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'''Natural magic''' is a part of the [[occult]] which deals with natural forces directly, as opposed to [[ritual magic|ceremonial magic]] which deals with the summoning of spirits like [[ | [[File:Natural Magick.jpg|400px|thumb|Title page of ''Natural Magic'' (1658)]] | ||
'''Natural magic''' is a part of the [[occult]] which deals with natural forces directly, as opposed to [[ritual magic|ceremonial magic]] which deals with the summoning of spirits like [[angel]]s and [[demon]]s. In Renaissance Europe, it was one of the most common and popular forms of magic, sharing some commonality with early scientific methodology. | |||
Natural magic sometimes makes use of physical substances from the natural world such as [[crystal]]s or herbs. | Natural magic sometimes makes use of physical substances from the natural world such as [[crystal]]s or herbs. | ||
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==History== | ==History== | ||
Early beliefs concerning magic were not entirely confined to spiritual practices. [[Magician]]s in ancient times understood that natural phenomena such as planets, stars, stones, and plants exerted an unseen influence over human beings. | |||
[[Egyptian religion|Ancient Egyptians]] strongly connected the natural world with the spiritual world, believing them to be linked in many ways. This is evidenced by the presence of minerals and gemstones used to amplify the power of specific stars worshipped as the [[Egyptian decans]]. Each star had a mineral that could be used to increase the connection to the god it represented. These beliefs were later carried and expanded in the [[King Solomon|Solomonic]] magical tradition found in books such as the ''[[Key of Solomon]]''. | |||
Agrippa believed that the three wise men who attended the birth of [[Jesus Christ]] were practitioners of natural magic because each one brought a natural item which carried magical properties as well as their reliance on celestial phenomena to guide their travel. | |||
The ''[[Picatrix]]'' is considered an early [[grimoire]] of natural magic. | |||
===Renaissance Europe=== | |||
Within academic discourse of the Renaissance, natural magic became part of epistemological debates through its engagement with the knowledge and manipulation of imperceptible phenomena. This emphasis on [[occult]] operations in nature demanded a constant reevaluation of the boundaries of nature and, by extension, the limitations of human influence over nature that would be crucial to the development of scientific thought in the late Renaissance. | Within academic discourse of the Renaissance, natural magic became part of epistemological debates through its engagement with the knowledge and manipulation of imperceptible phenomena. This emphasis on [[occult]] operations in nature demanded a constant reevaluation of the boundaries of nature and, by extension, the limitations of human influence over nature that would be crucial to the development of scientific thought in the late Renaissance. | ||
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===Industrial Age and Modern era=== | ===Industrial Age and Modern era=== | ||
Practitioners of [[ritual magic]] and [[witchcraft]] maintained an active interest in natural magic and incorporated elements of astrology, herbs, and crystals into their work with healing, [[tarot]], and spirit invocation. | During the Age of Enlightenment, occult beliefs increasingly came to be seen as intrinsically incompatible with the concept of science. Practitioners of [[ritual magic]] and [[witchcraft]] maintained an active interest in natural magic and incorporated elements of astrology, herbs, and crystals into their work with healing, [[tarot]], and spirit invocation. | ||
''[[The Magus]]'' by English [[occultist]] [[Francis Barrett]], was a major work which bridged the gap between the Renaissance examination of natural magic and the later development of [[ritual magic]]. | |||
Many core principles and beliefs about natural magic have continued to the modern era as a key element of [[New Age]] beliefs which have been rejected by the scientific establishment. | |||
[[Category:Magic]] | [[Category:Magic]] | ||