Black magic From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For other uses, see Black magic (disambiguation). (disambiguation). "Dark magic" redirects here. For other uses, see Dark magic (disambiguation). (disambiguation).
John Dee and Dee and Edward Kelley using a magic circle ritual circle ritual to invoke a spirit in a church grave yard. yard. Black magic has traditionally referred to the use of of supernatural supernatural powers powers or magic magic for for evil evil and and selfish
purposes.[! With respect to the left"hand path and right"hand path dichotomy, #lack #lack magic is the malicious, left"hand counterpart of #enevolent white magic. magic. $n modern times, some find that the definition of %#lack magic% has #een convoluted # y people who define magic or ritualistic practices that they disapprove of as %#lack magic%. [&! Contents
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& (atanism and devil" devil"worship worship
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+ lack magic and religion
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- ractices and rituals
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History [edit! 3ike its counterpart white magic, the origins of #lack magic can #e traced to the primitive, ritualistic worship of spirits as outlined in 2o#ert 4. lace5s &667 #ook, Magic and Alchemy .[)! 8nlike white magic, in which lace sees parallels with primitive shamanistic efforts to achieve closeness with spiritual #eings, the rituals that developed into modern %#lack magic% were designed to invoke those same spirits to produce #eneficial outcomes for the practitioner. lace also provides a #road modern definition of #oth #lack and white magic, preferring instead to refer to them as %high magic% 9white: and %low magic% 9#lack: #ased primarily on intentions of the practitioner employing them. 'e acknowledges, though, that this #roader definition 9of %high% and %low%: suffers from pre;udices as good"intentioned folk magic may #e considered %low% while ceremonial magic involving e
During the 2enaissance, many magical practices and rituals were considered evil or irreligious and #y e
s a result, natural magic developed as a way for thinkers and intellectuals, like 4arsilio Ficino, a##ot Johannes ?rithemius and 'einrich @ornelius >grippa, to advance esoteric and ritualistic study 9though still often in secret: without significant persecution.[-! While %natural magic% #ecame popular among the educated and upper classes of the /th and 0th century, ritualistic magic and folk magic remained su#;ect to persecution. &6th century author 4ontague (ummers generally re;ects the definitions of %white% and %#lack% magic as %contradictory%, though he highlights the ell witches %convicted #y the 4agistrate% should #e ell those purported %good Witches which do not hurt #ut good, which do not spoil and destroy, #ut save and deliver% should come under the e
$n particular, though, the term was most commonly reserved for those accused of invoking demons and other evil spirits, those he
Satanism and devil-worship [edit!
$llustration #y 4artin van 4ale, of a #itches$ Sabbath, in the 7 edition of %a Sorciere, #y Jules 4ichelet. Main article: Satanism
?he influence of popular culture has allowed other practices to #e drawn in under the #road #anner of %#lack magic% including the concept of (atanism. While the invocation of demons or spirits is an accepted part of #lack magic, this practice is distinct from the worship or deification of such spiritual #eings.[0! ?hose lines, though, continue to #e #lurred #y the inclusion of spirit rituals from otherwise %white magicians% in compilations of work related to (atanism. John Dee5s /th century rituals, for enton 3a*ey5s &he Satanic Bible 97/7: and so some of his practises, otherwise considered white magic, have since #een associated with #lack magic. Dee5s rituals themselves were designed to contact spirits in general and angels in particular, which he claimed to have #een a#le to do with the assistance of colleague Edward Kelley. 3a*ey5s Bible, however, is a %complete contradiction% of Dee5s intentions #ut offers the same rituals as a means of contact with evil spirits and demons.[1! $nterestingly, 3a*ey5s @hurch of (atan 9with 3a*ey5s Bible at its centre:, %officially denies the efficacy of occult ritual% #ut %affirms the su#;ective, psychological value of ritual practice%, drawing a clear distinction #etween. [1! 3a*ey himself was more specificA White magic is supposedly utiliBed only for good or unselfish purposes, and #lack magic, we are told, is used only for selfish or %evil% reasons. (atanism draws no such dividing line. 4agic is magic, #e it used to help or hinder. ?he (atanist, #eing the magician, should have the a#ility to decide what is ;ust, and then apply the powers of magic to attain his goals. (atanism is not a white light religionC it is a religion of the flesh, the mundane, the carnal " all of which are ruled #y (atan, the personification of the 3eft 'and ath.
?he latter =uote, though, seems to have # een directed toward the growing trends of W iccanism and neo"paganism at the time. [1!
Voodoo[edit!
> *oodoo doll. Main article: %ouisiana 'oodoo
*oodoo, too, has #een associated with modern %#lack magic%C drawn together in popular culture and fiction. 'owever, while heleister @rowley.[0![7![6! $n fact, *oodoo tradition makes its own distinction #etween #lack and white magic, with sorcerers like the okor known for using magic and rituals of #oth. ut their penchant for magic associated with curses, poisons and Bom#ies means they, and *oodoo in general, are regularly associated with #lack magic in particular.[!
Black magic and religion [edit! ?he links and interaction #etween #lack magic and religion are many and varied. eyond #lack magic5s links to organised (atanism or its historical persecution #y @hristianity and its in=uisitions, there are links #etween religious and #lack magic rituals. ?he lack 4ass, for e
Practices and rituals [edit! [hide]This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk p This section provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject . (June 2014) Some or all of this section's listed sources may not be reliable . (June 2014) This section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2014)
?he lowest depths of #lack mysticism are well"nigh as difficult to plum# as it is arduous to scale the heights of sanctity. ?he rand 4asters of the witch covens are men of genius " a foul genius, crooked, distorted, distur#ed, and diseased. 4ontague (ummers #itchcra!t and Black Magic
During his period of scholarship, >. E. Waite provided a comprehensive account of #lack magic practices, rituals and traditions in &he Book o! Black Magic and eremonial Magic .[-! Gther practitioners have e
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?rue name spells " the theory that knowing a person5s true name allows control over that person, making this wrong for the same reason. ?his can also #e used as a connection to the other person, or to free them from another5s compulsion, so it is in the grey area. $mmortality rituals " from a ?aoist perspective, life is finite, and wishing to live #eyond one5s natural span is not with the flow of nature. eyond this, there is a ma;or issue with immortality. ecause of the need to test the results, the su#;ects must #e killed. Even a spell to e
In popular culture and fiction[edit! @oncepts related to #lack magic or descri#ed, even inaccurately, as %#lack magic% are a regular feature of #ooks, films and other popular culture. E
&he Deil ides *ut " a 7)+ novel #y Dennis Wheatley " made into a famous film #y
'ammer (tudios in 7/1 •
osemary$s Baby " a 7/1 horror novel in which #lack magic is a central theme.
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&he ra!t " a 77/ film featuring four friends who #ecome involved i n white witchcraft #ut
turn to #lack magic rituals for personal gain. •
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?he 'arry otter series " #lack magic, including various spells and curses, is referred to as %the dark arts% against which students are taught to defend themselves. Final Fantasy " a video game in which white and #lack magic are simply used to distinguish
#etween healingIdefensive spells 9such as a %cure%: and offensiveIelemental spells 9such as %fire%: and do not carry an inherent good or evil connotation. •
harmed " a television series in which #lack magic is also known as %the #lack arts%, %dark
arts%, %dark magic% or even %evil magic%, and is used #y demons and other evil #eings. •
&he Secret ircle " > short"lived television series featuring witches, in which there are two
kinds of magic. While traditional magic helps you to connect to the energy around you, more lethal and dangerous dark magic is rooted in the anger, fear and negativity inside you. Gnly a few #orn with it can access dark magic and some are inherently stronger than others. •
&he +oer o! Fie is an entire series #y >nthony 'orowitB a#out #lack magic and evil
sorcerers. ?he antagonists are all #lack sorcerers and are all practitioners of #lack magic, #lack magic is a means of summoning the Gld Gnes from their prison, 'ell. lack magic often takes the form of mass murder and animation of inanimate o#;ects.
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ight #atch " $n the Hight Watch #ook 9and movie: series the magicians are grouped i nto
two sides %3ight Gthers% and %Dark Gthers%. ?he dark magicians are more motivated #y selfish desires. •
Su-ernatural (.S. &' series) " ?he television series (upernatural features many events and
characters that feature and participate in #lack magic. •
&he /obbit (!ilm series) " ?he films #ased on J. 2. 2. ?olkien5s #ook &he /obbit feature
elements of #lack magic centered around a character known as %the Hecromancer%, however this is very seldom mentioned in the #ook. $t later is discovered that the Hecromancer is (auron who is the principle dark character of the whole 3ord of the 2ings series. •
&he %ord o! the ings " ?he 3ord of the 2ings5 essential antagonist is (auron. (auron and
his followers use #lack magic on many events such as the creation of many of his followers and the forging of the Gne 2ing. •
Sherlock /olmes (0112 !ilm) " ?he first of the two (herlock 'olmes films directed #y uy
2itchie includes elements of #lack magic although they are later discovered to #e false.
