A mage's intrinsic understanding of the universe's underlying principles, especially magickal. It is not a measure of head knowledge or how well a mage can articulate their understanding. This understanding limits how much magick a mage can learn. Most mentors have techniques for advancing a student's Arete without focusing on a particular Sphere. It is a trait that all mages have. When a mage Awakens their rating is at least 1. An Arete of zero means the person has not Awakened & cannot learn Sphere magick.