Innate magic

Natural magic or wild magic works with the laws of nature, and is the magic used by Merlin and his descendants. It has two distinct categories: innate and learned. In Talmain, magic is often referred to as daisho, from the Kepushay word meaning wild magic.
Magic itself is really an extension of the natural lifeforce of all creatures (also known as chi or shakti). It's just that some people have more of it than others, and this gives them powers beyond the norm. People of power have been given different names through the ages--mage, sorceror, shaman, witch, warlock, wise-woman. Humans, Dverren, and Fae practitioners each have their own specific strengths, or gifts.
Every individual of power usually has one or two innate gifts, for example the gift of Seeing, the gift of Healing, or the rare gift of Portal-making. More categories are listed below. Someone who has very strong daisho may have several gifts, and the strength of their gifts is directly related to the strength of their daisho.
In humans, innate powers will typically awaken around the age of seventeen, though sometomes later, and a few individuals, like Cale Coilltear, may develop powers at a very young age.
An innate gift comes easily and instinctively. There is no learning or teaching involved, although practitioners may refine their powers over time.
Categories of innate gifts include the following (Note, this list is not exhaustive):
Seeing. A Seer may see visions of the past or future. Visions may come to the Seer without their volition, though Seers with a stronger gift can focus their power to see the events surrounding a specific person or place.
Sensitives. These people can see auras and can see daisho at work. This is a lesser gift and such people are often not considered true mages.
Demonseers. This gift is often combined with being a sensitive. The ability to see demons (which are invisible to the vast majority of humankind, though not to animals) has led many demonseers on Earth to be considered insane, and is often viewed as a curse rather than a gift. Noted demonseers include Merlin, Master San-Mai (whose gift enabled him to thwart The Shadowman), and Tess Bowden.
Healing. A gifted healer will instinctively know where to place their hands and how to channel their power to facilitate healing. A strong gift of healing can produce results which seem miraculous.
Shapeshifters. Can transform into bird or animal forms--often wolves, ravens, or cats. Most shapeshifters will have one or two forms they can assume with ease, but can learn to take on other forms also. Cale Coilltear has this ability.
Shapers. Not to be confused with Shapeshifters. Shapers can split and shift stone, metal, and wood, creating buildings and artefacts of great strength, power, and beauty. Much of Beldane city in Talmain was built by Shapers. There is a dark side to this art (see Shadow magic).
Portal-makers. This gift is very rare and occurs only in people of great power. A portal-maker can create portals between worlds as well as within a world. The portal-maker can focus on a person, using an item belonging to that person to form a link, and create a portal to them. They can also focus on a place by visualising the place, either from memory or from a picture, and can then form a gateway to that place. Morgana le Fay and Tess Bowden have this power. ( Note: Fae people have the ability to move easily between the worlds of humankind and the Between world of Fae, usually using the gateways that can be found in certain locations, often under hills or at ancient sites like Stonehenge, but also using fairy rings (the rings formed by mushrooms and toadstools). This ability is not considered true portalling.)
Illusion. One of the Fae people's strongest gifts. Fae have the ability to make you see what isn't there, or to make you overlook what is there. Some humans have this gift, but it is rarely strong.
Animal-whispering. This fairly rare gift enables a person to transmit their thoughts and emotions to animals and birds and thus influence their behaviour.
Mind-reading. Someone with this power can not only read what another person is thinking, but can ferret through their memories and belief systems. Someone with a strong gift can twist their mind-reading ability to alter people's beliefs and make them act out of character.
Tarrdaich. A very rare ability. A tarrdaich can magnify the power of others, enabling a weak gift to become strong.