Animation

Animation is, unsurprisingly, the practice of animating an inanimate object. This makes the object alive, or something similar to alive, and enables it to channel magical energy. This type of magic is most often used for creating Golems or Ghouls. However, this is not the only use for this kind of magic. Animating an object is also useful for facilitating a self-sustaining enchantment, since it enables the object to channel magical energy on its own, instead of having it provided by a mage.
Organic materials, such as trees or flowers, are the easiest things to animate. Inorganic materials, such as stone or metal, are the most difficult. More malleable materials tend to be easier to animate than less malleable ones.
Corpses are in the middle, difficulty-wise, but the process for reanimation is a bit different than the process for regular animation. In addition to this, reanimation falls under the umbrella of Necromancy, which is disdained in many places and is illegal in some.
Animated objects can be made sapient through the implantation of a Conscientiam Soul. However, because this requires first extracting a Soul from a living creature, this is generally considered to be Necromancy, although some people only consider the extraction of a Soul to be Necromancy, but not the use of one.