Stages of Magic
The prophets knew that most mages had four major phases of magic. The first began at age seven; most children were born with every magical ability they would ever be able to tap, few could gain more. At age seven the average mage could decipher their direction and begin to explore the magic they would like to practice. From that age on to age thirteen the exploration was in full sway. At age thirteen, the end of puberty, most mages attained a burst of power, a strengthening that they could then begin to master until the age of nineteen. At nineteen a mage was considered at their full strength, though they might still learn of other abilities they had not tapped into, it was a rare mage who would ever gain more strength after coming of age.

The last two stages were longer and not as clearly defined as the first two. From nineteen until a certain age, which was different for each mage, their grasp on their magical abilities would plateau. Then from the certain age until the time of their death their magic began a slow decline. Some mages never experienced the final stage of magic and few would argue that it was an unlucky thing. To lose your magic was to lose an integral part of yourself.