary research on Once's magic system (Don't ask why!) and I feel that it's almost best to divide Once up because there's a noticeable shift in regards to magic post season 3b, basically 4 and onwards. Magic started to have more rules and rituals and smaller things and not as vague as the previous part of Once. But that's another topic for another day (unless there's questions).

Magic is neutral force that people use via natural ability, items, curse, or whatever the random macguffin is. The general witchcraft that most people tend to learn is dark magic. Let me explain: Once the magic has come about with some emotional turmoil or trauma or just born with it, I theorize that the next step is "roots for incantation" or building a foundation to pull the magic under control. Most people tend to root it in their darkness: their greed, selfishness, anger, hatred, etc. As Zelena spouted out that she knew that magic was feuled by her pain and even that idea of pain feuling magic persists throughout the show.

Now, there's a limiting factor or a "stop" to the magic that keeps it well under control and still packing that punch: Hope (Light, love, etc). Zelena and Rumple recount happy thoughts to reign in all the power to be under control.

But let me not bog (He did die) anyone down with my theories XD.

So, in theory (my theory based on what the show has presented), Dark magic (what the show calls it) is rooted in the individual's pain/darkness and using magic tends to bring them back to the tempting darkness or "the good old days" or "the easy way out". Truth is that they usually in some form get what they think they want, but all they are doing is creating more pain/darkness. Light magic (aka the same thing practically) is rooted in happy thoughts, light, hope, etc. Light magic has a tendency to be used less often and in more selfless ways. But overall, magic is neutral and it's all about how you use it.

The Holy Grail magic is a separate thing altogether because it's more of a curse/blessing. With darkness in your heart, the HG magic latches onto that pain and usually the individual holds onto that pain, that fear, that despair and that's why (I think) the DO never overcomes the temptation to give into the Darkness-HG entity  and personal darkness inside one's heart.

To be clear, the HG magic is the Dark blobby stuff. It is attached with the person's darkness (or light). The characters tend to drop black and white terms all over the place and I tend to ignore them. For example, "Emma don't do that, you're magic is dark! (even thoguh she clearly has light magic still)". I ignore stuff like that because using the magic is fine as she used it to help others, but the HG magic seems to be hinged on selfless, humble acts and resisting temptation.