Created by Epic Brony's request, this thread is devoted to discussion regarding magic in Equestria: what it is, how it works, how it's used, and any other related matters. In the interest of keeping my walls of text from being visible from space, I'm going to be posting one section at a time over a fairly regular interval. (Read: I haven't written them all yet.) Feel free to add your own thoughts on the topic.

Introduction and Fundamentals

The first sentence spoken in Friendship is Magic is "Once upon a time in the magical land of Equestria." Magic is as intrinsic there as gravity is here, a fundamental force in every sense. However, its behavior is much harder to describe.

By definition, magic is the defiance of physical laws as we understand them. It can do virtually anything, but requires direction to do so. Without will and intent, magic is just untapped potential, a package of batteries that haven't been put into anything. Extreme concentrations of magic can develop a degree of self-awareness and wield themselves, but these are exceptionally rare.

For the most part, magic is utilized by living creatures, and this use can be sorted into two rough categories, active and passive. Active magic is what we think of as spells, a specific, usually voluntary application of magical energy to accomplish a desired task. Passive magic instead operates continuously, perpetuated only by the magical being's will to exist. Passive magic is thus far more prevalent than active.

Species that use magic are actually more common in Equestria than ones that don't. Magic use almost always renders a creature more fit to survive, making it faster, stronger, smarter, better. This is no accident. The magic of Equestria wants to be used, inasmuch as it can want anything. This ties into what mystic scholars call the Principle of Precedence: Once something has been done once, it becomes easier to do again. Thus, using magic becomes nearly unavoidable, and easier every time one does so.

Of the species also found in our world, "critters," to use the show's terminology, most only use passive enhancements, such as the cloudwalking ability of most flying creatures. Augmentations to reflexes, endurance, and the like are common. The evolutionary arms race still goes on; it just has more exotic materials with which to build its armory. Mental capabilities are almost always boosted to facilitate magic use, usually to the level of what we would expect from a fairly clever dog. (Ironically, dogs are among Equestria's least magical creatures.) A few species have developed active applications, but these are instinctive, evolved behaviors rather than learned ones.

Magical strength is based on mental acuity, though this doesn't mean the same thing for all magic users. Most species use awareness of self and surroundings, understanding what is needed in the now and making it happen. Among the civilized races, other, more thoughtful forms of magical expression are also practiced. Raw processing power can be brought to bear, essentially thinking the universe into compliant submission. Sheer force of personality can make the user simply too awesome to deny. Serene oneness with existence can persuade it to cooperate. Different methods work for different individuals, and while the basics can be taught, each develops his or her own technique in the end.

1939547
So it's alright to post my own theories then?

So, Pegasi can use passive magic to walk on clouds, as well as manipulate them for weather management (like for a scheduled thunderstorm to fill the reservoir or to help Earth pony farmers with watering their crops).

Earth ponies have some magic for growing crops, even though Applejack was upset at Twilight Sparkle for using magic in the Winter Wrap up.

The unicorns have magic. They can levitate things, such as Rarity working on her dresses or to Twilight using telekinesis to turn pages in a favorite book at the library.

What are your views on magic in Equestria, and how the ponies use it in their every day lives?

1939568
Go right ahead!

1939583
Working on that, though first up will be an overview of pony magic in general and those abilities shared by all tribes. However, I do have what might be considered partial rough drafts for earth ponies, pegasi, unicorns, and bat ponies here, here, here, and here, respectively.

1940153
Well don't say that I didn't warn you

For many magic is just a fact of life, it has always been there and is simple is. But it is much more than that Magic can be summed up in one word, Life, Magic is Life. It is what binds a being's soul to their bodies, it is also belived that is was the tinyest spark of magic caused simple organic molecules to form protocells. Despite the power that magic has it still has to follow the basic laws of the universe such as Thermodynamics, Conservation of Mass and Energy, Causality, and Murphy.

That being said every living creature has magic within them, though only a few can activally use it. Magic is not just confined to living beings as it permeates the entire world, and it is said that rocks at the heart of the contients is saturated with magic, so much to teh point that they may have conciousness.

Despite what many may think Magic can be divided up into elements. There are four primary elements and at least two secondary elements. These elements are Earth, Wind/Air, Fire, and Water, then Light/Lux and Shadow/Umbra. Every living creature is alighned to an element, some are alighned to more than one. These alighnments can have an effect their the beings temperment and personality, and for that matter their skills as well. Most beings' alighnment can be easily decern from their physical charatisitics. Also as beings have magics of all the elements within them.

Dragons are alighned to both Air (given their ablities of flight) and Fire (for obvious reasons).
Griffins are also alighned to two elements, Air as well but also Earth since they are also part land animal.

The ponies are considered the odd ones out since their alighnment can vary not just between the Tribes (easy to see between Earth Ponies and Pegasi) but also between individurals within the Tribes. Example of this are below:

Fluttershy: Air and Earth (for her connection to the land)
Rainbow Dash: Air and Light (the SRB is an example of Lux Magics)

Pegasi are naturally alighned to Air which manifests in their ablity to fly, cloud walk, and manipulate the weather. Earth Ponies are alighned the Earth though most don't exibit a secondary alighnment... though Pinkie Pie might have one... possiably Umbra (giving her access to Hammerspace). Unicorns have a greater varience in alighnments given the ability to activaly use magic. These alighnments can at time be determined from their talent:

Trixie: Fire and Air
Rairty: Air and Earth
Lyra: Air
Twilight: Unknown, possiably all Six

It should also be noted that Shadow/Umbra magic is NOT Dark Magic. Umbra magic is simply the manipulations of shadows.

1939583 I have it that Equestrians actually speak a different language, and have several variants for the word "magic", each to indicate certain nuances.

Now, as for my own contribution, *clears throat*

On the Power of Intellectualizing in Magic

"Nature is nothing but matter in motion."

So wrote an ancient scholar, and though it was for very different purposes, for our own it is an excellent starting point on the discussion of how higher education may benefit magic users.

Magic has long been recognized as performing feats which would defy laws of conservation of mass and energy without an additional source of power. Unicorns producing items from nothingness; Earth ponies moving objects that similarly sized, though magic-less creatures cannot; or pegasi, pushing themselves to speeds beyond that of their own muscular capability.

It is theorized that magic in fact has a separate energy source outside a magic-users body. They theorize that magic user's very cells, and a few argue entire organs, which possess the means of tapping into this energy source. The greatest debate on this subject with whether this source is the same to all magic users, within the same species, or is unique to all individuals.

Regardless, testing has shown that one limiter on magical potential is how much energy a magic user can 'bring in' from this extra source. Like a water tower that never empties, what one can do with it is not so much limited by the contents of the water tower, but rather by the hose one uses.

This touches upon the first influence on magic, natural affinity, sometimes believed to be determined genetically or by several other factors, this is not the subject of this.

The second has been defined as 'purity of will'. Roughly speaking, a trend has been noticed that individuals of outstanding mental health have been able to wield magic with greater precision, if not more power. It is for this reason that cultures such as the pony's place great emphasis on keeping society, individuals, and nature in order, with ponies living in close association, that they may provide relief when doubts arise.

Many are the fables that describe a unicorn's spell backfiring when cast in a state of deep internal strife. This is not to be confused with magic used reflexively, which can still be quite in line with the unicorn's intentions with sufficient training.

It is with this that we move onto the third branch one can hope for improving magical ability, which ties in with the opening quotation: understanding the natural world.

Telekinesis is mere movement of objects projected in space, and from there, most magic can be explained.

Transmutation magic involves shifting the molecules, atoms, and even sub-atomic particles around to produce a new object. This allows crafting ranging from accurate carving to the proverbial skill of turning lead into gold.

Creation magic involves using the energy of magic to produce matter out of energy. It is this field of magic which led scholars to conclude that magic does involve a secondary source of power other than a pony. It follows the basic formula of mass-energy equivalence, and typically involves some degree of transmutation as well.

Illusion magic involves either creating or control of light particles, photons. It can also entail controlling the vibration of air particles to produce a sound.

Mind-control magic involves causing certain synapses in a brain to fire off, or certain hormones to be released within the body.

The list goes on, and as we continue to understand the natural world around us, so too shall our understanding of magic and spellcraft.

1940195
Pinkie is obviously an element all her own. Either Laughter, if the Harmonic elements extend beyond the jewelry, or the element of Pink.

1943137
The EoH are special, and still haven't come up with a single idea as to what they are. Umbra magic is the best I can come up really to explain some of Pinkie's Pinkieness without making my head explode. She literally jumps through shadows, which is a skill that no pony has been able to truly master in over 1000 years, Sombra being the last "Shadow Master"

1939547 I believe all sapient beings can learn to use active magic, some just better in certain fields than others

for example, an earth pony or diamond dog could excel at earth/nature magic, such as geomancy (regular earth magic), botanomancy (making plants grow and move and controlling Timberwolves), zoomancy (using animals), or necromancy. however, air magic would be more difficult for them.

ironically, Pinkie grew on a rock farm, the sole purpose of which is to grow gems from normal rocks.

1939547
..............
THIS THREAD HAS BLOWN MY GOD-FORSAKEN MIND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not only are your views on magic well versed and thoroughly explained, but they have also encouraged two others (thus far) to posts their views on the subject.

I am thoroughly impressed, and look forward to reading any future posts you may offer.

1944754
Glad to hear it.

Ponies, Part 1: Overview

Ponies may be magic's greatest success story. Without it, they likely would've never developed beyond skittish herd animals. With it, they have become a dominant cultural and political force.

Still, while the herd may no longer be a dominant sociological construct for ponies, the concept is still a useful foundation for understanding their magic. It is best understood as a magic of connections, especially emotional ones, and even more especially interpersonal ones. Friendship is indeed magic, but so are love, antipathy, and even slavery. Even the most antisocial ponies cannot help but form these connections, and so even the most mundane ponies possess significant magic. The ultimate examples of such power are the Elements of Harmony and Discord. The Elements represent and utilize such connections at their best, while Discord incites and preys on them at their worst.

Because of its basis in interpersonal connections, pony magic is incredibly synergistic. A group of ponies is always greater than the sum of its parts, and often approaches its product, especially when all the tribes are represented. Ponies are instinctively aware of this – indeed, it has often proven essential to their very survival – and thus they have cooperated even during the greatest periods of intertribal strife, albeit grudgingly.

Incidentally, this interdependency is a major reason behind why alicorns inspire such awe. By wielding all pony magics as one, they need nopony else. That such beings deign to live among their lessers in spite of such self-sufficiency is reason enough for the populace to accept their right to rule.

When taken collectively, ponies claim, the tribes represent all of magic's potential. However, while pony magic is incredibly multifarious, it can't do everything. Magic founded on emotional connections makes a number of assumptions, from the significance of those bonds to the possibility of forming them to the very concept of emotion itself. While viewpoints that dispute these assumptions may seem sociopathic, if not outright incomprehensible, they do exist, and those who see the world in such ways have access to magic that even the cruelest of ponies could never fathom. Still, such fell, eldritch powers are beyond the scope of this part of this thaumaturgical thesis.

While the tribes are magically and morphologically quite distinct, they are all still ponies, and certain abilities transcend presence or absence of wings and horn. These pan-tribal abilities are the focus of this post.

The Cutie Mark

Called the emblem, the sigil, the icon, and many other terms throughout history, the cutie mark is the cornerstone of pony magic and identity. It does more than simply indicate its bearer's strongest talent. In a very real sense, a pony is her cutie mark. If some are said to wear their hearts on their sleeves, then all mature ponies wear their souls on their rumps.

Every cutie mark possesses vast symbolic depth. Even those that seem the most straightforward have hidden meanings that even their bearers may not consciously understand. Repeated cutie marks often share surface meanings but vary in the details.

Contrary to increasingly popular belief, cutiesynthesis, the appearance of the mark, cannot be triggered through simple trial and error. It is the culmination of a foal forming one of the most essential connections in her life: a connection to herself. When she understands and embraces who, what, and why she is, her subconscious expresses the epiphany by manifesting the mark. False marks fade because there is no such connection supporting them.

Of course, as Murphy taught us, things can go wrong. Cutie Mark Failure Syndrome is a result of this connection weakening through uncertainty and self-doubt, the pony becoming less herself. Cutie Pox, despite the name, can be thought of as a cancer of the cutie mark, random, runaway growth that consumes the afflicted. Thankfully, as an entirely magical disease, treating it is much simpler and less extreme than for actual cancers. Starswirl's unfinished spell was based on his observations of the Pox, which is why both irresistibly compel those affected to follow their new marks.

While ponies know the cutie mark is important, they find difficult to express why. To them, the question is like asking why ponies are solid; any conceivable alternative is ridiculous. In order to seriously think about it, a pony would have to think from the perspective of an outsider, a member of an unmarked race. While ponies are noted for their empathy, their minds shy from such a scenario. To them, it would be like trying to live life without legs.

Still, much emphasis is placed on the mark. It is one of the principle reasons for ponies' lack of a nudity taboo, as concealing it is considered a sign of self-loathing or untrustworthiness in many communities. It also serves as proof of identity, personal logo, source of self-affirmation, conversation starter, and myriad other uses. Given these circumstances, one can understand the desperation of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

The Groinal Veil

Less discussed and much less revered than the cutie marks it lies between is another chief reason for why Equestria has no nudity taboo. The groinal veil is exactly what it sounds like, a passive illusion laid over a pony's primary sexual characteristics. It is the cause of the "featureless crotch" phenomenon. The veil can be willed inactive, usually through sexual arousal, but is otherwise present from cradle to grave.

Biologists have yet to come to a consensus on the veil's origins. Some believe it developed as a way to prevent distraction during the early agrarian phase of pony civilization. Their critics note that the "distracted" ponies would, by definition, be more reproductively successful. Others posit that the veil is actually the work of a forgotten, prudish archmage. However, their opponents are quick to note archeological evidence of the veil before ponies had even developed written language, much less magic of such epic scope.

Meanwhile, everypony else wonder why it's so important that they can't see each others' junk all the time and mutter unflattering comments about sexually repressed eggheads.

Tactile Telekinesis

Ponies can do things that simply should not be possible with hooves, and this is how. While only unicorns can project telekinetic fields around remote objects, all ponies possess an invisible one around their bodies. This field functions like the ultrafine hairs on a gecko's foot, allowing the pony to grasp through contact. Using it requires a modicum of concentration, so a startled pony may drop hoofheld items. As such, when doing important work, some prefer wrapping their gaskins around tools as a physical backup.

The strength of this field varies from pony to pony, but as a general trend, earth ponies have the strongest, followed by pegasi and chiroptera, then unicorns. Much winged pony magic is tied to the field, but in its versatility, it loses some raw power. Unicorns, meanwhile, simply don't need a strong touch-range field when they can just use their horns.

The field can also manipulate the pony's own body, though since its leverage must be derived from another point on the same body, ponies cannot simply fly through sheer force of will. (Not without wings, anyway.) Such manipulation does allow a wider range of motion in many joints than would be physiologically possible, thought not without at least mild discomfort. Ponies can also use the field this way to make their tails and, in the case of pegasi, pinion feathers prehensile, substituting magic for muscles and bones. Because this application of the field is as much finesse as power, the hornless tribes are roughly equal in their potential proficiency with it.

Spontaneous Harmony

Last but not least is a most curious pony ability. Given sufficient ambient magic and dramatically appropriate circumstances, ponies can engage in fully choreographed musical numbers without warning. These performances are impeccable. No beat is missed; no line is flubbed. The lyrics emerge ex nihilo and are always suitable to the occasion. And afterwards, everypony goes about their business as though nothing happened. It isn't that they don't remember the performance, but that they don't think it was especially noteworthy.

It is possible to interrupt these performances, but only through sudden shock: cold water, loud noises, and so forth. More elaborate or deliberate attempts, such as insinuating one's way into the number and disrupting it from within, rarely succeed. Whatever the nature of the force behind these extravaganzas, it is incredibly inventive and adaptable. If would-be interruptors cannot act before the force can react, the performance will avoid them without even a hiccup in the tempo. Furthermore, some harmless but humiliating accident will likely befall them in the process.

The non-pony races find this ability far more disturbing than any other aspect of pony society or psychology. Every group of ponies is a flash mob waiting to happen, guided by some invisible choreographer for inscrutable ends. Ponies may have her autonomy stripped away without warning, turned into singing, dancing puppets at the drop of a hat, and none of them seem to care. The music coming from nowhere is creepy, too.

1947339
Yeeeahh.... Dem musical numbers. No one cares that they all can hive mind flash mob. That's somewhat creepy and if I ever end up in Equestria, Nope to being a pony.

Also, funny quip about the illusioned junk. I chuckled a bit.

Ponies, Part 2: Earth Ponies

While the other tribes all have some obvious extraordinary aspect to them, earth ponies are… well, ponies. Sure, they've got a wider color palette, some morphological differences, and higher intelligence, but aside from that, they appear to be normal tiny horses. Most nonpony races tend to ignore them or dismiss them as insignificant. They couldn't be more wrong.

It's true that earth pony magic is the most passive by far, but that doesn't mean it's weak. Earth pony magic is like plant growth; it may not be flashy, but it's reliable and nearly unstoppable. Unlike in other tribes, where certain organs or appendages that serve as magical foci, earth pony magic is evenly distributed throughout the body. This means that there is no simple physical way to disrupt such magic, no analogy to striking horns or wings. The only known things that can stop an earth pony from using magic are unconsciousness, wide-spectrum magic suppressors, or another earth pony. Much as a spell can be inverted to serve as its own counterspell, earth pony magic can easily negate itself.

Of course, this doesn't explain what earth pony magic can actually do. That's what the rest of this section is for.

Physical Enhancement

Earth ponies are measurably more physically fit than ponies of other tribes with similar lifestyles: they are stronger, healthier, more enduring, and otherwise in better shape. This is a side benefit of homogenous magic distribution; the magic augments all of an earth pony's organ systems, from musculoskeletal to immune to digestive and so forth. This incredible health makes earth ponies the longest lived pony tribe, often living well into a second century.

As a brief aside, greater health does not necessarily mean greater size. Especially not greater reproductive health. "Once you go earth, you'll long for girth" is just a saying.

Chthonic Empathy

Earth ponies have an incredible connection with virtually everything that comes from the earth, be it soil, stone, gems, or plants. Those few arcane scholars who either focus on or are earth ponies* refer to all expressions of this connection with the blanket term chthonic empathy. Indeed, so much earth pony magic is covered by this term that some use it as a synonym for earth pony magic as a whole, but this is inaccurate. In any case, chthonic empathy is an almost exclusively earth pony form of magic, an innate connection to the vegetable and mineral. Some unicorns are chthonically empathic to a minor, narrow degree, but they almost invariably have significant earth pony ancestry.

Earth ponies' incredible skill in agriculture is the best known expression of chthonic empathy, but it is by no means the limit of the discipline. Any form of intentional interaction with vegetable matter is catalyzed by earth pony magic: baking, fermenting, carpentry, composting, the list goes on. No special ritual or technique is required; the earth pony simply has to perform the activity, and her magic will augment it automatically. An excellent example is the creation of zap apple jam. Granny Smith did not recite from the Necropomicon** or offer tribute to the apple gods. She just wanted to make jam, and she did just that, unlocking the arcane wants and needs of zap apples through intuition.

This is not to say that chthonic empathy only expresses itself passively. A prime counterexample would be Berry Punch. In addition to being Ponyville's primary source for non-apple-based alcohol, Berry Punch is also a grandmaster of the magical martial arts style Drunken Hoof. Each physical blow in this style also delivers a burst of powerful earth pony magic that ferments the opponent's blood, using the dissolved oxygen and sugar within. Thus, each strike is a triple threat of contusion, exhaustion, and inebriation.

The earth's bounty is not limited to plants, and neither is chthonic empathy. Indeed, when earth pony magic goes from the vegetable to the mineral, it may become even more powerful. This can be seen in petriculture, or rock farming, which is only possible with earth pony magic. Ores, gemstones, and useful stones like marble and granite are regularly infused with magic, causing them to grow like organic crops. Mineral-aspected chthonic empathy also enhances more mundane endeavors like stonemasonry, smelting, smithing, jewelry making, and virtually anything else that requires some form of earthen material.

*This is not to imply that earth ponies are by nature nonscholastic. It is simply that most arcane scholars are unicorns who focus on unicorn magic and are best equipped to teach other unicorns, thus perpetuating the trend.

**The Book of Dead Fruit, written by Ahp Al'Horsehead. May or may not exist.

Hoofwisdom

Earth ponies are sensitive to the reverberations of every step; not just the physical vibrations, but the magical resonance as well. Most of the time, ponies tune out this awareness as a sort of magical background noise. However, in times of need, all earth ponies can employ a little hoofwisdom, the ability to interpret this information in ways as unexplainable as the feel of the wind on a pegasus wing or active thaumic currents in a unicorn horn.

While words cannot express what hoofwisdom feels like, they can list what information it can convey. For one, the resonance of the earth, its leylines, and gatherings of ponies help orient an earth pony, telling her where she is as a sort of magical GPS. The magical feedback can also indicate the viability of soil and how to improve it, the health of nearby plants, the potability of water, and even the presence of nearby predators. Only the most hoofwise ponies can use this last ability with any kind of accucracy, though there are tales of those who have completely replaced sight with hoofwisdom. It is said the ultimate form of hoofwisdom is the ability to feel the reverberations of future events as they echo through the strata of time, though few have even claimed such power, much less demonstrated it.

Hoofwisdom has its limits. Abnormalities in the ground or ambient magic can distort the sensations or render them wholly unintelligible. Loose sand, for example, muffles the sensations, reducing a hoofwise pony's effective range by as much as an order of magnitude. Meanwhile, aberrant areas like the Everfree Forest render this magic completely unusable within their borders.

Transcendence

The mightiest and most mysterious of magics among earth ponies is known only as transcendence. It is rarely mentioned even among other earth ponies, and certainly never to the other tribes, much less other races. Transcendence is a powerful magic, with all the danger that implies. Even in these times of inclusion and togetherness, the earthfolk know that it should be kept from those who cannot use it. If they knew of it and all its secrets, it would only engender fear and hatred.

A would-be transcendent must be willing to sacrifice much: normalcy, sanity, and especially the bliss of ignorance. She must forge a connection to the world deeper than the bonds of blood and face truths pony was not meant to know. The yoke of knowledge is heavy, too heavy for any but an earth pony to bear, and she must treat it with the respect it is due.

But with this great responsibility comes great power. A transcendent does just that: she transcends. Space bends at her touch. Gravity relents at her request. The limits of logic, of the equine body, and of four dimensional existence are removed. In her hooves, the laws of nature are reduced to suggestions, and the edges of the universe can be grasped. Other worlds are visible in her peripheral vision, as are their denizens.

Many earth ponies begin walking the path of transcendence. Very, very few finish.

Notable Earth Ponies of Ponyville

In an earth pony settlement like Ponyville, most of the townsfolk lack horns and wings. The following earth ponies are the standouts among the ones you know best:

Apple Bloom
Special talent: TBD
Unofficial leader of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Apple Bloom has made finding her purpose in life into her life's purpose. Being as introspective as most children her age, she has yet to notice the paradox, much as she has yet to notice her burgeoning chthonic empathy when building and designing. Of course, never having heard of chthonic empathy may have something to do with that second part.

Applejack
Special talent: Apples. (That is, a jack of all apple-related trades, a mistress of none.)
Each Bearer of an Element of Harmony is an exemplar of magical power. Applejack, the Bearer of Honesty, is no exception. Her hoofwisdom is so potent, she can sense even the disposition and personality of apple trees, and her chthonic empathy, combined with her special talent, makes her one Ponyville's best buckers, bakers, salesponies, cider-slingers, and still more.
Applejack is an ancestral name handed down through the generations. As long as there have been ponies, there has been an Applejack. To bear the name is to be the embodiment of what it means to be an earth pony. The name is equal parts immeasurable honor and incredible expectation, and the current Applejack is proud to be such.

Apple "Granny" Smith
Special talent: Applesmithing (That is, the creation and improvement of apple recipes.)
Matriarch of the Apple Clan, one of the oldest and most widespread pony families, Granny Smith was not actually born an Apple. The daughter of seed collectors who recieved a charter to found a settlement at the edge of the Everfree Forest, she was born Tin Elizabeth Smith. "Tin Lizzy," as her brothers called her, changed her name after discovering her incredible talent with the fruit, improving what her mother had held to be the perfect apple pie recipe. Some say Honeycrisp Apple married her because such talent couldn't be allowed to exist outside of the clan. In any case, at two hundred and eighty-seven, she is the oldest living non-alicorn pony in Equestria.

Cheerilee Punch
Special talent: Cultivation (That is, encouraging growth)
Ponyville Elementary's one-mare faculty puts up with a lot, from Diamond Tiara's adamantine ego to the Crusaders' serial reckless endangerment to a budget barely sufficient for her one-room schoolhouse. Still, she gets through each day, powered by the smiles on her students' faces and the knowledge that she's playing a small part in making the next generation of ponies even better than their forebears. The positive feedback loop of getting to use her special talent on a daily basis and a family discount at her sister's bar don't hurt either.

Pinkamena "Pinkie" Diane Pie
Special talent: Spreading happiness (That is… well, this one's actually fairly self-explanatory)
Bearer of the Element of Laughter, Pinkie Pie is as much a paragon of earth pony magic as Applejack. Raised on a rock farm, she has reoriented her chthonic empathy from mineral- to vegetable-aspected through processed sugar. As a crystalline substance derived from plants, it blurs the line between the two. As a result, Pinkie is a confectioner nonpareil (and of nonpareils, for that matter.) She has also pioneered the art and science of confectionary artifice, a form of sugar-based engineering that simply does not work without earth pony magic.
Finally, Pinkie is perhaps the greatest transcendent since Chancellor Puddinghead herself. Between the power of the Element of Laughter and her own progress down the path of transcendence, Pinkie is as much a force of nature as a mare, as demonstrated by her "Pinkie Sense," the greatest demonstration of hoofwise precognition ever documented.

Mind =
So... Pegasi would be next, correct?

My theories on Pony Magic are similar, but different.

Earth Pony magic is very earth-based. A farm staffed solely by Earth Ponies will perform much better than the neighbors farm staffed solely by another "tribe". Earth Ponies unconsciously know what plants are safe to eat and if they train in herblore/potioneering, would be able to identify everything about a plant they have never seen before. Earth Ponies do not have their own "spells", but are some of the best ritualists and potioneers.

Pegasus magic is very wind-based. Every Peg can decide if a cloud is solid to them or not. They can pull carts/chariots without the vehicle needing to obey gravity. There are some Pegs who can perform what they call "full-contact magic" that allows them to augment their bodies so that they can do things like crash into the ground at full speed without injuring themselves or leave a distinctive trail when they fly at certain speeds. Even rarer than the former are pegs who learn "movements", which are ritualized flying patterns that allow the pegasus to do magical things. (In theory, Earth Ponies and Unicorns could enact movements, if they could move themselves in three dimensions in the precision required)

Unicorns are not limited to whatever their Cutie Mark says in terms of spell selection. What a Cutie Mark does, however, is make it easier for a unicorn to learn and cast spells linked to that talent. There are some spells that can ONLY be cast by a pony with that particular talent (Example: Any unicorn could cast an illusion to make themselves appear to be the opposite sex, but only a unicorn with a talent in Duality could cast a spell that makes them a fully functional (and anatomically correct) member of the opposite sex), but those tend to be the high level stuff. (Twilight Sparkles particular talent means that she gets the insight bonus to learning and casting spells, but probably couldn't cast the S-rank spells until she ascended)

Alicorns are basically the Artefact-level casters, in that they break all the known laws of magic. Their particular version of spells are known as "Workings". Some of the lower level Workings can be cast by a large enough group of Unicorns (Such as "The Indomitable March of Sol Invictus", the Working that causes the sun to move through the sky.). In theory, a lone unicorn could invoke a Working, but such an action would pretty much kill the unicorn in question. Other examples of Workings are what is known as the "Doomsday Workings", the two Workings that forcibly ended the last remnants of the Warring Tribes era over in Neighpon. Celestia has "Solar Secundus", which pretty much calls into being a second sun in the extremely local area. Luna has one whose name keeps changing (Mostly because I can't think of an interesting one that doesn't blatantly reference Majora's Mask), which crashes the moon into the area. Both of these were only cast once and never again. (Were I to speculate about Cadence and Twilight having their own, Cadence's would forcibly obliterate any sexual preference beyond "Yes, please" and mystically starts a Heat. Twilight, being the Princess of Magic, basically shuts off the mana flow to everything in the area except herself. Their names are, respectively, "LOVE CONQUERS ALL" and "Friendship Through Superior Thaumaturgy")