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Black magic mythology

White vs. Black Magic in the Renaissance
Dawn Spina

Before the Renaissance and the new acceptance of magic, there was the ruling Roman empire. All magic was rejected by Rome and its followers and thus magic entered into Europe on a negative note. It wasn’t until the 13th century, the beginning of the Renaissance, that people began to look at magic in a new light (Flint). Being that “renaissance” means rebirth or revival, it seems fitting that the rejection of magic was slowly diminishing. The study of magic was, in fact, being begin actively encouraged (Flint). The people of the renaissance began to believe that if the relationship between humans and the supernatural was strengthened it would be largely beneficial to human life (Flint).

White magic is magic used to do good in the world. This new practice, in the case of the Renaissance, was used to further Christianity, as Christianity was presumed to be the ultimate good for everyone at the time (Flint). Much of what is believed of magic is based upon religion; paganism or primitive religions seem to better describe what some think of as magic and to equate magic with a miracle would even offend some. In the renaissance however, magic was more the study of phenomena (Flint). It was a time of learning and ideas and experiences, a time of trying to understand the world instead of fearing it. In nature, where there is no human control, the forces that seemed hostile combined with the lack of knowledge about nature made the idea of preternatural interference greatly feared (Flint). When knowledge of the workings of nature grew, as it did in the Renaissance, the fear of the preternatural control of nature, along with the fear of the unknown was greatly reduced.
With the pre-renaissance fear of magic (paganism) greatly diminished and magic (as miracles or phenomena) becoming something able to contribute to Christianity, any person gifted in white magic (called a magus) became highly respected and revered (Jones). It was believed that a magus was a master of techniques that could bring a human soul closer to God and the more ancient the magic was, the more powerful it must be (Jones).

During the renaissance, just as they are now, magic and science were at odds. The goal of science is to come up with rational explanations for supposed mysteries. Naturally, some of the mysteries that science attempts to solve are what Christianity deems miracles (magic). The line between the two blurs throughout the span of the Renaissance though, mainly in an effort to define what magic falls under black magic and what magic (white magic) can be used to further Christianity. Black magic is generally defined as the use of spirits to effect events in the world . It is used solely for the advancement of one person, the practitioner, and thus did not fall into the moral category of Christianity (Flint). It is a commandment breaking practice because of the requirement to pray to spirits other than God. Ultimately the rise of magic, though blurred in places, depended entirely upon the churches’ preservation of magic that might serve it.

According to Flint, the general belief was that magic was acceptable and even wonderful if it had some effect that would advance the church or cure illness. This is not to say that everyone of the time approved of magic. There were still people who operated on the theory that all magic has the potential to turn evil and become uncontrollable. These people generally believed that magic should be destroyed, some even went as far as saying that magi (practitioners of magic) were a product of the union of mother and son and therefore must be inherently evil (Flint). Not all of the fear of magic had dissipated yet, the lines between black and white were still blurred. How was it possible to know for sure who practiced what kinds of magic of who had what abilities?

Despite the leftover fear of magic from the Roman Empire, the Renaissance was a time for rebirth and discovery and among the many important happenings in this period of time was theatre. This was the time in which Shakespeare lived and wrote and it is evident in his plays. In The Tempest we have a magus, Prospero, who is a supposed benevolent practitioner of white magic, living alone with his daughter on an island. Prospero was the Duke of Milan, but got too far into his studies and began letting his brother run his lands. His brother, Antonio, decides he wants these lands for himself because he runs them and decides to have his brother killed. Gonzalo saves Prospero and his daughter Miranda, and they land on an island where Prospero studies magic and plots to get home and get his lands and title back.
Prospero, as a magus is “the most fully developed expression of renaissance hopes for the development of humankinds moral, intellectual, and spiritual potential (Mebane).” Though a magus was the ultimate expression of the hope of the renaissance, it may be that Prospero fell short. He, as a practitioner of magic, is a vague character with rather questionable morals.

Prospero got so into his studies, specifically his occult books, that he had his brother, Antonio, run his kingdom, could he really have been all that surprised when Antonio wanted the title of “Duke of Milan” for himself? His studious nature is generally admirable, but to ignore his duty to his people and his king does not argue well for his values or morals. What of his daughter while he locked himself away in his libraries? She was young and lacked a mother, being raised by nurses and attendants. Had he paid more attention to her instead of being buried in his books, he may have seen what was happening about his kingdom and wouldn’t have ended up on that island to begin with.

It is assumed that Prospero is a practitioner of white magic and that his “art is a means through which God’s will is accomplished (Mebane).” There is evidence toward this; through his studies of magic and language, he gains the ability to control the forces of nature and to make their effects fruitful rather than destructive (Jones). With his control over the storm at sea, he wrecks Alonso’s ship, leaving everyone alive, but separating them into groups to fit his scheme to get his title back. One of the results of his power over the storm is his daughter Miranda falling in love with the Prince Ferdinand. He clearly loves his daughter, he tests Ferdinand to make sure that his love is true and he isn’t going to break Miranda’s heart, and while this is beneficial to them, it was only a bonus to his original scheme to get his title back.

As a supposed practitioner of white magic, Prospero’s talents are said to come from his “attainment of an unusual degree of harmony” between the physical and spiritual aspects of his nature (Jones). With white magic being the use of magic to do good in the world, and Prospero’s peace within himself, the assumption that he actually DOES practice white magic is not absurd. However this doesn’t explain his control over Ariel, a spirit. In act 1, scene 2, line 195, Prospero asks Ariel if he carried out the storm as he ordered. This certainly makes it seem that Ariel was ordered to direct the storm and separate the passengers of the ship, as demanded by Prospero. As previously mentioned, black magic is the use of spirits to effect events in the world; perhaps Prospero is not as great a man as was originally assumed.

Prospero is often referred to as benevolent, but I fail to see how he is much different from Sycorax, Ariel’s first master. She was the original inhabitant of the island Prospero and Miranda land on, as she was banished from Algiers for practicing black magic on other people. Sycorax became angry with Ariel for refusing to carry out her terrible orders and imprisoned him in a pine tree and died before she could free him. Prospero freed Ariel, becoming his new master and then used him in the same way Sycorax did. He was still just a tool to do their bidding.
In the final act of The Tempest, Prospero gives up his magic and frees Ariel. He does not do this out of his strong moral character, or because he cares for Ariel. He gives up his magic because the Boatswain gives his account of what happened during the storm and how the ship is, miraculously (magically) all in one piece and fit to be sailed. This breaks the illusion of coincidence, allowing the rest of the characters to see that the entire situation was Prospero’s doing. As to be expected, Prospero has a fail-safe, should the king be angry. Miranda and Ferdinand have fallen in love and are to be wed, joining the two families and thus, requiring civility between the king and himself.

Perhaps Shakespeare was trying to suggest that you never really know people. Maybe it was a subtle reminder that the person standing next to you in the audience of the Globe could be secretly practicing black magic and you should probably NOT push him out of your way. It could be that he was just inspired by the general excitement of the Renaissance and wasn’t thinking one way or the other about what kind of magic Prospero practiced, perhaps he was just enjoying writing and didn’t care.

Whatever Shakespeare may have been thinking while writing this play, whatever his veiled intentions (if any) were, this play is just another prime example of how magic was slowly accepted into the culture, be it black or white, and in a way became general knowledge. It was known that black magic was the use of spirits to effect events, and it was known (in truth or superstition) how to ward oneself against them. Magi were revered as practitioners of white magic because they were closer to God and knew ways to help others achieve that closeness and security. It was a time of revival, of a quest for further knowledge in any and all subjects. It was a time of truth and of extricating the fear of the unknown.

Work Cited

Flint, Valerie. The Rise of magic in Early Medieval Europe. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1990. Print.

Jones, Thomas O. Renaissance Magic and Hermeticism in the Shakespeare Sonnets; Like Prayers Divine. Vol. 9. Lampeter: The Edwin Mellen, Ltd., 1995. Print.

Mebane, John S. Renaissance Magic and the Return of the Golden Age. Nebraska: University of Nebraska, 1989. Print.

The Book of Black Magic: Including the Rites and Mysteries of Goetic Theurgy, Sorcery and Infernal Necromancy

The books is divided into two sections. The First Part discusses in detail the Literature of Ceremonial Magic, dealing with the antiquity of magical rituals, the rituals of transcendental magic, the composites of rituals and the rituals of Black Magic. The Second Part presents the Complete Grimoire, which is presented from the original documents in exact unabridged form. The copyists' errors left from ancient times have been deleted. The Grimoire will be of immense interest to the student of the occult, especially the chapter on the goetic theurgy, which gives the conjurations and the invocations to the king and the Spirit. The rites of exorcism are detailed, and useful in purging. The illustrations will be of real interest to the student. They are clearly presented and explained.

Genres OccultReligionMagickMagicWitchcraftNonfictionEsoterica

328 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 1942

About the author

Arthur Edward Waite

Arthur Edward Waite was a scholarly mystic who wrote extensively on occult and esoteric matters, and was the co-creator of the Rider-Waite Tarot deck. As his biographer, R.A. Gilbert described him, "Waite's name has survived because he was the first to attempt a systematic study of the history of western occultism←viewed as a spiritual tradition rather than as aspects of proto-science or as the pathology of religion."

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Description: The Book of Ceremonial Magic by Arthur Edward Waite was originally called The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts. It is an attempt to document various famous grimoires, explain the history behind them (refuting many of the legends surrounding them), discuss the theology contained therein (e.g. raising the question why good angels would be summoned to kill an enemy), and to synthesize many famous grimoires into one system.

Part I: THE LITERATURE OF CEREMONIAL MAGIC
Chapter I: The Antiquity of Magical Rituals
Chapter II: The Rituals of Transcendental Magic
Chapter III: Composite Rituals
Chapter IV: The Rituals Of Black Magic

PART II: THE COMPLETE GRIMOIRE
Chapter I: The Preparation of the Operator
Chapter II: The Initial Rites and Ceremonies
Chapter III: Concerning the Descending Hierarchy
Chapter IV: The Mysteries of Goetic Theurgy
Chapter V: Concerning the Mystery of the Sanctum Regnum
Chapter VI: The Mysteries of Infernal Evocation According to the Grand Grimoire
Chapter VII: The Method of Honorius
Chapter VIII: Miscellaneous and Minor Processes
Chapter IX: Concerning Infernal Necromancy

Another one to avoid as there was not an ounce of fun to be had. Many of these non-fic black magic documenters seem to be a pentangle short of major arcana. But such as is the way of things that someone out there, someone out where, will adore this, afterall aren't these the century old equivalent of 'how to make a new religion'

A month of Halloween 2015 reads:

#1: 3* Nobody True by James Herbert: fraudio
#2: 4* The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard: fraudio
#3: 1* Brain Child by John Saul: fraudio
#4: 3* Domain (Rats #3) by James Herbert: fraudio
#5: 3* The Mourning Vessels by Peter Luther: paperback
#6: 2* The Doom of the Great City: ebook short-story
#7: 5* Long After Midnight by Ray Bradbury: fraudio
#8: 5* The Dead Zone by Stephen King: fraudio
#9: CR The Chalice: hardback
#10: WL Seven Gothic Tales
#11: CR Tales of Men and Ghosts: gutenberg
#12: 2* Shattered by Dean Koontz: fraudio
#13: 5* The Dunwich Horror: e-book: gutenberg
#14: CR Death At Intervals: paperback
#15: 3* Alone: gutenberg
#16: CR The Shunned House: gutenberg
#17: CR The Thing on the Doorstep: ebook
#18: 2* Shadows by Saul: fraudio
#19: CR Precious Cargo: paperback
#20: 2* The Magicians of the Golden Dawn: ebook
#21: 2* The Book of Black Magic

As research for a piece of fiction, I've been reading about European magic. The extant manuscripts of the various Grimoires of Black Magic in the British Museum date from the 15th century onwards, though may have been written earlier. Black magic is strange, or to paraphrase the author of the book I've read, it is a mixture of the grotesque and the imbecilic.

The Grimoires teach that through the glory and power of God, one can summon and control infernal spirits. In popular culture we think of black magic as a godless deal with demons - it is strange to think those who practiced it believed themselves holy. There's a Jewish legend about King Solomon: God gave him the power to control demons, and he used demons to build his temple and help him out whenever he wanted. There are also Christian and Islamic versions of this legend - in the Islamic version, Solomon also has a magic carpet. Many of the Grimoires claim to be based on the magical writings of King Solomon, who shared the secrets of demon-control.

In Jewish mythology, demons are not fallen angels - they are creatures God abandoned bodiless and unfinished at sunset on the 6th day, to mark the importance of ceasing work to rest on the Sabbath. They are not inherently evil, though are jealous and spiteful of humanity's completeness. Thus demons are another of God's creatures on Earth, over which man is supposed to be the ruler, and so in Jewish magic systems the wizard sorcerer chap is hoping for God's assistance in placating one of his subordinate creatures - analogous to praying that your horse will carry you to your destination without rearing up and maiming you.

(I have a separate book on Jewish magic which I have not read yet.)

The Solomon-inspired magic was adapted to a Christian setting and audience. The wizard sorcerer chap calls on the power of God to help him summon and enslave a fallen angel to do his bidding. Jesus commands demons in the gospels (the Pharisees think he is in league with Satan because the demons obey him so quickly), and so a devout Christian should also be able to to command demons with Jesus' support. As the Pharisees thought Jesus was bad for his command over the demons, the Church authorities think the sorcerers are evil for their command over the demons. So the reasoning goes.

(While most Grimoires claim to originate with King Solomon, a few others claim to be the work of a Pope, who was holy enough to have been taught the magical arts by an angel of light.)

Most of the rituals concern personal and material gain: summoning a demon so it can lead you to treasure, or make a woman love you, or harm an enemy. Very cliche and selfish objectives. Not very holy. I was trying to imagine the sort of person who - hundreds of years ago - would have turned to such rituals. Poor, lonely, awkward, and yet with an ego big enough to think they were holy and great enough to get God's assistance in enslaving a fallen angel. I pictured a modern-day Internet Troll living in the pre-modern world.

In preparation for a ritual, the sorcerer is supposed to fast, refrain from social contact with other humans, and sleep as little as possible for so many days, presumably so by the time they carried out the ritual their mental state was sufficiently ruined hallucinations came very easily. Specific prayers must be repeated throughout the fasting days, and at the sorcerer must bathe in holy water and bless every item to be used in the ritual - his robes (white linen, embroidered with certain symbols depending on which ritual is being performed), the incense, the parchment or vellum, the candles, the magic circle, etc.

There is only one extant ritual which calls for a blood sacrifice for the sake of blood sacrifice. I'll spare you the details, but it involves killing both a black hen and a young lamb. A few others feature human body parts in their reagents list -
the author notes that human bodies would have been easyish to find back then, when mortality was high, life expectancy low, and the death sentence was a punishment for many crimes.

Curiously, the cliche of sorcerers sacrificing a goat as part of their rituals comes from a misunderstanding: the Grimoires teach that the magic circle should be drawn on virgin kidskin which has been carefully prepared. Sorcerers could not rely on the local tannery for this, and so would prepare their own. Obviously, since the goat's tanned hide was to be used in the ritual, the sorcerer would bless the goat repeatedly - before, during, and after slaughtering it - and so to any casual observer, it would look like blood sacrifice for the sake of blood sacrifice.

In case it's not obvious, I think this magic stuff is bollocks. At best a historical curiosity, at worst a way of seriously damaging your mental health. I tried to imagine how I would react to it, living hundreds of years ago. I found myself feeling sympathetic towards the Inquisition. If your worldview takes the existence of evil demons as a fact, and your holy books warn against greed and lust and malice, it is so easy to imagine these Grimoires having been forged by demons to trick the poor, lonely, and egotistical down a dark path. They are like the pre-modern equivalent of scam e-mails, promising 'EARN $5000 PER DAY - SUMMON A TREASURE-FINDING DEMON' or 'THE ONE TRICK WOMEN CAN'T RESIST - INFERNAL SPIRITS WOO 4 U', but rather than making you lose the contents of your bank account, you lose your soul too.

Black magic mythology

Beautiful beaches, lush rice fields, and rich culture are among so many reasons that make Bali one of the most popular tropical holiday destinations. While the beauty of Bali is fascinating, how much did you know about the island’s supernatural beliefs and mythical creatures? In our previous article, “A Rooted Bond“, we discussed the existence of Rwa Bhineda, the two opposites. The Balinese acknowledge not only the good but also the bad. In the spirit of Halloween, let us take you to explore this mysterious yet enchanting Balinese sorcery many still believe in the modern world.

In Balinese mythology, there are two types of magic: white and black. White magic is used to cure people of illnesses, while black magic is to harm others. People who are gifted with the power to perform magic are called Balian. They must be careful who they choose to inherit their power (usually within their family ties), and the chosen ones must bear the responsibility.

Like the magic we see in films or read in fiction books, treatments like love spells and hexes are done in the line of black magic, and some people believe they still exist. The love spell called “pengasih-asih” (a love giver) is used to enchant someone to fall in love with the sender forcefully. However, it is believed that you will not fall towards this enchantment if you have strong faith. Hexes are known as “cetik” (poison). Cetik is classified into two; the one that works instantly and the one that is placed for a certain time, which could be months or even years. Hexes and spells are imbued in clothes, food, or drink. That is why personal items are kept hidden by the Balinese, and there is a ritual of praying and offering food from their plate to Gods before they start eating to neutralise any evil intentions. Hexes come in the form of illnesses, and to be cured, one must seek a Balian to counter them and protect the victim with prayers and mantras.

Rangda, The Queen of Leak.
Image source: Seminyak Point

Another form of black magic is one of the most known Bali icons you may have seen in paintings and Balinese dances, Leak (pronounced as “Leyak”). Legend has it that a Leak practitioner can look like a regular human during the day and shapeshift at night. Leak hunts people at night for its magic potion, visualised as a hairy creature with glaring eyes, a dangling tongue, and long fangs. Some say Leak is only found in Bali because its magic only works on the island.

More forms of black magic creatures are Celuluk, Rarung, and Rangda.

Celuluk is the most harmless one; it has big teeth and is bald on its front head. It scares people with its eerie laugh but cannot harm others. Rarung, however, can kill a victim using one look. While Rangda is a leader of the evil witches fighting against Barong and its army of good. Back to the Rwa Bhineda philosophy, when there’s good, there is also evil to balance it, the Balinese live alongside this knowledge and take it as a lesson to always be kind and respect all living beings, seen and unseen, so they are far from evil and all the bad energy.

Whether or not we believe in magic, understanding these Balinese beliefs illuminate us as visitors to their traditions and why they do what they do. Every culture has its unique story, and it is good to respect it, regardless of our perspectives.

About the writer

A passionate Balinese student learning in the arts of content making and marketing who’s utterly excited to share about her culture. Find her on Instagram @seeminglyamy.

In addition to his appearances at sporting events, Bully also participates in various community outreach programs and charitable initiatives. He symbolizes the pride and dedication that Mississippi State University has for its student-athletes, as well as its commitment to the community. Over the years, there have been multiple Bully mascots, each carrying on the tradition and legacy of the previous one. The Mississippi State Bulldogs mascot is a symbol of the university's history, traditions, and competitive spirit, and serves as a source of unity and pride for all who are associated with the university. In conclusion, the Mississippi State Bulldogs mascot, Bully, is an iconic figure that embodies the spirit, energy, and tradition of Mississippi State University. As a live English Bulldog, Bully is a beloved and integral part of the school's athletic events and community outreach efforts. He serves as a symbol of pride for the university and its students, alumni, and fans..

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